# Teresa & Mike CHS - Our journal



## Mike CHS

We have been members on BYH for awhile now and have posted pictures in several different threads about our home and progress (or lack of in some cases).  So rather than bounce all over the place I'll post the remainder in this thread until we are actually there full time.

Our little 19 acres is in the beautiful foothills of Giles Country in southern Middle Tennessee abvout 15 miles north of the Alabama state line.  We are due north of Huntsville, Alabama and due south of Nashville.

My wife Teresa and I have always had dreams of finishing life on a little farm but we were kind of slow to get started since we didn't get together until 6 years ago.  We were both die hard never get married single people at the time but we soon saw that things change.  I have been commuting between Charleston and Tennessee since we started the project but had originally planned to be fully retired over a year ago.  That has slid to October of this year. The company made me a generous offer to stay with them till this project is over at the end of the year.  They have been good to me for the 20 years that I have worked for them off and on in spite of quitting on them twice.  

I was an Air Traffic Controller in my Navy career and after I retired from the military I became a contractor for a company that does system analysis for ATC systems.  A little distance from our future plans but I grew up on a farm and want to wind down the same way.

Our place hasn't been part of a working farm but was originally built as a deer camp.  There has been a bunch of "firsts" for us in doing the renovation but we are finally at the point where a few dedicated days will finish the interior.

I'm attaching a few pictures of the latest outside project which is an enclosed porch.  The "before" picture is of the driveway before we excavated to divert water that became a small river during a storm and it all ran under the house.  The retaining wall is 4' high at the far end but we had to move a couple of tons of rock before the wall and drive could be put in.  At our age I wasn't even going to act like that was something I wanted to tackle so I hired that work done.

We have really been lucky with the network of people we made when we first moved in.  The locals accepted us right away and we went to having no support to sometimes more than we need but they are super people. We have a contractor who will arrange to have things done for us or to provide a helper(s) if we are doing something on our own but want help. We don't push schedule so he uses us as a side job and makes it good for all of us dollar wise.

I have been a wood worker for many years and my wife is enjoying learning how to enjoy it also.  I made most of the wooden items in our house and we just finished the base cabinets for one of our storage pantries.

Our long term plans are to raise sheep for our own consumption and sales along with a couple of dairy goats.  They weren't in our original plans but all the enablers on BYH has not so subtly convined us they need to be a part of our place.

I'll quit being windy and post the pictures - the ugly shed on the side of the house held all of the water filtering stuff that didn't work and was about ready to fall down on it's own.  It wasn't attached to the house so I put some cable around it and pulled
it over with my truck.

The plan was to retain the metal roof that was on the house when we bought it but that plan didn't last long.  We knew we were going to enclose the porch and bought enough shingles to do the add-on.


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## norseofcourse

Nice to see you working on a dream!  I'll be watching the progress


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## Mike CHS

It's been awhile since I updated but some progress has been made.  I'm posting some more before and afters of the room that made me ask myself WHY DID YOU BUY THIS PLACE more than a few times.  I'm not going to get windy since the pics pretty much tell the story.

My wife had to get pretty creative with the lighting.  There was originally one light fixture in the center of the room and 16' ceilings so it was always dark in there.

We were able to spend all of last week working and built 5 over sized oak cabinets to go in the loft which will be all of our food processing and canning supplies.  We also were able to hang the two new exterior doors and get them painted.

The weather hasn't been cooperating at all on the shop build as they were scheduled to start a month ago.  It should go pretty fast now that all of the materials and equipment are on site.  I'm going to run water down to it from the well but won't bother till the construction is done.  We are also having to have another power pole and meter set since joining with the house isn't something we want to do.

The shop will be 32' x 42' and will have 12' of open shelter on each end.  One end for equipment storage and the other will be our lambing shelter until we get one built down in the main pasture.

A couple of these were posted before but not in the journal.  Note the bathroom door with the vinyl door next to the stove location in the "before" picture.  That was one of the 1st things to get changed.

We just got running water into the house a couple of months ago and we don't mind not having to carry buckets in from the well anymore.  We built a knee wall for the stairs and put a squat water heater under that so the unusable room became our laundry room.


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## Mike CHS

This is the state of the building as of yesterday.  They are ordering the metal today so it shouldn't be long now.  We are right at the end of our contract where I work and are having to jump through hoops to get our everything renewed so it might be several weeks before we can get home again.


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## OneFineAcre

Mike CHS said:


> This is the state of the building as of yesterday.  They are ordering the metal today so it shouldn't be long now.  We are right at the end of our contract where I work and are having to jump through hoops to get our everything renewed so it might be several weeks before we can get home again.



Looks great.


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## Mike CHS

This is really turning out better than I had hoped.  We are almost a year behind on our schedule of where we wanted to be at this point but now I'm getting antsy.  Everything about our final move to Tennessee hinged on having a place to set up my workshop tools. 

The house is done except for the flooring in one room but I think my wonderful bride would have drawn the line on having all of my sawdust makers in the living room.

I'm still having trouble deciding how to set up the fence from the building out in the pasture.  The excavation for the shop pad created a fairly steep hill that joins the pasture with what will be "lawn".  Once we get where we can let sheep on it I'm hoping it won't be a maintenance issue but I guess that can be the topic of another thread.


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## Mike CHS

We our in the process of adding another member to our family.  Our Aussie has been doing great in her training but we have some serious issues with her on the outrun.  She can drive without any problem but her instinct seems to be driving rather than flanking. Those issues might go away over time but since we were planning on getting her some backup anyway we couldn't pass up on this Border Collie pup.  He is 3 months old in this picture and we are looking forward to working with him.


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## frustratedearthmother

Looks like things are really coming along....and the 4-footed addition is precious!


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## OneFineAcre

Beautiful pup.


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## Mike CHS

We took the Aussie Sunday to do some training and took the pup with us to at least introduce him to sheep.  We weren't paying a lot of attention to him but he evidently pigged (or should I say sheeped?) out on sheep poop.  They sleep in the house but are confined to crates at night.   That was a good thing since I wouldn't want what we found in the morning to be spread out over the house.


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## Hens and Roos

Cute pup!  We are always getting after our Aussie not to eat goat poop  as she is a house dog too!  Your place is looking nice- thanks for sharing pictures.


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## Mike CHS

Our Aussie was pretty easy to stop but that's only because she is tooo fixated on watching what's moving around here to notice the poop.


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## samssimonsays

Oh man! Our pups are constant poop eaters and for whatever reason, we cannot get them to stop! All are house dogs, our two and the roommates one. The progress is looking great! I quite enjoyed reading through your thread


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## Mike CHS

Another picture just because they are so darn cute. 

Obedience training is going surprisingly easy for the hard headed pup but since the Aussie takes every verbal command, the pup is mimicking her.  We have been working on the lie down command when he is out trying to herd the Aussie and "Leave It" is working for the sheep berries.


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## samssimonsays

They are absolutely beautiful (and handsome)


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## Mike CHS

We are back in Charleston for awhile and thought the pup might have issues going from complete freedom and 20 acres to a subdivision lot with no fence.  We spend a lot of time with obedience training and we have had no adjustment problems.  We gave the pup a few more sessions with the sheep and I'm more than pleased how well he did.  This one loves to please and is a joy to train.  I took some video but need to figure out how to post them.


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## Mike CHS

We were finally able to spend enough time on our place to finish up the porch add-on.  I took this from an angle to show how much rock had to be moved to concrete the driveway to keep water away from the house.  The opening in the center is where the electric meter is so we had to improvise with the porch.  

There is a picture of the house and drive in the first part of this thread that shows how much excavation had to be done for the retaining wall.  I had a ditch a little over 500' long that received all of the stone that came from this area.


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## Hens and Roos

looking good


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## Baymule

Beautiful dogs and a great looking place!


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## Mike CHS

We haven't been able to spend much time in Tennessee since we finally got ready to pour concrete this afternoon if it doesn't rain again. 

We had to have some gravel brought in to even out the slope that leads to the building.  That is going to be an ongoing problem so we have to think about that one.

We were running up to a dog trial last weekend and saw a building about half this size going up as they were just setting the poles.  When we passed by that afternoon we saw that they were just about to the point where we are now but all in one day.


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## Hens and Roos

So what size is your building again?  Hang in there you will get it done


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## Mike CHS

It's 64x32 under the roof. The 12 foot sections on each end will be open until I figure out that it isn't going to work like I think it will.


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## Southern by choice

Mike CHS said:


> until I figure out that it isn't going to work like I think it will.


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## Southern by choice

How steep  is that slope?
Here that would be a nightmare... NC Piedmont rains  any slope... all floods. 

Everything looks great, love how your barn is coming along!


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## Hens and Roos

that a little bigger then our shop- our rabbits are the main ones that share space 

I'm sure you'll figure out just what you want to do with the space!


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## Mike CHS

The left hand side will be used for lambing and the other end will be for the tractor storage.  I have the material already on hand to build a couple of hoop houses for hay storage.  The taxes on our place is forecast to double when they do next years appraisal so I'm going to have more portable structures than fixed. 

The hill is steep enough that I can only cut it straight up and down.  The slope on the back end of the building is even steeper and I cut that in reverse since I can't turn around at the top.  There won't be much erosion on most of it since we followed the slope of just about solid rock from the "yard" down past the building.  We reversed the angle toward the hill to let that be a gutter of sorts.  Water moves the way it was designed but I brought in an expert when we were doing the initial layout.


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## goatgurl

things are looking good.  don't you love it when a plan comes together.  can't wait to see it finished.  keep on working, winters coming.


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## Baymule

Is there a building size that is tax exempt? We lived in a county that didn't tax a building under 8x8.


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## bonbean01

Loving the progress reports and the pics   You are getting there and all is looking great!!!

Just one thing...I'm needing pics of your sheep   I have sheep and yes I am needy....LOL


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## Mike CHS

I haven't been able to find about tax exemptions for buildings yet but we have an appointment with the Extension Agent on Thursday and he has the information we need for that. 

I'll dig out some pictures of the sheep we are using.  We don't have any of our own yet but are using a friends critters to train our dogs.  They give a whole new meaning to dog broke so I'm almost not looking forward to our first batch of "normal" sheep.


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## OneFineAcre

Looking good.


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## Mike CHS

The crew came in on Thursday morning early and finished up on Friday morning. We messed up on the concrete so I will have to do some jury rigging to get a good seal on the front section. We were supposed to have a small step up on the front section for sealing the siding but didn't realize it. Bad communication between us and the building crew. Caulk will take care of it but it's one of the small things that seem major at the time. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




We still need to bring in some gravel to bring everything up to grade but the hard part is over for this one and we will use a U-Haul the next trip to start getting my shop tools in place. The next major project is to figure out the rest of the fencing and get that finished but that comes after we fill in the settling beside the driveway from trenching for the water lines.  I'll "officially" retire in March so I can probably come up with ways to fill in my time.  
The patio roof looks rusted but it is just mud. Everything sat around so long in the weather that mud covered just about everything.


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## Latestarter

WOW! What a difference completion makes! Looks GREAT! Congrats! One step closer!


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## frustratedearthmother

Looks awesome!


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## OneFineAcre

That's a very nice building.


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## Mike CHS

Thanks - I am looking forward to be able to do some wood working and have plenty of room to do so.  

My garage work shop is so crowded that In order to use my table saw I have to pull out the lawn mower and move my lathe out into the driveway.  My truck bed is used to break down anything over 6 feet.


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## Hens and Roos

Looks great!  Bet you wont have a hard time filling it full of neat projects!


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## Baymule

OK, it is official. I have some serious Building Envy going on!


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## Southern by choice

Oh my gosh! I am so happy for you! 
Absolute barn envy here.

So glad you put this thread up it really is so great to see all the steps and the amazing progress. Thanks for letting all of us be a part of the journey. So cool!


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## goatgurl

the building looks great.


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## Devonviolet

Mike CHS said:


> The crew came in on Thursday morning early and finished up on Friday morning. We messed up on the concrete so I will have to do some jury rigging to get a good seal on the front section. We were supposed to have a small step up on the front section for sealing the siding but didn't realize it. Bad communication between us and the building crew. Caulk will take care of it but it's one of the small things that seem major at the time.
> 
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> We still need to bring in some gravel to bring everything up to grade but the hard part is over for this one and we will use a U-Haul the next trip to start getting my shop tools in place. The next major project is to figure out the rest of the fencing and get that finished but that comes after we fill in the settling beside the driveway from trenching for the water lines.  I'll "officially" retire in March so I can probably come up with ways to fill in my time.
> The patio roof looks rusted but it is just mud. Everything sat around so long in the weather that mud covered just about everything.
> 
> View attachment 12347 View attachment 12347 View attachment 12348 View attachment 12349


WOW!  What I could do with a barn like this! Southern got it right . . . I also have a severe case of barn envy!!!  

I just spent some time reading your farm journal. You're doing a great job Mike.  Keep up the good work.  

I bet you are counting the days until you retire. Trust me, you will definitely find things to do to fill your time.    There just aren't enough hours in the day, on the farm.


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## Baymule

Really! DH and I wonder how we ever worked all day and found time to do anything. We are busy all the time!


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## Mike CHS

Thanks everyone.  We don't have trouble keeping busy already but we have really enjoyed getting to where we are.  I say it often but my wife is also my best friend so that makes the journey even better.

We have been at the point where we only have the flooring to do in one remaining room for several months but we had to switch gears to get the outside where it needs to be to start moving things from South Carolina.  We are going to wind up with a lot of duplicates due to having two homes for so long but that is the kind of problem that isn't really a problem.  We have already had one of the neighbors offer to swap a couple of piglets next spring for some of the portable tools I have been using.  We have a spot that was dug for a pond that doesn't hole water and they tell me that putting hogs into an area like that can sometimes seal the  surface so it will hold water. Not sure if that's an old wives tale or not but I have plenty of hot wire and a spare charger and it lets him get rid of a couple of piglets. 

When we get the major things done I'll do a series of before and after pics of the house.  Even though it has taken us 3 years, we are pretty proud of what we have now considering we only paid for the price of the raw land to start with.  The house was considered worthless and we had to do some serious research in deciding to renovate or build new.


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## Baymule

Nothing like falling into bed, tired and happy with what you've got done that day. The best thing we bought ourselves was adjustable beds with massage. We love them.


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## Devonviolet

Mike CHS said:


> Thanks everyone.  We don't have trouble keeping busy already but we have really enjoyed getting to where we are.  I say it often but my wife is also my best friend so that makes the journey even better.
> 
> We have been at the point where we only have the flooring to do in one remaining room for several months but we had to switch gears to get the outside where it needs to be to start moving things from South Carolina.  We are going to wind up with a lot of duplicates due to having two homes for so long but that is the kind of problem that isn't really a problem.  We have already had one of the neighbors offer to swap a couple of piglets next spring for some of the portable tools I have been using.  We have a spot that was dug for a pond that doesn't hole water and they tell me that putting hogs into an area like that can sometimes seal the  surface so it will hold water. Not sure if that's an old wives tale or not but I have plenty of hot wire and a spare charger and it lets him get rid of a couple of piglets.
> 
> When we get the major things done I'll do a series of before and after pics of the house.  Even though it has taken us 3 years, we are pretty proud of what we have now considering we only paid for the price of the raw land to start with.  The house was considered worthless and we had to do some serious research in deciding to renovate or build new.


That's awesome! I can't wait to see what you and your sweet bride did with the house!

DH is my best friend as well, and I couldn't imagine doing this without him either!

When we were looking for land, we looked at buing land and building from scratch. We had a 6 month lease on our apartment, so switched gears & considered remodeling an existing house. However, we just couldn't find the right property in time to get anything livable by the end of our lease.  Then, at the last minute we (or I should say _God_) found the perfect property, with a 2-1/2 year old farm style bungalow on 5 acres. It even came with 3 year old RIR roo & laying hen & a 3 year old turkey hen.   The sellers told us the hen & turkey weren't laying anymore. But, SURPRISE! Come Spring, they both started laying again! 

How cool that you are going to have a couple pigs in your pond bed. I never heard of pigs sealing a pond bed. It will be interesting to see if it works.


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## Latestarter

Don't know the size of the dug pond, but you could dig it out some and buy a pond liner then cover that with sand (to protect) or clay (to seal). Or just dig it out some and purchase impermeable or low permeable clay to line it with. You'd need a spillway for overflow and deeper bottom fill above either if animals would be walking in it, to prevent tearing of the liner.


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## babsbag

We have thought of using Betonite clay to seal our pond but pretty expensive to get it in CA. I too have heard of the pigs sealing the pond, something to do with the shape of their feet and them walking around in it. I think you are supposed to put water in the middle like a mud bath and then gradually fill the pond with water and the pigs will work farther up the sides of the pond and seal it all that way. Here is an article on it. I may do it myself in a few years.

http://www.makeitmissoula.com/2012/07/paul-wheaton-can-pigs-build-ponds/


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## Mike CHS

Thanks for the link babsbag.  I was sort of thinking my neighbor had put the suggestion in his head.  Since we have had this place (and long before we bought) the other 3 families in our valley have a hog slaughter get together every fall.  It was coincidental he said to probably get 4 critters to grow out since that is what is butchered every year now. 

We may give it a shot with nothing to lose and some pork to gain for the freezer.


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## Latestarter

Thanks for the link Babs. never heard of that.


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## babsbag

I read about it a few years ago, they build these ponds in poor depressed areas quite often. They also had information for building a system with PVC pipes in the pond for a "spillway", it is called a "monk"

http://www.richsoil.com/sepp-holzer/sepp-holzer-permaculture.jsp


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## Mike CHS

I could spend quite a bit of time reading on that site.   I have used something similar to what he calls a monk at a place I was renting years ago just outside of Memphis and it does work.


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## Mike CHS

We have been working both the Aussie and the Border Collie every other week and have been mostly pleased with their progress.  The Aussie is ready to work but it looks like she will always be used for close in work.  She comes from a cattle herding line so that isn't surprising.  The Border Collie is going to be excellent if we can keep learning as fast as he is.  We had him working on a long line a couple of times last month but he is too young to be doing much of that. We just want to do enough now to keep him stimulated while still making each time a learning experience.  He is a really strong willed dog but they are also so soft at the same time.  He is only 5 months old and at the stage where he is trying to be the alpha so we are working on that as well as getting him to work the sheep rather than chasing them. 

We will keep him at the small pen till he settles down a bit and is more receptive to the flanking commands.  Keena (our friend and mentor) is working him more than us now since she anticipates their actions better than us. This picture doesn't show much detail but I like posting their pictures.


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## Southern by choice

Thought of you when I read this tonight...
http://www.wsmv.com/story/30654135/cougar-spotted-on-camera-in-humphreys-county

Cougars in TN! Finally confirmed! Not sure if your in one of these counties.

You will be glad when you get your Anatolians or Kangals!


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## Mike CHS

Thanks - I saw an article in our local paper the other day.  There has been a lot of talk about them being around but the state Wildlife Resources folks have always said no way.  Those counties are an hour north of us and the terrain is ideal for them so we shall see.  Some good may come of them since we are way over populated with deer.  Black bears have been moving in lately also so yes - we will be looking for a couple of LGDs. 

This picture was at the edge of the pasture right behind our house last year.


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## Southern by choice

Maybe the breeder you are looking at will start pups for you and you can get them already trained.


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## Mike CHS

You aren't going to breed any more are you?


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## Baymule

There are cougars in southeast Texas. I was camping with my dog once and a cougar started yowling, my poor dog tried to climb under my skin, she was so scared!  Since moving to the Tyler area, I don't know what the cougar population is, but since there is lots of rural lands and wilderness, I see no reason why cougars would not be here. Prime habitat for them.


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## frustratedearthmother

We've got cougars down here too (south of Houston)  Seen them and heard them.  Thankfully, they inhabit the areas around the bayous and we've not seen them in close proximity to my place.


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## Southern by choice

Mike CHS said:


> You aren't going to breed any more are you?



The plan for now is to raise up _other_ people's pups.
We have a team going but the folks actually need (will need after expansion) 2 more so we will probably raise their future pups for the first year. 

Eventually I will get another Anatolian and maybe do a litter... but not planning on that til we move.


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## goatgurl

isn't it interesting that both the states of Arkansas and Oklahoma deny that there are mountain lions around here.  my friend kat had a large feline that was tawny in color inside her horse barn, approx. 25 yards from her house.  huge foot prints in the dirt and she saw it going up the mountain above her the next evening.  now she has to carry her equalizer to the barn when she feeds.  have had them turn up on trail cams within a mile of my house.  both tawny and black panther.  glad they aren't around here or i would be worried.  God bless big barky dogs.


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## Baymule

Southern by choice said:


> Eventually I will get another Anatolian and maybe do a litter... but not planning on that til we move.



Texas is nice this time of year......... just sayin'


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## Southern by choice

Baymule said:


> Texas is nice this time of year......... just sayin'


No Texas for me! I love where I live... just wish it was a little warmer and a little deeper in the country... maybe mountains.
If I ever did move to TX I know a whole lot of herdies that would be cool to meet up with!


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## Mike CHS

The folks we were going to get LGDs from changed their plans but we are working on alternatives.  We are still several months away from getting livestock so we have a little time. Our neighbor has a Maremma (sp?) on his adjoining fence line and she patrols 3 sides of our place.

I would suggest Tennessee but I imagine our climates are pretty much the same.    Just because of the people we have there met I wouldn't even consider anywhere else.  Just as an example - We have met with and talked to the Extension Agent several times and he even came out to take soil samples all around our place and arranged for a gent to talk to about improving our pasture.  We have about 75% prime pasture but 25% looks like something from Arizona (not insulting Arizona by the way ).

Just a side track story -  We got a letter from the Tax Appraiser last Friday and the 1st thought was "Darn - they already raised our taxes because of the new shop and the house addition".  Turns out it was a hand written note from Terry Hatfield (county appraiser) - my last name is McCoy by the way  and there was also a form attached.  He said he had talked to Keith (the Extension Agent) about what our plans were and he had taken the liberty to fill out the forms to apply for Green Belt Tax Exemption for us - all I had to do was sign it and return it with the Stamped envelope he provided. It won't reduce the house taxes but just about does away with the property taxes.


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## Mini Horses

Hatfield & McCoy??  You better do what he says!!


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## Ferguson K

I'm dying!!


Mike CHS said:


> Terry Hatfield (county appraiser) - my last name is McCoy by the way


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## Latestarter

Wow... every place should have public employees so dedicated to those they represent. That's great for you!


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## Mike CHS

Latestarter - That kind of treatment has been the norm since we bought the place a little over 3 years ago.  One example is the 1st time we arranged to meet with the Extension agent he arranged to have two people drive down from Nashville (1 1/2 hours away) since they had more experience with sheep. 

Since this is a journal I do have an update - The Power Company rep came out this morning and it looks like we will only have to run one power pole instead of the two that I expected.  That will save $600 off our original estimate and they will hopefully get to it next week while we are there.  The $ burn rate has been almost scarey for the last couple of months so that little bit of savings helps. 

We did get the big garage door hung and the garage door opener mounted.  Of course it is still on manual lift since no power yet.

I'm hoping to get some of the interior walls closed in next week so I can get a U-Haul and move most of my tools and lumber there on the next trip.  We are putting our South Carolina house on the market right after the 1st of the year that hopefully will meld with our planned March final trip.


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## Latestarter

Wow... fantastic that things are finally coming together for you.  Hope it continues to come together for you!


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## Devonviolet

Mike CHS said:


> Since this is a journal I do have an update - The Power Company rep came out this morning and it looks like we will only have to run one power pole instead of the two that I expected.  That will save $600 off our original estimate and they will hopefully get to it next week while we are there.  The $ burn rate has been almost scarey for the last couple of months so that little bit of savings helps.


Are you putting in LED lights?  We were planning to have the power company put in a standard yardlight. It sounded like a good deal at their special $7/month rate, for a dusk to dawn light. However, that didn't include $10/month rental on their pole.   Plus $1200 installation charge, to run wires. (250 feet) to the livestock pen & install the pole. 

When we had the electrician run electric to our four outbuildings, he installed a pole which puts the LED light 12 feet above ground. I think the extra cost was $200 for labor a $100 LED light fixture and six inch 15' square pole.

The LED bulb costs pennies/month, to run - dusk to dawn, and will last 50,000 hours!  The power company light would need changing at least once or twice a year and was 2700 Kelvin (meaning orange light).

Our light is 5000 Kelvin, which gives blue light, that looks like daylight. Our livestock pen is about 100 feet from the house. We feel like we see what is going on after dark, better with our daylight (5000K) yard light.


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## Mike CHS

We bought a bunch of LED 4' shop lights for the interior and we are going to mount LEDs at all 3 doors also. We still have to talk with the electrician and the power company to see what we have to work with.  There is such a steep hill leading down to the building that we need to see where they are talking about putting the pole to make sure we have enough clearance.


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## Baymule

Mike I hope your house sells in a timely manner. We bought our place September of 2015 and moved in February of 2016. We sold our house on a handshake deal, no contract, no earnest money, just a handshake. We have enjoyed our new home so much, lots of work to do, fence to build. We have made a lot of progress since February and feel like we are on the home stretch. Barn poles are going up tomorrow! A screened porch is being built across the front of the house. I totally get where you are coming from on the $$ burn rate!! I hope you enjoy your place as much as we are enjoying ours!


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## Mike CHS

I think that everyone on this site has a general idea of what it takes and the enjoyment in getting there.  I have been in basically the same field since I got out of High School back in 1969 so I'm ready for the change.


----------



## Devonviolet

Hmmmm . . . 1969 was a good year!


----------



## Mike CHS

We were at our place from Wednesday last week until heading back Sunday morning.  I couldn't believe the temps all week long.  Days were mild 70's and the nights were high 50's to lower 60's.  We spent most of the time going back through the house and finishing things in rooms that were "done" but still needed the fine details worked out.  We bought a new washing machine last month that arrived DOA and had the new one delivered last week.  The COOP man came out and took a soil sample and the power company set up stakes for the new power pole and meter.

Some will notice that I used both a mix of 16" and 24" spacing for the framing but there is a reason for that. I didn't post pictures of everything that got done since it's more of the same but I got the one 32' end wall framed, insulated and OSB put up and one 10' section that I'll use for my vertical lumber storage so those were just 24" on center.  The pics are more for my record so I don't have to remember which wall used 16" and which used 24" on center.   The 16" spacing is where I stack lumber that I don't use as often on Portamate racks I got from Woodcraft several years ago.  I got to try out my new Hitachi framing nail gun which made things go faster.


----------



## Mike CHS

The temperature changed so drastically on Thursday that the concrete had standing water in it.  The building is sealed up pretty good for a barn and the temp inside only got up into the lower 50's while the outside temp got up to 80.  I see a dehumidifier in our future.

My bride and I both exhibit some mild to medium OCD traits and fortunately for us they are just shown in different ways.  We usually don't comment since we acknowledge how we are but she had all she could do to keep from laughing when we were hanging the OSB panels. We had set 4 of the panels in place for nailing them up when I noticed they were upside down and set them all right side up.  She was just looking at me wondering what I was doing and she finally  asked me what I was doing.

I said the writing on the panels are upside down (even though they will get painted) and to keep from hurting my feelings she just said ok.  About 1/2 a minute later she couldn't hold it back any longer and just said "I LOVE YOU" as she started laughing.


----------



## samssimonsays

Hahaha! Sounds like us!  I love the OCD stories of other people. makes me feel not so alone in certain areas  Thank you for the good chuckle to start my day off!


----------



## Southern by choice

Awww that is sweet. I am a recovered OCDer. It is a daily battle but didn't want it affecting my kids. I have to remind myself of that everyday. It is pretty great to have people that get it! My kids are great about it and they lovingly tease me... I can laugh along with them. They sent me this video last week....

funniest part is the candy the wardrobe and the pictures- well the whole thing really...


----------



## samssimonsays

That video was priceless! I have had to work on mine a lot! It used to be 3 times with a light switch or handle then lock it. Food couldn't touch at all and so on. It is much better lol. But goats helped make that happen. I still have moments... I think most people do though.


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## Mike CHS

That video cracked me up but I thought the guy was perfectly normal. 

I had to pass that on to a few people.  I'm not nearly as bad as many that I know.  I was in ATC in my Navy life and I had a young lady working for me many years ago who would even vector aircraft slightly off course to make her spacing look more even although she already had adequate spacing.  She would even group aircraft in sectors in all even numbers but she was good enough at it that nobody ever said anything.  Occasionally a pilot would ask why they were veing vectored off course though.


----------



## Southern by choice

I think "we " are normal too.

I put a thread up in Random ramblings- I bet there are many on here with OCD.
Having a farm helps A LOT!


----------



## Latestarter

Wow, didn't that ping on a few chords here!  Thanks for sharing all! I try to remember (as best I can) to not sweat the small stuff... Sometimes it's difficult.


----------



## Devonviolet

Southern by choice said:


> Awww that is sweet. I am a recovered OCDer. It is a daily battle but didn't want it affecting my kids. I have to remind myself of that everyday. It is pretty great to have people that get it! My kids are great about it and they lovingly tease me... I can laugh along with them. They sent me this video last week....
> 
> funniest part is the candy the wardrobe and the pictures- well the whole thing really...


Hahaha!    That video hit all my pet peeves!!!   

DH tells people I can walk into a room and tell that a picture frame is 1/16" low on the right side.   I can't help myself.   When I think no one is looking, I have to go straighten it! 

I try to hide it, but sometimes it jumps out for the world to see. 

I can totally identify with turning all the OSB so the writing goes the same way! I think my perfectionism drives DH a bit looney when we are working on building projects.. He says he is a "Spatial" & I am a"Specific". But in the end it helps to keep buildings from looking like the Leaning Tower of Pisa.


----------



## Mike CHS

My bride will act like she doesn't know me when I stoop to pull weeds at the Bank of America.


----------



## Devonviolet

Been there, done that!


----------



## samssimonsays

I have taken the pen and pad at the drs office and straightened them to each other before... Store shelves are a constant nightmare for me... My mom used to have to leave me at home when I was a toddler and young child because while in the check out line I would rearrange everything smallest to shortest.... I would freak out if we left before I was done I guess...   I was so young I do not recall these events BUT it was definitely a foreshadow of what was to come


----------



## Southern by choice

Guys I put another thread up for OCDers... this is great stuff you've got to put it up. Didn't want to bombard MikeCHS journal


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## Baymule

That's priceless Mike! I am not OCD and could care less about those minute details that drive OCD'ers nuts. I am abnormal in my own way.....


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## frustratedearthmother

X2!


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## goatgurl

x3.  it makes me nervous when you ocd'ers come to my house where nothing perfect.  trust me I'm that person that drives you nuts!  but have my own kind of weirdness i promise.


----------



## Southern by choice

goatgurl said:


> but have my own kind of weirdness i promise



  As if we didn't already know that!


----------



## goatgurl




----------



## Mike CHS

Things worked out at work that I was able to take off from Christmas Eve to January 3rd so we made some progress.  We had dinner with the oldest daughter on Christmas Eve and had planned on the middle son on Christmas Day but both the grandsons had a nasty bug and Grandpa is germophobic when it comes to kids and the bugs they get.

No pictures until I find the camera but we got the shop completely framed in and about half of the insulation put up.  I'm still researching HVAC units so I'm leaving one end only partially closed up till I decide on what we will use.  The weather is mild enough at our place that I wasn't sure I even needed a system but the neighbors assured us that when the weather got cold outside that you could have light rain inside.  I was skeptical but saw the reality when the weather switched gears on Thursday.

We had accumulated a lot of concrete debris and rock/stone from building a retaining wall to divert water and all that "STUFF" had been pushed into a treeline adjacent to the driveway.  It didn't bother me much since the trees pretty much kept everything hidden until we started getting heavy frosts.

I was outside with the dogs and having my coffee while getting ready to start on the shop on Friday.  I happened to look at all that debris long enough to decide that plans changed and I spent the next day and a half moving it all to a dry pond to use as fill.  Much of the rock and concrete was too big to put IN my front end loader so I either pushed it with the bucket or worked chain around it to pull it down there. If you get bored sometime and want a little excitement try pushing a 3-400 lb slab down a hilly/rocky pasture without digging into the ground too much.  

I do have some before and after pictures that I will post if they show enough detail.

I also found Mr. Murphy to be alive and well.  I had installed the garage door opener and just had it plugged into an extension cord from the house.  There had been a heavy wind blown rain going on for awhile and when I went to shut the garage door I noticed some water leaking from the roof that the builder was suppossed to have fixed.  It was leaking directly on the opener and shorted out a circuit card. 

The electrician is supposed to mount the breaker panel this weekend and hopefully the power company can get out next week to set the pole and meter.


----------



## Latestarter

Progress is always slower than we want and often expect, but you're coming along nicely. Glad you had some time with one kid for Christmas, sorry it didn't work out with your son and grands. Since mine moved away, I take the opportunities to see them regardless. My son and his fam stayed with me for almost a week right after Christmas


----------



## Mike CHS

Thanks Latestarter - we are having our make-up Christmas on Saturday.


----------



## Mike CHS

Because our consolidated families are spread out all over the country, our Christmases stretch out from December through January but we all manage to get together.


----------



## Ferguson K

We do that, too. But we're spread wide and far amongst Texas. Most family members live over 300miles away.


----------



## Mike CHS

All of the young ones have already been pushing us to get done and moved so they can converge on Tennessee.


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## Mike CHS

These pictures don't really show the scale of what was there but I'm still glad to have it mostly done.  There is still some more hand work to clear things out so I can rebuild the fenceline but my neighbor and I are sharing the cost and labor on that so it should go easy.  This section of our property is the only really rough spot left on the place since I've picked a small section to clean up every time we go there.  I often think there hasn't been enough progress and have to remind myself with pictures how bad it was to start with.  The day we 1st looked at the place we had to shoo two horses off the portch to get in the door.  

The big blob behind the stones in the 1st picture is an old rotten hot tub that had been there for no telling how long.  This is literally the last of the previous occupants trash so I was a happy camper.

The stack of lime stone slabs came out of where we built a retaining wall to divert water from the house.  I was going to drag them off also but decided to move them to what will be the goat pen since they are so flat and stable. They should make for some fun climbing for them. Some of them are 5'-6' around.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Big difference - and it looks great!


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## Hens and Roos

looking great!


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## Baymule

Sometimes progress is measured by one trash bag at a time. Sometimes it is measured by a few feet of cleared brush/briars at a time. Keep it up, slow as it is right now, it will all get done.


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## OneFineAcre

My goats ate the vines off of a huge pile of trash that I'm still burnimg over a year later
I'll have it all burned this winter at least anything that will "take to a flame"
@Latestarter
You started a music thread
Reminds me of a song by a local band Southern Culture on The Skids
"My Neighbor Burns Trash in A Barrel Out Back"
Check it out on Utube


----------



## Mike CHS

I might have been a subject of that song.   I have lost track of how many runs I've made to the dump but just about anything that is organic based and won't make my pasture toxic gets put to the flame.  We have to have Burn Permits this time of year but that is a small thing.


----------



## Latestarter

I found the group OFA, but couldn't find that song...


----------



## OneFineAcre

Latestarter said:


> I found the group OFA, but couldn't find that song...




I'll put the link on your thread.


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> I might have been a subject of that song.   I have lost track of how many runs I've made to the dump but just about anything that is organic based and won't make my pasture toxic gets put to the flame.  We have to have Burn Permits this time of year but that is a small thing.


We don't have to get burn permits, in our terrible droughts, there is just an all out burn ban. No burning, period. Then after 453 inches of rain  in one of our mega storms-the ban gets lifted.


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> I might have been a subject of that song.   I have lost track of how many runs I've made to the dump but just about anything that is organic based and won't make my pasture toxic gets put to the flame.  We have to have Burn Permits this time of year but that is a small thing.


We don't have to get burn permits, in our terrible droughts, there is just an all out burn ban. No burning, period. Then after 453 inches of rain  in one of our mega storms-the ban gets lifted.


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## Mike CHS

They were doing a lot of anti terrorist training at work this week so we took vacation time and spent the week taking care of loose ends.  The power company came out Monday and set the power pole and rain power to the shop.  We no longer have to run the 150 foot extension cord to the building to run anything.   We are now officially done with the insulation and the sheathing inside the building and the next trip here will be a U-Haul with my tools from South Carolina.

I'm only adding the picture since the power company guys knew that we have been waiting for several months to get power and they worked in spite of the weather. _  had to take picture of the power pole in the right side of the picture.  _


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## frustratedearthmother

PROGRESS!  So glad to hear the good news.


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## Latestarter

Will you be nervous about moving all your tools in while you're not physically living there? That would make me pretty nervous... Looks good though!


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## Mike CHS

Not really.  We have good insurance and a security system in the shop with cameras.  We have had tools and material in the house since we bought it 3 years ago so there is always the chance something could happen.  The house isn't isolated and only has one way in and one way out plus it can be seen by the neighbors on the next hill over.


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## Baymule

A power pole..........awesome......... How few people truly know the joy of a brand new power pole. Congrats on the progress being made.


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## Mike CHS

I was almost as happy when I got all of the limestone slabs moved away from the area that we had to cut out to make a flat spot  I spent most of Saturday literally pushing the half ton pieces of stone with my little 32 horse power Kubota down the hill to get them out of the way.


----------



## Baymule

OOOOOOOOOOOOO.................a _thirty two horsepower!! _Mine is only a 27 HP


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## Mike CHS

We listed our home in Charleston with the realtors yesterday and got an offer this morning.  There are still the usual negotiations going on but evidently we are in a price range that many folks are looking for so that's a good thing.  We even turned down a couple of appointments yesterday evening because they were too late. I have had my cell phone turned off all day since the realtors now use an automated appointment system that isn't a good thing to have at work but nice to see so many appointments.

If everything goes through we will have to be out by April 1st but I'm not sure if it's a good thing to start a move on April Fool's Day.

I still have some loose ends to tie up at work since the house moved a lot faster than planned but the Daughter has a big house they have offered to share. I guess we will see how well our total of 4 dogs will get along.


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## OneFineAcre

Maybe you will get in a bidding situation.  That would be nice.


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## Mike CHS

We shall see but I think we listed pretty close to what will be the appraised value - We are letting them show until we actually officially accept the offer.  There are 5 appointments scheduled for tomorrow so we decided to take the dogs upstate and put them on some sheep since it is supposed to be so nice.


----------



## OneFineAcre

Mike CHS said:


> We shall see but I think we listed pretty close to what will be the appraised value - We are letting them show until we actually officially accept the offer.  There are 5 appointments scheduled for tomorrow so we decided to take the dogs upstate and put them on some sheep since it is supposed to be so nice.



I hope you get everything you want for it. 

We moved a year and a half ago ourselves.  We bought our new place before we sold our old one.

We were very fortunate when we sold our old place, so I know what a blessing it can be.


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## Mike CHS

We planned as good as we could considering how much longer we stayed in Charleston than planned.  I originally stayed because the contract we work on for the Air Force was supposed to go away in 2013 and I didn't want to leave the company in a bind.  Now almost 3 years later, it is still up in the air but we are leaving this summer one way or another.

Our place in Tennessee is free and clear but we still have a lot of fence to put up.  I don't think I will make it as pretty as yours though OFA.


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## Baymule

Haha! April Fools day!!  Maybe you could crack jokes all day when you are moving. We moved on Valentines Day, we love our new place! 

What kind of fence will you put up?


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## Mike CHS

I plan on putting up woven wire around the central paddock and use netting for some other areas until I figure out how I want to do the layout.  I have some really steep contours all around our outside edge so I'm trying to avoid creating more work than I already have.  It gets complicated because I own property on both sides of a railroad where the tracks run under our driveway.  I have talked to a couple of fencing folks but they think the best way is to just do perimeter fence and leave it at that (which I'm not going to do.


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## Baymule

How many acres do you have? We have 8 acres. I thought about the goat/sheep wire but went with the more expensive horse non climb wire. If I had a lot of acreage I might have thought different.


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## Baymule

How many acres do you have? We have 8 acres. I thought about the goat/sheep wire but went with the more expensive horse non climb wire. If I had a lot of acreage I might have thought different.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have just under 20 acres but the hills at our place make for some innovative thinking 

All around the south side of our pasture I have to cut uphill in reverse because of the contour.  I call that hill Pucker Hill.  We are putting up no climb on one side that adjoins with a neighbor who is going to be getting horses.  That section will house our dairy goats so that works good.

I've talked to several farmers here that raise sheep and they do a lot with high tensile.


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## Baymule

We only have one problem area to fence. It is a gully that is a wet weather stream. We have what I call seeps, not enough flow to call them springs, they put out a pretty good flow when we get a lot of rain. The gully is steep and the outside property line crosses it. The solution I came up with is to use bags of cement. I will stack up bags of cement, stab them with rebar, place some pipe pieces for drain holes and run the fence over them.


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## Latestarter

That's a pretty brilliant idea Bay! Very ingenious! Maybe you can back dig a bit and make a small stock pond for the animals?


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## Mike CHS

I never would have thought of using bags of cement but I will have to keep that cement bridge idea in mind.


----------



## Baymule

I have made a lot of water gaps, all of them doomed to fail. I don't know where this brain fart came from but I think I had a stroke of genius. I can't dig it out much or back the water up too far as it would back up over the gas pipeline. I will take pictures of it when I carry out my diabolical plan.


----------



## Mike CHS

I would like to see some pictures.  I have an idea what you are doing but can't quite see the details.


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> I would like to see some pictures.  I have an idea what you are doing but can't quite see the details.


It might be a little while before I get started on that particular project. My husband is having knee replacement surgery tomorrow. We will be busy for awhile going to rehab therapy and getting him back on his feet and kicking again. But I promise I will do a detailed picture spread when we get back on fence building.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

@Baymule - sending prayers for healing for your DH - and you!


----------



## Mike CHS

Our thoughts also Baymule.  Medicine has come so far in the last few years that those kind of operations are no longer drastic procedures like they use to be.


----------



## Hens and Roos

hoping that all goes smoothly for you!


----------



## Latestarter

Wishing Hubs all the best and smooth sailing.


----------



## Baymule

Thanks ya'll. They already got him up and walking this evening. I came home tonight because I've been so darn sick and I need to get my rest. When he comes home in a couple of days, I gotta bring my A game! I don't have time to be sick!


----------



## Mike CHS

Us men often get this sense that we are what makes the world go round but then we get a rude awakening and realize it is the ladies in our lives that are actually holding that world together.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

That's a smart man right there!!


----------



## Baymule

I have this feeling that I just got a pat on the back and a Good Job!


----------



## frustratedearthmother

I told you that was a smart man!


----------



## Mike CHS

We did get a contract on our house and hopefully everything will go through without a hitch (just knocked on wood).  The offer was actually above our ask but that was a lender move to help the buyers with closing costs.

We have been packing or I should say my wonderful bride has been packing (We broke down the shop tools and packed all the loose hand tools over the weekend).  We will pack up the U-Haul on Thursday head out Friday and finish unpacking on Saturday to come back Sunday to SC.  The shop tools and boxes along with 6 or 700 feet of lumber is going to fill the truck pretty quick so it's going to take another U-Haul around Easter weekend for what is left. We have help on both ends so that's a good thing.


----------



## Pastor Dave

@Mike CHS , I have went back and read your thread to the point of its current status. Sounds really good. As I did some genealogy research, I noticed entire families moving from East to West as the country opened up in the 1800's. Folks that had worked hard and wanted to be pioneers in their 60's and 70's moving West and cutting trees and clearing land, building homes, digging wells and all that went into it. Some of the adult children with families stayed close and others ventured further West. But, enough of a look into the past. I love the idea of getting back to the land and becoming as self sufficient as possible. What you and wife are doing is a big inspiration, and I look forward to being able to do something similar in abt 20 years or sooner if fortunate enough. Keep up the blog thread because I enjoy seeing the progress.


----------



## Mike CHS

Thank you Pastor Dave.  Our project has been a labor of love only made better by the Lady I'm doing it with. We will miss being away from family but it's only a day trip from them.


----------



## Mike CHS

We packed up my workshop on Thursday and headed to Tennessee on Friday.  We got home just a little bit after dark and Mikey didn't take into account the weight on the drive wheel of the 26' U-Haul truck so I immediately got stuck. I tried with little Kubota but I think I heard the truck laughing at me as it just sat there.  Luckily I have good neighbors and both of them came down with another tractor.  The neighbor hooked up to the front to pull and I used the hitch with my front end loader to push.  We needed to get it turned around anyway so once we got it moving we just ran it out into the yard a bit. 
Neighbors helped unload on Saturday and we headed back Sunday. 

We will get another truck tomorrow and load up the lumber for another run on Thursday.  Rough estimate is a little over 5,000 pounds of lumber so we will have a little weight limit left to take some of the household goods.  I didn't take any shop pics but will once everything is set up and running.  Did manage to get rid of most of the boxed items and used the tractor to push over a half dozen willow trees because they had several days of rain and I needed the ground as wet as possible to be able to dig/push them over.


----------



## Pastor Dave

Always awesome to have good neighbors WITH equipment. Once you are settled, and ground is firm this summer/early Fall, do a hog pit-barbecue style and invite all the neighbors. Big party, you're thanking everyone for the help, and you are now an established neighbor. In the very least you get to eat good!


----------



## Baymule

Ain't moving FUN?????  Good neighbors are worth their weight in gold.


----------



## Mike CHS

We are already planning a BBQ for everyone around once we get moved in including the realtor.  We got another U-Haul last weekend and hauled all of our lumber.  We loaded up Thursday again and drove to Tennessee on Friday.  The load of lumber was over 5000 lbs and by the time we got done, one little piece of oak felt like a slab.  

We thought about selling the lumber in SC to make it easier but there is a lot of exotics that would cost a fortune to replace so it was money well spent.

Teresa got her car tag and drivers license converted to Tennessee so she is the 1st of us to "Officially" become a state resident.  I was surprised how much cheaper it was there than in South Carolina.


----------



## Baymule

Haha, I can so relate to hauling loads of lumber and other stuff. We hauled a load of telephone poles and they were so heavy we drove about 50 MPH all the way. They are now holding up the barn.


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm glad there is a place to post things about trivial events that would mean nothing somewhere else.  

We think a bird or something got in the building while we had the big door open since something blurry keeps flitting around in front of the security cameras and setting off email alerts.


----------



## Baymule

Isn't that the truth? Anywhere else you'd be considered an idiot for filling up the garage with used lumber that you pulled the nails out of against that day that you actually use it. We have a really nice 36'x36' barn now and it killed me to have to go buy new 20'x2"x6" for barn rafters. Only 19 of them though, we used the used ones first.   We did use all new tin for the roof and sides, I will use my used tin elsewhere (and have used it for other projects).


----------



## Latestarter

You've got a point Mike... Since I'm by myself, I sometimes have things I want to "share" and nobody here to share with. Of course the dogs are always interested in anything I have to share with them, but they just haven't got the proper "feed back" thing down yet  I sometimes don't think they really care about the subject matter, they don't care about the words, they just like the up close and personal attention accompanied by my voice.


----------



## Mike CHS

Latestarter - you need an Aussie or Border Collie to talk to.  They will stare at you as long as you talk to them.

We load up another U-Haul on Wednesday with our household goods/furniture.  We have a safe that weighs 650 lbs that my little bitty wife and I last moved when I was years younger so we shall see how we have maintained.


----------



## Latestarter

Be careful of those backs... Hurt mine in 87 and have never been the same since.


----------



## Mike CHS

We haven't made any progress on our little farm but a couple of major milestones have been reached.  The owner of the company I work for was in town yesterday and i gave him notice that I would be leaving the company at the end of the month.  We talked about a couple of things to help the transition so I will likely be coming back a couple of times as a consultant.  That works since the family is still in Charleston.

We closed on our home sale Monday afternoon so that is the last hurdle holding us here.


----------



## samssimonsays

That is great news!


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Congrats!


----------



## OneFineAcre

Congrats.


----------



## Latestarter

Almost there! Sweet!


----------



## norseofcourse

Congrats!


----------



## Baymule

Closed on your house sale!!!!  You are free!!   And being a consultant is awesome too!


----------



## Mike CHS

We have been home for a week now and my wonderful wife has even acted like she was enjoying unpacking boxes.  I'm staying out of her way and working on the outside.  

My neighbor and I have been working on clearing out the overgrown property line and pulling all of the old barbed wire fence.  We are hoping to get no climb horse fence on that section since he is getting a couple of horses and our dairy goats will be kept in that paddock on our side.

There is a 15x20 shelter that is currently open on both ends that I'm going to partially close up but leave enough room to be able to get the front end loader bucket inside.

There was so many briars and small saplings there that just laughed at my weed trimmer.  We bought one of those attachments that is basically a saw blade and it really helped finish the stuff that the trimmer could not.


----------



## Latestarter

Those circular saw blades on a trimmer are awesome! call it a brush whacker instead of a weed whacker  Last one I had, I had to take the guard off for it to work  ... Only a SLIGHT safety hazard  But man did it chop through brush like a hot knife through butter! Don't want to hit barbed wire (or any other wire really) with it though. Glad you're getting it all cleared up.

Just as an aside, you know thorns/briars and brush are a goat's best friend, right? You could have just left it there and the goats would get it cleaned up pretty fast too.


----------



## Mike CHS

I know the goats would take care of it but in the 3 years that we have had this place I never had time.  Now that I have the time I just got tired of looking at it.


----------



## Baymule

You will love the horse wire! Be sure to top it off with barbed wire or hot wire to keep the horses from "necking over" the fence. We are starting on the last stretch of outside property line. We got some H braces set up and will start rolling wire. We have to cross a gully with a small stream, I'll post a thread on making the cement bag water crossing when we make it.


----------



## Mike CHS

A quick note for the hard headed men on the forum.  If you are hard headed enough to wear shorts while weed whacking poison ivy, expect some "I told you so" looks even if your wonderful better half doesn't really say "I told you so" when your legs turn into one big sore.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Um, hmmm.....  We need one of those finger wagging "I told you so" emoji's!  LOL


----------



## Latestarter

When I was younger, all I had to do was walk by it and I'd get it... Haven't had to deal with it in many years, but still give it great respect!


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa bought me several kinds of Ivy Block and cleaners but where I was INTENDING to trim didn't have any Poison Ivy.  I was only going to do the entrance to the woods and several hours later I pretty much had all of the trimming done.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Hope you feel better soon....I've never been afflicted with it but my DS has and it must be horrible...


----------



## Ferguson K

Thankfully I'm not allergic, but hubby is. Poison ivy makes him swell all over. I usually give him aloevera..


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa here,Long time reader 1st time writer. 
Unloading boxes and finding a place for everything is quite a challenge, especially when combining the two places.
But have to say it went better than expected, and feel good about what was accomplished. And what Mike got accomplished also was great! Everything little thing makes such a difference.

Mike and I made that Pot and Pan Rack together and I Love It!!


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## frustratedearthmother

Oh wow - the before and after pics are amazing.  You've worked your ptootey off and it looks great!


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## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> A quick note for the hard headed men on the forum.  If you are hard headed enough to wear shorts while weed whacking poison ivy, expect some "I told you so" looks even if your wonderful better half doesn't really say "I told you so" when your legs turn into one big sore.


This is NOT an I told you so......but the very first thought blip across my mind went "Oh no, you _really _weren't _that_ stupid were you??

Because I break out horribly from that stuff and because I feel sorry for the misery you are in, here's my remedy.

Draw up a tub of hot/warm water. Pour 1/2 cup Clorox in it, stir and immerse your self in it. Soak, get out of tub and pat dry. I have terrible chemical sensitivities, but I throw that to the wind for poison ivy/oak. Clorox works. The sooner the better. If a half cup doesn't dry it up, use a full cup.

Teresa, delighted to meet you! Your home is looking great. We moved a year ago and still have boxes, LOL. You will have to post more!


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## frustratedearthmother

Oops, I forgot to mention that the pot rack looks nice.  Maybe, when one of you has time a close up pic would be appreciated.


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## Latestarter

Very nice to meet you Teresa! Quite the hubby you have there. Does he ever sit down and do "nothing?"   Makes me tired every time I read one of his posts, knowing that he's accomplished much, and I not so much  The pan rack looks great and have to echo how nice the place looks with everything put away! Grats on getting settled in your new place!


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## Mike CHS

My husband is quite the man, and keeps quite busy, and yet often he has to tell me it's time to stop!....lol  I will be glad when everything in the house is done so I can be working outside with him more, we do enjoy doing stuff together.
The pot and pan rack was a returned item (on sale) at Lowes had two screws with wall anchors that you could tell pulled out of the wall. Who could use a pot and pan rack with only 2 screws in the wall??
To avoid the same problem we made a glue up out of some curly maple that he had. We anchored the pot and pan rack to it with bolts coming through the back and nut attached at the front.
Then secured the wood to the wall with 3 lag bolts into a stud.


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## Pastor Dave

Nice to meet you Teresa. You'll have to create an account to personalize yourself.
I told Mike a while back ago that you two are doing what I want to do in the future. What I have going on here is sustaining me til then. All the pics and details he has sent(and most recently your pics) have looked great and let me daydream through your experience. Nice pot rack. Sounds solid and well-anchored.
I have had to soak in an oatmeal bath as a kid for poison ivy, but do not remember the details. Clorox sounds good to use though.
Welcome to the site.


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## frustratedearthmother

I love the rack - thanks so much for the pics!


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## Mike CHS

I have done most of the posting but Teresa has done the majority of the house so I just stay out of her way and mostly tend to the outside.  If it had just been me by myself I would have bought a travel trailer and parked a lawn chair in front of it.  That way I could have sat there looking out at the hillside that I could not see because of trash and over growth wondering "WHAT WAS I THINKING"  

Mike


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## Mike CHS

An update is due because we are happy to see some progress.  We wound up staying in Charleston until the 24th of May.  I gave notice early April and planned on April 30 being our last day there.  The owner of the company told the government supervisor that I worked for that I had given notice and planned to leave the end of May.  The supervisor was not only my boss but he was one that I had been stationed with multiple times so he was also a friend.  Anyway we got here Thursday and decided to keep tackling the outside before the heavy heat started.

A neighbor is taking the hay off so I don't have to do my 12 hour marathon bush hogging so we are concentrating on getting rid of some major rock buildup and putting in some raised beds.  We have a 1/2 acre garden spot on our place but it's over 1000 feet away and we want some beds where we can walk out the front door and get some peppers, tomatoes or other quick grab items.  We first had to move a pile of telephone poles that were previously destined for fencing but I won't use them - off to the burn pile with those things.  The spot they were piled up on is also the place we wanted at least one raised bed.  It took a half day for each of the two beds we added because there was a stone slab right where I wanted the beds.  Between one of the 25 lb rock breakers and some creative front end loader work we got them ready. _  We think our neighbor thinks we are a little touched to be building beds when we have 19 acres but he still tolerates us.  We plowed up some more ground to finish up our orchard.  Hopefully now that we are here full time the deer will leave these alone now - if not there will be some tall fencing going up.

We also had a bad dip next to the retaining wall we built to divert water away from the house. That had settled so added a lot of top soil to it. Possibly planting grapes there.                                                                                                                              Here are a few pictures:

Mike and Teresa


 

 

 

 

 

_


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## Hens and Roos

looks like you are making good progress!!


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## Baymule

You have a beautiful view. I got water lines run and now have a water faucet at the garden, sheep shelter and barn. I feel wealthy. Do you have water lines run to the orchard and garden? I can speak from experience, connection multiple water hoses is a royal pain. I hope to have black drip lines run by next year.

Yes, the deer will come right up to the house and eat your fruit trees. My husband was complaining about our Great Pyrenees in the back yard barking a lot at night. Turns out, deer were walking between the back yard fence and barn, and bedding down on the other side of the barn in a wild tangle of trees, brush and vines. Also found fox tracks. The deer jumped a 4' non climb horse wire fence to take their stroll practically in the back yard with a big dog barking at them. If you double fence your orchard, the deer will stay out. They can judge distance on one fence, but not two, or so it is said, haven't tried that one.

My Grandpa fenced his garden, then nailed 2x4's to the treated fence posts to raise it to 15'. He ran a cable around the top, then hung black cables from the top cable that hung 2' below the fence, spaced about 18" apart. The deer wouldn't jump through it. Lot of work just to keep the pesky deer out.

Why aren't you using the telephone poles? Rather than burn them, put them on Craigs List. Someone would be happy to have them.


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## Ferguson K

Looking good!


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## frustratedearthmother

I'll bet you love walking out every morning to that view!  You've made wonderful progress!


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## Mike CHS

We had commercial water ran last  year so we are just using our well for the garden and a spigot outside the house running down to the shop.  I like to recycle but these post were in pretty bad shape and not fit for reuse.  When they ran the water line we used the same trench to run the well line back to where we wanted the raised beds.  We just didn't know that the rock was that close to the surface.


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## Southern by choice

Finally catching up... amazing, awesome, wonderful , and I love it.



I am so happy for both of you. This was a dream, and a hope... and you all worked hard, plugged away, worked together and now you will embark on a new chapter in life. So glad you share this with us! You kind of remind me of a young newlywed couple. I love it! 

BTW- I love the pan rack!


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## Mike CHS

Everything is fun when you do it with your best friend


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## Mike CHS

The inside is quickly getting into shape and we still have some of those things to do when you renovate and say "that's a quick thing and we'll finish later".  They do pile up and fortunately for us, Teresa is the more patient and will let me off the hook (most of the time  ).

We had a couple of days of work that was needed to take care of some things that we haven't had time for up until now.  The driveway up to our house has been neglected because it is so steep and took a full day to just get under control.  We have a Stihl trimmer that is a beast but it seems like it weighs about 100 lbs after a couple of hours on a hill.

We finished the last of the planting boxes and finally got the tree off of the edge of the new planting bed.

We also have our first batch of small peaches on one three year old tree.  We only left a small amount of fruit since it is so young.

Like mentioned above we also managed to push over a past it's prime peach tree that was on the edge of the new bed.

The last picture is only there because we think this is a good way to use some of the rock coming out of the beds.  At least we will think that until we find that it was not a good idea.


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## Mike CHS

It has been too hot to do much of anything but the cleanup continues.  We are only posting another because we love the view. 

We finally got some rain yesterday for the 1st time in three weeks/


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## Southern by choice

It does look so serene and beautiful!

LOL goats will change all that.


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## Latestarter

Not 100% sure, but aren't you doing sheep Mike? Same end result probably... Gardens look really good, as does the view.


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## Baymule

You have a beautiful view. I totally get you on the heat. We need a melting, sweaty smiley.


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## Mike CHS

Sheep are going to be our main livestock but we are planning on getting at least a couple of dairy goats also.  I've been working on the goat pen more than the sheep enclosure since Southern By Choice told me they need some prime land with lots of good eats.


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## Latestarter

Just put them near any young trees or decorative shrubs/bushes/flowers/gardens that you wish to keep, and they'll be quite happy


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## Mike CHS

We are working ground for another dozen fruit trees/bushes so I'm trying to make sure there is a lot of things to see destroyed.


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## Mike CHS

Mr. Murphy is alive and well.  I was telling Teresa yesterday how good our old Husqvarna tiller is doing on getting our rocky ground worked up for planting and erosion fixes.  We went up to Columbia which is about 30 miles away and got a load of sod to put on some of our hills. We got home around1:00 in the afternoon and we got everything we needed to till and level the sides adjacent to a retaining wall we put in.  The tiller went about 2' and the transmission locked up.  It's beyond my ability to repair and even if it's repair is more or less than what it is worth, it won't get into the shop for several days.  In the meantime there is a load of sod baking in the sun so we decided to go into town and buy a new tiller.  It seems that everything we have that is showing some age is trying to die on us.  Teresa called everyone around and evidently nobody refills their inventory after the spring rush and it took a bunch of phone time but she found a Husqvarna rear tine that we  picked up.


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## frustratedearthmother

Ugh!  Isn't that the way it always goes...    Sorry about the tiller - but congrats on the new tiller!


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## Ferguson K

Isn't that just luck!

Sorry about it though. Wishing you the best on all this heat.


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## Latestarter

Always seems to be the way it works... Sorry for the extra expense, but grats on the new tiller and grassy yard areas.


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## Baymule

It sucks that your old tiller locked up, especially as you have sod waiting to be planted. At least you were able to find another one.


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## Mike CHS

That older tiller sat in the shed for almost three years and it is getting aged but still starts on the first pull.  The new one did good and we got all of the sod down and even got a new bed outlined with the sod and Teresa want to pick up some flowers this weekend for some color there.

We had a dump truck full of stone and one with a load of topsoil delivered this afternoon so we can hopefully look like we are not in a construction zone before too long.


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## Latestarter

So will you pay to repair the old tiller and maybe keep it as a backup? Sell it yard sale style? Maybe CL?  You may get away from looking like a consturction zone, but there will always be more waiting for you to do... It's never ending, and glad it's that way   Keeps me occupied and out of trouble.


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## Mike CHS

We do like to stay busy but the hardest thing here was to get used to the heat.  My job in Charleston was in an equipment lab that was kept at 68 degrees.  Teresa is happy that I'm getting used to the temperature change and I no longer keep the house at 70 degrees.  I've graduated to 78 during the day but still drop it down at night. 

I called the Co-op and they will come out and pick it up to check it out.  They are good to work with and don't charge anything to check and make sure it is worth fixing.  They only charge $30 total to pick it up and bring it back so the convenience is worth the $30.

The old one is a commercial tiller and is a lot bigger.


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## Baymule

At least you will have a yard! Mine is still sugar sand. AKA Texas Snow! 

We work outside and come soaking wet to our knees. We keep the daytime temp at 78 and drop it to 72 at night. When you are wet, it doesn't take much to cool you off. LOL


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## Mike CHS

We had to put a rack outside to dry off my clothes before bringing them in. 

I need to break out the chainsaw tomorrow.  My bradford pear tree isn't giving in easily and my little tractor can't push it over.


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## Latestarter

Ahhh for the joys of having a mud room... So sweet to be able to come in, strip down, go straight to the rain locker (shower) and leave most of the nastiness right there at the washer and dryer. Alternatively, having a nice couple acre size pond to just go dive in to wouldn't be half bad either


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## Baymule

Those sweaty, wet summer clothes can go stinky in a hurry. I dump vinegar in the bleach and in the fabric softener dispensers in the washing machine. It kills the stink. Nothing worse than starting to sweat and all the previous sweaty, hot days funky stink coming back to life in your clothes. PHEW!


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## Mike CHS

Vinegar seems to be the wonder liquid for more than just cooking.


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## Mike CHS

I twisted my back last week so haven't been very productive.  Teresa is still doing the jigsaw puzzle of our household goods and most of what I did last week was using our little tractor.  I have been moving a lot of dirt trying to fill in the trench that formed from settling soil where we dug our water line last year.  Most of it is on the far end of the farm on one of the steeper hills that keep trying to kill me when I'm mowing so I'm trying to fix some of the bad angles.

We leveled off an area adjacent to our retaining wall that will eventually be a grape arbor but I had some watermelon, squash and cantaloupe that needed to be planted so we put them in the bed just to make use of it. 

I saw some seepage from our septic last week and we found that a broken clean-out had separated from the line going to the field.  I don't do sewage so called in help.  They brought in a machine to dig it up and made short work of it.  

We still have a dry pond that has been getting full of construction debris and we got him to move that to another spot where it will get buried. I didn't ask him to but on his way to load up his machine he noticed the stump where I have been digging around it for several hours and he pushed it over for me.  I'll post a picture of the stump by my little tractor to show how big it is. 

I had to laugh after seeing how big it is because I had tried to push it over several times and I swear I heard laughter coming from the roots. 

The little maple trees along the drive in the last picture were brought from South Carolina with us - They were started from seed at our SC home.


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## Baymule

Beautiful place Mike. What HP is your Kubota? Mine is a 23HP and her name is Marigold.  don't you just LOVE your tractor??


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## Mike CHS

I haven't given her a name but it will be a female name if and when I come up with one since I can't imagine doing what we have done without her and that fits my lady.  

This one is a 32HP


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## Mike CHS

I haven't given her a name but it will be a female name if and when I come up with one since I can't imagine doing what we have done without her and that fits my lady.  

This one is a 32HP


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## Mike CHS

I haven't given her a name but it will be a female name if and when I come up with one since I can't imagine doing what we have done without her and that fits my lady.  

This one is a 32HP


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## Mike CHS

There has been a lot of work in the house since last posting getting things truly "finished We had so much to do that we would get a room mostly done but still needing that LITTLE bit of clean up to truly finish things.  Teresa has done all the things that needed done to truly call it done.

Outside is getting done the heat is making for less progress than I'm used to.  We still have a half dozen fruit trees and berries in pots that need to get in the ground but making a spot proved harder than thought.  Where I started the orchard bed turned out to be several tons of layered limestone that needed taking out.  My big Husqvarna tiller bit the bullet a couple of weeks ago and was going to cost more to repair than getting a new one.

Not wanting to kill another tiller, I have been using the front end loader to break of the rock layers and finally hit some soil.   We are planting our fall tomatoes in the bed between the 1st two rows of fruit trees and blackberries.  Planting these things in record heat and in rocky soil can be a bit of a pain.  

We are going to put a 7x20 hoop house on the edge of the orchard beds but the slope needed to be worked to give me some level ground.  As a result we added another 20 x30 to the orchard  bed which was 40'x100'. The Kubota has without a doubt been the best purchase of my life.

The little wooden trellis was put there to correct my placement of some cucumbers and cantaloupe plants.  They were supposed to be there temporarily but time got away from me and they needed a place to climb on.  I just used some scrap wood and sisal twine. 

We also got around 7 five gallon buckets full of black eyed peas from our big garden bed.  Just thinking about sitting there shelling peas all day convinced us that we needed to buy a pea and bean sheller so the Taylor Sheller is supposed to be here Wednesday.

The picture of the moth is just because - It is some kind of moth that was the size of my hand.  I found it on my peppers so no telling what kind of evil veggie eating critter will emerge soon.


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## Latestarter

You have a really nice place there Mike. You and your wife have done a remarkable job with what you started with. I'm sure you both experience the joy of doing as well as the finished outcomes of all that you've done and are doing. Looks like you'll be fine for peas till next season  You have some really nice views from your place too. What a great thing to walk out to each day.


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## Mike CHS

Thanks Latestarter - One of these days I'm going to take some time and put a couple of pictures from when we first got this place.  I had to truly question my thought process when it got overwhelming.


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## frustratedearthmother

I never get tired of looking at your pics.  You've got a beautiful place and you've done wonderful things with it!


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## Baymule

Be sure to post reviews of your pea sheller! That is a pretty moth, probably the parent to the slimy green horde of caterpillars poised for invasion of your property. Watch out for your tractor, I'm told they especially love orange!


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## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Be sure to post reviews of your pea sheller! That is a pretty moth, probably the parent to the slimy horde of caterpillars poised for invasion of your property. Watch out for your tractor, I'm told they especially love orange!




I am expecting to go out and see the pepper plants stripped any day now.


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## Mike CHS

We have been working on extending our orchard beds but at the same time trying to solve any erosion problems before they get out of hand.  Of course where the orchard is has about half dirt and half rock.  I have lost track of how many loader buckets have been hauled out of there full of softball sized rock.  We are putting terraces between a couple of the rows that we will use as regular garden beds till the trees start shading the beds a little but will then use them for things that don't like the heat nearly as much.



 If you look to the left of the beds in the last picture I have worked enough stone out to give me a flat spot where we will put a hoop house in a couple of weeks to use for some later summer/fall veggies.  I almost had the last garden box finished when I saw that I was out of top soil.  We have an order in so it should show up in the next few days hopefully.  We have added almost a foot of nice loamy river bottom soil to the orchard bed as we were putting in trees.  We still have two persimmons and two apricots to put in.  There is enough room now as it stands but this orchard bed just keeps on growing.


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## Hens and Roos

Very nice looking, you guys have been working hard!!


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## Ferguson K

Love love love this! 

Y'all have come so far already, I really enjoy following your journey.


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## Baymule

Love the green hilly view! Ya'll are making progress, one dirt digging at a time! Lots of hard work, getting a property to be home, but how awesome it will be to pick fruit from your own trees!


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## Mike CHS

We got enough peaches off of our tree for the first time and that was enough to make me forgive the deer for all of the trees they killed.  They seem to prefer peach trees over everything else.


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## Mike CHS

I was missing  those cool days we had last week since it got right back to the heavy heat.  We are starting to fence our first paddock that will only be about 1/2 acre and is close to the house.  Eventually this will be where a dairy goat will reside but the 1st occupants will be a few ewes (hopefully bred) that we will pick up in November.  Everything will be ready for them except for the LGD which is why it will be close to the house.  We want to make a trip to Florida before that to visit family for a few days before getting the sheep.

Teresa is putting the finishing touches on the inside of the house and we also started clearing out part of the property line in preparation for the second paddock that will be close to 3 1/2 acres and will be adjacent to the shop.




Hay is being cut today by our neighbor and hopefully will get done before the rain starts again.  We have good enough control of the weeds that he wanted to cut square bales for horses but when they started cutting there was no rain in the forecast.

Today is the 1st time I've seen the dry creek that is the property line at this point.


 

 

 

Not sure why I'm showing more than two pictures in my preview since that is all I uploaded.


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## Baymule

Very pretty! Twice as nice LOL! When will you be getting a LGD and what breed are you interested in? If you have sheep before you get a LGD, build them a tight shelter that is coyote proof. Coyotes are terrible here. Last night Trip, one of our GP's tuned up in his deep bark, coyotes were howling across the road.


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## Mike CHS

We will probably be looking for a Great Pyr or Anatolian or a mix from what we have seen on this forum.  The sheep will come first which is why we are building the 1st pen right by the house.  We have coyotes in the area but everyone has dogs so they aren't too much trouble.

I keep looking at those 10 pups that everyone is raving about.


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## Latestarter

Just commented on @secuono 's thread to you... You better get one (or two) reserved pretty quick. Those beauties won't last long! She's not too far from you in SW VA, and her dogs are being raised with sheep, so they'll naturally bond with yours. I understand sometimes dogs raised with sheep have trouble bonding to goats, and vice versa... I'm sure she'll be happy to hold the pups for adult dog training with the pup's parents while you're getting pens set up... Might charge a boarding/training fee, but that's fair...


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## Mike CHS

Organic homesteaders wouldn't like how I spend my day today.  I've found it easier and quicker to do driveway and tree edging with generic Roundup. The edge of our driveway going out is adjacent to my steepest slopes so I would rather get them with chemical once every couple of months than weed eat every week.

I had 3 wild cherry trees growing in the pasture and used my little Kubota to knock them over.  Roots came out clean on two of them but one was a multi-trunk tree that needed digging out.

A friend of our neighbor had a calf that had injured himself (shoulder) and wasn't able to do well on the steep hills where they keep their herd.  We got a good price on him and will dry lot him till he fills out and split it with the neighbor at processing time.


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## frustratedearthmother

Cool!  I know how you feel about roundup.... but, sometimes it's the lesser of two evils.


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## NH homesteader

On the bright side it was generic so at least you weren't funding Monsanto.


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## Latestarter

Yeah... pretty soon I'm going to have to deal with fence lines. Non-committal as to exactly how I'm going to deal with it... Most of mine are going to need some serious clean up, but I think I'm going to do cross fencing to form pastures before worrying about fixing the entire perimeter. I'll hit the perimeter as I do each pasture as it applies.


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## Mike CHS

Joe - We are putting in Goat & Sheep woven wire around the perimeter but I plan on using the electric netting from Premier to break it down into paddocks.  I don't want to do much cross fencing until I know I've gotten control of the thistle and milk weed that was the primary vegetation when we bought the place.  The first time I cut the fields the milkweed and thistle were both in bloom - the honey bees were so thick in there that I could here them buzzing above the diesel engine noise.

I have rented the 300 gallon sprayer from the CO-OP a few times and have it down to the point that we can use the 25 gallon tank on a 3 point hitch carrier rack to spot spray.


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## OneFineAcre

I didn't spray enough round up this year
Things kind of got away from me if you know what I mean
Everything is kind of overgrown


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## Mike CHS

I do know what you mean.   That's why I spent the full day playing catch up yesterday.  Five inches of rain a week kind of makes it hard to keep up.


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## farmerjan

Latestarter said:


> Yeah... pretty soon I'm going to have to deal with fence lines. Non-committal as to exactly how I'm going to deal with it... Most of mine are going to need some serious clean up, but I think I'm going to do cross fencing to form pastures before worrying about fixing the entire perimeter. I'll hit the perimeter as I do each pasture as it applies.



Okay, I have a different view.  Perimeter is FIRST.  Then I would use some electrified netting to subdivide until you really know where the best spots would be to cross fence.  Plus you won't need so many gates, so many brace posts, etc and so on, easier to bushhog and do stuff in the fields if you aren't dealing with permanent fence.  And if you divide it off and then find out that certain fields aren't the right shape or size or something, you've got alot of time and money already invested.  If your animals are at all used to electric, use that and just move it as you need to give them fresh grazing til you get a feel for the land.
Also a tight perimeter will help to discourage the coyotes and then to hit an electric fence inside..., easier to get off a shot..... The electric netting fence like premier is expensive but will last for awhile and you can get a handle on the 'lay of the land'.  Do permanent, say, down one side and across the back , in otherwords do 2 fences and then use the electric to come off them and then you will have a couple of different ways to move the electric and still use part of the permanent fence too.  Won't be quite as costly up front and will give you a 90 degree angle to come off of.  It's alot easier to do a straight fence line, or at least the boundaries will be fairly straight.  Or do one roll of fence (either the 330 or 660 ft roll) and run the electric from that then do the next roll til you get to a corner then you will have some more area to graze.  Also I would graze it HARD, like almost into the ground so that you can really see what you are dealing with and get the garbage plants bushhogged down as far as possible so they can't produce seed and it will weaken the woodier growth plants, although the goats like the brushier stuff and the sheep will eat more of the coarser plants than cattle.


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## Mini Horses

Sooooo, an enabler here  -- promoting "multi species" graze


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## Latestarter

Well, she covered about all 3 bases I aim to cover  I'd like to get a few steers for the front pasture where I can just leave them be and monitor their progress. Then the back pasture would be for sheep and goats. And once I get a bridge built across the stream and have access to the wooded portion, I'll move the goats back there and keep the sheep up where there's mostly grass. Who knows... I need a thousand acres so I'll have enough room to do everything I want to do. Oh, and the money that I'd need for that and to hire help.


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## Latestarter

OneFineAcre said:


> I didn't spray enough round up this year
> Things kind of got away from me if you know what I mean
> Everything is kind of overgrown



Some would say the solution to that is more goats... Just a thought!  Though you've got a pretty decent sized herd now. Maybe branch out to standard sized goats? A couple of Lamanchas and maybe a Nubian or two... just for pasture control mind you. If you're really open to the unusual, maybe an elephant... I hear they eat hundreds of pounds of grass a day.


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## babsbag

Mike CHS said:


> The first time I cut the fields the milkweed and thistle were both in bloom - the honey bees were so thick in there that I could here them buzzing above the diesel engine noise.



It is sad that you have to eradicate those plants; not only the bees but the Monarch butterflies need the milkweed and they are in danger too. But I know that the milkweed is poisonous for goats, not sure about other animals. We grow a lot of mustard out here and when I do weeding in the garden and other non-goat areas I leave the mustard, just for the bees.  I have been meaning to plant some milk weed...


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## OneFineAcre

Latestarter said:


> Some would say the solution to that is more goats... Just a thought!  Though you've got a pretty decent sized herd now. Maybe branch out to standard sized goats? A couple of Lamanchas and maybe a Nubian or two... just for pasture control mind you. If you're really open to the unusual, maybe an elephant... I hear they eat hundreds of pounds of grass a day.


The pasture can be mowed 
I've had to mow it several times over the summer
When it gets knee high and seeds out its not as palatable
We have discussed getting a steer or 2 from Maurines dad
To be honest I didn't anticipate how well the pasture has done 
It's the fence lines and everything else around the house that's overgrown  that I didn't stay on top off


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## Green Acres Farm

OneFineAcre said:


> The pasture can be mowed
> I've had to mow it several times over the summer
> When it gets knee high and seeds out its not as palatable
> We have discussed getting a steer or 2 from Maurines dad
> To be honest I didn't anticipate how well the pasture has done
> It's the fence lines and everything else around the house that's overgrown  that I didn't stay on top off


How many goats do you have now?


----------



## OneFineAcre

30
Nice even number


----------



## farmerjan

We have a wild mustard that grows TAKES OVER our hayfields here and nothing likes to eat it.  Also johnson grass that the cows will eat but no one likes it in their small square bales that we sell to several horse people with just pleasure/family horses.  So we try to renovate hayfields regularly to keep the saleable hay "clean" and round bale everything else. We use as little pesticides/herbicides as possible.


----------



## Mike CHS

We got serious this week on our small secure pen in preparation for getting our first sheep hopefully in October. We still have to clean out about 200 feet that is in woods that I'm not sure I'm going to include in the paddock. I am hoping to since this pen will convert to the goat pen after I'm sure what I want to do in the next pen we build. This one is being built tight enough to hold goats and will have one hot top wire and one low at neared to the bottom.

This pen is almost a triangle and runs 300' x 150' by 400'. I already have a 20' x 20' lean-to that is available and we will add another 20' x 15' behind the building on the edge of the pen. This will feed into a paddock that is a little over 6 acres and includes what is currently a garden bed that we are cutting down on the size. We let the neighbor use what is left since we now have all of our beds up closer to the house.

The first couple of pictures are from last year when we were about half through the clean up which included an even dozen pick up loads to the dump (and included a trashed out hot tub).

The picture that shows me trying to help the auger dig into our rocky soil will have a 10' gate that will be our loading area for the livestock. We had to change the run a couple of times to find a run that wasn't solid rock. It narrows to 25' there and we can make a natural chute to control where they go (that is the plan anyway).  If you look close you can see how rocky the ground is in that spot.

_Just a note - that 3" post leaning up against the corner post is literally just leaning there.  I ran out of steam after we got the main posts set and will do the braces later this week._


----------



## Baymule

Mike, you might want to use a bigger gate. I used 12' gates and wish I would have used 16' gates. I have a 16' gate for the front drive, offset from the road to permit a truck and trailer to park while open/closing the gate. I have a 16' gate from the yard to the pipeline for swing room. Since I put a 12' gate from the pipeline to the horse pasture and DH took out the gate post with the flat bed, we will soon be replacing it with a 16' gate. We T-posted the broken gate post, wired it up for a repair until we hitch up the flatbed and go get a few more 16' gates. Lesson learned.

Just went back and re read your post. You are building a loading area. If you think you will ever drive your tractor through the gate, I think I would still go with a 12' gate. I suppose you are going to narrow it down to a loading chute? We still have to build a loading chute. We took 3 lambs to slaughter yesterday and loaded them with a lot of effort called chase and grab. 

I get you on the run out of steam. We are S L O W L Y running our last stretch of fence. Life sure has got in the way. If not for things in life that take precedence then it is blistering heat that drains every bit of want-to out of us. You just do what you can do, a little at a time and one day you will wake up and it will be completed.


----------



## Mike CHS

Thanks Baymule - our road and main pasture gates will all be either 12' or two 8' gates. We will have perimeter fence all around but will be using a lot of portable electric netting for cross fencing for the first year or so. This gate has access for the small lawn tractor and cart but that is about it. I could get in with a tractor but there is no maneuvering room so it is basically an 8' man gate.    This area is one of the few that is level and has plenty of room to turn around easily.  I am still going to have to cut out several trees in the rear of this pen and there will be a rectangular dog training pen at the end of (and part of the pen) that will be 50' x 100' for young dogs.  It is still a work in progress but this is the most secure place we can put sheep until we get an LGD.

Our dogs are still novices like us but we have a good trainer about an hour away.  They had a pretty good dog trial over the weekend that everyone enjoyed.


----------



## Latestarter

Just as an aside, If you're going to do double gates, I would think a 10/6 or even a 12/4 would be better than an 8/8... With an 8/8 you're pretty much going to always have to open both for a vehicle. With a 10/6 (I'd prefer the 12/4 myself), you can get most regular sized vehicles through the 10' side and the 6' side would be fine for ATV's and humans on foot, or to move animals. With a 12/4, you could have a portable ramp to move into position on the 4' side, and there's your loading ramp. Just a thought.


----------



## Mike CHS

Thanks LS - that's some more good insight. I'm fixed for handling right now with the pen we are building.

Our loading chute is the fence gate and our stock trailer gate along with some sheep/goat panels to guide them that way.


----------



## Latestarter

Mike CHS said:


> with some sheep/goat panels to guide them that way.


  I thought that was why you had the pups?  Of course I'm sure they'll help get them from the pasture up to the containment/confinement area.   Really sounds like your place is coming together for you very nicely. I know the work involved, so it just has to be somewhat satisfying to be able to look out and see what you've accomplished and visualize what's still to come.


----------



## Baymule

Isn't fencing and gates tons of fun?


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## Mike CHS

My rock bar has become my most used tool and I found some rock slabs in places I thought I had a good amount of soil.


----------



## Baymule

And I complain about my sand......


----------



## Mike CHS

I spent most of my life in Florida so I understand sandy soil.  Overall I like the soil here the only issue or actually the biggest issue is that where I want my gardens and fences have the biggest rock ledges.  I have a couple of spots where we had to change the fence placement because I don't have a license to buy dynamite. 
Fifteen of the almost nineteen acres is flat and pretty decent soil.

We had to fork out a good amount for the crew that built our shop because they had to rent equipment to take out a rock ledge where the building needed to be.


----------



## babsbag

There is something I hate more than fencing...but I don't remember what it is. 

We recently bought a small walk behind bobcat with a bucket, a post hole digger, and a trencher. Many many times we did just what you did to help the auger along and many times it failed miserably. This weekend we dug holes with the new tractor in some of the hardest parts of our property and it was amazing. I am in love with this little machine. I can take her places our John Deere can't go because of size and because I am terrified of rolling it. This little one I can simply let go of if I get into trouble. We will be using the trencher soon and I am actually looking forward to it.  Also will be using the auger to plant trees...amamzing what some good down pressure can do.


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## Mike CHS

A Bobcat is hard to beat.  We used one when they ran commercial water to our road.  We had to do the trenching from the road to the house which was 1700'.  That low center of gravity takes away the pucker factor.  I was spraying with my little Kubota a couple of months ago and I chickened out when I got to the hill that needed spraying the most because the CO-OP 300 gallon tank was really high and I was afraid of it tipping.  We bought a 40 gallon 3 point hitch sprayer last week that will take a lot longer to get it done but I can quit wondering how sturdy my roll bar is (at least a little) .


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## Baymule

Mike and @babsbag  do you have a quick change for your tractor? I have it on my 23 HP Kubota and I love it!!


----------



## babsbag

No I don't have one. Not even sure what it is. How about educating me? I'm all for anything that works and saves time and makes our lives easier.


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## Mike CHS

Baymule - do you mean the 3 point hitch gadget? I have the Pat's Quick Change on my Kubota.  It does make changing implements faster.


----------



## Mini Horses

Well I need info on those "quick change" things.   MY big issue is that I just do not seem to be able to put enough pulling pressure on the sleeve of the 3 pt hitch from the bush hog to the tractor to connect it!!   Even a couple men have had all they wanted to get it on.   Women do not have the shoulder/arm strength but, this is a bear!!!  Plus, once you get all the other parts connected, you are standing on the hog, straddling other stuff and trying the pull that up onto the connection.    I'm pretty ok with all else and I need to be able to use this thing.    At the point of thinking I need to look at other units but see nothing "better" for this issue.

The sleeve slides but it just seems so tight........  Really don't want to go the expense of another mower.   Only hook it up about 2X a yr, use a couple days, then off again.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

I know just how you feel MH!  The mower is the hardest implement change for me too...usually takes DH and I both and it's still a struggle.  If there's something that makes that process easier - I'm all for it!


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> The picture that shows me trying to help the auger dig into our rocky soil will have a 10' gate that will be our loading area for the livestock. We had to change the run a couple of times to find a run that wasn't solid rock. It narrows to 25' there and we can make a natural chute to control where they go (that is the plan anyway).  If you look close you can see how rocky the ground is in that spot.
> 
> View attachment 21490



It would appear your Kubota turned into a JD! 

So that is how one gets down pressure on the 3PT. Maybe you need a second tractor so you can use the bucket instead of your back to do that. Everyone needs 2 real tractors. Of course I currently have ZERO real tractors and had to use my Prius to pull the Sears (Husqvarna) garden tractor away from the pond. Sucker doesn't back up a hill of any sort. I THOUGHT it was only a problem with the blower on the front but NOPE. Doesn't back up with the 54" mower deck on it either. I kind of doubt it would back up a hill even without that installed. 



Mike CHS said:


> Baymule - do you mean the 3 point hitch gadget? I have the Pat's Quick Change on my Kubota.  It does make changing implements faster.



Looks handy but if you buy the Pat's wouldn't you need to change the length of the connecting shaft for all your existing implements?


----------



## babsbag

This is what my second tractor looks like.  (this is just a picture from the web, not mine)






I don't even try to change implements on my JD. I have helped DH do it and it is not a one man job. We leave the box scraper on most of the time for counter balance. I would love to be able to put the tiller on without his help. 

I need another tractor, one that can pick up a 1400 lb. square bale of alfalfa.


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## Mike CHS

I don't have that many implements but the Pat's works fine on everything I'm using with the original top link.


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## babsbag

My DH has a birthday next week...hmmm


----------



## Baymule

My quick change is not a Pat's, it came with it from Kubota. I absolutely adore it.  Just back up, lift up and snap the levers down and I'm done. This link shows a picture of a quick hitch bar. @babsbag and @frustratedearthmother ya'll gotta get one of these. I think Northern Tool has them too. Then you just put the pins in your implements and no more struggling to get implements hitched up!

http://www.farmandfleet.com/product...feedsource=3&gclid=COXpj9ONgc8CFYORfgodGoQGRw


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## Mike CHS

We got the hardest run finished yesterday.  The property line got crossed in several places but we made the run without having to take down any more trees..  

 

We bought a half dozen pretty good size trees last week to put in the pasture for shade eventually.  We will have to do some heavy duty deer protection since that pasture seems to be the main deer highway.


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## Latestarter

Looks good!


----------



## Southern by choice

Mike CHS said:


> We will have to do some heavy duty deer protection since that pasture seems to be the main deer highway.



When you get your LGD's they will take care of that. 

Today is first day of deer season. My son went out early this morning with his bow. Hoping he brings home something this week. All the dogs need a "dental cleaning"... need some deer legs! 

Fence looks great!


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## Mike CHS

We hope to get a couple of deer this season but our experience since buying this place is that a couple of days after the season starts they all disappear

We are starting to look for an LGD but we still have another month or so getting our infrastructure ready.  We have a tentative buy for 6 or 7 ewes sometime in October or early November.


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## Baymule

Your fence is looking good! We got our ewes and our dogs had never seen sheep. It was kinda wild around here for awhile. But both GP's have made good sheep guards!


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## frustratedearthmother

@Baymule   - does that mean that Paris has 'graduated' into a real working LGD?


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## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> We got the hardest run finished yesterday.  The property line got crossed in several places but we made the run without having to take down any more trees..  View attachment 21628
> 
> We bought a half dozen pretty good size trees last week to put in the pasture for shade eventually.  We will have to do some heavy duty deer protection since that pasture seems to be the main deer highway.



I hope that doesn't come back to bite you in the butt in the future. You and the current neighbor may get along fine and be OK with it but the next person that owns his property may not.

What height is the field fence? 4' or 5' ?? I'm planning future fencing to replace the inadequate stuff that came with the property. At least the parts closer to the barns and house will have to be able to contain not only larger animals but chickens as well. So maybe 4' with hotwire at 5'?


----------



## Baymule

frustratedearthmother said:


> @Baymule   - does that mean that Paris has 'graduated' into a real working LGD?


Yup. She has stepped up and guarded her lambs. We took 3 to slaughter, leaving her two. Soon they will join the flock and we will combine her and Trip. We'll see how it goes....


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## Mike CHS

Bruce - the Redbrand fence is 47".  The 330' roll is about all my old rear wants to manhandle though. 

The property line fencing is covered with easements.


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## Bruce

Smart man Mike! I hadn't thought of that.

I don't think my old rear could handle more than a 330' roll either. In fact I have experience with nothing longer than 100' and that was plenty heavy enough as I recall!


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## Mini Horses

I have found that the older I get the HEAVIER that roll of fence becomes.    Such a shame that we don't have the time & money to do these things when we are younger in body, not just mind.


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## Mike CHS

Mini Horses - I was told that they use heavier metal now than they did when we were all younger.  

I _was cleaning out the other perimeter fence that borders a railroad track and I will probably hire that one done.  It is over a half mile and will all be up on the berm bordering the RR tunnel that goes under our driveway.  _


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## Mike CHS

Good news from the state of Tennessee today.  We got our farm name registration certificate from the state so it is now our farm is now officially Shepherds Farm.

We tried driving T-posts on the other side of the pen we are working and ran into some major stone ledges.  We reserved a trencher that has a jack hammer on it for next weekend.  We plan on picking it up Saturday and won't have to turn it in until Monday so we are going to try and drive/dig posts for the remainder of the joint property line.  It's a little over 1000' so we shall see how much stamina we have.


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## Bruce

I can officially report that a 330' roll of woven wire sheep and goat fence is HEAVY! Took 3 people to get it up into the car. I managed to get it out by myself, gravity is stronger than 3 men


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## Mike CHS

Just a update and I'll post pics when we actually get them on site.  
We are buying 6 bred ewes from the farm where we have been training our herding dogs.  Our Aussie went from the point we were just going to let her be a pet to a pretty good herder in the last 4 months.  She isn't as pretty at it as our Border Collie but he is still very much the pup.

The Border Collie is the main reason we decided to go ahead and get some sheep this fall instead of waiting till spring to buy lambs.  When he works several times a week he does pretty good but when we only do the once a week thing it's almost like a kindergarten kid that has to be retaught every time.  We may wind up with a wether or two also depending on how things work out.  Most of their sheep are really close to lambing and we don't want to transport them when they are that close. We will spend a day there picking out our flock and at the same time get some OJT on hoof trimming and many other things.  If nothing else it will get my rear in gear doing the fencing another paddock.  What we just finished is good enough for 6-8 sheep but not 6-8 sheep with another 6-12 lambs.

The to-do list keeps growing and taking a half day to drive to the sheep farm to train puts too many things on hold.


----------



## Mike CHS

We got the main paddock done except hanging two of the five gates.  Since this pen will also be our catch pen I needed a gate at each adjoining paddock - so five gates in this one pen.

Depending on the weather we will bring our sheep home either this coming week or the week after.  We still have one wall of a lean-to to work on - some rotting panels and we need to re-set 3 of the 4x4's support the roof.  Two of the post we are replacing are 4x4's that are setting on top of cinder blocks and not in the ground at all.  

That should just be a few hours work (so it will probably take a couple of days but for all practical purposes the pen is ready to receive animals.  The first pic is where I am making a turn around spot for loading/unloading which is one of the few level spots that we have with access to the drive way. The second pic shows (vaguely) the other end of this pen.  We are now starting on the adjoining paddock that will have a gate across from the big gate in the picture.  That paddock will go down to my shop then back around with just about 250' legs on all four sides.

The last picture is a "just because" picture of our Aussie and Border Collie after day in the training field working sheep.






The wall of the lean-to next to the shed is osb and rotten and has a ton of exposed screws that need to go before they stab our critters. We will be replacing the metal studs with lumber and adding siding and  panels inside.


----------



## Bruce

Those be some overworked doggies!


----------



## Latestarter

Seems to me those breeds LOVE to be "over" worked... Makes them happy to be doing a job! Pretty coloring on both. Your main pen looks great.


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## Mike CHS

They do love it.  All I have to do is say Let's Go To Work and they turn into different dogs.  Especially the Border Collie - he goes from Laid Back to Get Out Of My Way in about 2 seconds.


----------



## Mike CHS

We took it fairly easy and I wasn't going to post anything but decided to take a picture of the rock that we are dealing with.  I pulled up next to my Tacoma for perspective of how heavy these things are.  This load was originally part of one big slab of rock.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Holy cow!


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## Latestarter

Might make for some pretty good property border walls... or decorative rock walls. It's a lot of rock though.


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## Bruce

You can just look around the property, see where someone might want to dig a garden or stick in posts and bury all the rock there. Make sure there is a lot of overlap of the big pieces. I swear that is what happened here.


----------



## Mini Horses

Mike CHS said:


> They do love it. All I have to do is say Let's Go To Work and they turn into different dogs. Especially the Border Collie - he goes from Laid Back to Get Out Of My Way in about 2 seconds.



It is their PASSION!!   I've watched them working and you can barely keep up with them with your eyes.   A well trained one is just so, so good at what they do.  It's truly poetry in motion.    

It's like the best cattle horse you can ride  -- point out the one you want & sit back while they move them from the herd and keep them apart.    I've watched a Border Collie go in & pull eight goats from about 50 & make them think it was their idea to separate.  And it was the eight you wanted out.  Amazing.

You have some nice looking dogs there.


----------



## frustratedearthmother




----------



## Mike CHS

We have a dry pond that we are filling up slowly but surely.  We have a storm drain ditch that was used by previous owners as a dump for everything imaginable that should help filling it up so we can push dirt over it. That will also be the last of the mess left on our place.


----------



## Latestarter

Previous owners did that here as well. There's a swale/drainage along the southern border from basically the street all along the fence line down to the run in shed east of the house. I asked the owner if he knew where I could rent one of those RORO dumpsters to clean it out. He said he'd been throwing everything he could in there for years in an attempt to slow down the water when it's running off. He said during heavy rains, it's like a small stream draining through there. My property is just beyond the top of a hill and everything drains down that hill toward the driveway and house. So now I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it... Will have to wait until a major rain event and see. Glad your place is almost done/coming together.


----------



## Baymule

What is it with people using their land as a dump? I just don't get it. I still pick up broken glass. Getting that last mess cleaned up is a major milestone, I am glad you have your place all cleaned up now.


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## NH homesteader

You should have seen our place when we got here...  Holy cow we spent a lot  of money cleaning  the worst of it up.  Still find random things in the brush.  I don't  get it either.  The dump is free people...  Bring your trash there.


----------



## Bruce

NH homesteader said:


> You should have seen our place when we got here...  Holy cow we spent a lot  of money cleaning  the worst of it up.  Still find random things in the brush.  I don't  get it either.  The dump is free people...  Bring your trash there.



Um, not in Vermont it isn't. In fact there is only ONE remaining landfill in the state and it is in the NEK. Big statewide push for recycling (which I've been doing for decades). I used to go to the transfer station about once a month with my 4 bins. The trash compactor bag was not always full by then. Soon there will be a requirement to compost food other than bones. I already do that, some if it is run through the chickens first . Actually, they get the bones as well. But for people who choose not to compost at their house, there will be compost bins that the trucking companies will pick up.



Latestarter said:


> Previous owners did that here as well. There's a swale/drainage along the southern border from basically the street all along the fence line down to the run in shed east of the house. I asked the owner if he knew where I could rent one of those RORO dumpsters to clean it out. He said he'd been throwing everything he could in there for years in an attempt to slow down the water when it's running off. He said during heavy rains, it's like a small stream draining through there. My property is just beyond the top of a hill and everything drains down that hill toward the driveway and house. So now I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it... Will have to wait until a major rain event and see. Glad your place is almost done/coming together.



@Mike CHS and I have a LOT of rocks you may have to create water diversion/slowing. Right Mike?


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## NH homesteader

Still is here! Not all of NH but it is here. I've got plenty of rocks to share too!


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## Mike CHS

I'm making use of a lot of the rock to fill ditches and a couple of spots where erosion wanted to be a problem when we had lots of rain. But we haven't had enough rain in the last two months to warrant diversion.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Too bad I am no longer driving a Truck....would swing by and get some for Sure....have to Buy it here....has to be shipped in...usually by barge....a 'Big Truck' would haul quite a bit, but wouldn't be worth trying it in my 275,000 miles mini van...LOL!!!


----------



## Mike CHS

Today was a no work day for us but it was a hard work/training day for our herd dogs but I wanted to post a picture of a way we dealt with our heavy rock area for a man gate.  We ran into a situation about halfway down this run when we literally hit slabs of rock but had an occasional space between slabs where I could drive a piece of rebar to see if I could drive a T-post.  Right after we started this section we were pretty sure our plans for gates wouldn't work so we rounded up some of the Wedge-Loc gate hardware and we already had some of the hardware for braces.  We had to use the T-post to hang the gate and also as the anchor post for stretching the wire.  I couldn't find dirt in the perfect location for the cross brace (diagonal) so it had to be installed higher than ideal.  I also drove a second 7 foot T-post next to the gate post afterhanging the gate but before stretching the wire.

I don't how it will hold up long range but I was at the point of pulling all of the posts and changing the layout when we finally were able to use the Wedge-Loc hardware. 

0We also drove T-posts for another 300' going back up the hill.  At least when we put the fence up Friday we can anchor the fence at the top and let it roll down the hill.


----------



## Bruce

I got some Wedge-Loc parts and was sadly unimpressed. Maybe they work better if you can actually get your T-Posts in a straight line.


----------



## Mike CHS

We built a couple of hay racks based on a thread by jodief quite awhile ago.  We still have to add the goat panels for a two sided feeder setup but the frames are done.  Also built 4 PVC feeders that are on the table next to one of the racks.  Materials were already on hand so no new expenditures for a change.  We pick out our sheep tomorrow and bring them home Tuesday so today was getting last minutes things finished today.

Just for fun we dug out the sign to hang up in the shop. This was already carved when we were in South Carolina.  We have carving machines so can't take credit for the carve other than the finishing portion.  We have been here going on six months now and still don't have the shop put together.  That was supposed to be next on the list (before sheep) but the LGD came unexpectedly and we need to give her a job to keep her happy.  Double plus is it lets us work the herding dogs every day instead of once a week.  Most of the ewes we are getting are due to lamb starting next month so we are getting some wethers to use for training to keep from stressing the ewes.


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## frustratedearthmother

Love the sign!


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## Latestarter

Love the moose on the sign! Nice touch!


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## NH homesteader

X2 I love moose.  They're so cute and awkward and well,  you know,  terrifying! I should say I love moose when I am not on my 4 wheeler...  

Really like that sign a lot!


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## Baymule

Can't wait to see your sheep.


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## Mike CHS

We will post some pics when we get them here.  We are having one of those times when we think we thought of everything and keep finding things we need to get before they start lambing.


----------



## Baymule

I bet Teresa is going to be a good sheep mommy!


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## Bruce

NH homesteader said:


> X2 I love moose.  They're so cute and awkward and well,  you know,  terrifying! I should say I love moose when I am not on my 4 wheeler...
> 
> Really like that sign a lot!



And not when you are on the Interstate at night when they decide to cross!


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## NH homesteader

Never had that one happen.  Never seen  a moose on the interstate actually. But it sounds like a terrible place for a moose!


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## greybeard

I like the sprayer most of all.


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## Bruce

And whoever's lap it ends up in when it crashes through the windshield!


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## Latestarter

With today's sub compact cars, what's left of them would drive right under it... maybe lose the roof.


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## Bruce

A moose hits the windshield on pretty much any vehicle. Going under it would be a bonus!


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## Mike CHS

greybeard - I bought that sprayer after I rented one from the Co-op that had a high center of gravity.  I started up one of our hills and decided I would rather the tractor stay upright and not laying on its side so that hill didn't get sprayed that day.


----------



## Mike CHS

We spent the day at our dog training farm picking out the 10 ewes we will be bringing home tomorrow after our training session. All 10 of these came out of her commercial flock but they are all nice looking sheep.  There aren't any firm breeding dates but they are all bred with some looking like they will be lambing soon.

We were able to help trim hooves on most of that flock so it was a good learning experience for both of us.


----------



## TAH

Mike CHS said:


> We spent the day at our dog training farm picking out the 10 ewes we will be bringing home tomorrow after our training session. All 10 of these came out of her commercial flock but they are all nice looking sheep.  There aren't any firm breeding dates but they are all bred with some looking like they will be lambing soon.
> 
> We were able to help trim hooves on most of that flock so it was a good learning experience for both of us.


Congrats on your soon to be sheep


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## CntryBoy777

Sounds like ya have a Good start...for Sure!!....and the 'Boost' in confidence one gets when there is Experience to go with it...sounds like ya will have your Hands full very shortly...


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## Baymule

10 bred ewes! You will have an instant flock! Are you going to castrate the ram lambs? With the help of a neighbor, we cut our 2 ram lambs at 2 weeks old. It wasn't hard to do and after we set them down, they ran to momma for a suckle and were fine.

I can't wait to see pictures!!!!


----------



## Ferguson K

That's amazing! -awesome news!


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## Mike CHS

We will band them.  Neither of us have experience but we can go back and help them band to give some more hands on.  It's nice to have a good one stop source for most of what we need to know. We are there once a week anyway with our dogs.

Our Great Pyrenees will be brought home Thursday (I think I posted earlier).  There is more going on than what we are used to.


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## norseofcourse

Congrats!  With no firm breeding dates, how do they handle the timing for vaccinating the pregnant ewes?


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## Mike CHS

They are all getting shots tomorrow.  It will probably be off for some but they are all showing signs of being within 2-3 weeks of lambing.


----------



## Latestarter

Best of luck with the new flock. Hoping the introduction of your new LGD to the new flock and the presence of herding dogs goes well. Waiting for updates with pics.


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> There is more going on than what we are used to.



It will stay like this. We stay so darn busy, I have to keep it on the calendar. How the HE!! did we ever hold down jobs?


----------



## NH homesteader

Yup same here. My husband works but I don't and man...  I don't know how  we managed to both have jobs at one point!


----------



## Baymule

I used to work 10+ hours a day, had horses on land that we had, so had to drive to go feed and care for them. I had chickens and a garden at home, cooked from scratch, and was on GO all the time. I am still on GO all the time, but get to slow down a little and enjoy it more.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Age, Health, and Priorities 'Play' a big part in being able to keep up with all the 'Plates' that are spinning on the Sticks!!....what I get done in a day's time would used to be done in just a couple of hrs....


----------



## Baymule

I used to hit the house after work and sling super together in minutes, or if I took time to really cook something more time consuming, we didn't eat until 8 PM. I tried to have supper ready by 6 or 7 PM. Now, I like to have supper at 5 or 6 and the mess cleaned up. With the time change, I feed the animals earlier, used to feed in the dark in the winter. I am still on super charged GO, but get to pick my times to suit me.


----------



## Mike CHS

We brought the sheep home this afternoon.  We had a couple of things to finish up before unloading so they had the better part of an hour in the trailer.  It was a nice cool day but they were still happy to be loose.  Our dogs didn't realize that the sheep they had worked this morning had come home with them until I let them out of the trailer.

Here is 9 of the 10.  _It was getting dark as I got around to take pictures so there are just the two.




 

 _


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## NH homesteader

Hooray! They've arrived! Congrats,  they are lovely


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## Baymule

Katahdins? They are very nice looking girls. Soon you will be Lammy Granpa and Lammy Grammy!


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## NH homesteader

Lammy Grammy.


----------



## Ferguson K

They look happy!


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## CntryBoy777

Really Nice looking Herd!!....especially with those freshly Trimmed hooves!!...


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## TAH

Your gonna love having sheep!

x2 Katahdin?


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## Mike CHS

We like them and they are pretty used to us already since they have been in with the group that we have been working with our dogs.

We used our Aussie to load them into the loading chute and into the trailer.  This was her 1st time being in that close contact and she was a trip keeping control of her.

These are mostly Katahdin with some Dorper back a couple of generations.


----------



## Southern by choice

Can you believe it Mike!?


This is wonderful! You have been here and part of this community for 2 1/2 years. You have allowed us a part of your life's journey. Today your sheep finally arrived! This has been wonderful to follow and this will be such a great encouragement to others. You didn't rush, you planned! One step at a time. 

You guys have to be so tickled!
Now the real work begins.


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## Mike CHS

Southern - There were several times that we came close to doing something impulsive but we made ourselves take the long run view.  Even with getting an LGD before we were ready, if you remember, you set me straight on that one.  We have had livestock before but it has been a long time and never sheep. Our mentor where we train and especially this forum has made this a much easier journey.

We are a dry lot setup for the short term and Teresa was having a ball in feeding them and then getting them to follow her around.  

I probably haven't gone out to check on them more than a dozen times since it got dark.


----------



## Bruce

You'll probably be going out a dozen times an hour when you bring your LGD home


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## Mike CHS

The LGD will be a slow introduction Bruce. We will be spending a lot of time on a long lead and in a kennel till we are sure that she will want to stick around.  We are hoping she surprises us but we aren't planning on it.


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## Southern by choice

It's good you're going to use caution with your new LGd  but remember expect success expect her to stay expect her to be good with sheep expect her to love it what you conveyed to her she will feed off of give her the support she's going to need 
Thank her for being there thank her for taking care of your sheep tell her what a great dog she is 
These dogs are different
Never ever expect failure
You may think I'm nuts but when you get her there look in her eyes and tell her how much you want her there and helping for you are so happy to have her as your partner 

Keep everything super positive do not let any negative apprehension even in your mind or she will pick up on it


----------



## Mike CHS

We are very optimistic.  When we went to meet her the owner said don't expect her to come to you. About the time he said that she was right in front of Teresa and then me.  Almost like she knew something was going on but not what.  We will give her whatever she needs to succeed.  I'm not really worried about her with the sheep since she is so gentle with them.  I just don't want to get her looking for her old home before she is comfortable here.  Our sheep are amazingly settling in but they have been worked by us for almost 6 months so for them nothing has changed.


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## Southern by choice

I speak to all my dogs this way. I expect greatness. 
Some really do think I'm nuts ...until... they either practice it themselves or see it for themselves. They are really that smart and really that perceptive.

I do hope you post lots of pictures!


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## Mike CHS

I don't think it's nuts at all. We talk to our dogs like our kids only they mind better.


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## Southern by choice

LOL I don't talk to them like kids, but more like an adult partner.


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## Mike CHS

I'm being silly now but I had to go out and check them one last time.  They are  bedded down where I hoped they would.  I was telling Teresa yesterday that we have spent almost 4 years getting to today.


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## Southern by choice

Not silly at all!


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## CntryBoy777

Don't feel Alone there @Mike CHS ....there are many out here that Talk to our animals!!....and when we get new ones and put them in a new surroundings and pens...I get to checking on them just as you describe....partly because of concern for their Safety....and partly because ya just gotta make Sure you are not Dreaming!!!


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> I'm being silly now but I had to go out and check them one last time.  They are  bedded down where I hoped they would.  I was telling Teresa yesterday that we have spent almost 4 years getting to today.



Not silly at all. I checked on ours every night before we went to bed. I have settled down a lot and realized they are fine. We still check on them at night, just not every night. It took us 5 years to get to where we are now.

Are your ewes bred to a Katahdin ram? Will you get a Katahdin or Dorper ram? I love the splotchy colors of the Dorper/Katahdin cross sheep.


----------



## Mike CHS

They are all bred to a Katahdin ram and we are also leaning toward going  with a Katahdin next summer. They all have some Barbados back a few generations and they are fairly flighty when the dogs are around.  We go to get our LGD tomorrow so we will see if they stay settled down.  They don't care for the hay we have for them (a mixed grass) but would pig out on alfalfa if I let them have more of it.


----------



## Mike CHS

I plan on capturing this thread to be able to look back on so I'm posting another picture of Maisy on patrol.  We have introduced our herd dogs but keep them away from Maisy when she is on the fence line.

She accepts them as ours but we have kept direct contact down to a minimum for now.  We have had a couple of neighbors at our house that had dogs with them and one she accepted almost too fast I thought but the other had her in a pose that we had not seen until now.  Head high and body stretched out and her hair standing up high.

We had mentioned awhile back that we had a lead on a Maremma but lost the contact info and the ad had been pulled.  He emailed this morning to see if we were still interested and I had to say no.  She has some issues although minor they are something I would rather not deal with and upset a pretty good balance right now.  Once the next paddock is finished it will be a better time.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have been around sheep and LGDs for several years now but obviously none of our own until now.  I shouldn't be surprised how fast the sheep accepted the LGD and vice versa.  Maisy was not bonded to the sheep but she kept watch over them just the same.  Teresa was in the pen this afternoon so we could get some better descriptions and tag numbers for our records.  I was outside watching and after Teresa left the pen she went up to the rear of each of the sheep to smell each of the 10 sheep almost like to make sure they were still the same sheep. They all have settled any pecking order issues and the only time now that the sheep get flighty around Maisy is when she jumps up and runs to the opposite end of the pen to check something out.


----------



## Southern by choice

happy about the butt sniffing!

( geesh the things we say on this forum  )


----------



## NH homesteader




----------



## luvmypets

Southern by choice said:


> happy about the butt sniffing!
> 
> ( geesh the things we say on this forum  )


Not to mention the kind of pictures that get posted on birthing threads. Any non-farmer would be very... hm how do I say this, disturbed?


----------



## Baymule

It looks like Maisy is going to make you a good sheep guard. I love the butt sniffing LOL!!! It is true, LGD's sniff their charges butts and lick their mouths and faces. Mike, my sheep scatter when Paris runs to see something she sees as a threat. Paris is not chasing them, but they still run when she runs.


----------



## Mike CHS

We know it's normal  but it usually happens when one of us is among or near the sheep when she rounds the corner and we are over run with sheep that seem airborne.  

We still have a lot to learn but this white creature is sure making it fun so far.


----------



## Mike CHS

I've mentioned our lean-to before and I didn't get a real "before" picture but this lean-to on the side of our garden building has two of the 4x4 posts sitting on top of a cinder block as you can see in the picture.  The only one in the ground is on the far end.  We are partially enclosing this section to make a creep feeder for the sheep and later divide in two to make a milk room adjacent to the goat pen.  I'm not used to this cold weather (I know I'm wimpy) and progress was slow today (but it is Sunday after all) 

The side where the 2x4s are was covered in rotted OSB and all of the nails were exposed on the inside.  We got the end posts set in concrete today and will replace two on the side tomorrow and finish closing up the partial walls.  This will also have heat lamps (the safe ones) for some of these cold nights.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Well Mike everyone has to 'Catch their Breath' every now and then.......especially as Busy as ya have been....and how is the Lambing going?....ya may need an Oxygen tank....


----------



## Southern by choice

Are you running your goats and sheep together?


----------



## Mike CHS

We won't be getting goats until this lambing season is finished but they will not be kept together. The current sheep pen is better suited to a couple of goats and it will become the goat pen along with a good bit of woods after the sheep get moved to the big pasture.  We were able to do a decent infrastructure for the ewes in a short time due to the smaller size. Plus at the time we arranged to get them we did not have an LGD and didn't expect to have one so the pen is really secure.  This small pen makes it easier to keep track of what Maisy is up to and better able to monitor the sheep.


----------



## Southern by choice

Are the sheep tested for OPP, CL, Johnes?

Are the goats you are getting tested for CAE,CL, Johnes?


----------



## Mike CHS

Sheep are all tested and the goats will be.


----------



## Southern by choice

Mike CHS said:


> Sheep are all tested and the goats will be.


Good to hear. I don't know of anyone testing commercial flocks of sheep and extremely rare for sheep people to test for OPP.

I talk with many sheep people and they think scrapie program is what "tested" means. One farm I know lost all their first sheep to Scrapie. Another ended up having CAE and OPP... they had sheep and goats together.


----------



## NH homesteader

Sorry to take this off topic a bit but what is OPP?


----------



## Southern by choice

It is a lentivirus... both CAE and OPP are in the lentivirus family

http://www.oppsociety.org/About_OPP.html

https://ahdc.vet.cornell.edu/docs/OvineProgressivePneumonia.pdf


----------



## NH homesteader

So...  A shep positive for this could give your goats CAE?  I have been considering  adding sheep but my goats are more important to me.  Going to go check those out, thanks!


----------



## Goat Whisperer

NH homesteader said:


> So...  A shep positive for this could give your goats CAE?  I have been considering  adding sheep but my goats are more important to me.  Going to go check those out, thanks!


Yes, that is my understanding.


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## Southern by choice

NH homesteader said:


> So...  A shep positive for this could give your goats CAE?  I have been considering  adding sheep but my goats are more important to me.  Going to go check those out, thanks!


@Mike CHS  we can take this to anothr thread so as not to hi-jack but I did want to say yes. Basically they are the same. Both articles are really good. 
When considering sheep another very serious issue is soremouth (also known as orf). It is zoonotic as well, also can be transmitted to LGD's. Although reportable it seems no one does and most of the sheep people just don't think it is a big deal. It is a serious big deal for dairy goats especially.

We had sheep and they were from a clean herd. We would love to do meat sheep in the future but sadly many don't test for anything and many have this. Once you have it the land is contaminated. We will never have sheep in with goats. They will be on separate land.


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## Mike CHS

This thread is a good place for the info Southern.  Sometimes a little drift is good.


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## Mike CHS

I got the old posts removed and replaced without having the roof come down on me.  

Of the 3 posts that were holding it up there was only one in the ground.  I put in posts on both ends so I can enclose them and put two new ones on the long side. 

I don't know when this shed and lean-to were built but I guess the fact that it was open on both ends is what kept it from taken out by high wind (which we get a lot of).

We have company coming coming tomorrow so I'll at least get the creep feeder section finished and ready for use before they get here. Just put a turkey in brine to put on the smoker tomorrow.


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## CntryBoy777

Looking Good!!....got more rain coming thru here on Wednesday...could be just in Time....


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## Baymule

Mike, aren't you delighted to have this nice place for your loved ones and friends to come to? Ya'll have fun and enjoy Thanksgiving!


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## Mike CHS

We do enjoy it but I guess I need to get rid of the Hermit picture I have on the all.


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## CntryBoy777

Mike did y'all get much from this 'Wave' of rain?....we got 0.4", but more coming on monday here.


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## Mike CHS

We got a lot of clouds but zero rain.  Forecast is calling for some Monday and Tuesday so fingers are crossed,


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## Mike CHS

It rained enough this afternoon to wet the roads but that is about it.  Supposed to get some later tonight and possibly more tomorrow.

We got the creep feeder roughed in enough to give us a place to get the lambs out of the weather if they ever get tired of hanging around inside mom.  We have a panel cut to use for the lamb creep feeder.  We still have a lot of trim, paint and other small things to do but at least we have a place to bring them in for warmth and get them dry.

This will give them a 15'x20' area which should be enough since the lambing will probably be spread over the whole month of December.  We have a 4' gate inside for access to their feeder and if we need more room we will put the hay in another space and give them the whole 30' length.

Building things on hills give a whole new meaning to "being flexible".


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## CntryBoy777

Looks really Good!!....it certainly does make ya 'Creative' when your 'Back is to the Wall'....and there are Slopes to incorporate into the 'Outcome'........looks like ya 'Cleared the Hurdle' really well!!...


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## NH homesteader

Hey @Mike CHS are you guys near the wildfires down there? How awful. I hope you all are safe! Looks to be in the vicinity of my friends down there but haven't talked to them yet.


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## Mike CHS

Thanks for asking but those fires are centered east of Knoxville and right in and around Gatlinburg (about 4 hours away) and they seem to be heading east.  They have been burning for several days now and even the heavy rain last night and this morning didn't help surprisingly.

We are in the middle of the state only about 20 miles or so from the Alabama line.


----------



## NH homesteader

Oh glad you're good! Our friends are in Maryville,  so it's closer to them.


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## CntryBoy777

NH they would still be a couple of hrs away from the fires...it is south of Cookeville....and it is about 100 miles or so from Knoxville and the fires are east of Knoxville...I went to Tenn Tech is how I know....sorry Mike for 'Buttin In' ......I am WRONG!!.....my memory has Failed me again....you are Right Maryville is South of Knoxville....so Sorry for my ineptness....please Forgive me....


----------



## NH homesteader

Maryville is like a half hour from Knoxville. I don't know which direction.  I've only been there once


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## Mike CHS

That is fine - any thread of mine is open to all for anything.  I thought you sounded a lot like a Tennessean.


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## CntryBoy777

Well Mike I lived in the Memphis vacinity for 30yrs...the longest of any place so far...so, yeh guess those 'Roots' come out and Show from time to time...


----------



## NH homesteader

Lol you're fine @CntryBoy777


----------



## CntryBoy777

Mike looks like some rough Weather headed your way...they have Tornado Warnings and Watches for NW Ms right now...headed in your direction...Be Safe!!


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## Mike CHS

Up to now the hills around the valley we are in sends most rough weather north of us but there is always a first time.


----------



## Bruce

Not likely to have tornados in hill and valley country right?


----------



## Mike CHS

They do have them but they haven't had one in our area in something like 20 years. We did get  lot of wind and a whole bunch of welcome rain last night.  I got up early expecting lambs but not yet.


----------



## luvmypets

My good friend lives in TN, she said the state is getting nailed today. Thankfully not where she is.


----------



## Mike CHS

We only got a load of much needed rain where we live (3.3 inches) and it seems the bad storms started about an hour east.  On the good side the heavy rain is helping to get the fires under more control.


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## CntryBoy777

That'll really help your grass out...


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## Mike CHS

The grass really greened up.  Now I can start going out and cutting them some fresh grass.  Every time I break the mower out I get a little more energetic finishing the next paddock. 

There is a road above the treeline surrounding our place and I have lost track of how many cars stop and look at this old white haired man cutting 18 acres of steep hilly pasture with a push mower.


----------



## CntryBoy777

If my circulation wasn't as bad as it is...I'd be doing the same thing....but, the only way I can do it now is with the Riding mower....my wife pushes the mower now...


----------



## Bruce

Yeah that would be quite the incentive! You could spend every day pushing the mower and the first place you started would need it again by the time you got done with the last part!

@CntryBoy777 You mean your wife pushes the rider out when you get it stuck??


----------



## CntryBoy777

Well @Bruce at 5'9" and barely 110 lbs....she ain't going to be Pushing much....


----------



## Mike CHS

We only cut for about 20 minutes a day and that gives us enough fresh grass for two days to go along with the feed and hay for the sheep.  They even pass on alfalfa hay to get the fresh grass.  It's a very minor labor that brings a whole bunch of smiles for us when they start in on it.  Because we are basically dry lotting for the next two weeks we are trying to emulate their "normal" grazing behavior.

Our most lush grass pasture will be one of the last to get fenced because of distance from the house and facilities thus the lawn mower.


----------



## Bruce

Solar powered ElectroNet pens??? Let them graze rather than you cutting and bringing it to them?

Oh yeah, Maisy. She might not look twice at such an enclosure as being something she can't get over. Plus, it isn't cheap.


----------



## Southern by choice

Bruce said:


> Solar powered ElectroNet pens???



They are expensive and for every one person that they work well for there are 2 more that it doesn't.


----------



## Mike CHS

We thought about portable netting and may still do that after lambing is finished but the pen they are now in is all set up for handling lambs. They will eat the hay we have for them but they are thriving on the fresh grass so 20 minutes is a minor thing at the moment. Feed is easy but we are already feeding them a pound a day along with all the grass and hay they want. Maisy is adjusting and I think she must have gotten zapped with the new hot/ground wires on the top of the fence. I was putting some wire across the opening of one of our mesh gates and she went running when I got close to her with the loose wire. The tester is showing the hot wire over 10k Volts. We also got a GPS tracker for her that alarms if she leaves her zone in case she decides to visit the neighbors chickens again.


----------



## Mike CHS

We already have all of the material for the next two paddocks and they should be ready to occupy by the time all of the lambs are on the ground.  I'm without a helper for the rest of this week since Teresa went to Charleston to help with some planning and dresses, etc for Daughters wedding next October.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Having 4 myself...I understand...


----------



## Baymule

I had to smile when you described how ya'll smile when the sheep tear into the fresh grass you cut for them. They really love green grass. Aren't they fun? Just wait until you have little lambs, you'll wonder how anything could be so cute. Can't wait for lamb pics!


----------



## Mike CHS

We are looking forward to lambs but even the ewes became amazingly trusting in such a short time.  One of them looks to be carrying twins and has a bag that looks full enough to milk.  She is the reason I was wanting to make sure we had some shelter out of the wind if we needed it.


----------



## Bruce

If you need a lamb pic fix while you wait for @Mike CHS 's lambs to show, go to @purplequeenvt 's fall lambing page
http://www.backyardherds.com/threads/fall-lambing.34846/#post-459764

Boy are those little guys and gals cute!


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Mike CHS said:


> We are looking forward to lambs but even the ewes became amazingly trusting in such a short time.  One of them looks to be carrying twins and has a bag that looks full enough to milk.  She is the reason I was wanting to make sure we had some shelter out of the wind if we needed it.


You need to be like the rest of the forum and get some udder pics


----------



## Mike CHS

GW - These girls don't cooperate with the view they give me plus I have to respect their privacy.


----------



## NH homesteader




----------



## Goat Whisperer

Wait until you get dairy goats. 
Not only will you have endless photos of beautiful udders, you want to try and make sure they are shaved and cleaned too 

You'll be talking and always end the conversation with "remember to send those udder pics"


----------



## Mike CHS

We started on the main pasture fence but after thinking about some issues we chucked the idea and pulled up the posts to go to plan B.  Not being sure what plan B is we took the day off and will restart tomorrow when it is 20 degrees (cold for here).

We went to an Amish farm auction today and didn't expect to buy anything so didn't take our trailer.  The farmer had a sawmill and had thousands of board feet of rough lumber.  The only stack that I could fit in our Tacoma was 140 board feet of cherry 8/4 lumber mostly 6-12 inches wide so I decided I would bid on it if it didn't get silly since all of our furniture that we have made is cherry.  The first bid was $15 and I took it to $20 which turned out to be the high bid.  I kicked myself for not taking the trailer since there was two stacks of ash (350 bf and 600 bf) that went for $120 and $180 respectively.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Wow!!....that sounds like a pretty Good deal there...and don't ya just hate those Should've, Could've, Would've....but Didn't moments?....I've been in those 'Shoes' bunches of Times...


----------



## Bruce

WOW! What a price for the cherry! It is usually priced in $$/board foot, not board feet/$


----------



## Latestarter

Sounds like you made a heck of a purchase with just the cherry. Too bad you weren't able to get the other stacks as well. But at least you know where to go next time there's an auction... and should remember to bring the trailer just in case.


----------



## Mike CHS

We decided that we have too many ewes for the shelter we built and decided to build another lean-to 14' wide x 12' long.  We broke out the chain saw this morning and finished cleaning out another section of the holding pen.  The sheep had most of the small stuff cleared out so we just had a few down logs.

We got the corner posts set in concrete and by the time we got back from town with the rest of the lumber, it was dark.  Need to give the concrete a little time to set so no big deal.

We did ear tags for the 3 lambs this morning and that was another first for us.  I was so nervous about hurting the little things that my hands were shaking.

Here is a not so good picture of 1 & 2 .  Both ewes have been excellent others and I'm not sure that 3's mom seriously thought about butting me when we were putting the tags on him.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Just Darling!!!...


----------



## frustratedearthmother

They look absolutely huggable!


----------



## Goat Whisperer




----------



## Baymule

Looks like you did pretty good to me! Years ago when I had rabbits, I had to learn to give shots. I was terrified of needles and almost had to be held down to get a shot myself. So I geared up my courage and stabbed the rabbit with the needle, but immediately drew it back out again. I was so scared that I kept stabbing the poor rabbit and yanking the needle back out until I finally left the needle in the poor rabbit's hind leg. I pushed the syringe plunger in and completed the shot. I felt so bad! But I got good at giving shots and got over my own irrational fear of needles.


----------



## Mini Horses

ADORABLE !    They are just so white when they are brand new       Love the babies.   I have goats but, same cute thrill.

Congrats.


----------



## CntryBoy777

@Baymule was ya able to 'Catch' that rabbit ever again?


----------



## Mike CHS

Bay - I want you to know that you had both of us rolling with your description of that event.  The poor ewe lamb that was first up only got her ear severely pinched because I didn't squeeze hard enough and had to do it a second time.


----------



## Southern by choice

Baymule said:


> Looks like you did pretty good to me! Years ago when I had rabbits, I had to learn to give shots. I was terrified of needles and almost had to be held down to get a shot myself. So I geared up my courage and stabbed the rabbit with the needle, but immediately drew it back out again. I was so scared that I kept stabbing the poor rabbit and yanking the needle back out until I finally left the needle in the poor rabbit's hind leg. I pushed the syringe plunger in and completed the shot. I felt so bad! But I got good at giving shots and got over my own irrational fear of needles.



Oh no! I am crying  over her and my cheeks hurt from laughing so hard! Yes, I was LOL! All the kids are like whattttttttttttttt? What is so funny!

Mike the lambs look fantastic!


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule's post somehow needs to be preserved as a classic since we have all been there. 

We spent several days at our mentor learning shots, hooves and general health issues.  She got some free help and we got a wealth of info and new experience.


----------



## NH homesteader

I wish everyone going into farming had a mentor like yours. 

Our first round of shots,  my husband went right through the poor goat and out the other side and gave the ground a CD&T shot.


----------



## Mike CHS

NH -we have found the herding dog community (in our case our mentor) to be a super bunch of people.  In contrast to a lot of farms a lot of them have sheep because of their dogs to do trials with them rather than marketing.  Ours does both so it is a win/win for us and they are only a phone call away.  We called several times during our third lambs birth because we thought she was in distress.  The lamb was big.


----------



## Bruce

Um, just how LONG was that needle @NH homesteader ???


----------



## NH homesteader

Um needle length? Sub q shots, you tent the skin.


----------



## Bruce

How did he go all the way through the goat and into the ground then??? I give insulin to our diabetic cat 2x a day, never hit the ground. Or did I miss a smilie somewhere?


----------



## Latestarter

I completely understand SQ vs IM shots but have to admit when you said DH gave the ground a CD&T shot I pictured a long needle sticking out the opposite side of a chest from the syringe...


----------



## NH homesteader

It squirted on the ground ...  He didn't literally stab the ground. 

And no he didn't skewer the poor goat.  If he was that bad at giving shots we would have some serious issues.  And perhaps I would find someone else to give my goats shots. Lol


----------



## frustratedearthmother

I've done the same thing!  Squirted right out of the other side of the tented skin and on to the ground.  Grrrrr!


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Laughing at all the replies! 

Noooooo you can give the ground a CDT without a huge needle sticking through the goat!!!!  

@Baymule that poor rabbit


----------



## Southern by choice

I have given thousands of shots and it still happens. 
The worst is when you have 20 CD & T's to give. 
You draw up 20 syringes.
You are so proud of yourself for being so organized.
You think to yourself, Oh yeah... this is gonna be great, we will get this done asap assembly line.

Then just like that 
POOF
That bubble is so burst! 

You shot shot one right through... and 5 goats later you do the same thing... dang goats...

So you trudge all the way back up to the house to get two more stinkin' CD & T's but now the goat knows what's up and you realize oh well that one doesn't REALLY need hers today anyway.


----------



## NH homesteader

The OCD part of me is like...  But I said we were going to do it  all today! I'm going to get more! My husband looks at me and tells me I'm nuts.


----------



## Southern by choice

NH homesteader said:


> The OCD part of me is like...  But I said we were going to do it  all today! I'm going to get more! My husband looks at me and tells me I'm nuts.



Life is too short to sweat the small stuff. 
Trust me on that one! I am living proof that OCD can be overcome.
Sometimes I miss it though.
But there is more freedom without it!


----------



## NH homesteader

Yes being a slightly OCD person married to a very ADD  person... If we don't do now who knows when we'll get to it? Lol but I am trying to chill out!


----------



## greybeard

Reminds me of Baxter Black's _Jose and the hoodoo cow_'s shots.


----------



## Bruce

Ah yes, Baxter Black, the poet cowboy veterinarian! 



Latestarter said:


> I completely understand SQ vs IM shots but have to admit when you said DH gave the ground a CD&T shot I pictured a long needle sticking out the opposite side of a chest from the syringe...



Me too!!!! That is why I asked. Sounds like the ground got a topical, not SQ, vaccine.


----------



## Mike CHS

I haven't seen Baxter Black in years.  Thanks for that.


----------



## Mike CHS

This is another of those "just because" they are cute pictures.  I was trying to get a picture with perspective of Maisy and the 1st lamb and the little thing decided to do one of those vertical jumps they do.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Great Pic!!....is Maisy doing better after the Excitement has settled a bit?


----------



## Mike CHS

She is doing better but we won't let her loose unsupervised when the lambs are out. We take her around the lambs several times a day on a lunge line and she hasn't tried to play basketball with the lambs for a couple of days now.  She is still fairly young to expect "instant" performance so we don't.  We are patient with her and she is super smart so it will work out when it does.


----------



## CntryBoy777

It is always promising when ya can see 'Progress'...and allows ya to be more patient with them....gets 'Frustrating' when there isn't noticeable progress...and being young does require a bit more time....sounds like things are going really well for ya over there...any others really close to 'Surprising' ya?


----------



## Mike CHS

All 8 of the others have some degree of bagging up but only two are swelling up quite a bit.  Those 2 unfortunately are the wildest so we can't bring them into confinement for their own good (they are the reason we are building another shelter).  They are also the biggest of the bunch (about 150 lbs) so they can do a lot of damage when startled.


----------



## CntryBoy777

May be they will settle down when they get Closer....the way Ewe-nique did for Bay....


----------



## Bruce

Way to luck into a great action shot Mike!


----------



## Mike CHS

We got our other lean-to roughed in today.  We had hoped to get it done yesterday but I didn't feel like working in the rain.  We will head into town first thing in the morning to pick up the siding and metal roofing so we can split the flock up at night time without having to worry about a lamb getting crushed by these wild things.  They are getting better but the two biggest are super wild and I can see them killing a lamb by accident.

Besides our Farm Supply dealer had their annual Christmas Eve get together.  They do that as a Customer Appreciation day and slow cooked 32 large pork shoulders. They even had a bunch of local amateur musicians in from about 10 - 12 O'clock.

Teresa made a couple of sweet potato pies with a pecan sauce on top that disappeared in about 10 minutes.

The lamb picture and Maisy are some "just because" they are cute pictures.  Maisy does one of those "I Love You" looks when she wants some petting and usually gets it.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Great Work!! There Mike....Love the Lamb in this dish, so Cute!!...not that the others and Mommas aren't...and Maisy looks like she is going to be a Really Good addition for ya...such a Sweetie!!....tho, if ya keep having ewe lambs over there ya may need at least 4 of those Lean Tos....


----------



## Mike CHS

@CntryBoy777 we have a 15x32 at the end of our shop but we can't use it till we get the fence done in that section.  The 'to-do' list hasn't gotten small enough to work on that section yet.


----------



## CntryBoy777

It has been my Experience that the animals have a 'Way' of moving Up the 'List'...and making our 'Priorities' of a 'To Do List' just a piece of Trash........you'd think I was a writer with the amount of 'Waded Up' paper by the trash can...


----------



## Mike CHS

What's bad is that it was my idea to change getting sheep from next spring (when the fence would be done) to this fall to make finishing up our Border Collies training.  Since they are all in various stages of having lambs, we haven't been able to work them other than in the catch pen and the only thing they get to do there is lay down and stare at the sheep to keep them in the corner while we do what needs to be done.  

The ewes that have lambs are going to be losing some weight being worked with the dogs after their lambs are weaned.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Makes ya wish ya had a 'Nite Crew' sometimes...so, when ya get up in them morning some stuff is already Done...doesn't it?....there I go with the 'Dreams' again....


----------



## Bruce

You are serving lamb to your sheep in their feed bowls???? 

Great picture and one you could never plan.


----------



## Mike CHS

I think I need to make a spot to leave a camera outside.


----------



## Mike CHS

We got the roof on the new lean-to done and the panels on the main wall.  We got the end framed in and just have to add a couple of panels to the north end and other than building a door and doing the trim on both lean-tos they will be done.  We decided to leave the south end open since we can use that for part of a handling pen later with a tilt table that we will get this spring.

What is funny is that the sheep started bedding down inside the framed area when the only thing that was there was the corner poles and 2x4 cross members.  I guess they decided they liked being in a shelter from the few days that they were in the first shelter.

I'm wondering how our garden will be next season since we have been putting 5 gallons of sheep manure out there every other day.


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Glad they are liking their new area 

What is it with lambs and kids always sleeping in the feeders? Ours love them. 
Funny to see a 50 lb goat try to cuddle in one!


----------



## CntryBoy777

Should be pretty Good in your garden, may have to test your Nitrogen levels or ya could have Lots of plant very little fruit, once it gets to growing side dressing will help thru the Heat too.


----------



## Mike CHS

The new lean-to has the major panels installed and we only have to build a door and trim up where needed.  We are going to do a partial wall on the far end which will wind up being part of a squeeze chute for doing animal care.


----------



## Southern by choice

I am confused. Didn't you build a big barn?


----------



## Mike CHS

We built a big woodworking shop.  We have a 32x20 shelter on the end of that for the sheep but we aren't ready to use that yet.  What we are doing now will wind up being for the couple of dairy goats we want to get but when we started we didn't know we would have Maisy so we built close to the house for the animals security.  We thought about changing plans but we were committed by that point.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Looking Good!!....glad to see that I'm not the only one having Fun with the 'Slopes'....ya just gotta Love it...


----------



## CntryBoy777

Hey Mike! Is Teresa feeling any Better yet?


----------



## Mike CHS

She is hopefully at the tail end of this cold bug or whatever it is.  Good of you to remember and to ask.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Well that is good to hear!....hopefully the warmer temps will be give her the boost she needs to Kick it. If I didn't ask I wouldn't Care, and that wouldn't be too 'Neighborly' either.


----------



## Baymule

Blech....I have a sore throat....taking my elderberry syrup that @Devonviolet sent me the recipe for. She should post that on her journal!

Hope Teresa is better soon!


----------



## CntryBoy777

That cold "Snap" get ya @Baymule ? Sure hope ya get to feeling Better!


----------



## Mike CHS

She is about 95% right now and even worked in the shop with me yesterday and today.  I keep expecting to wake up with it but so far it's leaving me alone.  I've been knocking on wood a lot lately.


----------



## Baymule

Can't keep a good woman down!


----------



## Mike CHS

Bay - there is no keeping this woman down.


----------



## Baymule

Haha, I can identify with that!


----------



## Mike CHS

We finally got the shop more or less organized at least to the point that we can use it.  We still have some minor rearranging to do (especially with dust collection) but it's all coming together.

We want to get 4 or 5 chickens here soon but we don't want to build a permanent coop yet so we put together an A-frame coop that is sort of portable (but not light weight) but should be fairly secure with hardware cloth all the way around the bottom.  The panels for the two doors and the end and center pieces are on the table waiting on transparent 


 stain to be applied to everything tomorrow.  I wanted to get a picture before the last couple of pieces got connected.


----------



## Bruce

I don't want to get picky but how did you attach the HW cloth to the frame?


----------



## Mike CHS

It's attached with several hundred 3/4" staples on the inner 2xs and then covered with the outside board.  The outside board is more cosmetic than anything else.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Are ya putting wheels on it, or do ya have forks for your tractor? Ya mentioned it wasn't Light...and ya don't need to be getting a Hernia!....put some wheels on it and teach Maisy to pull it along...


----------



## Mike CHS

LOL Maisy could probably pull it.  We can move it with the tractor.


----------



## Mike CHS

We finished all the painting today and just have to put the hinges on the doors and put it in place.
The picture is titled "My chick in the coop".


----------



## CntryBoy777

Is that anything like "You in the Dog House"?


----------



## Mike CHS

We never do anything  to get in a Dog House. We have had an agreement since we first met that there will never be any cross words.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Well, Joyce and I don't have that arrangment, but we do have one on a coming to an agreement on things after each has their Say. We never argue, fuss, and fight and one's "Feelings" isn't on their "Shoulders" either. Neither of us like "Drama".


----------



## Mike CHS

Never have drama here. We have more fun than anything I love it that we both like to keep busy and love doing it together. The only problem we ever have is when there is miss communication, sometime Mike thinks I'm speaking Dutch....lol  

Laughter is the best medicine ever!!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Mike CHS said:


> Never have drama here. We have more fun than anything I love it that we both like to keep busy and love doing it together. The only problem we ever have is when there is miss communication, sometime Mike thinks I'm speaking Dutch....lol
> 
> Laughter is the best medicine ever!!



That's great


----------



## NH homesteader

We have fun and drama lol. My DH is a redhead so some minor drama is just going to happen, lol. But more fun than drama.

I like the coop. We have lots of homemade coops and they're all built solidly. But they're all ugly, so I'm a bit envious of your pretty coop!


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> View attachment 26484 We finished all the painting today and just have to put the hinges on the doors and put it in place.
> The picture is titled "My chick in the coop".



Checking for size  Seems to be quite roomy.



Mike CHS said:


> Never have drama here. We have more fun than anything I love it that we both like to keep busy and love doing it together. The only problem we ever have is when there is miss communication, sometime Mike thinks I'm speaking Dutch....lol
> 
> Laughter is the best medicine ever!!



I've been watching the old "What's My Line" shows on YouTube. The mystery guest is 'plural' on occasion but the panel is not told that. When that happens sometimes both will answer different questions, not in their normal voice, like when George and Gracie were on. One answered the "no's" the other the "yes's". This confuses the panel for awhile. Gracie had been answering 'Yes' then one panelist asked "are you a woman" George answered 'No'.

This post makes me think maybe we have both Mike AND Teresa posting here but we don't know which!


----------



## Mike CHS

I (Mike) post most often but Teresa does add her thoughts when the mood strikes. It usually doesn't matter which but we try and add one or the others names when it might.


----------



## Latestarter

Mike CHS said:


> sometime Mike thinks I'm speaking Dutch....lol


 WOW Teresa, you speak Dutch too?  Mike, why didn't you tell us?!    So nice to know there are totally compatible couples out there... I never found my other 1/2, though I tried.


----------



## NH homesteader

Come on Latestarter you're not dead yet. My grandfather remarried at 80 years old.


----------



## Bruce

There you go LS!! Still got better than 20 years to find Ms. Right!


----------



## Latestarter

Yaknow how they say third time's a charm? There ain't gonna be a third time.   justsayin


----------



## Mike CHS

It rained all day so we went ahead and finished setting up the shop.  I took the pictures before we were done since we were going to quit but we went ahead and got 'er done.

We ran 8 4' LED lights over the main work area as well as area lights in the craft and storage area.  We ran wall receptacles fairly high on the wall but we ran 20 amp circuits (2 each) on each of the metal girders and installed retractable power cords at each of those.  I did that in our last place and like that much better than extension cords all over the place.  We still have to set up the dust collector for the messier machines but all the sanders have their own at the other end of the shop.


----------



## CntryBoy777

That is really Nice there Mike! I might have to come camping and get some Lessons over there. I'm good at "Mucking", clean up, talking, and doling out Feed...so, I might can "Earn" my way....I have a tent too!...


----------



## Latestarter

Really nice setup you have there Mike. I'm not a woodworker so not really envious but I sure do like tools, and would love to have that shop bldg! Looks like quite a nice collection of wood too. You must kinda feel like you're in heaven!


----------



## Devonviolet

Latestarter said:


> I never found my other 1/2, though I tried.



Oh come on, @Latestarter!  I'm sure we could hook ya up with someone nice on farmersonly-dot-com!    I'll git right on that!  NOT!  It might be fun to see what we could come up with, though.   Just sayin'. . .

On track with other chatter here on this thread . . . I waited 48 years & a bad marriage, to meet my DH!  We have been married just shy of 18 years, and I consider him a true gift from God!  

We work on the principle, that we put the needs of the other first. It's only when we forget that, that we have disagreements. 

Another principle we go by is, "Never let the sun go down on your wrath". Meaning we don't wait long to ask forgiveness and are even quicker to forgive & put it behind us. 

We truly enjoy each other's company, and like working on building projects together.


----------



## Mike CHS

Our shop in SC was a 24x24 garage with 8' rafters and open ceiling so this is special to us.  We could only work in decent weather because I had to pull a couple of tools out into the driveway to be able to work so everything we have is on wheels.


----------



## Devonviolet

BTW, LOVE the shop, Mike!  I definitely DO have shop envy.  Man, what I could do with a shop like _that_!


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Very, very nice!


----------



## Mike CHS

Thanks all - It's nice to do something NOT animal related although all of that has been fun too.


----------



## Mini Horses

It's nice and looks to have all the "things" you  want/need.   Of course, we rarely have all we "want"......bet you can knock out some nice things there.  

Do you work with scroll saws?   Have seen some awesome wood work from some of those.


----------



## Mike CHS

I used to do some scroll saw work back when I first started wood working.  When we started getting more commercial there just wasn't enough time.  Now we have two machines that we I plug in the memory card  and it does all of the work.  

Teresa wants to learn how to do some fret work though so we will probably be adding a scroll saw to the "want" list.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Fret work? On the neck of what instrument?


----------



## Bruce

Speaking for yourself of course @Latestarter !! I have tool envy big time! I have no bandsaw, no lathe, no real drill press. And while my space is way larger than at the prior house, it is nowhere near as big as what Mike and Teresa have. 

I do have a 13" planar, 19-28 open arm drum sander and a Router Boss though


----------



## NH homesteader

Umm I think your shop looks awesome but I have no idea what any of the stuff is

My husband would appreciate it though!


----------



## Mike CHS

I would love to have a Unisaw but I haven't found too much that couldn't be done on that contractors table saw.  

Because we were doing a major renovation in the house we wound up with several portable tools and it's nice to get back to using the 'real' ones.


----------



## Mike CHS

NH homesteader said:


> Umm I think your shop looks awesome but I have no idea what any of the stuff is
> 
> My husband would appreciate it though!




Don't feel bad.  It has been so long since we were able to use much of it that we have forgotten what some things are.


----------



## Bruce

Send those to me @Mike CHS !!!


----------



## NH homesteader

Just showed my husband. He knew what most of the stuff was and now he has super shop envy.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Nice shop there, my DH would very much like to have some more wood working tools...just not enough shop space...our rabbits are taking some up


----------



## Baymule

Love your shop! I am not a wood worker, but I sure do appreciate the work that others do in wood. I do well to club some lumber together to shelter our animals! Do you use your equipment for strictly structural or do you do wood art as well? Methinks your sheep are going to have some fancy woodwork in their future! Hey! What about a mini-mansion like maybe.....I dunno......aha! A sheepie Victorian Mansion!!!


----------



## Mike CHS

Up to this point my pleasure was in Mission Style furniture and the occasional plaque but we are going to try the craft fairs and Farmers Markets once we have some inventory built up.


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm going to appear to be showing off now but I'm going to upload a couple of pictures.

The Marine Corps emblem carve is the side view of a Challenge Coin Rack if you know what that is.

The crib picture is carves I did for a soon to be new Grandfather in New Jersey.  I just did the carves and he built the crib.

The last picture of the cabinet thing is what we called a Dog Extruder that was made to allow a cat to enter to eat and too small an opening that kept a family's dog OUT.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Wow! that's great work Mike, all I can do is whittle a stick to a toothpick.


----------



## Bruce

Pretty fancy cat "diner" Mike!

Of course now that you have sheep and all that goes with them, less time to play in the woodshop other than for the "farm things"


----------



## Latestarter

Very nice work there Mike. Didn't seem like bragging to me... it is what it is and you produce nice looking items. I'm sure you'll do well selling items but don't know if you'll get true value at flea markets...


----------



## Mike CHS

I know LS been there/done that.  The only furniture we will build will be on commission.  We have already had several inquiries during our renovation when people started seeing that all of the wood furniture in our house was made by us.

The fairs and Farmers Markets have a decent attendance and we can set up some racks with signs, turnings like bowls and ink pens, stoppers and that kind of thing.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I see y'all are getting rain over your way today Mike, keep those little ones Dry if ya can.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Beautiful wood work!


----------



## Mike CHS

Thank you FEM.

We got over 2" of rain yesterday and it started again in the middle of the night.  Just a steady rain and even our dry ponds are full of water.

We have had people tell us that sheep don't need nor want to spend time in a shelter.  I guess they forgot to tell our sheep since they came out enough to eat their grain and then went right back in.


----------



## Latestarter

Maybe they're like us... don't mind a little rain, but after a while it gets to be a bit much. time to go inside.


----------



## Bruce

Same with my chickens. They'll be out in a light rain in the summer or even spring and fall. When it starts to rain too hard they go in.


----------



## Latestarter

Mornin' Mike. Watched the radar as those storms moved north over you last night. Hope all is well there and no damage or losses. looked like you might have gotten just a few drops of rain and a bit of a breeze out of them. There were reports that us folks down here in the south have been experiencing drought conditions... With all the rain that we've gotten so far over the past month or two, I think that may have abated somewhat. I imagine you're plenty soggy there as well.

I was kind of curious... since you have all those ram lambs, were your intentions to keep one as a herd sire or did you buy a ram for your flock? I can't recall you mentioning...


----------



## Mike CHS

Two of the ram lambs look so good we were tempted to keep one for a herd sire but not knowing their history and who bred who we are working on getting a registered Katahdin for some fresh blood and upgrading to full Katahdin.  We won't breed till July or August so we have time.

The weather made a lot of noise and it's a mud pit outside but no damage this time around.


----------



## Latestarter

Were you going to keep all the ewes to expand your flock or sell some/all of them? They're Katahdin? but not full blood? What's mixed in, do you know?


----------



## Mike CHS

We were fortunate to be able to pick all of our ewes and were able to get the size we want. Now since even Wild Thing is getting a better attitude, we will keep all of the ewes and one wether for the freezer.  I need to quit petting that boy though or he might grow to retirement here.  


The ewes are a Katahdin/Dorper cross


----------



## Latestarter

Sorry... said ewes, meant to say ewe lambs... So you're keeping the ewe lambs and 1 wether for the freezer - so selling the other ram lambs. Got it.  Thanks


----------



## Mike CHS

We are rethinking what to do about the big ram lamb.  We should have already banded him but he is showing some traits at 30 days old that doesn't usually show for another month.  He has proportions that we really like so we may (probably will) leave him intact.  He may still be a market lamb but there is a market for intact lambs for the holidays coming up.

None of our sheep have names except for this one - It's Hoss


----------



## frustratedearthmother

He's a tank!


----------



## Mike CHS

We thought about calling him Tank but we had just watched Bonanza.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

So, Hoss?

We did the same thing with a dog we had years ago.  We said "he's a big 'un"  and that was it.  He was Hoss from that moment forward!


----------



## CntryBoy777

He sure Has grown a Bunch in 30days...."Options" are always best to leave Open til ya decide, and a few of his offspring may not be a bad thing either...then ya can have certain match-ups...if he continues to develope as ya like.


----------



## NH homesteader

Are your ewes related to each other? Could you keep a ram lamb or would he be related to everyone? He's a good looking little dude!


----------



## Mike CHS

He will give us some options if he grows like we think he will.


----------



## Mike CHS

NH homesteader said:


> Are your ewes related to each other? Could you keep a ram lamb or would he be related Weto everyone? He's a good looking little dude!



We don't know their history which is why we were originally going to band him.  He is such a good looking boy that we think we are going to keep him for some ewes we are buying next month.  They won't be ready for breeding until July so that works for us (and him).


----------



## NH homesteader

more ewes? Do tell!


----------



## Mike CHS

We want to get 3 or 4 registered Katahdin ewes  and a registered ram to at least start to serve the local 4H group here.  They don't have a lot to choose from so we are hoping to help.

We can get percentage ewes pretty quick so we hope to have a registered flock in a couple of years.


----------



## NH homesteader

Fantastic!


----------



## Mike CHS

We were in the nursery this afternoon handling the lambs and this little one starts curling her upper lip like she's doing a pig imitation.  No offense to any pig lovers.

We finished our shop setup and have everything finally unpacked.  I found quite a few redundant hand tools to give to my son who has redeveloped an interest in working with hand tools.

We started to defrost a big pork shoulder to smoke this weekend for super with our neighbors who dropped everything and came running when we asked for help.

This lamb is the one born the 20th.  The lamb we pulled two days ago is by far bigger than the two that were born 2 & 3 days earlier.


----------



## Baymule

Hoss looks like he might make a good flock ram.....if he keeps growing like he's done so far, he could make you some mighty meaty lambs! LOL


----------



## HomeOnTheRange

Great picture!  I have seen rams/bucks do that...  She just wanted to make her baby face look adorable.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Sounds good and Looks good too Mike!! 
It will be interesting to see if the others "Catch Up", those singles had a headstart inside.


----------



## Mike CHS

I need to get some updated pictures but we will do that when we bring everyone in for shots and hoof trimming.  All of the ewes we brought home originally are taking to being handled really good considering how wild they were.  All of the lambs come right up when we are in with them so the handling has paid off.  

Two of the girls probably should be culled if we were that strict on what we want but they are as sweet as can be and make pretty babies so they will always have a home here.

They learned early on that they got some good stuff if they acted like they wanted to be petted by those silly humans. 

We have cut back on feed since they are getting so fat.  All of the 11+ lb lambs when they were born almost look like adults now.  Maisy is getting better as they put on size and they quit looking like bouncy balls. The ewe lamb from the twins is as big as Hoss.  I've said it before but we will feed less next lambing season but then they will be on pasture.

This has been a fun season and in spite of the battle with nerves we are glad we are here.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Glad to hear things are settlin in for ya over there. 
Now that ya have Growth, ya are already thinking about the Next time....a sign of Success!


----------



## Mike CHS

This was a good learning season (which is what we wanted).  I think it was @norseofcourse that noted we got some good experience.  We did and I know we have a lot yet to learn but it gives us a way forward having a better idea of the reality of what it takes.


----------



## Bruce

Always something to learn but it seems so far you have an A in the class!!


----------



## CntryBoy777

Hopefully that spritz of showers won't set ya back too much, getting the tractor in the field.


----------



## Mike CHS

We are going to an auction this weekend and hope to score a few chickens.  We had not planned on getting the barn type coop but it was a Managers Special (clearance) item at TSC so we grabbed it yesterday.

The lambs are growing like weeds and the oldest are putting on almost a pound a day and spend some time in the creep feeder.

We are having the vet out in a couple of weeks to castrate the rams and check everyone out.  We decided not to band since we were having the vet come out anyway and he only charges $10 a head.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Nice coop! That's not a bad price for the vet....wish ours charged only that much!


----------



## CntryBoy777

There ya go, now ya can get More!...."Chicken Math". 
Hard to believe they have Grown so Fast! 
Glad ya have a Vet to call....and the price is well worth the Experience of watching a Pro do it, so ya have more Confidence when it is Faced next time.


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Love the coops. 

The vet sounds good already 
Will the vet be teaching you how to castrate? You having them cut? If so, the vet should be able to teach you. It is very simple and my preferred method.


----------



## Mike CHS

Yes he is.  For the small price tag we figured it would be more than worth it long range.


----------



## Mike CHS

We got caught up on a lot of little thing and got started on fence again.  We got the corner and line post in for another 500' of run which will be 1500' total when finished.  It incorporates a little over 4 acres which will be subdivided with electric fence later.  I'm still not cold hardy (and probably never will be) and we quit about 2:00 today.

This paddock is across the drive way from the pen our sheep are in now and includes a 200' x 150' which will serve as a catch pen for handling the stock later and double as a training pen for herding dogs since we want to get another Border Collie pup next spring.

No good pictures since it makes a left turn at the top of the second picture.  The lay of this fence makes a lot of short turns to keep us relatively straight but lets us avoid an area that is parallel to the fence line but is sold rock about a foot under the surface.

We want to get this done by the middle of next week so we are laying out and planting all of the wood posts and marking and laying out all of the T-posts.

They say you are supposed to work smarter, not harder so once all of the wood posts are in the ground we are hiring two of our neighbor sons to drive T-posts.


----------



## CntryBoy777

That is a pretty sizeable "Chunk" Mike...and I'm complaining about my little stretch.  ....I know what ya mean about being cold hardy....it and the on&off sprinkles today ran me back inside to dry and warmth. When I woke up this morning was sore from the poles yesterday.
I would gladly pay those young guys to drive T posts too, gonna be a fair amount of them for sure. 
Do ya really think ya will last a whole yr waiting to get a BC pup?...


----------



## Mike CHS

The plan is to get one BY next year but if we come across a decent pup tomorrow then we will grab it.  We have the facilities to train now (or soon will have) so we can still go to our mentors every couple of weeks and reinforce that here.  They have both gotten better in the last three months than the entire year before that.

The sooner we get one the better since they need to have some maturity before putting much pressure on them.  They seem like tough hard dogs but they get their feelings hurt easy you can turn one off if you don't watch it.


----------



## CntryBoy777

It should be easier with a young one now, he will have "Leaders" to follow and will probably grasp it a bit sooner, than one from scratch. As the trainer gains experience and confidence a sensitive dog does sense that, and they "Aim to Please".....most of the time, anyway. 
They, the BC, have that sense about them so much, it's like they "Read your Mind", but the sense of "Anticipation" of the Master is so great, that they are correct more times than they are wrong. They really are an amazing dog.


----------



## Mike CHS

We love both our Aussie and our BC.  Sassy (the Aussie) was easier to train and she is already working but she will never be able to perform like Lance our BC.


----------



## samssimonsays

I know a farm in Michigan with mini Aussies available. They are using the parents for herding, dock diving and discing. But they haven't had any Border Collie litters yet (that is planned later on as they have a male and two females).


----------



## CntryBoy777

I haven't been around enough of the Aussies to be able to attempt to sound knowledgeable about them. I never rely on writings in books, cause they are always vague and general in nature...and I have come to realize that obviously my "Dictionary" has different definitions in it for the same words...so, it is actual experience that "Counts" for me. I certainly Like them, but I have been around many BCs. 
I guess I've become one of those ole "Fuddy Duddies" I used to talk about and laugh at when I was much younger.


----------



## NH homesteader

My DH loves Aussies. But we have no sheep. Apparently this means we need sheep? Lol! But really I am more fond of Aussies simply because BC's seem wilder. Which I guess isn't a bad thing for actual working dogs.


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## Mike CHS

@samssimonsays  - the minis that I have seen are cool dogs but now that we have both an Aussie and a BC we like working the BC. 

@NH homesteader - I can't imagine having a herding dog without something to herd.  

@CntryBoy777 - We all have some of fudd duddy I think.    When we were researching herding dogs we read a couple of times that Aussies are basically a Border Collie WITH an "OFF" switch.  Our experience has shown that to be completely opposite.  The BC is more obedient whereas I have to be harder on the Aussie since she is more hard headed.  If I'm hard on the BC during a session we might as well quit because he is done.  He is docile until he gets on sheep then he turns into a machine.


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## NH homesteader

I hate to say it but I think BC's are smarter


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## Mike CHS

They have a BC stronger instinct but all of the Aussies that I have seen where as strong for close up work as any dog.  We have seen everything from Heelers, to Collies to even a German Shepherd and nothing performs like the BC.

I have a picture from a trial (if I can find it) we went to where there must have been 25 or more dogs tethered to the fence for the working field frozen in place and doing nothing but staring out at the while they waited their turn.  We were there for most of the two days and never did see a single sheep approach that fence line.  

And I agree I think the BC is smarter on sheep but the Aussie makes the better pet and she still loves to work only in a different way.


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## NH homesteader

Agreed. BC's are really awful house dogs lol. I bet it's cool to see all those dogs work!


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## babsbag

NH homesteader said:


> BC's are really awful house dogs lol.



My girls would be offended by that.  They are always in the house and wouldn't have a clue what to do with a goat or sheep; they only herd cats. They don't even do agility anymore as we are all too old, but it was sure fun.


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## NH homesteader

Rephrase, BC's are really awful house pets if you don't do something with them when they're young and bonkers. Agility is awesome! I want my DH to build me a course for his psycho dog to get some extra exercise.


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## Mike CHS

Our Border Collie lives inside and when (not if) we get another it will live inside also.  They are crated at night but they stay with us until it's time for bed.

We have a large circle of friends that have multiple herding dogs and I don't know but a few that keep their dogs in Kennels.  Where we trained in SC our friends had 7 Border Collies and they all lived inside.  

I haven't met more than a few people who have only one dog.


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## babsbag

When my girls were pups we lived in the city and had a plum tree in our backyard. They used to run around that tree chasing each other and then they would stop, look at each other, and change directions. It was if they were saying, 'now you be the sheep'.   They wore a deep groove in the ground around that tree.  If you are familiar with the old story of 'Little Black Sambo' and the tigers chasing each other around the tree, that is what it reminded us of. We called it 'making butter'. 

I always wished that their herding instincts had been encouraged as there are time that I could sure use them with the goats. But they have never even been in the goat field and I don't think that my LGDs would take to kindly to their presence so we will have to just keeping wishing I had a herding dog.  I certainly don't have the time or the facilities to start training one now, it is big commitment. So my girls are just that, "my girls", and they have dominion over the house and backyard. They are pretty good about being low keyed chill dogs, I got lucky.  I don't think that I will ever take a chance on owning BCs again, but I will miss their level of intelligence and intuition. They are SMART, they have me welled trained.


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## NH homesteader

Yeah I didn't mean they shouldn't live in the house, I meant they aren't good for people who want a dog to lounge around.


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## babsbag

@NH homesteader  I built some of my own equipment out of PVC, it was pretty easy. There are plans on the Internet. The hardest thing for my girls to learn were the weaves, they never really did master them. I had to quit or do another knee surgery so they had to take an early retirement. The rest of the equipment was a snap for them. But I did have to work hard on the teeter as they wouldn't go slow and it would drop out from under them and they were the flying dogs. It was funny, but certainly not safe.  I used to make them stop before they mounted it just to slow them down.


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## Mike CHS

Our sheep are happier today.  We picked up a new Cub Cadet mower to replace the one the tornado destroyed.  We ordered the grass catcher last week and waited until it came in to pick up the mower.  We didn't give them very much because it is pretty lush for winter grass and they have been mainly on hay along with hay and feed.

We want them used to the grass before we put them on the new pasture hopefully next week.


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## CntryBoy777

Now you'll be their new "Bestess" Friend.... ....they probably think ya Finally got what they were "Reminding" ya of too.


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## Mike CHS

Never heard a sound out of them till about 4:30 this afternoon.  They seem to know when that time comes around since that is when they get their grain.


----------



## Ferguson K

I had a BC B.C. and a healer years back when we had sheep as well. Both were used. The heeler (Trixie) was great at pushing and direction but she had to be muzzled and was a terrorist  (with her teeth) to everything from pigs to cattle, sheep and goats. We had this race track we built for the market animals  (sheep and goats) That was 8 ft tall at the turns. When we ran them she could push them to the top. Talk about heavily muscled sheep and goats!

Catfish (the BC, also a red) had the best hold of any dog I ever owned. He had such a high need for work I found him a home with someone who needed a started dog to finish out. He had over 300 sheep for Catfish to work. I had 2. Trixie helped me work my market animals for 8 years before we both retired. I moved to pedigrees and she moved to the couch. 

Catfish worked until the day he died.

Trixie took retirement in style and was a couch potato her last 5 years with me.


----------



## Mike CHS

We had enough rain today to keep us out of the field so we just went into town and picked up 4 gates, another 50 T-posts and enough wooden posts to finish up the current run.  We estimate it to be a total of a little over 1500'.  We are trying to make sure we have enough space to rotate the stock we have but still have the layout so we can expand and still leave enough open pasture to cut enough hay for next winter and to share with the neighbor who cuts it. We only need 10 round bales for the number of sheep we will be taking through the winter.

My estimate of the size of this paddock was way off.  I had guessed right at 4 acres but after we laid everything out and had all the distances it wound up being 2.8 acres so that will be the main holding pen in the future and will hold the catch and working pen as well as the main dog training pen.

If the rain will hold off for a couple of days we should get it done by the end of the week.


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## Baymule

Making progress. Sometimes it seems so darn slow, but even if you pound just a few T-posts, that's still progress.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Each step most certainly "Encourages" the Next step, and that means "Progress and Growth". If ya didn't plan, labor, sweat, bleed, and Realize....ya never really Enjoy it...


----------



## Mike CHS

Another "just because" picture.  Hoss was born on the 21st of December and has been the most pet like of all of the lambs.  He may change as he gets older but he will remain with us as a wether and companion for the ram we will be getting so he isn't going into anyone's freezer.  I knew we messed up giving him a name even if it was a silly one like Hoss.  We did name the lamb we pulled - Hope.

It's also probably a good thing we don't think we need to cull any of the ewe lambs either.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Well, I like the "Because" pic Mike. 
I think ya made the right decision, mainly because it makes ya feel really good to keep and utilize those that ya Raise, especially from the very first group that is produced. It is y'alls "Roots" that are being put down and it's gotta feel really Good.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Great Pic!!   If that's Hoss - he's looking great!


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## CntryBoy777

Looks like the rain is just about to ya there...haven't gotten anything here....seem to be skirting us to the north. Be on the lookout and be careful there.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> We had enough rain today to keep us out of the field so we just went into town and picked up 4 gates, another 50 T-posts and enough wooden posts to finish up the current run.  We estimate it to be a total of a little over 1500'.  We are trying to make sure we have enough space to rotate the stock we have but still have the layout so we can expand and still leave enough open pasture to cut enough hay for next winter and to share with the neighbor who cuts it. We only need 10 round bales for the number of sheep we will be taking through the winter.
> 
> My estimate of the size of this paddock was way off.  I had guessed right at 4 acres but after we laid everything out and had all the distances it wound up being 2.8 acres so that will be the main holding pen in the future and will hold the catch and working pen as well as the main dog training pen.
> 
> If the rain will hold off for a couple of days we should get it done by the end of the week.


Lots of fence there Mike. My 1 acre seemed like plenty of work and 100'+ of that is barn wall! Total fence is about 880' which seems like a lot to a guy who used to live on a 44' x 100' lot.


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## Mike CHS

Ours wasn't much bigger than that Bruce.  I think it was 90 x 130 and I can't remember now why we were satisfied with it at the time. 

@CntryBoy777 - The rain got here about the time of your post.  I had just spent the better part of an hour busting  a slab of rock at the last corner post .  I wasn't surprised since it is at the hill our shop is on and they had to rent a jack hammer to set the main posts.  That's ok, we still need another 40 T-posts so we will get them and have them ready for whenever the rain stops.


----------



## Latestarter

Hey there Mike, I love the way that hay rack holds the hay for them... not much waste using that!


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## Bruce

Easy to clean too!


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## Mike CHS

That was a large round bale 5 days ago.  The bale was originally placed horizontally and they were eating out of the side on the bottom and we pushed it over to keep it from falling on one of them.  I remembered a casualty that another BYH'r had from a similar situation.  I wouldn't have thought it a problem if that had not happened to them.


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## Pastor Dave

Hey Mike,
What county are you in down there?
When I was a kid we lived a couple years in Henry Co, outside of Springville near Paris TN.


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## Mike CHS

We are in Giles County.  Our driveway is the county line for Giles and Marshal and a little more than 20 miles from the Alabama line.


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## Pastor Dave

Ok, just curious. I may have asked before.
Sorry if I did, I can't remember.
You're pretty far SW then in the state.


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## Mike CHS

We are literally in the middle of southern Middle Tennessee.  If you are familiar with I65 between Huntsville, AL and Nashville we are 3 miles off of exit 22.  If you look at a map we are 3 miles west of the little town of Cornersville.


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## Mike CHS

Weather was pretty today and we got the last of the wood posts set and almost 2/3 of the T-posts for the new nursery paddock.  One of the neighbor sons schedule hasn't fit and we got tired of waiting so the other neighbors son showed up this afternoon and we got a bunch done.  Hope to start stretching wire tomorrow depending on the weather.

All of those big tree limbs are a leftover from when the tornado threw our stock trailer into a couple of Bradford Pear Trees.


----------



## Latestarter

Wow, that looks great Mike. When will you stretch the wire onto it? The rate you're going you'll have it done by week's end.


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## Mike CHS

We still need to cut the braces and put them up tomorrow.  We are going to try and at least wire the first 300' of the total 600' on the west side which is the second picture.  We have T-posts set for 800' so far which is over half of the paddock.  The area to the left of the fence is going to be a 25' lane with hot wire being used as the inner perimeter. We may get done by the weekend depending how sore Teresa and I are tomorrow.  She is a trooper sharing post post hole digger duty cleaning out almost 4' holes.  

The good news is that except for one fence post hole the auger was able to do the job without any added weight.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I am extremely Jealous!....I'm not as Far along and my distances are shorter. Still have 7 more to dig, before I start setting them.


----------



## Bruce

Yeah but you don't have an auger and a Teresa!!!


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## Mike CHS

Plus (and I'm probably jinxing us) but we didn't hit any rock at all except up by the shop on the hill.  That I expected since that is where all the slab rock starts to thin out.  With all the rain each hole drilled was only a couple of minutes each.


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## CntryBoy777

....


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## Mike CHS

I was just trying to tell you why you shouldn't be jealous.


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## CntryBoy777

The end result is still the Same...irregardless of the exc...uh, Reason...


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## CntryBoy777

Sure glad ya miss the Rocks, too. 
I really dodge a couple of things today...an inlet water pipe from the well to the trlr...and any big roots from the gigantic oaks here.


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## Bruce

CntryBoy777 said:


> ....


Yeah, what HE said!!!!!


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## Mike CHS

Our entire flock got to graze on their new pasture today and really seemed to enjoy being out of the dry lot.  The only problem with that is that we wimped out today because the wind was so cold and the new pasture does not have any fence around it, just open field.

I have no idea how the gate was opened but all of the chains now have clips to make sure the gate is secure.

I initially freaked out and had visions of sheep trotting down the highway but instead went in and got a bucket full of grain and they all followed me back into the pen that DOES have fence around it.


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## Latestarter

Wow. what a relief huh? I'd have freaked out as well! Glad they all came home for some grain.


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## Pastor Dave

Grandpa used to have a one ton flatbed, I think it was International, but maybe GMC I just can't remember.
It was his work truck for everything. He had in it a hotshot, .22 rifle on a rack in back window, bucket of corn, and roll of wire. Oh, there may have been some other things, but those I remember.


----------



## CntryBoy777

My goodness Mike....they saw the Grass, Posts, and Tposts up, and we all know they just nudged the gate...lightly...and it just Swung open....so, ya must have meant for them to try it out a bit. 
So glad that ya got them back in, those pellets rattlin in a bucket is like ringing the "Dinner Bell"....but, I would've thought ya would've used it as a "Training Moment" and broke out the Whistle...


----------



## Mike CHS

I thought about it but sheep respond to fence corners when they are being herded.  Being as there are NO corners I figured the wiser choice was to leave the dogs in the house.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I understand and don't blame ya at all...I'd of done the same thing....I just had to say it tho...


----------



## Bruce

Clearly you need MORE herding dogs so they can form movable "corners" in the non existent fence


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## Mike CHS

We only worked a couple of hours today since we were stiff from yesterday.  We did get 300' of fence up but still need to finish up all of the T-post clips.

I have the helpers coming over tomorrow after Church so hopefully we can get another 300-400' put up.  It's rather slow since there is so much hand work because of the large number of gates we are putting up.  TSC sent out 10% coupons last week so we took advantage and bought five 330' rolls of high tensile woven wire for the outside boundary and another 100 T-posts.

That section won't get started until we can clean out a large number of trees that have encroached over the line with 25 years of neglect.

The picture is another 'just because' in this case this has become my favorite view of them being full of fresh cut grass and just waiting for the next load.


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Mike CHS said:


> and had visions of sheep trotting down the highway


I know this feeling well… I've "herded" sheep along a busy 2 lane Hwy a few times now, not fun! Glad it all worked out well!

Might have missed it, but when are your goats coming?


----------



## Mike CHS

We don't have a firm time frame yet but we have a good source for when we do get ready.  Once we get the sheep moved to their permanent paddock that will free up the pen for the goats but we still have about 300' of fence to run to give the goats a bit of woods and another acre for the pen that will be the goats home.

I had hoped to be ready and have them by now by now but fortunately Teresa talked me out of my compulsive behavior.


----------



## NH homesteader

Compulsive? Goats? Never!


----------



## Bruce

Smart woman.

Making good progress.

Is Maisy not allowed in with the sheep right now? I don't see any white things that don't look like sheep.


----------



## Mike CHS

I have been told that I can be a bit compulsive but I don't agree.  I remember posting way back that we got the sheep to be able to have more training opportunities for our dogs and then we got 10 pregnant ewes that are terrified of our two dogs so they haven't been allowed to work them yet.

We are building a training pen in the new pasture so that will change soon.  We decided to keep two of our ram lambs.  One of those has become a pet (my fault) so he is here forever unless he gets aggressive and the other will be meat for us.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Coming right along with the fencing....sure understand the Stiffness too......I'm right there with ya.
I had to Cool my own jets, because we are thinking and talking about additions, but I am getting this fence done and a vehicle before getting anything else...it may be next year, but I'm not going to be pushed by animals anymore. When the set-up is done then I will look to get. 
Your herd is looking really good, especially with the little ones in there....I know it makes both of ya feel so good.


----------



## Baymule

Do you call your sheep? I call mine in a high pitched SHEEP SHEEP SHEEP and they come running to me. I can call out loud or soft, doesn't matter, they still come. It helps to have a can of feed, but in those emergency situations, it helps if they come when you call them. But make sure you and Teresa have equal sheep calling time. My husband can call the sheep and they don't even look up.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Oh yeh, I like the new avatar Mike...it is such a serious intense look in the eyes.


----------



## Mike CHS

Sassy does have the Aussie stare Fred but she is mild compared to the hard look with Lance the Border Collie.  

Bay - we do call but usually they are wherever we are heading before we need to call.  We will see how that goes when they get into the bigger pasture.


----------



## NH homesteader

Bay the goats are the same way with my DH. They actually get a little nervous because he doesn't have much to do with them until hoof trimming or vaccination time. He's made an effort to be their friend lately (I think he likes them a lot more than he wants to admit).

Mike you will post videos when you get those dogs herding, right??


----------



## Mike CHS

We will have to figure out how to post but yes we will.


----------



## Bruce

Just upload them to YouTube and link it here with the "Media" button which is next to the picture button.


----------



## Mike CHS

We got another 350' of wire put up today.  I know I'm going to like all of these gates someday but right now they are just big time users.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I'll 2nd that motion!!...
I counted up everything today and after a few design adjustments there are 37 posts....and I eliminated 3 gates. I figure if we need them in the future, I will dig the holes then. What got to me too, was so many changes in direction too. Now I know why so many are Straight...


----------



## Mike CHS

We are forced to follow the terrain because of rock but we are turning a curved pasture edge into a straight line.  We are going to wind up with more "yard" than we wanted but portable fence can be used once a week or so to let them into the yard for grazing.


----------



## CntryBoy777

That has been a Blessing to me...not having to deal with rock, for sure. When I would get wore down, I always thought about you and Bruce and told myself to "Shut-Up" that I didn't have Anything to *itch about....


----------



## CntryBoy777

With 350' done, that is 50' more than planned on isn't it? The young ones must have been energetic...


----------



## Pastor Dave

I like that, @CntryBoy777 
To *itch or not to *itch, that is the question.
I used to be on our county 911 radio back in the day, and so I would just refer to it as squelching about something. Pretty similar I guess. ☺


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> We got another 350' of wire put up today.  I know I'm going to like all of these gates someday but right now they are just big time users.


So true. Pulling the fence and clipping is actually pretty easy. Takes a month of Sundays to wrap each wire around the post and back to itself in the fence line. Especially those heavier gauge top and bottom ones.


----------



## Latestarter

Oh... you're supposed to clip the bottom ones too?


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Bruce said:


> So true. Pulling the fence and clipping is actually pretty easy. Takes a month of Sundays to wrap each wire around the post and back to itself in the fence line. Especially those heavier gauge top and bottom ones.


So true 

Hate those bottom wires! 

This is one of the best tools on the market (In my experience) for the wire & T clip  twisting-


----------



## Mike CHS

We have that one and it does work.  I saw the new kind of clips and the tool that goes with it that greybeard (I think) posted awhile back but they are pricey.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Glad I haven't started that yet....but Will. 
I just love learning new stuff hanging around y'all....well, actually the "Right Way" of doing things, but haven't experienced the "Doing Right" yet.


----------



## Mike CHS

Fred - I haven't done fencing on this scale since I was in my teens and if I knew anything then I have forgotten it.  

We are re-learning but it all boils down to one post at a time but I think you already know that.


----------



## Bruce

I used the kind @greybeard posted he doesn't like. I had already purchased it:
http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/clip-bender

Seems to work pretty well and the longer handle gives decent torque. But it can't be used for the heavy top and bottom wires, they don't fit in the hole. And, unlike the one @Goat Whisperer shows, you have to take it off the wire every turn BECAUSE it has a longer handle, doesn't fit through the wire on some fencing. 



Latestarter said:


> Oh... you're supposed to clip the bottom ones too?



Nah, no sense connecting the strongest wires. Just cut them off and let them stick out into the field about 18" 



Mike CHS said:


> but they are pricey.



Especially since TSC gives you the regular clips free when you buy T-posts.



CntryBoy777 said:


> but haven't experienced the "Doing Right" yet.


Your hands will hurt once you do. Remember ALWAYS stop the fence run at the corner and start a new one for the next section. I may have mentioned it before, it is another @greybeard tip. It would be a LOT less work to just go around but then the tension on the fence is trying to pull the corner post inward. Yes, we DO learn a lot here.

The other part I find difficult is the first turn of wire back into the fence since it is supposed to go around the standing wire then between itself and the post before it continues back down the standing wire in the direction of the fence. Always have a hard time getting that first one tight. Probably doing something wrong.


----------



## CntryBoy777

The guy I'm gonna hire to help is experienced, so I'm hoping that will help the process. Just don't want to be a complete dummy when it comes to doing....hoping he will take the Lead.


----------



## Bruce

As long as you know what he is SUPPOSED to be doing, all will be well. If it turns out he doesn't know how to do it properly, you'll know and can say "hasta la bye bye".


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Bruce said:


> I used the kind @greybeard posted he doesn't like. I had already purchased it:
> http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/clip-bender
> 
> Seems to work pretty well and the longer handle gives decent torque. But it can't be used for the heavy top and bottom wires, they don't fit in the hole. And, unlike the one @Goat Whisperer shows, you have to take it off the wire every turn BECAUSE it has a longer handle, doesn't fit through the wire on some fencing.


We have that too, I like the smaller one better for that reason! The larger one is nice, with you can be faster with the smaller one. 

Plus it can fit in your pocket, which is always nice cause SOMETHING will run up and take the tools!


----------



## Baymule

We used the 2x4 inch horse wire and there isn't enough clearance to get hardly any tool in there to fasten the clip. I used a very short screwdriver.






I had a lot of help.


----------



## Mike CHS

We took a day or two off of fencing to catch up on routine things that needed to be done like mucking the dry-lot and working more with Maisy.  She still can't be trusted with all of the lambs but she is gradually understanding how she needs to behave rather than how she WANTS to behave.  The oldest lambs are helping since they have no fear of her and don't go bouncing off when she approaches.  We try to spend an hour or so with her when we do the first feeding of the day.  The sheep are more interested in fresh grass over the big white unsheep thing.

We keep her on a long tether (just in case) but she hasn't had a case of playing lamb football in over a week.  Hopefully we can let her be free again soon.

The 1st picture is of one of our dominant ewes trying to decide if she has her lamb in a safe position.  You can't see it of course but she is stamping her feet in warning.

The other two are more "just because" pictures to show how terrified our sheep are of their humans.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Even from a distance ya can just See the Fear in their eyes.....the fear of not enough Grass, that is. They are looking really good and I just can't get over how Fast the lambs are growing. You all have come a long way in a year's time, really it has been less than 6mnths.


----------



## Mike CHS

Sometimes it doesn't seem that long ago and other times it seems forever. Our official move-in was the 1st part of June 2016


----------



## Latestarter

Looking really good there Mike. What a nice setup you're making. I hope you feel good about what you've accomplished so far. And it should just keep getting better. I'm trying to catch up with ya...


----------



## goatgurl

oh, how sad.  my sheep are that afraid of me too.  just ask @Devonviolet and her dh, lol.  your sheep look so very nice.   I do love my katahdins.  everything looks so good, youall have worked your patooties


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## Mike CHS

We have had a wonderful time getting here goatgurl.

LS from what I'm seeing you very likely will pass us in the  not too distant future.


----------



## Baymule

Your flock is looking good. Maisy looks like she is very interested in the sheep and not in a "let's play-I win-you lose"


----------



## Mike CHS

It has taken a huge amount of us trying to understand how to make her understand her real job.  

She is a sweet heart but still young and wanting to please.


----------



## Baymule

Maisy is fortunate to have you and Teresa for her doggie parents. Yes, these dogs require a commitment, they require time, they require patience, but the reward is huge. You will be rewarded with a trustworthy, loyal, farm partner.


----------



## Mike CHS

I had something happen yesterday and today that has me wondering if my imagination is going places that really aren't there.  Yesterday during a Maisy training period she came bouncing up to me and started to jump up on me looking for pets.  Our tamest ewe (70) charged at her but didn't connect since Maisy sensed it coming and got out of the way.

This morning we were feeding and had Maisy along and twice when she got feisty and started to show signs of jumping around me looking for attention, 70 came at her twice when she was doing her Pyr bouncy "give me attention prance" and connected once.  Maisy went over to Teresa and 70 went back to eating.  70's lamb was nowhere near us so she wasn't protecting her lamb.  

Is it my imagination or would you think she was protecting me????  Or is this just a case of a boss ewe making the LGD settle down and act right?  I'm thinking the latter but had not seen this behavior before.  As long as Maisy is calm, 70 leaves her along.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I must qualify my answer as an unexperienced person's observation of my own goats. I think that since you do the bulk of interaction, you have been accepted as a herd member and the queen is protecting her herd. Since the bouncy playing with lambs has been disciplined and handled by you both, she is protecting her perceived interests, just as she would do for her lamb and herd. I have noticed a similar situation with the goats. They keep the cats away from us when we go on our walks and keep them at a distance. Even within the herd of 3 they each will attempt to control the order with and around us. When the neighbors dog does get out and charges down the hill they position theirself behind me for protection because I have always stepped forward to face the threat. This is why I think this in your situation. They have gotten very comfortable with you around them and they are willing to defend you against a perceived threat.


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## NH homesteader

See I am also not experienced in the matter but I assumed she was telling her to knock it off lol! We need an "Ask SBC" column on here!


----------



## frustratedearthmother

My guess is that she didn't like the dog bouncing around so much.  When Cowboy and Maddie are playing (jumping, running, tackling each other) several of my goats take offense to them being so exuberant while so close to the herd.  A couple of my goats will launch into the dogs and tell them in no uncertain terms to "cut it out"!


----------



## goatgurl

mike I think all of the above is the answer.  yes, you are part of her herd and it is her job to make sure big bouncy dogs don't disturb her herd.  it is also her way of telling maisy that she should not act that way around her herd. as you  noted she left maisy alone when she settled down.  good for 70 for helping you train maisy.


----------



## Mike CHS

Thanks all - I guess this is one of those "all of the above" answers.  

Maisy still has a ways to go but all 3 of the more dominant ewes have made her behave around the lambs.  They are growing so fast that we are hoping she calms down just a bit more and we can give her more freedom.


----------



## Mike CHS

We are following Baymules example and taking tomorrow off to go to a Farm auction. 

We are down to the last 200' of fence to hang and then the gates for this first paddock.  We started to hang the 100' or so in the lower right of the picture and I decided to add another brace at the top because at that point the fence makes a 45 degree turn to form the side of the catch pen.  We went ahead and dug the holes and set the poles in concrete so it will be ready to finish stretching on Monday.

There is another 1 1/2 acres beyond the treeline in the upper right which which will be a training pen.  The big open space to the left runs almost 2000' north to south and border the CSX railroad that goes into a tunnel that runs under our driveway.  That will be all woven wire fence for the perimeter and cross fenced with electric.  We still have a lot of trees and brush to cut down but we are leaving the old useless field fence to identify the property line but our new fence will be about 20' inside our property line to let me maintain both sides without issue.

The acreage below the new fence will have a 30' lane between that fence and the next paddock which will also be hot wire inside woven wire perimeter.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Boy that sure is a nice piece of property Mike....and putting that fence up that quick is just amazing to me...and makes me very envious of ya there.


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## Mike CHS

Thanks Fred but we had planned to have the fence in before the 1st lambs were born but life and higher priority projects set us back more than we ever thought possible.

We may handle our next lambing season a wee bit different but not much.  We both really liked the ease of caring for the new lambs for a few days in a shelter with their moms and that even had a major impact on the ease of handling them and the ewes as the lambs mature.  The ewes went from nearly feral to being easy to handle in less than 3 months.


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## NH homesteader

A testament to planning ahead... You had already done all your research and spent time at the farm they came from. I wish I had spent more time learning before I jumped into goats. Of course there's always more to learn but would have helped me to learn at least some of it ahead of time! Lol


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## CntryBoy777

I had planned to be finish with this here last Spring...early Summer, and almost a year later, I have some to go, but can see light at the end of the tunnel finally...


----------



## CntryBoy777

You both have done a wonderful job together with not only the "Chores" and building, but with your animals as well. There is a lot of coordination that has to occur for there to be as much progress as you've made on your place. There is always more to do or get done, but if ya weren't busy you'd drive yourself crazy trying to stay busy with something. Ya worked hard all your life, and now ya can enjoy what ya Wish to do....instead of Have to do.


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## Baymule

Mike, you and Teresa have a beautiful place. Once all your fencing is done, take a huge sigh of relief--and go out to eat to celebrate!


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## NH homesteader

Or better yet, cook up some lamb chops!


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## Bruce

CntryBoy777 said:


> I had planned to be finish with this here last Spring...early Summer, and almost a year later, I have some to go, but can see light at the end of the tunnel finally...



And it isn't an oncoming train!


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## HomeOnTheRange

Very nice looking place!


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## Mike CHS

Thanks you -  we are proud of where we are.  I need to dig out some pictures from when we first bought it.  Many a time I had to ask myself "what were we thinking"


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## CntryBoy777

Don't feel bad, I ask myself that all the time here....so much so, I am trying to do mostly right with others "Input"...


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## Mike CHS

We did make an Amish farm auction today.  We got there about 8:00 this morning but couldn't get on the grounds until almost 9:00. It rained all night and the pasture they were using as a parking lot became a mud pit real fast.   They were telling folks that if you didn't have 4 wheel drive you might want to stay off the farm.  We don't have 4WD but can lock 2WD and managed to get in and out without getting stuck (although I had to rooster tail around a couple of corners)


 .  One of their neighbors had a little John Deere that he was charging $10 for every person he helped get out.  He must have made several hundred dollars today.

We actually went because we wanted to look at some of their power tools but they weren't something I wanted.  They also had some lumber so we picked up 360 BF of Ash andabout 20 BF of smaller stock.  The ash bid was $225 (all 8/4 lumber) with a bunch of it being 12 foot long.  The other 20 feet bid was $10.


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## CntryBoy777

Looks like ya had plenty of weight for traction there....sounds like ya made out pretty good. Had to have been pretty sloppy walking around there, too.


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## Mike CHS

I'm just glad we didn't get a ticket for an overly long load.  I need to check on that law.


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## CntryBoy777

THP will tell ya when in doubt, put a Flag out...


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## Mike CHS

There was a guy at the auction that had a roll of 
Caution tape in his pocket ????? so that may have been sufficient since we saw several THP cars on the way home.


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## Baymule

I love a good deal!


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## Mike CHS

Weather was beautiful today with temps in the low 70's.  We were going to finish attaching the wire to the last section but I wasn't satisfied with the strength of the corner posts in the catch pen.  I decided that rather than gripe about it later, pull the posts and reset in concrete (which we did).  There is something about the soil in this section that no matter how much you tamp it, it isn't solid.

And sense this is going to be a mob catch pen, it needs to be stronger than the pasture fence.  They are all reset and we will run wire either tomorrow or the next day.

We also got the posts set for the chicken coop to make it ready to recieve the birds when we get them.

On another front, Maisy is coming right along.  We try to make a point of spending time with her on a long lunge line and she is doing better all the time.  When I went out to feed this morning, 3 of the lambs were with her in her little tarp shelter.

The first picture has our fat ram lamb Hoss sniffing Maisy's behind.

It must have been the day for sniffing behinds - the second picture shows Maisy around the trough checking lamb butts.

The last picture is just because.  Just because they are still cute even though they are quickly losing the lamb look.


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## CntryBoy777

Sorry about the posts there, but I know having reset it, there will be much less to be concerned with later. You know, every time ya post dang pics of your herd it gets me to thinking about getting some too. It just isn't fair, ya doing that to me.........they sure are nice and I've always loved Lambs. Sure glad that it is all working out there, and they will dearly love the grass beneath their hooves....and you will too, not having to cut it for them. Tho, if ya are like me ya like doing most of the time, but you'll be able to utilize that time doing other things....like some woodwork, or have the choice sometimes of taking a nap. You have truly come a long way and I, for one am really Happy for ya both.


----------



## Mike CHS

We are having fun doing whatever it is.  

Everything is rewarding but getting Maisy to quit acting up was the best thing that could happen this season.  She tugged on our heart strings the day we brought her home and we were determined to let her be the LGD that we knew (actually hoped) she could be.

She doesn't even come galloping up to me anymore because the flock queen got her again for acting like she was going to jump on me.  She does learn.  

I'm starting to think this ewe has a crush on me.  She butted Wild Thing the other day when she started to jump toward me when she got startled.


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## CntryBoy777

It's a good feeling to be Loved by so many, isn't it?....and much better than nothing wanting to be around ya..


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## Baymule

It really is sweet when the sheep want to be close to the LGD. I felt like popping open a bottle of champagne the first time the sheep were all laying around Trip. It shows that they are trusting "their" dog.


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## Mike CHS

Weather made everything muddy again so after we finished the next to last 100' section of fence yesterday we spent the rest of the day cleaning out all manner of junk out of a drainage ditch the previous owner used as their dump.

So today we decided fence, cleanup and sheep had us ignoring our reason for getting sheep in the first place - our dogs.  We spent quite a bit of time introducing Lance to the sheep without stressing them out too bad.  They have gotten used to seeing both the Border Collie and the Aussie but the sheep fence had been off limits until today.  We got some work in the pen with a long lead but we kept it under control because of the trees that could hurt the sheep if they bolted.  Their flight zone with Lance is probably 4 times what it is with Sassy. She can get within 5-10 feet of the sheep before they move.  If I let Lance get closer than 20' without putting him in a Lay Down, the sheep are out of there at full speed.

We watched pretty carefully and there are 3 of the ewes that don't show a lot of fear as well as two of the ram lambs so they will be our training herd.

I'm posting some pictures of the intro at the fence.  Various positions where he is wanting to stalk are trying to decide how to get through that fence in front of him.  Maisy had to be chained of course but she likes Lance but will no doubt kill Sassy if given the chance.

I was just trying to capture his body intensity but wanted the Border Collie stare more in the pictures.  I couldn't get that without going in the pen and then I couldn't be sure if he would hold or not (which is the point of today's passive training).


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## CntryBoy777

Just amazing!....tho, I'm sitting here trying to watch a video in my head of the session....
That was sure worth the break today. I have tomorrow to get thru and then back to fencing for me...Joyce keeps adding to the list and changing priorities, but I won't budge past tomorrow. In a couple of those pics Maisy is watching closely...so she has come along too. This reveals the hard work that you have invested has been worth the while.


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## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> The last picture is just because. Just because they are still cute even though they are_ quickly losing the lamb look_.



Makes them easier to eat


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## Mike CHS

Maisy likes Lance but she will still have to be confined when the dogs are working.  I'm not sure what caused the bad blood between Maisy and Sassy.  Maisy just wanted to play with Sassy when we first brought them together but Sassy has some fear aggression with Maisy because of her size.  Either way they can't be together even supervised.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Could be a female/female thing for the Alpha position, but hard to say, some just don't get along. It is just good you know it, without having to find it out with bad results.


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## Mike CHS

We got the braces for the catch pen finished today and the T-Post driven in for the 100' that will join the chicken pen.  We are still working the rocky area so most of the T-post were driven through small slab rock and was a pain.

We are still Top Dead Center with Maisy.  We have been letting her run without a tether for an hour or so at a time while we are working outside without issue.  Today, Teresa got a lawn chair and took her tablet out to do some paper work while letting Maisy be totally free. It took over an hour but she got an impulse to play with the smallest lamb.  She took an aggressive stance and just stared at the lamb until she bolted.  Maisy immediately pounced on it and batted it down and forced it to lay on the ground.  This lambs momma is unfortunately afraid of Maisy.  Teresa intervened and got her away from the lamb with no problem and the lamb wasn't hurt.  We haven't given up on her yet but we aren't real optimistic either.  What is a bummer is that we have been spending a couple of hours every day working with her and the lambs and she has been fine.  We have probably added several weeks to the fencing time trying to work with her instead.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Still has some pup tendencies in her, it sounds like. Isn't sh still less than 1yr old?....or is my memory wrong?
She has come a ways with y'alls hard work, getiing close tho it seems.


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## Mike CHS

She is still young She is 14 months old so we will keep on with her. 

It just gets frustrating but I know that is to be expected.  We are still doing good but I felt a feel futile moment.


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## Bruce

Too bad the ewe that protected you from Maisy didn't protect the lamb. She'll be OK, just keep working with her.


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## Mike CHS

We have an appointment with the processor tomorrow for our steer. I have given the guy about 156 names and he is about 1400 pounds.  I'm not far from a city person.


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## CntryBoy777

I understand....2steps forward and 1step back...and at times we fight like a mule taking that 1 back. You have had a lot to deal with in a short span of time, but have done an Excellent job with it all. Don't ever lose sight of that fact, just go back and read the first couple of pages of your journal...you'll be reminded.


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## Baymule

My Pyrs had never seen sheep.....and Trip was a little over a year old. I finally felt I could trust him enough to stay with the sheep overnight. I got up one morning to see him acting weird, a lamb jumped up and he tackled it. I was in pajamas, the coffee cup went somewhere, I flew out the door screeching like a crazy wild woman. I don't know where it came from, but a plastic coffee can appeared in my hand. I penned the sheep and Trip and made the sheep run. He went for the lamb and I clobbered him with the coffee can. I screamed, yelled, I bounced that can off him again and again. He was looking at a way out, but couldn't find a hole. I threw the coffee can, yelled some more and had a very serious "special moment" with Trip. I finally felt sorry for him and changed my posture to soft and called him to me. Then we had a much calmer "talk" and I went back to the house. You know, he never went after a lamb again. Did I overdo it? Yeah, probably. But the sight of him gnawing on that poor little lambs head incited me to a murderous rage.

Would this work with Maisy? Probably not. I never intended to assault Trip with a plastic coffee can. I am a real witch before I get my coffee.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Hey - Trip needed to know that mama wasn't happy!  Sometimes ya gotta do whatcha gotta do.  I actually had to chastise Maddie the other day.  MADDIE!  LGD extraordinaire!  She's gotten totally stupid over boiled eggs lately - especially after she had her way with Cowboy.  I threw an egg to a mama pig the other day and Maddie went ballistic. The pig is probably 200+ lbs...Maddie 100ish.  But, she went after that pig and clamped her jaw on that pig face and she wouldn't let go.  I had to scream, yell, throw eggs at her and finally had to use my boot to push her offa that pig.  Probably the first time I've fussed at her since she was a puppy, over 6 years ago, and absolutely the LAST time I'll throw an egg to any other animal in her presence.

Maisy might need to be told, in no uncertain terms, that lambs are not eligible for playtime!

I'll betcha she'll totally 'get it' soon.  Don't give up on her!


----------



## Baymule

frustratedearthmother said:


> Hey - Trip needed to know that mama wasn't happy!  Sometimes ya gotta do whatcha gotta do.  I actually had to chastise Maddie the other day.  MADDIE!  LGD extraordinaire!  She's gotten totally stupid over boiled eggs lately - especially after she had her way with Cowboy.  I threw an egg to a mama pig the other day and Maddie went ballistic. The pig is probably 200+ lbs...Maddie 100ish.  But, she went after that pig and clamped her jaw on that pig face and she wouldn't let go.  I had to scream, yell, throw eggs at her and finally had to use my boot to push her offa that pig.  Probably the first time I've fussed at her since she was a puppy, over 6 years ago, and absolutely the LAST time I'll throw an egg to any other animal in her presence.
> 
> Maisy might need to be told, in no uncertain terms, that lambs are not eligible for playtime!
> 
> I'll betcha she'll totally 'get it' soon.  Don't give up on her!


Read this to DH, we're laughing, tears, funny! We can just picture Maddie grabbing the pig over that egg!


----------



## frustratedearthmother

I swear this dog is hyper-crazy about boiled eggs...LOL!  Poor pig never had a chance! 

Mike, I think the point we're trying to make - is that Maisy needs to understand that YOU are not happy with her behavior toward YOUR lambs!  Some dogs need to be told louder and longer that her behavior isn't acceptable.  I bet she'll "get it"!


----------



## Mike CHS

Thanks all - she has been shown that we aren't happy with what she's doing and that is why she is only loose when we are out there.  That way we can correct a problem when it happens.  I have laid her down several times now and although I wasn't there yesterday I am sure Teresa wasn't a mild meek momma when she got on to her and put her back up. We aren't giving up on her but I guess I needed to vent some frustration over something I thought was resolved.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Mike CHS said:


> Thanks all - she has been shown that we aren't happy with what she's doing and that is why she is only loose when we are out there.


Makes sense!


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> We aren't giving up on her but I guess I needed to vent some frustration over something I thought was resolved.



These dogs will make you and  then and sometimes about 3 minutes apart or all at once. 

Don't give up on her. She'll get it.


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## Mike CHS

You so have to laugh when you sit back and look at it but that doesn't make it any less frustrating.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Ditto!


----------



## Mike CHS

I am amazed at how fast the lambs are growing.  We have been around sheep for 4 years but never had much contact with lambs.

The twins catching the sun was one set of our twins.  The ram on the left will be going to the freezer probably in July.  He is the only one of the bunch that has small horns.  Not sure where they came from - His mom is our Wild Thing (who isn't so wild anymore).

The next is our #1 who was 9.5 lbs at birth.  Her mom is our tamest ewe and is next to her in the picture.

Next is ram lamb #10 who will be staying on the place as a wether and companion for the new herd sire.  He is a sweet little boy who hopefully will stay that way.

The last picture is the ewe lamb we had to pull and thought was still borne.  She is the one on the front left and her mom is just down from her.  She is only 5 weeks old.


----------



## norseofcourse

Wow, they are growing fast!


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## Bruce

You sure those are lambs? They look like sheep!


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## NH homesteader

They're huge! They look great


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## Mike CHS

The farm we learned from shoots for a 60lb lamb at 60 days.  Ours will easily get that big but will slow down some now that we know who is going and who is staying.


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## NH homesteader

How long does it take them to get to slaughter weight? (and what is slaughter weight?)


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## Mike CHS

The market is usually for 60-80 lbs around here but more people are finding that if you let them go another 3-4 months they  can get twice as much meat.  And it is mild tasting even at that point.  I would rather get 60-80- lbs of meat instead of 30-40.  After they wean it is all just grass for input.


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## NH homesteader

Wow that's small! I would go a few extra months too!


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## Bruce

Still lamb until a year old so if they are growing well, no reason to hurry to put them in the freezer when the feed is basically free.


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## Mike CHS

It's a strange market.  The younger lambs have been bringing more money but that is at auction.  The direct buyers that we have been talking to prefer to wait till later especially once they find out how much more they get.


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## Bruce

Maybe the people at auction are looking for animals to finish off themselves before slaughter? But you said they pay more. Is that more per pound or more per animal?


----------



## Mike CHS

At auction they are on the hoof and priced each.  Last week 45 lb lambs were sold at $247 per for prime. The two wethers we are selling will go by the pound (hanging weight) $3.50 a pound and they will be around 120 lbs.  70 pounders were going for $230.  Slaughter ewes were going for $104 but those are usually culls, and if we cull a ewe we will keep it ourselves but we aren't culling any of the current flock.

Feeder lambs 36 lbs brought $268 and  30 lbs $248.

That was all taken from the sale sheet for the 13th.


----------



## NH homesteader

Wow those seem like strange prices, but I know nothing about the sheep market.


----------



## Mike CHS

We just started looking at prices and it doesn't make any sense to us either.  We need to spend some time with our mentor getting educated on the whys of that range.


----------



## Baymule

There isn't a decent sheep auction near us (that I know of). Most seem to be in west Texas. I am confused by the auction prices too. Just doesn't make sense to me. I have 3 wethers presold at $8 per pound hanging weight.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule, I wouldn't look for an auction if you can get that kind of price.  We decided to keep two of our wethers for the freezer and the other 3 will stay on the farm for dog training.

Maisy has been given a lot more freedom now that the lambs are looking like sheep and she isn't as excitable.  The male lambs have even started to challenge her and Hoss even went after her when she was doing the stare and dare you to run thing.  It is looking like the sheep will assist in doing things we aren't sure how to accomplish.  I really think now that we were over correcting her when she appeared to be getting aggressive (playfully).  We are letting things play out now to see what she is really trying to do when she is bored.

On an even better note we are using a CPA this year since we had no idea how to do this farm thing to please the IRS.  We went in and signed our taxes today and I was truly expecting to have to write a check and instead we saw a hefty refund including most of what we had paid in SC taxes before we moved.  I don't know how complicated everyone's taxes are but we only paid to day not much more than we had been paying for a software DIY program like Turbotax.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Sounds like ya made out like a Champ on those taxes. Glad it turned out so well for ya. Really good to hear about Maisy too, I think it will all work out for ya....


----------



## CntryBoy777

Looks like y'all had some pretty good showers move thru there earlier. We are on the edge of possible severe storms later this evening, but got another half inch out of the barage this morning.


----------



## Mike CHS

Yes - it has been raining most of the night so Teresa opened up the creep feeder to all of the sheep so they can get out of the mud.  People keep telling us that sheep don't like being in a shelter but they sure spend a lot of time in them even when it's just sprinkling.

We quit feeding the lambs in the feeder since there isn't now a rush to get them all ready for market.  Since I'm cutting grass I cut enough yesterday to last through today.  After that they won't be happy since they will be back on hay.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Sounds like there may be some goat in their background. Mine wouldn't come out of the bldg this morning and it wasn't sprinkling....but, the deck was wet...


----------



## NH homesteader

I think it depends on what they're used to. My goats don't mind snow. Because they kind of have no choice, lol!


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Yes - it has been raining most of the night so Teresa opened up the creep feeder to all of the sheep so they can get out of the mud.  People keep telling us that sheep don't like being in a shelter but they sure spend a lot of time in them even when it's just sprinkling.
> 
> We quit feeding the lambs in the feeder since there isn't now a rush to get them all ready for market.  Since I'm cutting grass I cut enough yesterday to last through today.  After that they won't be happy since they will be back on hay.


But you are about done with the new pasture right?



Mike CHS said:


> Maisy has been given a lot more freedom now that the lambs are looking like sheep and she isn't as excitable.  The male lambs have even started to challenge her and Hoss even went after her when she was doing the stare and dare you to run thing.  It is looking like the sheep will assist in doing things we aren't sure how to accomplish.  I really think now that we were over correcting her when she appeared to be getting aggressive (playfully).  We are letting things play out now to see what she is really trying to do when she is bored.
> 
> She needs a friend, I know a very nice male GP just about her age that is already trained on sheep.
> 
> On an even better note we are using a CPA this year since we had no idea how to do this farm thing to please the IRS.  We went in and signed our taxes today and I was truly expecting to have to write a check and instead we saw a hefty refund including most of what we had paid in SC taxes before we moved.  I don't know how complicated everyone's taxes are but we only paid to day not much more than we had been paying for a software DIY program like Turbotax.



You found a CPA to do your taxes for $65??


----------



## Mike CHS

We still have to build some chutes in the catch pen and run the last 100 feet of wire.  The rain is keeping us out of the soft areas but we are finishing making doors for some cabinets that we just made.  Sheep are comfortable where they are for now and we want to keep them there for another 3 weeks or until we can get a farm call with the vet (whichever comes first).

The accountant was an even $200 so my use of the software cost was not literal but by the time you buy that, pay filing fees to them and go through the headache of doing them it was money well spent.


----------



## Baymule

Our sheep like their shelter too. The Hawg Hut is still in the backyard and they will get in it or go up front to their shelter when it is raining.


----------



## Bruce

Filing fees? Federal e-File is free and we print out and mail the one for Vermont, not willing to pay to file. But yeah, doing the work is a PITA and given you have this new ag business, money doubly well spent.


----------



## Mike CHS

Another 'just because picture.  We give the flock some feed and alfalfa around 3:30 in the afternoon.  The sheep have pretty good awareness for time since this is usually what you see if you go outside just before 3:30 in the afternoon.  

Maisy has been free for two days now with no issues so hopefully


----------



## CntryBoy777

Sounds like our place....the chickens, ducks, and goats always tell us when we are running a little late....and are quick to Cheer us on if headed in their direction. 
Oh, and by the way, the severe storms are suppose to be thru here around 3-4am, so if I wake up in your front yard I'll figure we got Hit.


----------



## Bruce

Before Peep disappeared (presumed to be coon food based on timing) she would come up toward the house to let me know she and the rest of the girls were ready to roost, where is our scratch!?!?!

Maisy looks like she is working hard, as she should be!


----------



## frustratedearthmother

YAY Maisy!  She's going to be just fine!


----------



## Mike CHS

We are hoping that it heads toward Nashville and stays west of us.

I spoke too soon about Maisy.  I'm not sure of her thinking but she is keeping the flock split up.  She won't let half get to their bedding area and won't let the other half go from the bedding area to join the others.  It looks like when the sheep were out of sight and we thought they were eating grass, she was keeping them out of the shelter.  She is getting closer to becoming a pet (which may be her desire anyway).  I'm almost inclined to trust the hot wire and forget an LGD.


----------



## Bruce

Maybe @Southern by choice would have an idea as to why Maisy is separating the flock.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Hmmmmm... maybe she has a reason?   My dogs do some things that make me shake my head sometimes...  And, sometimes they do keep goats away from other goats, especially if there has been some fussing between any of the goats.  I hope she gets it all straightened out in her head!


----------



## Mike CHS

I'll post some questions in the LGD forum later on.


----------



## Mike CHS

We got some more of the last section of pasture fence done today and are up to where we only have a small section to do where the chicken pen joins the pasture catch pen. I pulled and reset a bunch of posts trying to get rid of some zones that would need hand trimming.  I need to go back and read some of Bruce's posts about how he handled a rocky area since I need to do that to finish this paddock.

We continue to spend time with her to figure out how she is thinking.  

I'm not sure what exactly is in Maisy's mind but she isn't mean to the sheep.  Teresa and I both started alternating time in the pens with them and just watched.  The sheep look to us obviously for food but we still aren't sure where Maisy falls in the order.  We let her loose with them last night and I was concerned because she kept them all in a small corner where they couldn't get to their hay.  Since I know that they had eaten enough grass during the day we let it ride.

She has been loose all day today and they are all in the same area of the pen bedded down.  The only issue is that Maisy has claimed the spot where all of the spent hay is and that is where the sheep usually bed down.  The sheep have bedded down in a wet area.  We don't know if she pushed them there or not but we went out with them and they don't seem stressed so we will trust her and leave her with them.  We are leaving them alone tonight to see what kind of truce they might have called.  We need to work it out before they get out into the bigger pasture so we will watch and see how they do.  Even our Wild Thing seems to be trusting of her now that the lambs actually look like sheep and not toys.

I have had some frustrating tasks in my life but training an LGD has to be at the top of that list.


----------



## NH homesteader

How old is she? Was she with other dogs before? She's almost acting like she's taking cues from your herding dogs and moving the sheep. I don't have a LGD, but it's interesting. I do know dog behavior, typically, I've studied it a lot, but I know LGD's are different.


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## CntryBoy777

It has been my understanding that the maturity of the LGD hits its stride at about 2 yrs of age, so ya may have a little more to go with her, but she has come a long way in a short period of time, which speaks to your time invested. I know the trials of patience can wear a little thin, but ya have kept the "Plates" spinning on quite a few poles, too. Not to mention the redoing of work to improve the ability to make upkeep easier can add to that frustration, too.


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> I have had some frustrating tasks in my life but training an LGD has to be at the top of that list.



Makes going to work every day for the past 40 years a cakewalk doesn't it?


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Quick question - is Maisy _actively_ keeping the sheep apart and out of their bedding area - OR - are the sheep choosing to stay away from her?  I've noticed that since Cowboy is spending time with the bucks who are not accustomed to him that they CHOOSE not to seek him out for comfort like the does would do.  It's not uncommon at all to see him curled up in the middle of a whole bunch of does when he's in the big barn in the pasture. 

In the front pen, with the smaller barn where the bucks are now - he goes in the barn - they go out.  Not HIS fault they haven't accepted him yet, lol!  And I'll betcha if it were to start raining, they'd figure out that he's no threat and would readily get in the barn where he might be.

They have a reason not to love/trust Gracie - but they need to learn to trust Cowboy.  Hoping in their own time they do.

Anyway - just thinking/wondering....


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Makes going to work every day for the past 40 years a cakewalk doesn't it?



@Baymule  It really does.  From Day 1 she has been the most lovable critter and no matter what she has a permanent place.  I just came in from checking on them and I have no idea how the night went but the sheep are bedded down at one hay rack on the spent hay and Maisy is under her tarp on the fresh straw we put down yesterday.  

@NH homesteader based on what the previous owners said she is probably around 18 months old now.  She has been with sheep her whole life and was raised with her litter but has been on her own with sheep since probably 4 months old.  They (the owners) brought home two Pyrs but the oldest one decided he wanted to be a house dog.  We expected some training issues but they haven't been as bad as my posts probably make them sound.  It is just that she seems perfect for a couple of days then she decides to play Hide & Seek with her doing all of the seeking.  At least she isn't playing Lamb Lawn Polo anymore since they have gotten bigger.


----------



## NH homesteader

Lamb lawn polo hahaha! Ok not funny, but funny name.

I know, it always sounds worse than it is because we only post when something interesting (usually bad) happens. 

Good point/question FEM. I hadn't thought of that!


----------



## Mike CHS

@frustratedearthmother there is no consistent actions with the sheep or Maisy.  Maisy seems to be wanting to be with the sheep and usually they seem to accept her being with them.  I didn't know it till a bit ago but Teresa saw Maisy chasing them last night late (I was asleep) so she got put up for the rest of the night. Maisy not Teresa 

In her defense these sheep were not raised around dogs but they have been with dogs for close to a year at their previous home.  They will gravitate to Maisy when she is calm but for whatever reason she decides she wants to play.  Our pen is not the best place for that due to the numerous trees.


----------



## Mike CHS

This pifture is what we see about 99% of the time.  We watch constantly and are never far away but we have not seen whatever trigger it is that turns her from watcher to chaser.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I need to go back and read some of Bruce's posts about how he handled a rocky area since I need to do that to finish this paddock.



Not need, I'll tell you here:
I dug a lot of holes that were far wider than necessary so I could pull the rocks out  Except this !#@$% one, had to dig 3 new holes since this was the hole for the gate post and I'd already dug the other two. This isn't the whole rock, just as much as I exposed before deciding there was no way I was getting it out. 
 

And I had to concrete the NW corner post since it's location was not movable.

Maisy MIGHT have been seeing if the sheep wanted to play. Merlin did that once with the alpacas. Clearly in the forelegs down, butt up and tail wagging "let's play" stance, then jumping up. The boys didn't come to play and I never saw him do it again. I think she needs Merlin to play with


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## frustratedearthmother

Bruce said:


> I think she needs Merlin to play with



That's an awesome idea!


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## Mike CHS

I have no doubt she isn't burning enough energy so there is another dog in her/our future but we won't be having any young dogs again after this one.  I have seen her do that stance but last night when Teresa went out to put an end to the chasing she was out of breath which meant it had been going on for awhile.


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## CntryBoy777

I've been thinking about that pic pretty much all day. I saw it this morning and it reminds me of an old cartoon we watched growing up....can't remember the name of it, but it had 2 GP in it...one named Fred, the other was George....and they would meet at the time clock to punch their card as they changed shifts. They were always pounding on a wolf trying to get sheep. I don't know if ya ever saw it, but I've been thinking about it today. Sure hope she gets past doing that soon for ya.


----------



## Mike CHS

It's too dark out to do it tonight but we may put one of our security cameras out there so we can see what is really going on.  Maisy does the same "you wanna play" stances like Bruce said Merlin did but we never see her doing anything during the day.  I may be totally wrong but there is a strong possibility (maybe wishful thinking) that Maisy may not truly be chasing the sheep.  Whenever she sees something at the far end of the pen she will run at full speed to where she thinks the danger is.  Because the pen is long but narrow she doesn't have a view of the other end but our hills gives her a 360 degree view of the properties around us.  She will even alert to cows on the hills across from us and that's half a mile away.

We are going to cross our fingers and hope that we had misjudged her - she does get playful but I'm not seeing any evidence from the sheep that she has been messing with them.  They aren't the least bit afraid of her - the 3-4 most skittish will still bound away but they will do that because of us if we move fast.  They gravitate to where she is most of the day and other than the flock separation the other day we are seeing very little out of order.  Still haven't figured that one out yet.

We ordered a tilt table from Sydell today. It has an optional wheel kit that makes it portable on concrete but we will be moving it with the front end loader in the pasture.  The wheel kit will let us move it for storage on the porch of the shop.  Folks are easy to work with and spend a lot of time telling us the pros/cons of what we were looking at.  Thankfully we called them direct instead of going throught the COOP because the one we were going to order would not work for she as big as ours.  They throw in a 10% discount for new business and ship $250 less than COOP.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Just be sure to put it up high enough...remember the old one she tangled with one nite.


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## Mike CHS

Yep - that one she almost ate - this one will have the mount screwed into the wall.


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## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I have no doubt she isn't burning enough energy so there is another dog in her/our future but we won't be having any young dogs again after this one.  I have seen her do that stance but last night when Teresa went out to put an end to the chasing she was out of breath which meant it had been going on for awhile.



That is why you need Merlin, he was born August 2015 so he is nearly 19 months old now. 

I would bet that she isn't chasing them given they gravitate to her. I don't think they would do that if they were afraid of her. Seems like they are similar to my chickens: run first and think (maybe) later.


----------



## Mike CHS

What is the status of Merlin now?  I really am not sure of what all is going on but if the sheep were afraid of her I would be inclined to think she is chasing them (and they aren't afraid of her).

We never got any indication last night that there were any issues.  They are bedded down in their outside area this morning and it seems they won't go in the shelter when Maisy is loose.


----------



## Bruce

Won't go in or DON'T go in? Maybe they feel safer outside when their protector is out there with them? I don't know.

Merlin is back with @purplequeenvt, his mother, father, brother and adopted brother, all GPs (or in the case of the adopted brother, a GP mix). To my knowledge she still needs to reduce her LGD quantity but she would have to answer that. She won't send him anywhere that she isn't comfortable he will be properly treated and have a job to do so no Craig's List ads for him.


----------



## Mike CHS

I'll send her a message and see how things are.


----------



## Mike CHS

It was beautiful outside today so we spent the day out prepping the garden beds even though it's still early for most things.  We used the Stihl tiller attachment that we got not long ago on  the smaller raised beds and I brought up the tiller from the shop to do the 10X30 raised bed that will be a hoop house by next fall.  We started a flat of cabbage and broccoli plants about a month ago and they are ready to go in.  Spring gardens around here are hit or miss.  It can go from winter to summer which means everything will bolt.  It's a cheap try though so not much lost.

We incorporated about 10 cubic feet of peat moss into the beds hoping to soften the soil up some.  I ordered 10 bags of Cotton Burr Compost at our local Farm Center to use as mulch for the plants.  It makes a relatively expensive mulch but it breaks down good in the soil.  Hopefully that plus the 100 pounds or so of sheep pellets will give it all a good start.

Maisy is still free with nothing negative to say about her since last time.


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## NH homesteader

Good luck with the spring garden! -3 here tonight... Might have to wait a bit before planting much

Glad Maisy hasn't gotten into too much trouble! I know getting another dog is kind of a big deal and probably a lot to think about, but it would probably be really good for her.


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## Mike CHS

Yeah I saw your temps in another thread and I don't want any of it.    We still have some winter left but the cold weather stuff will hopefully do well before the bugs start invading.


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## CntryBoy777

That's what I've been thinking about too....with it being so warm, so early I'm afraid those mid 80s-90s won't be far behind either. That is why I'm pushing to get things done before it does.


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## Bruce

Funny isn't it @CntryBoy777 ? @NH homesteader and I are waiting for the ground to thaw to do stuff and you have to hurry before it gets too hot to move let alone do heavy work.


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## Mike CHS

I'm still learning to adjust to going from zone 9 to zone 5.


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## NH homesteader

I thought you were zone 7?


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## Mike CHS

Fat fingers


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## Bruce

I guess so since if you were in zone 5 you would be way up here with @NH homesteader and me! Though I'm barely in 5, relative proximity to the heat sink that is Lake Champlain. We are 5a and in a cold year could be 4b.


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## NH homesteader

I am actually 4b. I looked it up a little while ago.


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## CntryBoy777

I could be wrong, but I believe the last time I checked we were 7b....the line for zone 8 is a little south of us here.


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## Mike CHS

The last couple of days have been just getting almost done things done.  We were getting ready to order a tilt table and just happened to be in the Farm Center yesterday and the owner (new we were going to buy one) mentioned he had seen one listed in Craigslist.  We initiated an email for further contact and they got back to us today.  They had bought one from For Most Livestock Equipment that has all of the bells and whistles but after getting it found that the one they had worked better for calves so they decided to keep using their original even though they have sheep.  Teresa mentioned to them that we were looking for a Katahdin ram and come to find out they have one of those also that fits into our plans perfectly.

Depending on how the weather is in the next few days we will go pick up the tilt table and take a look at Jerry.  He has been their herd sire for two years now and he needs a new flock.

Meet Jerry:


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## CntryBoy777

He sure does have a pretty stout look about him, and certainly will add some colors to the herd. Sure hope it works out for ya...I'll do all I can to hold the weather up for ya a bit to get your business squared away.


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## samssimonsays

Wow! I know nothing about sheep but Jerry looks pretty nice!


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## NH homesteader

He looks handsome but I also know very little about sheep! Good luck!


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## Mike CHS

We had to run into Nashville so the day was pretty much shot and I decided to do some passive training with Lance since he hasn't been in with any sheep since we brought them home two months ago.  The point of this is to let him get his mind back where it belongs so he concentrates on the sheep but still responds to command.  The sheep haven't been worked by him so it is also to let them get to know that he won't hurt them as long as they move (or stay away in this case).  The sheep have gotten so confident that we can be trusted so feeding them has become a real pain.  You bend over to put grain in a pvc trough and all 22 are on top of you immediately.  I take Lance into the pen and get him to walk up to the trough which pushes them out.  I put him in a lay down which holds the sheep away and I can put feed down without being mobbed. 

It is also training for the lambs.  Right now they have no fear of the herding dog but we want them to at least be respectful of him.  They will pick up enough fear from the adults to start responding and go away with the rest of them.

The first is him just presenting to the sheep prior to going into the pen.  The other two are still shots of him keeping them off of me.  He has a tendency to lunge if he gets too excited so I'm giving a Hold command the whole time he is laying there since I dropped the lead and walked away to take the pictures.  He is so excited that he is shaking like a leaf but he did as asked.

_I was hoping I wasn't rushing things because that bunched up look he is in is  what he looks like before going in to make them move if he thinks they aren't responding to him._


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## frustratedearthmother

Good boy, Lance!  That's awesome and so helpful!


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## CntryBoy777

I know he was glad to get in there, and I sure don't blame ya. I have trouble with my 2 Boys, much less 22 of them. I know I tell ya every time, and ya probably get tired of it, but Lance is such a great looking dog. Do ya use vocal commands or do ya use the whistle?
Also, after looking at your ram Jerry, I realized it was cows in the background...he is pretty good sized too. Great find for ya!


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## Mike CHS

Hopefully we can go take a look at him tomorrow.

I use verbal commands but whistles will be in his future for the long outruns.  In the pen like they are the sheep aren't going to let the food get out of their site so all he has to do is stay in one spot since we aren't driving them anywhere.  This has limited use in the field but it's a good confidence builder and it teaches the sheep that they have to respect him.

Teresa is the whistle blower right no.  I haven't even started to master that thing.

Oh and we never get tired of hearing it.  He is one of the prettiest boys around these parts.


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## Mike CHS

This picture shows why I use Lance anymore.  The piggies had already eaten their fill of fresh grass plus the grain I had just put out.  Their is nothing in the bucket she is carrying but if there was she would be hard pressed to get through them to the troughs that are behind them.

The other picture is of my Baby petting the babies.  Maisy and #1 the oldest ewe lamb.


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## NH homesteader

Look how far they've come, it's a sheep swarm!


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## CntryBoy777

Nothing like trying to wade thru so many sheep and hoping your feet don't get trampled by unconcerned Hooves....be sure to thank her for being the "Guinea Pig" and tell Teresa I said Hi. Glad ya don't get tired of hearing it, cause I sure don't mind repeating myself. I do like Sassy and Maisy and the sheep too.


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## Bruce

From "afraid of us" to "get the heck away!"  Not surprising and yep you do need some plan to be able to get the feed to the trough without getting knocked around. I have the opposite problem with the chickens. They could all run into me at the same time and there would be no damage. Instead I have to be careful not to step on them. 

Sure looks like things are working out well.


----------



## Mike CHS

The weather here today has been terrible so we re-scheduled the trip to pick up the livestock chute since neither us or the seller wanted to be out in this non stop rain.

The sale of Jerry fell through - The original owner had Rights of First Refusal on the ram and after being told that the ram was being sold he exercised his right to buy him back.

They have another ram (although typical white) that is the same age and is also needing to move on.  This ram came out of the Virginia Tech Sheep Center with quite the pedigree so we will check him out Thursday when we pick up the chute.

The attachment is a picture of the chute that was sent to us.


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## Bruce

Quite the contraption. Getting a good price?


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## Mike CHS

$1300 - The OEM sells them through Tennessee COOP and they get a little over $2000 plus this one has a couple of options that runs another $300 - so yes we did get a good price.


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## CntryBoy777

Sorry about Jerry, but obviously it wasn't meant to be, for whatever the reason and this other one may end up being the better fit for ya. Sounds like quite the deal on the machine....it would be interesting to see it in "Action".


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## Mike CHS

We use one similar to it at our ewes original farm and they turn some 'chores' into a simple thing.  This one is quite a bit better as it has a self closing head gate and more adjustments depending on the size of the sheep being worked plus more access panels to get to the sheep (even if upside down).


----------



## Gorman Farm

Very nice looks like it will be a great farm.


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## Mike CHS

Thanks @Gorman Farm and may I welcome you to the forum.


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## CntryBoy777

Wow! that thing will be quite handy to have, no doubt.


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## Latestarter

Looks like the cadillac of chutes... I'm sure it will prove very worthwhile to have. It does look like it will be needing the FEL on the tractor to move it though... it looks very substantial.


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## Mike CHS

It's under 300 pounds but yes we will be using the FEL to move it around.  They sell a wheel kit for the thing but that's over $1000 and you still need the FEL to get it on the trailer so we won't be getting that accessory.


----------



## Bruce

Besides, I think most people set up their operation so the squeeze chute isn't moved around.


----------



## Mike CHS

We picked up the chute today but it wasn't the one we originally arranged for.  When Teresa was talking to the farm manager she asked her "why in the world would you sell something that has so much more capability than the one you are keeping?"  EvIidently she thought about it and decided Teresa had some good points.  She called last night and said they decided not to sell the one in the ad but she made us an excellent price on the one they had been using.  It doesn't have all the bells and whistles but is more in line with what we were originally going to get and it is in excellent shape.  The farm where we went was impressive also.  It has been family run for 6 generations and is impressive to say the least.  The manager gave us a tour of their facilities that is something to dream about.

We picked it up today and got a look at and handled Ringo, the Katahdin ram that we decided for sure to buy.  We need to find another stock trailer and will plan on going back in the next 3 weeks or so to pick him up.  After seeing Jerry the black and white ram we decided that we were glad that sale didn't work out.  He is one of those sheep that wants constant petting if you get within 20' of him and will butt you if he doesn't get it.  That would have made for some expensive mutton chops.

We (actually Teresa did) even managed to get two of the raised beds planted with onion plants, broccoli and cabbage.  We have a flat started down in the shop with tomatoes, peppers and leafy greens that should be ready to plant once the last frost is done.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Sure glad it all worked out for you on the ram, and the machine. I bet that was an enjoyable place to tour, probably got a few ideas, too. Oh, Joyce lost all the tomatoes she had in the ground, but the cabbage and onions are looking pretty good. The sweet peas need thinning, but she doesn't listen to me...lol....


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## NH homesteader

All in all, a good trip!


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## Mike CHS

We don't plant tomatoes here until after May 1st. Even then we don't plant eveything.  I have 50 plants started for us and quite a few more to transplant so we may try to  move some at the Farmers Market next month.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Our last frost date here is April 10th, and depending on warmth of the soil, we have planted around the 25th. But Joyce doesn't want to wait to temp the ground...that ADHD thing...so she just puts them down when she can't stand it any longer. Waiting isn't in her vocabulary....


----------



## Mike CHS

I can rerlate to that.  When I lived in Pensacola I used to do everything I could do to plant in February but the plants that I put into the ground in March grew just as fast as the early plants.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Just was thinking about your ram, Ringo. I wonder if it is after Johnny Ringo, "The Rebel", old TV show western in the 60s....or Starr? My brother and I used to watch The Rebel each week....


----------



## Latestarter

Just looked at the national weather radar and man... It looks like you have some bad stuff about to hit you. Looks to be moving south and will probably bet Fred later as well. Hope it passes with no damage!


----------



## Mike CHS

The 70 temps all of last week had several of our fruit trees blooming.  It may be a waste of time but we put bags over a few to see if we can't help them weather the cold coming in.  We have a bunch of asparagus just starting to pop up so they will get burnt.  Grass is still growing so it isn't all bad.  We had trimmed them way back when they were dormant so at least we could cover them if needed.  Most of the rest are still dormant and didn't get suckered in by last weeks warmth.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Sure do hope they pull thru for ya, we would've done the same. Is that your cabbage in the raised bed, or strawberries? Which ever it is it is looking really good.


----------



## Mike CHS

That is cabbage and broccoli in that bed.

This white stuff is something we don't see any of around our place but this is the second time this winter.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Guess ya got things covered just in time. It has started sprinkling again here, it is 45° and falling.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Oh man, hope the covers work!


----------



## Mike CHS

We did this last year and although we lost many buds, we didn't lose all of them.


----------



## NH homesteader




----------



## Bruce

Can't you cover the asparagus with hay or straw??


----------



## frustratedearthmother

On the rare occasion that we've had a late freeze here, I covered broccoli and asparagus with a thick cover of hay and they came out fine.


----------



## Mike CHS

The broccoli should be fine and they usually survive a freeze.  We went ahead and picked the asparagus so no loss there.  Just a little snack.


----------



## Baymule

Snow in March??

Sounds like you made a good deal on the chute and the ram too. One stop shopping!!


----------



## Mike CHS

We went ahead and harvested the asparagus and put a bag of cotton burr compost on the bed to keep it a bit insulated.  This stuff is 95% done composting and still generates a wee  bit of heat.  

We finished a small leg of fence in between showers today where the chicken pen will join the pasture fence.  Post spacing is all over the place since this fence is over some thin rock ledge.  We had to resort to some Wedge-Loc hardware for bracing but the span is only 60' on 3 sides.

We started to sort out how we are going to do our handling system since we want the vet out next week and decided that in order to make everything work with the tilt table we bought we were going to have to do a lot of jury rigging to make the handling chute work.  

We did not get an entry gate with the table and couldn't find something that would work.  We priced wood and hardware for a DIY solution and then looked at the web site for the vendor that handles the tilt table we bought.  Turned out the chute system with the gate designed for our tilt table wouldn't be much more than our home built system and it would work as soon as we get it off the pallet.  We are having it shipped to the good people at the Farm Center in Lewisburg and should have it in a few days depending on the storm hitting the east coast right about now.

We had planned on doing our own chute system but we want it to be more mobile.  what we are getting is portable and can be set up in a short time and needs no supports not to mention it fits in with our tilt table.  Hind sight is  always 20/20 but we found out today we could have bought the handling system plus the tilt table for about $400 more than what we are now paying.  We saved some money buying the used table but would have blown a lot if we had not figured out we needed a special gate to work with the tilt table.  The biggest plus is that I don't have to drive a bunch of T-posts in rocky ground to support panels to drive the sheep.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Saving money is always a good thing, and being ready-to-use has some Worth to it also. Being portable and easy set-up are just "Gravy to the Taters". Ya may have save a bit more with the "Pkg Deal", but it is your research and "Thought Process" that saved your "Pocket" from spending more. Not to mention having to deal with difficult ground, too. Sounds like a "Plus" all the way around to me.....


----------



## Mike CHS

Where I decided to set up the catch pen is almost solid rock and  I have no idea how the trees that are there grew.


----------



## CntryBoy777

"Natural Bonsai"....sometimes it amazes me how nature "Defies" human logic....always things we scratch our heads over....at least I do....


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> The biggest plus is that I don't have to drive a bunch of T-posts in rocky ground to support panels to drive the sheep.


Now Mike WHY would you not want to drive T-posts into rocky ground?? I found it to be SO much fun! 

It is amazing how a seed can find the tiniest crack and grow.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce, when we laid this pen out we thought the shape was perfect to use for a catch pen but that was before we laid that section of fence that every post hole needed concrete because the rock ledge 12 inches down.


----------



## Latestarter

as they say... best laid plans of mice and men...   I believe there's some tie in with a guy named Murphy as well.


----------



## Bruce

Are you calling Teresa a mouse @Latestarter?? 

Wow, concrete only 1' deep! That sucks, hope it all holds up OK.


----------



## Latestarter

Hmmm... I wouldn't even presume to assume anything of the sort! She looks perfectly human to me, which doesn't preclude the possibility that she's an alien from a far away galaxy imitating a human to collect data for the eventual conquest of our planet. In addition to being a conspiracy theorist, I do believe we've been infiltrated by aliens with the clandestine assistance of our shadow government.


----------



## Mike CHS

What the dickens did Fred feed you yesterday???  

If she's from a far away galaxy  every man should head that way immediately to try and get one of his own.


----------



## CntryBoy777

That must've been some Powerful garlic, if just smelling it from the trunk has him hallucinating That much....


----------



## Latestarter

Well now... I just wanted to show y'all that in my more lucid moments I have a rather expansive and rational thought process that I often try diligently to ignore.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa has been busy doing a search for stock trailers to replace the one the storm destroyed.  We thought we had found one today but while enroute to look at it we looked at the pictures again and it had a drop down ramp instead of gates.  That doesn't work for sheep where we load so we turned around and came back (we did call the seller and tell him we weren't coming).  She found another in Huntsville, Alabama (an hour south) that we will look at tomorrow and will probably get.  We need a trailer to bring home the ram we already paid for.  

If the weather cooperates I will get the High Tensile wire ran in the next couple of days to keep the ram away from the rest of the flock (hopefully) except for the ram lambs which will be with him.  We don't want to breed again until July with the older ewes.  The ewes born this season will be bred starting in November.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Good thing ya double checked the pics and recognized it before ya got all the way there. I have kin in Huntsville, they live on the mountain that the cross in on...if it is still there. I haven't been over that way in yrs and the last time I saw the folks from there was just before Mom passed. They came here to see her before she did.


----------



## Mike CHS

Today was a wasted day as far as the farm goes but it was productive.  We found (actually Teresa did) a 14' trailer that had a price and a condition we liked so went into Huntsville, Alabama first thing this morning to look at it and bring it home.  Right after we got home we got a call from  the meat processor that our half of our steer was ready for pickup.  This processor is great and all cuts of meat are trimmed exactly like we asked and vacuum sealed.  We wound up with 198 pounds of beef with our half.

I don't think I posted a picture of the tilt table we wound up with and hopefully our chute system should be here by next week depending on how bad the roads are in Maryland where it is shipping from.

Last but not least, Maisy and Hoss along with my favorite ewe were sharing the residue of the grain that we feed in the afternoon. We have to tie her up (and feed her) while the sheep get their grain because she will run them off and try to eat it herself.  Other than that she has been free since the last time I mentioned her.  I was reluctant to post anything about her since she seems to get into trouble right after I post praise.  Her and the sheep seem to have developed a  bond and they don't even bother scattering when she comes bounding by them on the way to scare off some new threat.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Nice trlr, really nice table, and so good to hear things are settling down between the sheep and Maisy. Now all ya need is Ringo, and a bit of fencing, then ya can take a breath or 2 before the Garden will be "Calling" to ya...


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> Nice trlr, really nice table, and so good to hear things are settling down between the sheep and Maisy. Now all ya need is Ringo, and a bit of fencing, then ya can take a breath or 2 before the Garden will be "Calling" to ya...



We have family coming to visit the week before Easter and we REALLY want to have everything in place before then.  We have the helper both tomorrow and Saturday so we should get done with the fence on this pasture.  We want to subdivide that one before we get the ram since we don't want to breed until July.


----------



## Latestarter

Have to agree with Fred, that's a great looking livestock trailer. Would you mind disclosing what you paid for it and how old it is? I've been looking for one myself but am thinking I'd like a 16' vice the 14'


----------



## Mike CHS

We got this one for $1250. The age is unknown but there is no rust other than surface, all new wood on the inside and the brakes have been redone.  It pulls great and actually has more open area inside than the 16' the storm got.  That one had an inside gate that could be closed for weight distribution so you could lose 4'.  Our 10 ewes just about maxed that one out but this one is better centered over the wheels.  We looked at some that were newer but they weren't in as good shape.  We found some real good buys on two horse trailers but they had ramp style gates which can be problematic loading sheep so they were a no-go.


----------



## Bruce

All sounds good Mike and Teresa!


----------



## Mike CHS

@Latestarter if you were closer we would make you a good deal on our other trailer.  Our neighbor does some body work and he brought our red trailer back to us good as new.  You can't tell it was rolled in a tornado.  I still have to see if the frame is square enough still to put the floor back in.

We did get the final touches on our chicken pen (like the gate and wire wraps) so like I said earlier, the 1st rainy day we have will include a road trip over to the poultry hatchery.

To the right of the chicken pen we decided to add another catch pen so we did get some fence put in today.  Just not the section we were planning on.  There is no good camera angle but it is roughly a rectangle that is 100x50'

We did not get the last run of fence finished since we have been waiting on our neighbor to have time to do some ground work for us.  We have a dry pond that we want filled in and we will turn that into another garden spot.  He does good work and only charges $30 an hour.

I went down to the end of our drive to take that picture after I saw Bruce's picture with the spring snow.


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## CntryBoy777

You can't beat $30/hr at all. Y'all sure do have a very picturesque piece of land there. Have ya decided on what breed of chickens ya want?


----------



## Mike CHS

Buff Orpingtons if they have some when we go.  It is a small hatchery so you have to plan ahead a bit.  We aren't set on any particular one though.


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## Bruce

What breeds do they have at the hatchery? I've not gotten Orpingtons as I believe they very much tend to go broody. Since we have no eggs to hatch, broodiness is a "con" for us. They are very cold hearty so I guess you'll need to make sure you have a way to cool them off in the summer.


----------



## Mike CHS

They have most of the common breeds and even some rare breeds that we aren't really interested.  They put out an inventory sheet every week that you can check before going to see what is available.  They have quite a few that are 3 & even 4 months old but we haven't asked about the price on those.


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## Bruce

Do they typically intentionally raise "started pullets" for sale or are these leftovers? If the latter and a breed you want, they might be a good price; worth considering picking up a few, eggs in a couple of months


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm not sure of the circumstances but folks that recommended them seem to be happy with what they have.  We may take a run there just to see what they have. 

We had a source down around the Alabama but that is where the recent cases of bird flu originated so we will avoid that part of the state.


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## Baymule

I have some serious tilt table envy going on! That is real nice and I am glad you found a good deal on it. Nice trailer too!

I can't wait to see your new ram!


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## Bruce

Counting my lucky stars that we haven't had AI up here.  Good plan to skip the other hatchery.


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## NH homesteader

We are getting a few White Orpingtons this year. Broody is good for me! I haven't heard anything negative about Orpingtons, in fact I've heard they're excellent dual purpose birds.

Was the AI found anywhere other than one Tyson plant? Not good...


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## Mike CHS

The last I heard it was found at two locations according to a neighbor but I have made it a point to avoid watching the news since I retired.


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## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> I have some serious tilt table envy going on! That is real nice and I am glad you found a good deal on it. Nice trailer too!
> 
> I can't wait to see your new ram!



We should have he ram in the next week or so.  After having to  manhandle a couple of 160 lb ewes who didn't want to be handles, it wasn't hard to make the choice to buy a tilt table.


----------



## Mike CHS

We got our handling chute and tilt table set up today to do some checks and hooves in the next couple of days.  We will be separating the lambs and the ewes before we get the ram (hopefully next week).

We will use a cattle panel on the entry end and post the Border Collie to keep all the sheep in the holding pen which is what we have been working on with him for the last month or so.

We don't need it at this point but when we move everything into the main paddock it has a 3-way sorting gate at the exit end as they get out of the tilt table.

The trailer that got all beat up is outside the pen and you can see that it cleaned up pretty good except for the sheet metal roof that couldn't be salvaged.  Not bad considering we were going to scrap it.


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## frustratedearthmother

Looks good!


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## CntryBoy777

That's a really nice set-up and I may be tempted to bring my 3 goats over for a "Tilt" try....I'll rent it for $10/goat...
That trailer looks pretty good too. Did ya have a chance to check the alignment on it yet?


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## Mike CHS

You are welcome at anytime and of course no charge.  

We haven't had the trailer on the road yet but we will get it checked out to make sure we aren't selling a problem to somebody.

We have worked sheep with and without a handling system and it's not something we were willing to do without for the numbers that we will be working.

I think a few of the ewe lambs and their moms are maybe getting too used to me.  I squatted down in a shady spot this afternoon and 4 of the lambs and the two ewes came up and just kind of put their noses on my cheek and just stood there.  The lambs were nuzzling and mouthing the skin on my hands.  That's a new one and as many pictures as we have taken we had no camera or phone at the time.


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## CntryBoy777

I sure don't blame ya for the numbers there, and would do the the same. Isn't that the way it always seems to go, a perfect opportunity...and it goes by the way-side....


----------



## babsbag

While I am envious of your chute my goats would be totally mortified if I put them on a tilt table. I don't know of any one that use one for goats but I am not sure why not. I have my eye on raised work table that has a head gate and a removable sides... would be great for hoof trimming...but not so great for the budget.  Of course a good Border Collie would be nice too. 

The last few years during the drought I had great weather for spring flowering trees. This year I lost the apricot crop and some of the peaches and plums. My trees are too big to cover and that is why I am planting a new orchard with the goal of keeping trees very small. I want to try the old  C9 Christmas tree lights in them for heat but being able to throw a frost blanket over them would be a big plus. My current apricot tree is about 15' tall, not covering that.  My cherries are in bloom this week...good week for more rain...4" in two days. *sigh*.


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## Bruce

Nice chute and table Mike and Teresa!

The sheep are trying to get on the "proper" side of the "food or breeding stock" list


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## Mike CHS

I don't give as much attention to the ones that are going for meat.  We make a point of handling them all enough that they aren't skittish but I'm not wanting lamb kisses from the two that are going in the freezer.


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## Bruce

Right, they are trying to change your mind! Take #5 over there to the freezer instead, I'll be a MUCH better breeder!


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## babsbag

My goats do that all of the time. Inevitably some kid I have marked for freezer camp is the friendliest kid in the barn.


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## Baymule

My biggest, prettiest lamb is a boy, wethered and marked for slaughter.  I keep asking why he wasn't a girl.....

That is a real nice set up ya'll have there. I know you will be so glad that you have it. Be sure to take pics of it in use!


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## Bruce

Well, there is always gender reassignment


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## Latestarter

Looks like a really nice set up Mike. I wonder if there's any way that you could incorporate a scale in there to weigh them while you're running them through. Don't know that it's necessary, but figured it was worth asking...


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## Mike CHS

The folks we bought this from have a scale that becomes integral to the tilt table but they are proud of those things.  We have a scale on order that will fit inside the chute and we have a way to keep them from backing up so we hope that will work.


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## Mike CHS

We drove T-posts around several trees that we had planted in the pasture to put fence around them and also two patches of Giant Bamboo that we planted last year.  Once the bamboo gets established the sheep will eat anything that gets out of the fence and they do really like it.

We are incubating some duck eggs for our neighbor and we will keep a few.  I didn't want ducks but Teresa does so now I do want ducks.


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## CntryBoy777

I will share what I have learned with ya. In building an area for them, just think more of a baseball "Dugout". They really don't need anything elaborate, and ya want it easy to clean. They will trash any water they can reach, so keep others water higher than they can reach. Chickens will climb up, ducks won't. This will help ya to not want to deal with them, and the Eggs are wonderful, especially in baked goods...


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## Mike CHS

We have already talked about it and we will eat them if it doesn't work..


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## NH homesteader

What breed of ducks are they? Do you know? When we decided to not keep our ducks I sold them, DH wouldn't butcher them because they were pets, lol


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## Mike CHS

Nobody has any idea what kind they are.  I'm not big on ducks but Teresa wanted them so we will try hatching ducks.  Nothing to lose and the home they are coming from has a big pond and will take them back if we decide we don't want them.  This is a neighbor whose High School son has been working for us and he is the one with all the poultry.


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## Mike CHS

We went and picked up some chickens today.  We found out their niche is chickens of any age from one week up to 32 weeks.  If any are left after 32 weeks they become part of their egg laying operation as replacement birds.  We got 5 Road Island Reds (1 rooster and 4 hens) that are 24 weeks old.  We also got 7 - 7 week old chicks, 5 Delawares (1 rooster and 4 hens) and 3 Buff Orpington   pullets.  We will wind up eventually with 3 separate flocks but the 7 week olds will be staying together at least for the time being.


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## CntryBoy777

You will certainly enjoy the bug-eating and fresh eggs...
Not that ya won't, but keep us posted on them. I know RIR, but the Delawares are unknown...though, I know Baymule had some problems with hers. I think they are pretty. Once we get some things "Ironed Out" we will be trying some other breeds to put into the mix, too. That's why I'm interested how they do for ya...


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## Mike CHS

We still want to get a few Light Brahmas but we will be sticking to these 4 breeds for awhile.


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## CntryBoy777

I am starting to think about our "Cycle" and the turning over the numbers and our freezer space is fixing to triple. I have to start thinking now for next yr, and try to get a "Plan of Action" together. I think "Hanging Out" with all of y'all is rubbing off on me....dang-it...so, now I have work on developing a plan....


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## NH homesteader

Nice birds! We wanted Brahmas but we have mud issues here and those feathered legs... Not good!


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## Mike CHS

@NH homesteader we have our share of mud but folks around here that have them don't seem to have problems.

@CntryBoy777 - We were worried about freezer space when we brought our half of the steer home but we could have fit more ( a little more) if needed.  We have two 21 cf freezers but one is mostly full from the garden last year.  Now that we are here full time though we will be doing more canning and less freezing.  


We are finding chicken math a bit more complex than sheep math.  After the RIR's get their systems clear of anything other thatn RIR eggs, we are going to incubate probably 40 of the eggs.

We decided to keep our red trailer and turn that into a chicken tractor.  It could easily hold upward of 100 chickens and wouldn't take much to turn it into a coop.  The roof couldn't be repaired but we can have a tarp custom made to fit or even cheaper just use a tarp stretched tight.


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## CntryBoy777

It never hurts to use what ya have "Available" to your advantage.....at all.


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## NH homesteader

So how many chickens are you aiming for? I have a harder time with chicken math than anything else math because if you're feeding 10 chickens you might as well feed 25! (and so on...) and they're cheaper additions than more goats, sheep, whatever.


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## Mike CHS

We have been following the sales at Farmers Markets and with a few folks that market young chickens in the local paper and they move surprisingly fast.  We only want about a dozen for our own egg use but home grown eggs sell pretty good around here even though you can get a dozen eggs at Kroger for $1.25.  For a real rural area there are surprisingly few egg/chicken growers.

I didn't answer your question but we want to get 75-100 started and see where that takes.  You can sell eggs here without a license as long as you only sell your own eggs and your flock size stays under 3,000 birds so we have a lot of leeway.


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## NH homesteader

That's funny, up here it's hard to sell eggs because everyone else has chickens! Hard to sell meat birds too, we quit doing that as well.

75-100 is a decent amount! My limit is 50. We only have 13 now but 15 on the way in May, plus whatever we hatch out. I'm aiming for 25-50.


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## CntryBoy777

The closest animal markets close to us is in Blue Mountain and Tupelo areas....from here they are more over your way there. There are some down around Jackson and W Tn where my sister lives. They have cattle auctions in every county, tho.


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## Mike CHS

We originally were only planning for our personal flock till we decided that we can do better using the damaged trailer as a chicken tractor rather than sell it at a discounted price.  It's mobile and we can move it around the pasture with the birds in it.  A 16' long trailer with 7' ceiling can hold quite a few chickens.


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## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> The closest animal markets close to us is in Blue Mountain and Tupelo areas....from here they are more over your way there. There are some down around Jackson and W Tn where my sister lives. They have cattle auctions in every county, tho.



We watched the 3 Farmers Markets fairly close to us last summer and there was a surprisingly small number of people selling eggs but they seemed to sell all they had.  You won't make much money but it can help with the feed bill plus you get some good Tennessee social time.


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## frustratedearthmother

I love your chicken tractor idea!!


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## Bruce

Nice looking birds.

Are your Farmer's markets open year round? And what does it cost to have a "booth"? You've probably done your research but unless you give them light (some say 12 hours, some say 14 minimum) they likely won't lay in the winter past their first. So your business plan has to incorporate that and culling of birds that aren't putting out as they GENERALLY taper off a year two or later depending on the bird. True of most of my now almost 5 year olds though the EE was still cranking out 4-5 a week last year (she's not a winter layer) and has been doing at least that since Jan 11th so far this year. She's never started back up before the end of Feb before.

Your 4 RIRs will start laying any day now, don't be surprised if they ramp up to 5+ a week each pretty quickly though the egg size will be small to start with and increase in size. My 2015 blue laying EE was the first to start at just over 23 weeks. She stayed in the USDA Medium range for the first 2 months and held pretty steady in the Large range (sometimes XL) through the rest of last year. This year she's laying XL's to Jumbos.


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## Mike CHS

Our markets are open basically through the farm season here from May through October and are free unless you use one of the county owned tables and then there is a $5 fee.

There was 3 eggs in the coop this morning and they are on the medium size range.


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## Bruce

OK so what are you going to do with the dozens of eggs you get outside the Farmer's Market season? My girls have been laying since the end of January.


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## Mike CHS

Cook them and feed them back to the chickens as well as the 5 dogs we will have by that time.

Worst case cook them and dehydrate for the End Times.  

This whole thing isn't a for profit for us.  We want to be as sustainable as possible and beyond that we can feed eggs to just about anything including the neighbors pigs.


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## NH homesteader

I was halfway through your post thinking... Pigs LOVE eggs! 

And um... 5 dogs?


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## Mike CHS

We are looking for a couple of Border Collie pups.  We will need to have the replacements for the herd dogs we now have. We want to trial and you need several dogs to be able to do that.  We really don't NEED dogs now since our sheep are so spoiled but that is all changing.


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## CntryBoy777

Ya can always leave contact info with your regular customers at the mkt and they will buy yr round, and it is during the period of slack-off too for production. There is always something to do with them....


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## NH homesteader

Will you get a second LGD as your sheep numbers go up also? 6 dogs? That's a lot of dogs!


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## Mike CHS

NH homesteader said:


> Will you get a second LGD as your sheep numbers go up also? 6 dogs? That's a lot of dogs!



We want to get one more LGD for now and probably another eventually because of the way we are going to have our place set up.  We will have more Border Collies but how many all depends on the dogs.


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## Baymule

Good luck with the ducks. I raised Pekins once and couldn't get them in the freezer fast enough! They were nuts. They never shut up-quacked all night long and I don't think they ever slept. LOL That said, I'm getting Muscovies from @goatgurl today! And I am excited to be getting them.

I have Delawares and have found them to be the meanest durn chickens I have ever had. But they are also good foragers and go places my placid red sex links never even thought about going to. Their eggs are medium size and everything I read about them said LARGE brown eggs. They are a disappointment for sure. I am getting an incubator and might keep them, get a RIR rooster and breed my own red sex links. You could do the same. Red sex links lay like crazy, I love them. They do tend to have scrawny little bodies, so not a lot of meat on old hens. But still worth butchering.


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## Mike CHS

Ducks aren't my idea but what T wants, I want.


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## NH homesteader

That's how my DH was about the goats. He secretly loves them, he just won't admit it!


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## CntryBoy777

There's a "Wave" headed in your direction that has some developing cells in it, be Safe....it is to your west.


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## Mike CHS

Thanks - we saw that on the weather this morning.  Thanks for the heads up.


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## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> Ducks aren't my idea but what T wants, I want.


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## Mike CHS

We have some really convoluted logic going on at our place.  We were at the COOP picking up some Purple Hull Pea seed and right next to the seed rack was two tubs with poultry in them.  They had a bunch of straight run Buff Orpingtons.  We didn't get a rooster with the 3 Buffs we got the other day but we do want a rooster so figuring if we get 6 chicks at least one of them will be a rooster we bought 6 of them.  

Then somehow or another, three turkey poults wound up coming home with us also.


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## NH homesteader

Love it!!! What kind of turkeys?


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## Bruce

Poultry math!!!!!
Time to build another coop.


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## CntryBoy777

Sounding like a touch of "Spring Fever" going on over there..
I read somewhere a while ago, that chicks can be determined by the tips of the wings, but I can't remember right off hand just how it is done...it has something to do with the # of feathers....I think.


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## Mike CHS

The turkeys are either Artisan Gold or Mamouth Bronze but probably the AG based on pictures I searched for this afternoon.

I'll have to read up about sexing the Buffs.


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## Bruce

IIRC SOME breeds can be wing sexed but not most.


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## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Poultry math!!!!!
> Time to build another coop.



We are going to use part of the sheeps original shelter since they will be moving out hopefully next week.


----------



## NH homesteader

I have never even heard of the Artisan Gold. Are they a broad breasted breed?


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## Bruce

I found a link that said they are a rare hybrid, come from regions of France. Smaller and slower growing with a gamey taste.


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## Mike CHS

Here is their description - qualities that wouldn't make for a good production bird but they are as much for the novelty as anything else.  They are pretty as turkeys go if they could be called pretty. 

"The Artisan Gold is a rare breed that is smaller in size and slow growing. It has black feathers, unique colouring in the face and feet, long black legs, and a pronounced beak. It has natural tendencies such as roaming and roosting, and offers a robust, gamey taste that is exotically different from traditional turkeys."


----------



## NH homesteader

Hey I raise heritage turkeys, I'm all for non-production birds! Interesting, will be cool to hear how you like them. 

Oh and I do find turkeys to be pretty. I guess you become accustomed to their strangeness, lol!


----------



## Mike CHS

It seems like they behave like our native turkeys.  This part of the state has a reputation for the large population of native turkeys.  We had a flock of approximately 20 turkeys that we saw regularly but I haven't seen them since Maisy started patrolling.


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## NH homesteader

Yep that's how our turkeys are. We have a flock of 12 driving me insane. They won't go away! Lol. They tend to try to fight my tom through the fence and scare the daylights out of my goats. You'll enjoy them. Unless you end up with a tom like one of my old ones. He was MEAN!


----------



## Mike CHS

We did a dry run in the chute and tilt table to make sure things go smoothly on Friday when the vet and his tech come out to the farm.  We haven't trimmed their hooves since November so took the opportunity to get that done today.  The table worked flawlessly with no heavy lifting at all.  The only problem we had is once I didn't close the head gate and one of the sheep took the opportunity to run right through and out to the pen.

The 1st two pictures are of the ewe that we called Wild Thing (who is now a big baby) and one of her lambs.  The lamb was doing the most pitiful bawling because she thought we were hurting her mom.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Now that's the way to trim hooves in Style....
Really nice....I did think about a piece of cargo net, rope, and pulley over a limb...and hoist them straight up....


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## NH homesteader

Oh gosh that makes trimming hooves look so easy!


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## Mike CHS

I'm impressed with the table and it's so much easier to tilt than the one we originally was going to get.  The ewe in the picture is close to 160 lbs and I could raise her up with absolutely no effort.


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## NH homesteader

So cool, do they freak out when you tip them? I'm pretty sure my goats would never forgive me for that! Lol


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## Mike CHS

The 1st one did but that was my fault.  I had her one stop from the top and didn't realize I didn't have her past parallel so she was sliding toward the bottom when I opened the deck.  

Once the get almost upside down the just lay there.  I learned a couple of lessons about positioning when one of them got me with a right cross to my face.


----------



## Mike CHS

We bought another ewe today.  Teresa wants some color and the farm that we are getting our ram farm called today and said they had an escape artist ewe that has a lot of color and due to lamb around April 7th.  They run their sheep with cattle and there is only a 3 strand hot wire fence.  They are pretty sure she was bred by the colorful ram we did not get but we will know for sure who bred whom when she lambs.  We will keep one of our wethers in the current pen during the quarantine period to keep her company when we move the rest.

She is the spotted one right in the middle of the picture.


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## Baymule

I like her!!! Color is right! If she can't spot up your flock, nothing can!


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## Bruce

Nice table! But I think the poor ewe could use a pillow


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## Mike CHS

For the first time I'm hoping she has a ram lamb.


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## CntryBoy777

From the pic she looks Good to me, and it would be really good if she is carrying at least 1 female from that other ram. That way ya could stay away from line breeding so soon with Ringo.


----------



## Mike CHS

I wish I knew more of the history of our sheep.  I think Hoss would make a good herd sire but not at our place obviously.  He is going to be one big boy but loses his manhood Friday.


----------



## CntryBoy777

He is a nice looking boy, to say the least....wish I was in a position to talk to ya about him, but have decided to stick with goats. If I were younger or in better health I wouldn't mind diversifying, but not at this stage of things. He'll make Ringo a good companion, too.


----------



## Latestarter

I'm sorry... old timers setting in... Have you gone and picked up the ram herd sire you've been talking about for a while? I thought you'd said you were getting him some time ago, but maybe I'm mistaken... That table looks awesome. I'm quite certain getting a blow/hoof to the face wasn't all that enjoyable for you. Glad you've got it all worked out now. making thinghs easier is always a good thing.


----------



## Mike CHS

We haven't picked up the ram yet.  They wanted to use him for some ewes they had not planned on breeding yet.  It works for us and we will pick up one of their ewes due to lamb in early April.


----------



## Mike CHS

We had the vet out today and turned the 5 boys into wethers and gave all of the lambs their shots.  The whole process only took about 20 minutes.  We took stools from 4 of the ewes and had them run fecals this morning since they were coming out this afternoon.  The vet said they were some of the cleanest sheep samples that he had seen so we didn't worm any of the adults and will keep an eye on them.

All of the male lambs are acting like nothing happened but our big #3 wether is looking at us like he knows what happened.


----------



## NH homesteader

Fantastic! That's got to be reassuring, hearing that. Of course wether #3 needs more than good words from the vet to console him! Haha


----------



## Bruce

#3 says "You did WHAT!!!! "


----------



## CntryBoy777

That news about your herd sure has to make ya feel really Good about your practices there. Especially since they have been dry-lotted for a while....ya certainly deserve a "Pat on the Back" for sure....
You may have gotten to #3 just in time too...but then again, he could be upset that his Voice won't be changing now.


----------



## Mike CHS

We will watch closer when they get out on the pasture soon.  There is a lot to be said for dry lots where they aren't grazing but just eating what's brought to them.


----------



## Mike CHS

I forgot to write about Lance.  I couldn't get pictures because I was working the panel going into the chute and keeping Lance on the stragglers that remembered that evil handling chute and didn't want to go in.  Lance did good.  As soon as I started setting up the table the sheep hauled butt to the other end of the pen.  I went down with Lance and got him into a Hold and his stare sent them packing back to the handling chute.  He did his stalk on them and set them up better than he has done since we started training.

The vet was running a bit late so I kept Lance keeping pressure on the sheep to keep them in the chute.  A couple of the dominant ewes tried challenging him and he went right at them (with a closed mouth finally). All told he had to hold them for over a half hour and he is one tired Border Collie tonight.


----------



## Bruce

1) They get to know you and don't see you as a threat since you are the food bringer
2) You have more work to do but they have less. 

However, my silly alpacas still think there must be some reason to "forage" wherever there isn't snow covering the ground. Can't be finding anything. Though that hasn't changed in months they seem to be eating more hay. Maybe due to the greater amount of daylight hours. Burn more calories when they aren't asleep. Or some other reason


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I forgot to write about Lance.  I couldn't get pictures because I was working the panel going into the chute and keeping Lance on the stragglers that remembered that evil handling chute and didn't want to go in.  Lance did good.  As soon as I started setting up the table the sheep hauled butt to the other end of the pen.  I went down with Lance and got him into a Hold and his stare sent them packing back to the handling chute.  He did his stalk on them and set them up better than he has done since we started training.
> 
> The vet was running a bit late so I kept Lance keeping pressure on the sheep to keep them in the chute.  A couple of the dominant ewes tried challenging him and he went right at them (with a closed mouth finally). All told he had to hold them for over a half hour and he is one tired Border Collie tonight.



Fantastic!!! I was going to ask what happens with the chute the second time around. Having a trained dog to make them decide they prefer the "evil" chute is a definite plus.


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## CntryBoy777

The "Fruit" of your labor is nice when it is Sweet. I bet that was a thrill to witness, and I know he really enjoyed the work too. Did Sassy get involved or not?


----------



## norseofcourse

Sounds like a great day!  How did the vet like your handling system and the tilt table?


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## Mike CHS

You are right Bruce - they have zero fear of us which is why we keep training the dogs. 

Fred - Sassy has been a disappointment.  Most of her work had been close up because that is where she excelled.  We are finding out that most of what she did was with dog broke sheep which is where she did good.  Most of our 'herding' will be with a grain bucket.  Our sheep will never be routinely worked so they hopefully will never get used to them. She does a super round up circle if the sheep are already moving but when you have a bunch like ours who are stomping their feet and standing their ground she doesn't do so good.  Lance has the focus and complete lack of fear so he's going to be the primary.  Sassy is why we are keeping 3 wethers (plus getting another pup sometime this summer).  We will keep the sheep's trusts since they don't equate us with the dogs so that fear will always be there hopefully.


----------



## Mike CHS

norseofcourse said:


> Sounds like a great day!  How did the vet like your handling system and the tilt table?



He loved it.  We had the sheep under control when they got here and everything took less than 30 minutes.  He said that was one of the first times that he could remember when doing this kind of a farm call was a pleasure even though you could never call castrating sheep a pleasure.  

We never had to use the tilt table.  We just ran the lambs into the chute and picked them out one at a time.  Since the parasite load was so low we didn't treat any of the ewes.


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## Baymule

Do you think that you will castrate lambs next time? They do seem to get over it quickly don't they?


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## Mike CHS

I do think I prefer that to banding but I'm not sure the lambs think the same way.  They are all acting like nothing happened this morning.  We spent a lot of time talking to the vet (this guy is a younger Dr. Pol) and he won't band anything.


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## NH homesteader

My vet bands but I don't think I like it. My husband has helped a friend cut piglets, but we haven't done goats yet. Do you know the vet's reasoning for not banding? Just curious. I like to hear different perspectives, I know some people choose to band and some don't like it. I'm just trying to learn more about it


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## Mike CHS

The vet said he sees way too many cases of Tetanus caused by the banding not to mention the length of time it takes for the bands to do their job.


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## Mike CHS

The boys aren't quite as friendly this morning as yesterday morning but other than that they are behaving normally.


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## Latestarter

This will be a good measure of "memory retention" for those little guys


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## Baymule

I cut mine, they run back to momma and suck, their world is ok again. I would thing a bag of rotting testicles wouldn't be a good thing, but I have never banded, so I sure can't speak from experience.


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## CntryBoy777

When they are cut like that, what is used to close the incision? I wouldn't think it to be a very big incision.


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## NH homesteader

Honestly my little guy that was banded didn't seem bothered by it either. But it bothered ME!

Closing the incision? Well when DH does pigs, nothing. It heals fast.


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## Goat Whisperer

Several of our vets don't like banding either. 
I don't like it,  but I know others really like banding. 

I cut as well. I never close the incision. It always closes up and we've never had an issue with infection. I do apply some fly spray just out of caution, although we never had an issue in the past when we didn't use the spray. 

I cut the end off of the scrotum and pop the testicles out, but I know some folks do a vertical cut. 

The kids always bounce back right away and I never have to worry about missing a testicle.


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## Mike CHS

That was the same way they did it here also.


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## Latestarter

Ditto... that's how it was done to wormy over at @Devonviolet s place.


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## Mike CHS

We finished our last section of fence in the paddock we are working on today.  Still have to run electric on the top and and hang 4 gates in there.

We ate without doubt the tenderest and tastiest T-bone steak tonight from the steer we had processed in February.   The butcher got backed up and the meat was aged almost 3 weeks plus the cow had nothing to do but eat and drink for over 3 months.

The picture is of a large T-bone and a smaller one that didn't have much in the way of tenderloin but they were awesome and had as much marbling as a ribeye. 

Also the fruit trees that we covered during our last freeze are doing well and have fruit already.


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## frustratedearthmother

That steak looks delish - love all the marbling!


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## CntryBoy777

Wow!!....very nice steaks...that big one looks like it is very close to a Porterhouse....mighty Good!....aged is even better.
Sounds like ya are on the down-hill slide with the fencing. It was good y'all thought about covering up what ya could...it obviously worked....
Is that an apple? Variety?


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## Mike CHS

It does look like an apple but it's a peach.  This variety initially grows upward and gave us some super tasty peaches last season.  I've lost track of the varieties between the deer killing them and us having to move some of them.


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## CntryBoy777

I've never seen a peach with that kind of leaf....there again I've only been around 3-4 varieties, they don't seem to do very well here with disease and weather. Plums and pears do okay here, but we don't have any yet...we started with animals first...LOL


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> That was the same way they did it here also.


That is how we did it in "Sheep Production" lab back in college. Cut the bottom off, pull out the testicles with pliers (unless one wanted to use their teeth, don't recall anyone doing that!) and spray some sort of powder from a squeeze bottle inside the scrotum. Not much in the way of blood since the VDs kind of shred. I think another method is to scrape the VDs until they part but pulling is FAST, kind of like pulling a bandaid off quickly versus a slow pull. Pretty much the boys just went on their way when it was done. Has to be less painful than using an emasculator (and guaranteed to work) and no waiting for a bunch of tissue to die off. Mostly the lambs were not happy with being caught up and sat on the fence.


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## Mike CHS

We planted 17 the first year we had this place (4 years ago) but since we were here so seldom the deer had a field day with over half of them.

The second year we were here we took 3 deer during the season and I guess they got the idea they weren't wanted around the house.


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## Bruce

I've seen Porterhouses at the store with much less tenderloin than that. And some stores don't seem to require much tenderloin to be called a Porterhouse. Not sure what (or if) there is a legal definition. 

Those sure do look good!


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## Mike CHS

Bruce - I wasn't kidding when I said that was the best steak I have ever had and would serve this steak to the pickiest eaters.  I'm just glad now that I called him by a different name every time I went out to find him.


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## Bruce

I bet! I wonder what "chef" @Latestarter would do with one of those steaks.


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## CntryBoy777

Mike CHS said:


> We planted 17 the first year we had this place (4 years ago) but since we were here so seldom the deer had a field day with over half of them.
> 
> The second year we were here we took 3 deer during the season and I guess they got the idea they weren't wanted around the house.


We will probably look to get something come fall this yr, once the garden area is rearranged, we are going to plant some grape vines...ours died...will be looking and discussing it til then as to what, and how many.


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## Latestarter

So I would have to guess there'll be nothing but home grown beef in your future. That was one awesome looking steak! And I agree the marbling looks like what I expect of a rib eye. so, that being the case, what DO the rib eyes look like from this steer? steak lovers want... no, NEED to know!   

I think the primary difference between a porterhouse and a T bone is the size. Essentially, they come from the same place. OK, just checked, sure enough:


*T*-*Bone steaks* and *Porterhouse steaks* are the same. The *Porterhouse* is just a larger version of the *T*-*Bone* because it is carved from the larger portion of the tenderloin. A *Porterhouse* is the "King of the *T*-*Bones*". Diagram Showing Beef Cuts Both are cut from the short loin area of the beef.
*Difference Between A T-Bone and Porterhouse Steak*
www.primesteakhouses.com/tbone-porterhouse-steak.html

Edit to add, Bruce, you KNOW what I'd do with it... Grill it, medium rare, then devour it! Well, unless I had several like it in which case I'd be serving some others to guests


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## Mike CHS

That T-bone was the first thing we had tried from this batch and Teresa wants to get the main freezer emptied some before eating more so no rib eyes for awhile (except we have family coming in this week.


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## Bruce

You will OF COURSE post a picture of those rib eye's for @Latestarter and the rest of us, right? 

Based on the drawing I'm guessing Mike's "tiny T" came from the forward end of the short loin. If the bigger one was properly classified as a T, I sure want to see what the Porterhouses look like 

Thanks for the image Joe.

So how come the top sirloin is between the sirloin and bottom sirloin? Someone with dyslexia created this name/position thing?


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## Mike CHS

We will post some more pictures of this beef.  We really like this meat processor.  We could have gotten an good bit of tenderloin but opted for the bigger steaks with more tenderloin.

We had half a steak left over so I had to suffer through some steak and eggs this morning.


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## CntryBoy777

Oh ya poor soul....just Horrid I tell ya!!.....


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## Baymule

Good looking steaks! Meat goes down easier when you name the animal ribeye, pork chop, roast, bacon or something of that nature. I don't name my wether boy lambs. I just call them boys or lambies. LOL


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## Mike CHS

We have only named three out of all of our critters.  It's actually easier for us to remember the numbers.


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## Mike CHS

We had to run our #6 lamb into the vet this morning.  Of course it had been raining all night and this lamb is one of the biggest.  We noticed yesterday that his groin area swelling was a whole lot more than the other 4 that got cut.  We took a picture and sent it to our vet and he told us to bring the boy in this morning.   Evidently there is a rare condition where a lamb (or other animal) will basically have a hernia and when they are castrated they can eviscerate (the internals can start dropping through the opening.

The vet cleaned it out and stuffed it with iodine soaked gauze and sewed it mostly shut but left a bit of the gauze so it can be pulled out a little at a time.  The idea being to seal off the opening as he heals.  We will take him back in Wednesday to see how we want to follow up.  We would have gone ahead and processed him but we just gave him Ivermectin shots Friday.

He doesn't seem to be in any pain and we have him and his mom isolated so we can keep an eye on him.


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## Hens and Roos

hope he heals up and no further issues


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## CntryBoy777

It's a good thing ya was able to catch it before it became a major issue for ya....hope he heals up real well and quick for ya too.


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## Baymule

How old were your ram lambs when you had them castrated? I cut my first ones just past a week old. This year's 3 got cut at almost a month and it was harder on them. I have a new ram lamb and I'll cut him either this week or next, but it won't be long before he is relieved of his hangy-downy parts.


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## Mike CHS

This one was 4 weeks old


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## Mike CHS

He seems to be acting normally tonight.  His mom isn't happy since we have them segregated but it is what it is.  I know a lot of people would have put the lamb down rather than do the vet thing but we don't feel that way.


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## NH homesteader

You did the right thing, IMO. If he couldn't be used for meat why waste his life? If he was suffering sure, but he doesn't seem to be. The world needs more farmers who would have made the same decision as you.


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## CntryBoy777

I agree with NH....well said.


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## Mike CHS

The boy seems to be doing good tonight and came over for some petting so he isn't holding it against us.

We decided to divide our new paddock in half so we can keep the ram and the wethers in one half and the rest of the flock in the other half.  We can keep what is now our sheep pen as a quarantine pen for the ewe we will be bringing in this week.  We got the main wood posts set and should be able to get the woven wire put up tomorrow.  it is only 200' across..


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## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> t is only 200' across.


 Having lived nearly 30 years on a lot that was 44'x100' "only 200 feet" is an oxymoron. Yes, even though the west fence line I put in last December is "only 310 feet" and is only 1/3 the width of the property at that point. I'm sure I will eventually work that out in my mind


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## CntryBoy777

That sounds like a good plan. I'm thinking that I may have to make 2 areas with mine too. The goats don't really like the cats and try to butt them ever chance they get, so I'm thinking they might not like the birds either, but we'll just have to wait and see.


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## Mike CHS

We finally had a couple of days without rain and set posts for our interior fence and I had the neighbor's grandson come over and we ran the last section of fence for this paddock.  We still have to hang gates but should get that Monday or Tuesday.  

We discovered an oops in our planning.  the portable A-Frame chicken coop that wound up needing the front end loader to actually make it portable due to weight.  We got to looking around today and when I was thinking about our next move I looked at the coop and looked around the fence line.  We have a 4' man gate by the house for convenience to feed and get to the coops.  The west end that should have a minimum of an 8' gate has NO gate to get the tractor into the pen.  I had to go to town today and buy another 10 footer for the access to the next paddock and went ahead and picked up an 8 footer for the chicken pen.

Teresa's oldest son and family came in late last night and they spent most of the day outside where we set up a shooting range and got plenty of touring the farm and animals.  They also discovered seed ticks but we only found one on the two grandsons.  Teresa deals with Essential Oils and used some peppermint oil on a Q-Tip to get the critter to back out.

I got started early and we finished the fence while they were walking the property so they didn't even get put to work.


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## Baymule

You can never have too many gates. LOL

It's nice when family can come to the farm and enjoy themselves.


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## CntryBoy777

I have learned about gates too. I have 3 that are 4' gates, because it was basically walk-thru access. Now, I wish I would've gone with the 6' at least....the riding mower can't get thru a 4' hole with a 50" deck. So, I will have to access thru the 12' gates on the ends of the field. The FEL won't lift it higher than the fence to cross thru?


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## CntryBoy777

How did the shooting go? I was thinking of setting up a shooting gallery for the BB gun for when family comes in for entertainment.


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## Mike CHS

It can lift it high enough since that's how we got it in but I was able to move it under a tree which is now out of range of the tractor.  We added some more plywood which added some more weight so it is probably over 500 pounds.  I moved it to where it is but we need a gate into the pasture anyway.


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## Baymule

Even our back yard has a 12' gate. My husband thought I was nuts for that but has since changed his mind on that. LOL


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## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> How did the shooting go? I was thinking of setting up a shooting gallery for the BB gun for when family comes in for entertainment.



They had a good time.  We had bought the boys a  BB gun and they shot till they lost focus. Ages 8 and 6.  T's son brought his 30 06 that I bought new from Western Auto back in 1966 and had all fixed up to give him for Christmas last year.  I think he has a sore shoulder tonight but isn't saying anything.


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## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Even our back yard has a 12' gate. My husband thought I was nuts for that but has since changed his mind on that. LOL



We have 12 footers where we need but I prefer the smaller ones in close quarters which is where I use the smaller ones.


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## CntryBoy777

Oh I know the boys had a Big time and will remember it for a while. Our grandsons are 9&10, so really close in size. Those 30-06s do pack a punch, I used to have a bolt action one yrs ago.


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## Mike CHS

We got 4 12' and one 6' gate mounted today and the weather was beautiful.

Number two grandson learned a life lesson about chicken coops today.  He learned that it is a BAD idea to chase hens in a pen when that pen is also occupied by a big Rhode Island Red rooster named Rocky who is pretty defensive of his harem.


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## CntryBoy777

Yeh, he'll remember that the rest of his life, too I bet...
Just a bit more and ya will be able to stop your gathering of grass for feed....I know ya will be Glad when ya finally turn them out.
I was wondering if that neighbor's son comes with "Traveling Papers"....


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## Mike CHS

They don't let him get too far from home but he is a good worker.  Every young man we have met around here is the same though.  It's a pleasant change from what we saw in Charleston.


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## Baymule

I have always allowed our grand daughter and her friends chase and catch the hens. Sometimes I figured those poor hens would suck their eggs backwards up somewhere behind their eyeballs. But they endured being lugged around, hugged and squeezed, put in the horse trailer, and any number of things that kids could do to chickens (but never anything mean) and those hens never missed a beat. They laid like it was a normal day for them.

Now I have one pen with a rooster. He hates me and I hate him. He is on my short list. Unless a rooster was VERY calm and non aggressive, I'll never have one free ranging with the hens. I want the grand daughters and any other kids that visit to enjoy the hens, gather eggs and hug the hens all they want to.


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## Mike CHS

We did abuse the company and had the son help me hang the last of the gates.  I loaded all the tools and the generator that had not been started since Hurricane Ivan in Pensacola and we got it all done.

We started the electric on top of the fence today and got almost 300' done. That fence I hope someday to not need but it keeps Maisy in and hope to someday not need it.  We hope to finish most of it tomorrow but we need to rewire our new (old) trailer to fit the receiver on our truck to get our ram and new ewe.  We are pushing it with her since she is due in about 10 days.

I will take a couple of pictures of how we did some almost solid rock fencing and we have to follow up with some concrete.


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## CntryBoy777

Hopefully, it'll be an easy transport on her and she'll settle in okay. I know ya will be happy to tie-up those loose strings. So, when's the "Ribbon Cutting" on the paddocks?


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## Mike CHS

We are hoping to finish the electric today or tomorrow.  We got the last of the gauze out of the #6 lamb yesterday so he and his mom are back with the flock.  I'm glad that was it since he was getting hard to catch.  As soon as he saw the shepherds hook he got all tensed up to run.  The first two days I could walk right up to him but that changed pretty quickly.


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## Mike CHS

We did about half of the electric wire and hopefully will finish tomorrow.  I know I said the same thing yesterday.  

I was going to spray part of the new pasture to kill the weeds but I cut and bagged about 200 pounds of it to see what the sheep would do with it and they pigged out so I guess I'm not going to spray.  I'm not sure what they won't eat but so far everything I have cut has been used.


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## CntryBoy777

I find the same thing happens to me, too Mike...
With them eating it, it sure makes pasture management fairly easy, doesn't it? Does the orchard grass grow all year? If not, then what replaces it in the summer?


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## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> I was going to spray part of the new pasture to kill the weeds but I cut and bagged about 200 pounds of it to see what the sheep would do with it and they pigged out so I guess I'm not going to spray.  I'm not sure what they won't eat but so far everything I have cut has been used.



Horrors!!!! (shudder) Sheep feed 101: SHEEP LOVE WEEDS!!! Weeds are your new best friends. Sheep will eat things that cows and horses will turn their noses up at. I let the sheep out one afternoon and saw with dismay that they were in my pitiful daylily bed. But they ignored the daylilies and ate the weeds! No need to "clean" up the pasture for the sheep!


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## Mike CHS

@Baymule  What I'm cutting now is more ragweed than grass but it does have a lot of some kind of clover.

Fred, I am not sure what our grass is and can't find anybody that really knows.  We have a cool season grass that starts getting thick around November and then a lot of Bermuda that takes over in summer.  Cutting 17 acres of pasture with a riding mower can be done but I'm thinking we need more sheep if I'm going to get anything else done this summer.


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## Latestarter

17 acres to be cut with a riding mower?   And here I thought cutting my ~8 acres of pasture on a riding mower was a b*tch... You need a brush hog (for your tractor) more than I do... or maybe you're right... another 50 or so sheep ought to help


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## Mike CHS

I have a cutter for our tractor but that doesn't bag the grass which I'm feeding the sheep.  It won't be much longer now.  We are moving the sheep into the new paddock tomorrow and we have electric netting that we are going to use to train the sheep to it inside the paddock.  If that works out we can move the sheep as needed to let them keep the grass down until we get the second and larger pasture done.

Today we finished up the hot wire to keep Maisy in and everything else out and just have to rig up a couple more of the gate wires. We still need to run some hot wire low in the section the new ram and wethers will be in but may need to build another fence to keep him away from the ewes.  During our spare time today we had 10 tons of gravel brought in to help get rid of some muddy drainage area down by my shop.  There is still a little hand work to do but the front end loader took care of smoothing most of it out.

I need to let about 10 acres of really nice grass grow since that is what we will be using for hay.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I know your back, legs, arms, and hands sure Appreciated that FEL, too....
I bet ya will be Glad cutting the ribbon tomorrow....I sure can't wait to have Mine either....


----------



## Mike CHS

Fred - we are going to lay back a little for a couple of days and let the hands heal and all the cuts and scrapes at least get hardened. 

We had to change our plans a little to make the pasture switch work out.  I can take our sheep anywhere just by carrying a bucket of feed but the two new additions will be stressed out and not so pliable.  The issue is that the ram is going into a different pasture than the new ewe and there is no linking of the two pastures.  We really need to get the ewe here since she is so close to lambing and the farm manager where they are is going to be tied up from this weekend (out of town) for a week or so.  We are going to get the ewe Friday and will go back to get the ram when it works for the farm where he is now.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I surely can't blame ya there...I'd probably have to take a wk or so off.


----------



## Baymule

Ragweed is sheep candy. There _is _a sheep in there!


----------



## Mike CHS

Now I know they like it but I'm surprised since it is so bitter but I guess I'm still figuring out sheep taste buds.


----------



## Mike CHS

We finally got everything done and got the sheep moved to the new pasture.  I did learn a lesson that when sheep trust you - you need to trust them.  We have quite a bit of distance  between the two paddocks so we set dogs at each end of where the sheep might go if they didn't follow me in.

That was a BAD IDEA.  All the sheep were in exthen cept #70 who is the watcher.  All of the sheep got into the new area  but she was hanging  back - she looked around and saw the dogs at  both ends.  She looked back to her old pen and saw the gate closed and hauled butt up the driveway. Of course then all of the rest followed their watcher and we had to start all over.  (This happened twice)

I sat down in the driveway with the grain bucket and they decided desert was with me and they all followed me into the new digs.

Every time I go near the pen they get to bawling since they have gotten into the routine of having their food brought to them and now they have to work at it.  


The chicken pen joins with the others and Maisy is having a good time trying to figure out how to get to them (which we have to work on)


----------



## CntryBoy777

I bet it won't take long before they get to "Getting" their own....an endless tub of grass, any time they want a Nibble. Tho, these goats over here, still prefer for us to p/u acorns for them to eat....so, ya may have to shack the bag for a few days so they'll think ya just cut all that's around them....


----------



## Mike CHS

We will still cut some for them.  The pen they are in now is 4 acres but it won't take long to eat it down.


----------



## Mike CHS

We went up to Carthage, TN today to pick up our new ewe.  She is a two year old that had a single lamb last year.  This year she looks to definitely be carrying twins.  The farm we got her from has some large sheep and she is bigger than even our biggest.  We haven't been in a situation yet to weigh her but guessing she is 160-175 pounds.

I will post a picture of her tomorrow.  She wan't wanting to be messed with tonight and we will let her get over all of the stress.

I did have one picture on the camera of the gravel we put down the other day.  Believe it or not there is about 6" of rock at the far end tapering down to a small amount to even it all out.  Teresa was finishing up Maisy escape proofing the gate with hot wire in the picture.

I started the mower up this afternoon to cut some grass for the new ewe and the sheep came hauling it to the gate looking for their fresh grass.  I guess from their perspective it tastes the same and is a whole lot less effort than grazing.


----------



## CntryBoy777

When I opened up the back area of the goat pen, I went in and cut the fence...it took them 3days to cross it...
Hope your new girl settles in for ya before long....and all stays Good thru the lambing, too.


----------



## Mike CHS

Thanks Fred.  We are finding out that people that don't do herd dogs have wilder sheep.  It took 4 of us an hour to catch this ewe and she makes our Wild Thing look like a pet (though she is now).  We didn't plan well enough and moved all of the sheep to the new pen and didn't leave any to stay with the ewe.  We will fix that tomorrow.


----------



## Mike CHS

I cooked a bunch of eggs for the dogs this morning along with their kibble.  We have been moving Maisy's food to another area since the sheep will eat it and she will let them.  We were wanting to catch one of the lambs that has been weaned to put in with the new ewe so I just wanted to get the feeding out of the way and get it done.  We are planning on taking it easy today to get rested or at least that is the plan.  This ewe is bigger than any of our other sheep and looks to probably be carrying twins.  We need to catch the lamb to do hooves and weigh him but I'm guessing he is over 70 pounds.


----------



## NH homesteader

Your new ewe is very pretty! Look at your once skittish sheep, not so anymore! You must be thrilled with how everything is coming together. I hope you get a chance to rest today!


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## CntryBoy777

The new addition sure stands out from the crowd. Things are really looking good over there. That rock really sets things off too....like a frame on a picture. I could sure use some around here too. I bet the dogs loved those eggs.


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## Bruce

The new girl is the black (and white) sheep of the family 

I see Maisy gets her loving 

What are the white things on the hotwire crossing the H-brace? 

The alpacas took a day or two before they were willing to venture out into the newly fenced area way back in December. I guess it is somewhat natural for prey animals to stick to the known area.


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## Mike CHS

Bruce - those are wire tighteners.


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## Bruce

Hmmm, haven't seen that type. I just got some of these from Premier1. I was going to get springs but these seem more adjustable. Of course you need to be near the center of a run to get both "ends" equally (or nearly so) tight.

https://www.premier1supplies.com/p/round-in-line-strainer-handle

You can either run wire through them, like a ratchet strainer, or there is a slot on the side for existing wire so you don't need to cut it.


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## Mike CHS

Of course we installed them when running the wire and did so at both the start and near the end of a run.  We have one run that is over 300' and it is as tight as the shorter runs.  We had never used them before but I like them.


----------



## Mike CHS

I consider Teresa and I a couple of the most patient people that we know but Maisy is getting awful close to pushing past the point of wanting her to succeed.

I opened the blinds and was looking out at the sheep and said how good Maisy has been following the sheep around the new pasture.  One of our lambs was limping this morning and fairly severely.  We checked him out all over for the obvious and could find nothing other than sensitive leg joints.  Later in the day we saw another lamb limping and then started to seriously worry about something going on in the field.

It was 5 minutes after I had said how good she was doing and I look out and she has the lamb that was limping by the hind quarter yanking on it pretty hard.

She is back to being tethered while we think about what her future here is going to be.  The one lamb was hurt bad enough that I seriously thought about putting it down this afternoon but decided to give him one more day.

She doesn't mess with our ewes but they will flatten her butt - the lambs don't have a defense so we are literally at a loss.  There is so much of the pasture that can't be seen from the house and the area I saw her do the deed is normally not visible at this time of day but I was enjoying watching the sheep graze.  At least until I saw our sweet dog trying to cripple a lamb.

We have seen several ads for LGD's that stated "Good with adult sheep" and I'm thinking now that I know why.

Sorry for the rant but I have spent so much time with this girl that it's almost like a slap in the face.


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## Bruce

Maybe @Southern by choice has some ideas on this.


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## Mike CHS

I did a bunch of reading and I'm seeing things on "dangle sticks" and so many things.  I really don't want to write her off but this lamb was hurt bad enough that I was going to put it down and to say the least when I saw her chewing on the lamb I SAW RED!


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## NH homesteader

I don't blame you for being angry and sometimes you need to vent before you can think about "fixing" it. I don't have advice, but I'm sorry this happened. The ewes don't defend their lambs when they're this old? Not that they should have to defend them from their guardian, just curious.

I hope you are able to figure out the best plan of action... Whatever it may be.


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## Mike CHS

Once the lambs are a couple of months old they are on their own.   We will work it out since we don't want her to become a problem somewhere else but it is frustrating, especially when you reach the point where you think she has it figured out.


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## Hens and Roos

sorry to hear, hope the lambs recovery


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## Southern by choice

Mike CHS said:


> I consider Teresa and I a couple of the most patient people that we know but Maisy is getting awful close to pushing past the point of wanting her to succeed.
> 
> I opened the blinds and was looking out at the sheep and said how good Maisy has been following the sheep around the new pasture.  One of our lambs was limping this morning and fairly severely.  We checked him out all over for the obvious and could find nothing other than sensitive leg joints.  Later in the day we saw another lamb limping and then started to seriously worry about something going on in the field.
> 
> It was 5 minutes after I had said how good she was doing and I look out and she has the lamb that was limping by the hind quarter yanking on it pretty hard.
> 
> She is back to being tethered while we think about what her future here is going to be.  The one lamb was hurt bad enough that I seriously thought about putting it down this afternoon but decided to give him one more day.
> 
> She doesn't mess with our ewes but they will flatten her butt - the lambs don't have a defense so we are literally at a loss.  There is so much of the pasture that can't be seen from the house and the area I saw her do the deed is normally not visible at this time of day but I was enjoying watching the sheep graze.  At least until I saw our sweet dog trying to cripple a lamb.
> 
> We have seen several ads for LGD's that stated "Good with adult sheep" and I'm thinking now that I know why.
> 
> Sorry for the rant but I have spent so much time with this girl that it's almost like a slap in the face.





Mike CHS said:


> I did a bunch of reading and I'm seeing things on "dangle sticks" and so many things.  I really don't want to write her off but this lamb was hurt bad enough that I was going to put it down and to say the least when I saw her chewing on the lamb I SAW RED!



I will certainly not make a friend here and you have not asked for my advice but I will give it anyway.
It is NOT the dog.

You should know by now after so many threads, so many posts you have read and followed that dogs fail because key things are missed.
You may be patient but that is not enough.
DOGS ARE PACK ANIMALS! 

You would not have a solitary sheep but it is the same concept.
You do not have the skill to evaluate a dog to see if it could be a solitary animal, given the fact that she was with other dogs and was not a problem this should speak volumes.

I am not trying to be a jerk but truth is you have in some ways set her up to fail.
She needed a partner you did not get her one.
She has nothing and no one. 

What you see with your eyes may be what you think she is doing yet often it is not what is really happening. In this case maybe she is chasing etc the lambs.
I just know there is usually a whole lot more going on.

This is why people should get dogs from breeders that know what they are doing , place dogs appropriately, and can help especially first time LGD owners. Usually people go off craigslist and go for the cheapest dog they can find. Spending thousands on livestock or herding dogs but somehow think the LGD is not worth researching and selecting. 

You took that care with your herding dogs but not your LGD. 
You had/have a mentor for your sheep. You took that care.
You had/have a mentor for your herding dogs. You took that care.
Sad thing is a good LGD is the most valuable asset on any farm.
At this point you are taking the issues with the dog personally and that is a huge mistake. They pick up on this and where there is no respect things generally get worse. I truly am surprised. 

I know I may have already way overstepped here but truly a LGDog may not be the right choice for you.
I have seen over the years those that are very strongly working with herding ( actual herding) dogs generally do not do well with LGDogs.
Generally they are too controlling and get frustrated easily and have no real ability to read or work with LGDogs.
They are the antithesis of a herding dog and generally human personalities do not click with the guardian breeds.

To actually read you post that you would consider dangle sticks is absolutely heart wrenching. These ignorant idiots that suggest contraptions, dangle sticks etc are nothing but a bunch of wanna be's and have no business telling anyone how to raise a LGD. It means they FAILED.
If THEY had to use them then they failed. There is a person that has had 4 LGD's consecutively... got their 5th... gee EVERYONE of those dogs failed. EVERY ONE! Yet the person was giving advice on how to raise a LGD. EVEN BRED A LITTER! All those dogs got shipped off because they "failed". Word is out and no one will ever sell this person a dog again. Sadly many read alot of what I post and I see the lingo everywhere yet they have no clue and no experience but it makes them sound like they do. Anyone can regurgitate it doesn't mean they have the skill.
Breaking the dog's spirit is catastrophic.
Yes, dangle sticks are used throughout Europe but they are very different, and done right not the stupid stuff these people suggest.

Some dogs do not make it as LGD's but the majority that didn't make it are because they were failed in one way or another.


No LGD should chew on livestock. 100 % in agreement with you! So why is she doing this? And don't believe this BS that the dog is young and not matuer. That is BS too! 
Tethering her is making things worse as she has *no companion* and now she has pent up energy then she comes off tether etc and .....

If you give Maizey up I would consider taking her. I am considering Babs Anatolian right now .... but she may have someone in CA for her.
Tiggs could use a buddy.


----------



## Mike CHS

SBC - thanks for all of the input but you make a few assumptions that aren't correct.  Maisy was not a cheap Craigslist dog and the reason we went with her was that she was supposedly a successful LGD as a lone dog.  No argument that we should have done things differently though in hind sight.

We will work it out - she has become part of the family and we would give up the Aussie before sending her away.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

I've been trying to think back to when Maddie was a young 'un.  She's over six now and for most of her life she was a lone LGD.  It worked for us/her, but now I'm wondering if there was any one thing that  made her successful.  We probably just got lucky, but a couple things come to mind....    I had other dogs that Maddie had play time with.  She would burn off a lot of energy playing with the other dogs.  We had two Westies that would go to the pasture with me every morning and every evening on rat patrol.  Maddie would always take a break and play with them.  I remember one of the Westies  would always grab her tail and Maddie would spin so fast that the Westie would be airborne!  Just makes me wonder if Maisy would be more laid back with the lambs if she was just a little bit tired and had a chance to get some of her enthusiasm re-directed away from the lambs?   Also, and this might sound silly, but summer is coming!  A big ol' hairy dog (at least at my house) isn't nearly as exuberant when it's really hot outside. 

Just throwing these things out there because they popped into my head. 

I really hope things work out for ya'll.  I think all your BYH friends are in your corner and rooting for Maisy to make it as a successful LGD!


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## Mike CHS

Thanks FEM.    We have a couple of LGD folks that we have been in constant contact with so one way or another it will work out.  She does get a lot of interaction with our other dogs outside of the sheeps pen.

Watching her this morning when she thought we couldn't see her she is only picking on the castrated male lambs.  Probably not but it almost looks like she is trying to cull the defective (castrated) boys.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Ohhhh,, that brings up a really good point.  I have seen that in action.  We had a goose that was born/hatched with defective legs and could never really get around very well.  One day Maddie walked very casually, right in front of DH and I, and reached down, chomped that baby goose and kept on walking like nothing had ever happened. 

Injured animals draw predators. LGD's know that and sometimes they take action.  

 for ya'll!


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## Southern by choice

Mike CHS said:


> few assumptions that aren't correct. Maisy was not a cheap Craigslist dog and the reason we went with her was that she was supposedly a successful LGD as a lone dog.


 I was not referring to you, I know where you got Maisy because you posted about it. I was just referring to the mindset of so many and why so many dogs fail. Maisy was with her mom if I remember and the people sold their sheep , maisy was alone for a short time and had not been raised as a lone dog. 



frustratedearthmother said:


> I've been trying to think back to when Maddie was a young 'un.  She's over six now and for most of her life she was a lone LGD.  It worked for us/her, but now I'm wondering if there was any one thing that  made her successful.  We probably just got lucky, but a couple things come to mind....    I had other dogs that Maddie had play time with.  She would burn off a lot of energy playing with the other dogs.  We had two Westies that would go to the pasture with me every morning and every evening on rat patrol.  Maddie would always take a break and play with them.  I remember one of the Westies  would always grab her tail and Maddie would spin so fast that the Westie would be airborne!  Just makes me wonder if Maisy would be more laid back with the lambs if she was just a little bit tired and had a chance to get some of her enthusiasm re-directed away from the lambs?   Also, and this might sound silly, but summer is coming!  A big ol' hairy dog (at least at my house) isn't nearly as exuberant when it's really hot outside.
> 
> Just throwing these things out there because they popped into my head.
> 
> I really hope things work out for ya'll.  I think all your BYH friends are in your corner and rooting for Maisy to make it as a successful LGD!



This is 100% right FEM. But it must be done with care or the exact opposite can happen and the dogs don't want to be w livestock and want to be family dogs or part of that pack.


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## Mike CHS

The folks that got Maisy as a pup also got his brother Buddy both at 4 months old so they had some time with their working parents until then.  Buddy had no desire to be an LGD so Maisy was by herself from then until we bought her at one year old.

But like I said, we could have and should have done things differently.


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## Mike CHS

Something on a lighter note.  I'm attaching a couple of pictures of one of our cabbage and onion beds and the asparagus bed.  We have been getting spears for almost 3 weeks and got our first batch just before our last late freeze.

The other picture is of our big garden bed.  We put in a 75' row of potatoes yesterday.  Actually Teresa did.

While mowing on the hillside today the mower found a nest of turkey eggs and broke half.  The turkey won't come back to the nest now that all of the cover is gone so we are going to try to incubate the 4 that are left.

The reason I'm attaching a picture of part of the pasture is to show where our big garden is.  Looking at the tree line behind the shop is where it is.


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## CntryBoy777

Good to see things coming along for y'all. Ya might wanna offer Teresa a back-rub after planting those Taters, I know I would surely need one...
Seeing the yolk, tells ya the eggs are fresh, hope they Hatch for ya too. I've never happened upon one, but they are out there, we have seen them foraging.


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## Mike CHS

Last year I posted about our favorite tasting tomato and someone asked for a source.  I couldn't find the seed again then nor can I remember who it was that asked but if you recall the tomato variety was Brave General.  I originally got it from Baker Creek but they no longer carry it.

I found another site that carries a tomato by the same name and I'm hoping it is actually the same tomato.  The seed comes from Kazakhstan which Baker Creeks seed did also.  The appearance and description they provide sounds exactly like those that we grew.  They also had a whole page of tomato seeds from that part of the world that we have all found good.

I have never used this web site but after browsing it for a bit I will be again. 

http://www.amishlandseeds.com/russian_tomatoes.htm


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## CntryBoy777

Thanks Mike, it was me and a few others.


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## Mike CHS

I thought so.  I ordered several different seeds from them.


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## frustratedearthmother

Your garden is HUGE!  I did a garden that big once....just once...only once...   Hope it does great for you!


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## NH homesteader

So beautiful. Did I ever mention I love your state? 

Are you allowed to incubate wild turkey eggs? Fish and Game here would have my head. We aren't even legally allowed to order eastern wild turkeys from the hatchery and keep them here. 

That is a big garden! I like lots of little gardens, raised beds. A big garden like that would give me a panic attack, it would end up full of weeds! Lol


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## Mike CHS

We did the same area last year and we were only here for 5 days a month.  Between us and the neighbors we wound up with 50 pounds of purple hulls peas and I have no idea how many ears of corn. We had so many bushels of peas that I bought a pea sheller.


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## Mike CHS

NH homesteader said:


> So beautiful. Did I ever mention I love your state?
> 
> Are you allowed to incubate wild turkey eggs? Fish and Game here would have my head. We aren't even legally allowed to order eastern wild turkeys from the hatchery and keep them here.
> 
> That is a big garden! I like lots of little gardens, raised beds. A big garden like that would give me a panic attack, it would end up full of weeds! Lol



We thought about that and will call tomorrow to find out but they would not have a chance where they were so we will find out.  We know a DNR rep so we can do whatever is right (or legal).


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## Mike CHS

Pulaski Tennessee claims some sort of fame for Turkeys.  They are all over the place.


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## NH homesteader

I love them, except when they harass my turkeys. Which is, unfortunately, kind of often. Actually a lot of the wild turkeys around here have some domestic turkey features. Someone released a whole bunch of heritage turkeys years ago and you can tell!


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## Baymule

I wonder if that improved the wild stock? Hmmm..... kinda like "wild farming" a new and improved strain of wild turkeys! Maybe that's what @Latestarter did with his pig--improved the local feral hog population!  LS, just wait a year or so and go hunting for the new and improved wild Oklahoma hogs! 

Mike, I know you and Teresa love waking up to that view every morning. Simply beautiful!


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## Mike CHS

Thanks Bay and we do.  Teresa has done what she calls a "Prayer Walk" every morning for years but says it always seem more appropriate here.  

The turkey egg incubation is canceled.  We saw the female turkey up on the hill looking for her eggs.  We took a chance and took them back up there and put them back on the nest (what was left of it).  About an hour later we looked and she seems to have accepted them back.  I was really surprised and hopefully there is enough vegetation up there to keep her and them hidden.  It won't get cut again till she is out of there.


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## NH homesteader

Oh great! I'm glad she came back! Turkey mamas on a nest are nasty creatures, I tell you! Lol


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## Latestarter

Sweet views. Very nice property. Glad momma turkey took the eggs back. Didn't think you could legally hatch wild turkey eggs. Even with the best intentions... Have to agree that is a huge, daunting garden space. I very much dislike weeding... primarily because of a bad back and knees. It just plain hurts. I guess picking corn wouldn't bother either too much though. I have to believe that having a garden that size is quite a bit easier to manage when you have a tractor and the appropriate three point add-ons. I still remember you & the pea sheller you got last year. That was a LOT of peas...


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## Baymule

Yeah, ya'll really did a lot of pea-ing last year! LOL Are ya'll gonna pea a lot this year?


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## Mike CHS

We will do mostly peas.  Half of that garden space will be farrow but it looked pretty enough I had to get a picture.  We share our space there with a neighbor who has been kind enough to become part of our family.  He is an 87 year old man (just had a birthday) and he is the one that worked all of those furrows.  He normally just chisel plows a couple of rows, enough to plant but we were talking about fencing it all off and using it as pasture since it wasn't being used so I guess he thought we would use it.


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## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I found another site that carries a tomato by the same name and I'm hoping it is actually the same tomato. The seed comes from Kazakhstan which Baker Creeks seed did also.


Can you not save seeds for next year rather than having to hunt them down and pay for them? You might find some people here interested in getting some from you 

I wonder how early "VERY EARLY" is since there is no "days to maturity" number given.


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## Mike CHS

We will save some this year and hopefully they are the same type.  Last year we only had a couple of seeds and just wound up with one plant which we cloned in mid July.  Our main tomato was Rutgers which had fruit a little over two weeks after the Brave General.  I didn't see any major difference in time to grow but that was a busy time for us so there wasn't a whole lot of record keeping.

Our problem was that we misunderstood what you needed to do for seed saving.  We thought you would have cross pollination if more than one type was grown together - we now know that it probably doesn't matter with open pollinated types.

That site had a couple of varieties that is supposedly really early and considering the weather in that part of the world they would have to be.


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## Mike CHS

We reclaimed some more of the hill that is in front of our house by hauling out about 3 front end loader buckets full of stone and leveled the area with landscape timbers.  It give us an 8' x 8' kitchen garden bed.  If the wind will back off a bit we are going to try and get a cattle panel hoop house up for some shade/shelter for the sheep.

I made a big batch of Spicey Lamb Meatballs yesterday so we could put it on and have a big lunch then work outside when it's cooler.


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## Bruce




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## frustratedearthmother

Looks great!


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## CntryBoy777

I know the rocks can really be a headache, but your land sure is nice looking and very scenic. Ya can never have too much garden space, because there is always something to grow or experiment with....


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## Mike CHS

I like garden boxes even though I know that the tree roots will take over the beds in a few years.  I figure if nothing else we can grow some herbs in what soil the trees leave for us.  

That rocky row behind the raspberry and blackberry vines last year gave us more tomatoes than we needed to can and most of the neighbors got what they wanted.


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## CntryBoy777

Do ya grow any potatoes there...Irish or sweet?....or do the rocks and groundhogs cause problems?


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## Mike CHS

We planted potatoes in the big garden in the bottom.  We are right on the edge of the hills here and they literally stop and some deep bottom land starts.  We have some sweet potato starts ready to go and they will be in the bottom garden also.

I'm in the minority here as everyone prefers row crops but I like my raised beds. Less trouble maintaining them and you get more bang for your buck.


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## CntryBoy777

I like raised beds too, for the same reasons....plus, I put harware cloth underneath to keep moles and voles from eating plants from the bottom. I use decking screws to attach the sides with 2x4 corners, then take them apart and move them if wanting to work another area and let the old one rest.


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## Baymule

Spicy Lamb Meatballs?? Recipe? Speaking of lamb balls, we're castrating a ram lamb tomorrow. LOL I guess not the same.....


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## Goat Whisperer

Mountain Oysters Baymule!

Cook em up like popcorn chicken and feed it to the poor unsuspecting husband


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## Baymule

He'll be watching.....


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## Mike CHS

Maisy got all of them when we did our rams.

I did have a recipe but didn't follow it so I pasted the original and the notes of what I did different.  

*Lamb Meatballs and Sauce*
MM- I followed the recipe except I used the whole small tin of tomato paste. We just fried one to see how it tasted and it is awesome. Weill bake tonight add some pasta sauce over pasta.

Ingredients

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup milk
1 1/4 pounds ground lamb
1 egg, beaten
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small can of tomato paste(the recipe called for 1 tbs)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary (I used dry)
1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pinch cayenne pepper
3 cups tomato sauce
1 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 pinch red pepper flakes, or to taste
Directions

MM - I left them in the oven till 165 degrees and then added them to some pasta sauce and diced tomatoes to keep over night then let them simmer the next day till done.

Preheat an oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil; oil lightly.
Combine bread crumbs and milk in a small bowl. Soak bread crumbs until milk is absorbed, about 30 minutes. (I just added these to the mix since I was going to let it simmer the next day).
Combine bread crumb mixture, lamb, egg, garlic, olive oil, tomato paste, rosemary, cumin, salt, oregano, black pepper, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper in a large bowl.
Form lamb mixture into 2-inch meatballs and place on the prepared baking sheet.
Cook meatballs in the preheated oven until they are slightly browned, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Combine meatballs, tomato sauce, chicken stock, fresh mint, and red pepper flakes in a large sauce pan over medium heat until meatballs are no longer pink inside, about 45 minutes. (I used mint but no chicken stock)


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## frustratedearthmother

Sounds delicious!


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## Mike CHS

We planed down some of that cherry we got at auction awhile back. Teresa is using it for some shelves outside the shop.   We only planed the one board to get a bow out but the others we left rough since they are just going to be shelves.  _I'll post a picture later when we get back together and I can get her phone pictures.  This is one of those days that we are working separately.  I spent so much time weed eating the other day that I figured it was time to break out the Roundup._


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## Baymule

I bet those meatballs would be good in an alfredo sauce or stroganoff. They sound yummy! We had 4 ram lambs born, 3 of which are sold. We're thinking we need to keep #4 for ourselves......but slaughter size is a long way off


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## Mike CHS

bay - we are keeping two for ourselves but we won't process them until July sometime.

We just finished up the cattle panel shelter.  We chose a spot with too many slab rocks.  We wanted a shelter 4 panels wide but had to stop at two.  Soooooo, we move down to the next ledge to see if we can find some dirt to drive posts into.

That $20 haul of cherry turned out as good as I had hoped. I'm attaching pictures of how it originally looked and how it looked after 4 passes through the planer.  We didn't bother getting it completely done since it will be exterior (although under cover) shelves.


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## Mike CHS

Bruce would appreciate this rock ledge layout.  In the picture you can fairly well see the 3 ledges of slab rock starting from just inside the fence on down through the last.  In most cases we have been able to work on the ledges but you have to hunt for a dirt spot.  This hoop house was hoping to be 3 or even 4 panels long but it wasn't going to be.  Tomorrow we will go down to the next ledge which we were able to find enough breaks in the ledge to drive fence posts so we will try again there.


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## Bruce

I think you and I both need a jack hammer! Maybe with a hammer drill and rock bit you could drill a deep enough hole in the rock to drop in a piece of rebar to anchor the panel??


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## CntryBoy777

What about a couple of loads of fill dirt and ya'd have enough dirt on top to anchor it?....and give a rise to the flooring for dry inside during rains.


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## Mike CHS

Bruce - I rented a skid steer with a jack hammer to lay the fence for the dry lot.  I know that you have a lot of experience with rocks and fence but we used  bags of cement for the small dry lot.  Wherever we found something other than rock we used a couple bags of cement.


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## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> What about a couple of loads of fill dirt and ya'd have enough dirt on top to anchor it?....and give a rise to the flooring for dry inside during rains.



There is a almost 10 degree slope that starts 500' higher elevation so pretty much anything loose is going to wind up at the bottom.  

The spot in the picture is at 1200' and the hill above us is at 1800'.  Jimmy (our neighbor) has to have 4 wheel drive to get up his driveway.


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## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Wherever we found something other than rock we used a couple bags of cement.


Such a place exists?!?!?


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## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Such a place exists?!?!?



We have some good rock free pasture but we have to get off the ledge rocks to get to it. I love doing things in rock. I love doing things in rock. I love doing things in rock.  Thought that might help the mental relaxation. 

The lower land gets a lot more moisture plus we are trying to use that for hay.


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## CntryBoy777

You sure have me convinced Mike....


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## Bruce

You rock Mike!


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## Mike CHS

We had some work done on our trailer yesterday but they got it done for us in time to head up and pick up the ram today.  He walked right into the trailer and settled right in after a bit of sensory overload.  He has been with cattle for 2 months and has not even seen a ewe for 4 months so a pasture full of females had his nose and tongue working.  All of the ewes greeted him and appeared to be pleased with their new guy but no breeding for another month or two.

The spotted ewe getting huge and is showing all the signs of being soon.  Her home farm has had 8 lambs in the last 24 hours and she had been with that group so hopefully soon.  She is calming down and follows the lead of the tamest ewe and lamb that we put in with her.


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## CntryBoy777

I didn't even have to expand the pic to see the Smile on his face...
Your ewe looks like she needs a "Banner"....Wide Load. I know your glad to finally get all the pcs together finally. It is sure looking really good.
Are y'all suppose to get any rain from this next round tomorrow?


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## Mike CHS

We helped the farm manager this morning band 4 of their ram lambs.  This farm is awesome and is strong enough that they have several apprentices as well as a lot of volunteers to take care of a lot of things.  They supply several restaurants in Knoxville and Nashville but it is a place I would have loved to work at when I was young.

Fred - I think our forecast is about like yours but I haven't seen it today since we had to get things done and separate some of the wethers for the ram.  I'm hoping we have a dry day tomorrow since I need to hook up the sprayer to put Roundup on our driveway to avoid an 8 hour weed eater day.


----------



## luvmypets

Beautiful new ewe, heres to a good lambing


----------



## Baymule

I love your spotty ewe!! What's her name? Your new ram is built real nice, he's a handsome fella!


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## Latestarter

Grats on finally getting that big boy home! I'm sure he'll be feeling right at home in no time with all those nice lady sheep to cover.


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## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> I love your spotty ewe!! What's her name? Your new ram is built real nice, he's a handsome fella!



She is 26.    It may change but only a few have names.  Our #3 lamb is Hoss because he is a hoss. Freckles looks like she has freckles.  Notag- didn't have a ear tag and she is also the tamest of all of them but Notag works.


----------



## Mike CHS

We put up a arnother 8'x12' cattle panel hoop house for the ram and the wethers with him.  I don't think he has ever used a shelter of any kind but at least it's available.  The wethers will use it to get out of the rain so he might.

We got all of the veggies into the ground that we had started.  We wound up with 20 tomato plants, 6 yellow squash, 6 zucchini 6 pepper plants, 20 cucumbers and a token tomatillo for salsa.  We still have 3 beds left for various beans and okra then everything else will be row crops in the big garden.


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## CntryBoy777

Joyce is still trying to find room for more stuff to plant, but is having the clear grass and weed overgrowth to find it. The dad-burn oak tree shades so much now with its leaves on that over half is in shade.


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## Mike CHS

We added a bunch of peat moss and of course sheep manure but the beds are still hard.  We bought an accessory that works like a mantis tiller (only heavier) that we can use on our Stihl weed eater shaft.  That helps getting in the beds without having to wrestle with the big tiller.  We are growing twice as much as we did last year but since we didn't get here till June we didn't have much time to play in the dirt before it got so hot.


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## CntryBoy777

....and with the fencing out of the way, ya will have it producing even better next yr, too. I keep apologizing to Joyce for not helping her, but I can't be in 2 places at the same time...and certainly don't get from spot A to spot B very quickly anymore either....


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## Baymule

New gardens take awhile to get going. Keep at it, it will pay off. We are on our 3rd year and it is going to be the best year yet.


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## Mike CHS

We have some really fertile soil but just need to keep adding to it.  I have spent most of my life in Florida where you try to make something better than the sand so we are used to it.


----------



## CntryBoy777

What surprised me about Fl, was whatever ya added to the sand it seemed to disappear....it was there that I became a believer in raised beds. Just so the amendments could be seen a mnth or 2 later. It was the craziest thing I'd ever experienced. Tho, I didn't mind digging in it, having come from this heavy clay stuff.


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## Mike CHS

This is my first experience with clay but I'm liking it.  I cut grass all winter for the sheep and quit cutting about 3 weeks ago so we can cut for hay.


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## Baymule

You must have sent me your Florida sand.  Why didn't you send me some of that nice pretty blue ocean water with the waves?? Mike and Fred went to Florida and all I got was this lousy T-shirt and a bucket of sand.


----------



## goatgurl

that is a nice looking ram mike.  and your spotted ewe is looking total cutie.  hope she puts a little color in your pasture.   she looks like some of mine, as cntryboy said.  wide load ahead.


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## CntryBoy777

If I had more time I'd research how to harvest what I grow for hay....but, that's for future thought...I want to get test results for the 4 fields, then depending on recommendations, I will choose a blend to sow for the best quality grazing that I can afford. I haven't gotten those samples yet, but I will...cause I am curious if field 1 is different, since it is the second yr of growthing thru the winter.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have a definite difference between our north end and south end.  We didn't count square bales last year but we got more than double on the south end than the north.

I spent 7 hours weed eating the driveway today so if we can get a forecast with no rain for a couple of days I'm going to hook up the spray tank and break out the glyphosphate. We don't use any more chemical than necessary but I can come up with a whole lot of things I would rather do that weed eat until I started using the chemical.  We would have never finished the renovation otherwise.


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## CntryBoy777

I need to do a bunch over here too, have thought about getting license for MSMA here.


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## CntryBoy777

I've used roundup, but it seems more like fertilizer here than killer. MSMA is what they spray under the power lines here and it kills saplings, too.


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## Mike CHS

I need to do some research then on what is MSMA - Roundup does the drive pretty well so far but whatever I use I'm taking an Ibuprofen tonight.


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## CntryBoy777

My arms can't hold one for that long a time and would take me dags to recoup from it too. The weight and vibration bothers Joyce, so we only use an electric weedeater....lighter and if ya have power it works  we get a couple of yrs out of them then motor burns up and get a new one. However, we do have to tote cords, but I have 3  100' HD cords so just a matter of setting it up. One of my "Other Projects" is to tie into the security/flood lights and drop a GFI recepticle on each post.....just gotta get too it.....


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## Bruce

No surprise Mike! When I read 7 hours of weed whacking didn't even come close!

That MSMA stuff sounds really nasty
https://www.solutionsstores.com/msma-target-6-plus-herbicide


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## CntryBoy777

Ya have to go to a class and take a test to get a licese to purchase that here.....but it definitely works and is used widely here. We have all these blame oak tress and they produce tons of acorns which in turn sprout and unless you cut with more to keep them down, they will take over, not to mention the viney stuff, sumac, and blackberry briars. I used to could swing a pretty mean "Joe Blade" back in my day, but those days are long gone. I just need to find out about livestock and aquatics around the pond....to make sure I stay a safe distance away.


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## Mike CHS

The generic Roundup does the job on the driveway.  We almost always have a lot of wind and it doesn't seem to have as much drift affect.


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## Mike CHS

We decided to take a day off.  We just got back from an auction where we spent half a day. There was a ton of antiques and other collectibles and some farm equipment.  They did have a 3 point hitch hay spear that I bid on and got it for $65.  We bid on a few antique oak furniture pieces but the prices were silly.

Teresa got a #3 galvanized wash tub for $12 that we will use in the ram pen for water.


----------



## Mike CHS

The day started off with zero wind so I got out first thing and sprayed our driveway and the neighbors.  I usually spray his side also but made sure I got his really well today since I had to use his sprayer.  I mounted my 3 point hitch sprayer yesterday and brought it up to the house to fill it with water to use this morning.  I saw some water coming out of the drain area and when I looked at it to see where it was coming from I saw that a rodent of some king had literally chewed the drain plug and about two inches of plastic completely off.  I got it on sale at TSC but the regular price is around $349.  It looks like I can get a replacement and at least reuse the rest of the assembly.

A just because picture of the cabbage beds and another with the dwarf cherry trees in full bloom.  They had a decent load of cherries last August but since we were not here for most of that month the birds got all of them.  We have netting to use this year so hopefully we will get some. This is their third year in the ground here and they seem to be thriving with all the composted sheep manure mulch around them.

Saturday I started germinating a dozen of the Russian tomato seeds that we got recently.  I germinate the seeds in damp paper towels and plant them in a potting mix as soon as they break dormancy so they are already popping up.  It's an extra step but it saves a lot of time when the weather is still cool.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Glad ya was able to get your spraying done...the Gails have stopped here too, gotta get to work outside and get somethings done. I would venture to say that the damage had to be fairly sizeable to do that kind of chewing on your equipment...either rat or chuck. Just out of curiosity...what was the last thing ya had in it? Just wondering if there was a smell that was an attractant to it.


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## frustratedearthmother

Everything seems to be thriving and looking great!


----------



## Mike CHS

The last thing I sprayed was 2-4-D but I used a cleaning solvent to clean the sprayer.  It did have to be something big since the tank was a good piece above the frame.


----------



## Mike CHS

We had to  go back and install some 24" poultry netting on the inside of the chicken pen.  The Delawares figured out that they can get out and go exploring.  Fortunately for the one that got out it got out on the yard side where there are no dogs roaming.  That pen is right at 250' of fence but we were able to get it all done yesterday.

We got another Manager's Special at TSC (picture attached) and got it put together today.  It will hold up to 15 birds but we are going to move the Rhode Island Reds (4 hens and 1 rooster) into this pen and use the now safer pen for all of the younger birds.  It borders the sheep pen on two sides so Maisy keeps them safe even though she doesn't know it.  We have started introducing her to the chickens and she seems to so far understand that they are supposed to be there.


----------



## CntryBoy777

That looks really good!!....I'm in the process of rethinking our poultry plans and directions, but it is behind some goat additions, steers, and may be feeder pigs....so, I have some time to ponder it for a bit.


----------



## dejavoodoo114

Why do you put plywood in the bottom of your chicken houses? Just curious. We have hardware cloth on the bottom of our tractor so nothing can get in when we have the chickens locked up but also we don't have to clean it up, just move it. 

BTW, paying more attention to school for the last few months then trying to catch up on your thread...


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## Mike CHS

Paying attention to school is a good thing.  

We have wire under one that is portable but the painted plywood lets us clean it in place.  The ply is painted and we have a couple of children's toy garden hoes that lets us scrap it pretty quick.  This latest one isn't going to be moved anytime soon due to it's size.


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## Mike CHS

Still no lambs from the spotted ewe.  If she doesn't lamb within the next week that means that she was bred by the ram we got from the farm we got her from so that changes our plans for any ram lambs that she might be having.  If there is a ram lamb we might leave it intact to see how it grows out (awesome blood line) but it won't be staying here on our farm.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Oh, ya going to let me Keep him for ya?.....
Only if ya help with the Fencing..........
I think letting it grow out may be worth seeing, and it certainly would give ya a look at developing structure and characteristics of offspring. Also, if that one isn't exactly what ya are looking for, you'll have a better idea of the younger ones to replace him with....but, if it is Ringo's ya could still make a few $$ from it.


----------



## Baymule

Waiting. On. Lamb.


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## Mike CHS

We do have some more color for our flock.  The spotted ewe had twins within the past hour or so, one is solid black the other is all black except for a white patch on it's forehead.  I haven't sexed them yet since we are just watching to make sure they are nursing.  I'm going in shortly to get rid of her placenta since her instinct is telling her to get rid of the evidence of lambing.  I'll post some pictures and more info in a bit.


----------



## luvmypets

Mike CHS said:


> We do have some more color for our flock.  The spotted ewe had twins within the past hour or so, one is solid black the other is all black except for a white patch on it's forehead.  I haven't sexed them yet since we are just watching to make sure they are nursing.  I'm going in shortly to get rid of her placenta since her instinct is telling her to get rid of the evidence of lambing.  I'll post some pictures and more info in a bit.


Awesome! Congrats


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## CntryBoy777

Sounds really Good....Congratulations!!...


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## Mike CHS

Two ewe lambs and momma and babies are doing well.  I'll have to take some more pictures as the ones I took are sort of graphic for anyone not used to lambing.


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## Mike CHS

Here is a single picture.  We had to put up a panel to keep Notag and Hoss out since the ewe had no idea what these black things were and she was going to hurt them.


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## CntryBoy777

Having 2 ewes, ya will be adding colors thru a few seasons. So, this means they are not Ringo's, right?


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## Mike CHS

No they aren't Ringo's.  The window for those that he bred won't start for another 3 weeks so these were from Riley the blackish ram we were going to get originally. Ringo has turned out to be the sweeter of the two and is as tame as our ewes that we first got.


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## CntryBoy777

That makes it even better, especially if ya can get a ram from them and breed to some of your first group, and have a line with both of those boys in the pedigree....just me thinking tho. Sure ya probably already thought about that.


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## Mike CHS

We have a couple of yearling rams from another farm that we want to check out and possibly a couple more Katahdin ewes.

We will be at our desired base flock size by this time next year and probably a little over so we will start culling a few of the ewes we have now depending on how their lambs grow out.  At least by then we will have some history on all of them.


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## Latestarter

Sweet! Things are really coming together for you folks... FAST! Grats on the double ewe lambs. Can't do much better than that!


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## Mike CHS

We did ear tags and weighed the lambs this morning and took off a half pound since they are almost a day old.  14 is 9.7 and 15 is 9.2 so there is some size with them even though they are twins.  It's no wonder the ewe was looking so broad lugging all that weight around.


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## CntryBoy777

That is really big for twin weights, my goodness it's no wonder she was uncomfortable. I bet in her mind she feels light as a feather....


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## norseofcourse

Congrats!!


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## Hens and Roos

Congrats on the new additions!!


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## Baymule

Congrats on the new twin ewes! They are beautiful!! @goatgurl had some pretty spotty babies too. I love the colored sheep!


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## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> We had to  go back and install some 24" poultry netting on the inside of the chicken pen.  The Delawares figured out that they can get out and go exploring.  Fortunately for the one that got out it got out on the yard side where there are no dogs roaming.  That pen is right at 250' of fence but we were able to get it all done yesterday.
> 
> We got another Manager's Special at TSC (picture attached) and got it put together today.  It will hold up to 15 birds but we are going to move the Rhode Island Reds (4 hens and 1 rooster) into this pen and use the now safer pen for all of the younger birds.  It borders the sheep pen on two sides so Maisy keeps them safe even though she doesn't know it.  We have started introducing her to the chickens and she seems to so far understand that they are supposed to be there.
> 
> View attachment 32042


15?? 
No way that is big enough for 15, not even bantams. Try 6 standard, 10 - 12 bantams. And that is ONLY if they are never locked in except at night.

Can you tell that the exaggerated capacity of commercial coops is one of my  points?


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## Mike CHS

Yep - If it was freezing cold and they were snuggled it might work but we are using it for 5 birds anyway.


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## Baymule

Sounds like chicken math at work to me!


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## Bruce

4 hens plus one roo? How could chicken math possibly happen?


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## Mike CHS

Chicken math may not happen here since this Roo likes to attack the boss of the chickens (Teresa).  He may wind up in the stew pot but I do like him.


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## Mike CHS

We finished turkey house today.  I guess I shouldn't call it a turkey house since it's like a big dog house so we will call it a turkey dog house.   We may wind up with some other use for it but for now that is the plan.  We should get it moved out of the shop tomorrow and put back together in the main pen.  That way we can get all of the chicks out of the brooder and in their new home.  Teresa did some re-engineering of the A-Frame coop and double the floor space for the sleeping area.

I'm attaching a picture of me and Ringo and the 2 wethers that keep him company.  The other 3 will be in there soon. We are just following the method of the farm that he came from.  2 or 3 times a week they will give him a handful of grain and just lay a hand on his back for a little scratching.  He is super calm and has let me do this from day 1.  That is the only contact we make but they said that it kept him comfortable with people.  I was surprised when he let me do that so soon.

I take care of the boys since Teresa is about half his size and I want to make sure we can trust him.  I never tried that with male critters but it works with him.


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## CntryBoy777

Sure glad that he is that settled there. Dies he get along with the wethers okay?


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## Mike CHS

They follow him around like they did their moms.  These two were already mom weaned so no stress on them. We have to build another pen within the pen for training.  Our dogs (or at least Lance is) are working but we have some people that want to start their dogs so we can accommodate that with our wethers.


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## Baymule

I had to quit giving my ram treats by hand. When I ran out, he wanted to ram me. So no more hand feeding. I can walk up to him and put my hands on his back, pull out shedding wool, but I keep an eye on him. I found out that a plastic grocery bag flapped at him is a great way of asserting my dominance over him. LOL I'm even a bigger, badder, ram when I flap the bag AND chase him!


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## Mike CHS

I carry a plastic grocery bag in my pocket.


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## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> I carry a plastic grocery bag in my pocket.


Essential ram handling equipment. Guaranteed  to make you the top ram!


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm posting a few pictures from around the garden before the growth gets too far along.  All of the berry bushes seem to be covered, the fruit trees have some fruit but the late frost did do more damage than I previously thought.  Lots of peaches and cherries but not much else.  The pear trees are late blooming so they should do good.

All of the summer veggies seem to be in overdrive and we have had enough asparagus that we will let it grow for the rest of the season.

Depending on the weather we hope to be doing our first cutting of hay in the next week or so.  We will take the first 60 bales for next winter and the neighbor can have the rest plus whatever else gets cut over the summer.  We are setting up some electronet to give the main paddock a break plus I still cut close to 100 pounds of grass a day for them.  We aren't sure how Maisy will react to that type of fence but if her memories are still there she grew up with it. She has stopped going exploring so we keep on eye on all of them and see how it goes.  Our neighbor has 5 acres that we can graze on and leave everything on our side for hay.


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## Hens and Roos

Very nice garden- want to come and plant one for us


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## Mike CHS

It's still a work in progress but we are pleased with what we get out of it.


----------



## Baymule

Beautiful garden, beautiful view. I love to hear how things are going so good for ya'll. That's a good hay trade you have with the neighbor. It's wonderful to be in a place with good neighbors!


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## norseofcourse

Looks great!  Will you mow the grass between the raised beds, or are you going to put something between them so grass doesn't grow?


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## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Beautiful garden, beautiful view. I love to hear how things are going so good for ya'll. That's a good hay trade you have with the neighbor. It's wonderful to be in a place with good neighbors!



We feel truly Blessed with our neighbors.  There are 4 households on our little valley but we all work together quite often.


----------



## Mike CHS

norseofcourse said:


> Looks great!  Will you mow the grass between the raised beds, or are you going to put something between them so grass doesn't grow?



I made the beds wide enough that our mower can get through between them.  There is still a lot of weed eater work but it doesn't take too long.

The terraced beds get enough foot traffic that a hoe makes them pretty easy.


----------



## Mike CHS

We finished another shelter today that is for our two turkeys.  This time we went for simple but functional but more importantly, speedy.  The turkeys were the same size as the chicks we bought the day we got them.  Now they are almost as big as our adult hens so we needed to move them from the big brooder.  Not being sure what the future of this thing is we made it mobile and can be moved with pallet spears or by hand if you remove the roof. Roofing shingles on 3/4 ply makes it heavy.  The door on the front slides open and the roof can be slid forward to help in cleaning.

It's 41" x 47" so it could also be used as a dog house, or even a small goat shelter.

We temporarily have a Sheep & Goat panel around the front for a couple of days until they know this is where their bunk house is.


----------



## CntryBoy777

That looks really good, and I may stay along that line when it comes to building the duck area. It will have to be longer and a little more open, but something simple and easy to maintain. Is that the bead board plywood?


----------



## Mike CHS

It is. That's what we used when we enclosed the lean-to and it worked well.  We have some red stain that we are using on all of those things.  I would have to look at the name but I think it was siding.  It's lightweight and easy to work.  I just ripped 2x4's in half for all of the inside framework.


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## CntryBoy777

I've seen it before and thought about it or T-111 when I did the bird house, but I'd already bought the plywood and I hate to waste anything, tho thru my mistakes and mis-calculatuons I do a good job at it...and have to think of something else to use it for....like a couple of brace posts that I cut too short, they are going to be the legs for the hoof trimming table that I'm going to work on a little later....


----------



## Mike CHS

We had a new experience tonight.  Maisy had one of the tree protector tubes that don't work and was rolling around and tossing it in the air and then chasing it.  She has taken to sitting at the gate that divides the ewe pen and the ram pen and often sits touching noses with Ringo.  Ringo decided that he wanted to play and started chasing one of the wethers.  I thought at first he was being aggressive toward it but saw that he would chase it and then nudge (not butt) it to get it moving again.  I think the behavior might be a bit of boredom coupled with he is within a fence width of 20 ewes plus he was best friends with an LGD where he came from and they would chase each other.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Yeh....he is telling ya to him In coach....he is ready to Play....Centerfield.....
I know....I know....gotta wait, but that is what he is thinking, anyway. It sounds like Maisy is settling in with the new set up, which is a plus...and Ringo could be her buddy as well. That garden is really doing good and coming right along. Glad the fruit trees have some on them after that crazy winter we had. I used to have a couple of cherry trees, but they never beared much of anything...I was a lot younger then, and had a growing family and it seemed I worked a lot of nite shift work, and didn't even try to have them produce. So, I hope ya get some....I really am hoping for some figs this year....I love figs....


----------



## greybeard

CntryBoy777 said:


> I've seen it before and thought about it or T-111


I'm not a fan of T-111. Unless the way it is made has changed in the last few years, it's prone to rot and mildew.

I built a little 16'X16' shop  a few years ago and went with 3/8" Smartside pre primed panels. It has held up well, even tho I never did paint it. Not as cheap as T-11 but I have seen too much rotted t-111 around here.

If I build another one, I'll probably use Hardy.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have been training the sheep inside their pens with electronet.  Curious critters they are and after the 2nd or 3rd time of being shocked they seem to leave it along.  Ringo grew up with this type of fence but the two wethers with him had their first shocks today and now leave it alone.

When we laid out the fence we worked 8 gates into the layout so we have access to almost double the pasture as they now have and lets me concentrate on clearing trees off the property line so we can finish the perimeter fence.

I let them all out yesterday on some grass that we won't be cutting for hay and there is no fence at that spot.  I did have a bucket of grain on the golf cart to get them back in before they wandered too far.

Lance our Border Collie   stays in sensory overload with all of the sheep wandering around right in front of him and he can't do anything.

We are going to have a good bunch of blackberries this year.

In the picture with the ram and the two boys you can see one eating on his knees. He has done that since he started grazing.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Interesting way to eat but I guess if that works for him


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## CntryBoy777

I know they enjoy the extra area to stretch their legs in....that boy on his knees, he probably got so use to being on his knees while nursing and thinks it is a better way to eat. Comet, our white wether,  use to lay down and eat in a circle around where he was lying....he eventually grew out of it tho.
I sure Love blackberry cobbler and jelly, too. I have used the jelly with chicken and pork in some recipes as a glaze...really realy Good.


----------



## Latestarter

My goats will sometimes get down on their knees to graze. I think it's just easier on their necks. and less time consuming getting food to mouth...


----------



## samssimonsays

My boy goats will lay down and eat.... the girls will kneel and eat as well lol


----------



## Mike CHS

I had a couple of hours of treeline clearing at the outside of the main pasture so I set up about 250' of electric netting in a section of the soon to be cut hay field.  They have gotten used to me moving the fence and have learned that means new grass so they were at the gate watching.  They enjoyed their fresh greens the whole time I was working down there.  I watched Maisy eyeing the 35" fence and I think I saw one of those caption things over her that said "I know I can clear that but I won't".


----------



## Mike CHS

We got a late start because we went to an auction this morning but didn't buy anything this time.  I did get the rest of the treeline reclaimed that I have been wanting to get to ever since we bought our place.

Coming back into the driveway I thought about the view the first year and the difference between then and now and smile every time we come up the drive way.  The Maple trees and one Crepe Myrtle were started from seed at our place in South Carolina.  This is going on their 3rd year in the ground.  They were literally twigs when we planted them and the deer got a half dozen.  It won't be long now and we will be working hay.


----------



## CntryBoy777

It has changed quite a bit in that period of time too, I bet...since that very first time down the driveway. It is so nice, and your hard work sure does Show.....
It is nice to see the "Whole Picture" sometimes, so ya can see the overall progress that has been made in small pieces.


----------



## goatgurl

everything looks so good.  yup, sit under the tree with a smile on your face, drink a cold glass of tea and then get up and get back to weed eating.


----------



## Southern by choice

So lovely! So happy for you and Teresa.


----------



## Mike CHS

We had thought that the King Snake that lived in our garden shed had moved out when we moved in full time since we haven't seen it.  Teresa found it's shed skin this morning sticking out the shelf that holds all of our plant starting items so evidently it is still coming in and out.


----------



## Mike CHS

goatgurl said:


> everything looks so good.  yup, sit under the tree with a smile on your face, drink a cold glass of tea and then get up and get back to weed eating.



I was actually thinking that when I posted that.


----------



## Mike CHS

Southern by choice said:


> So lovely! So happy for you and Teresa.



Thank you so much.  You have been more help than you may know but I think you do.  Even Maisy is being more than we ever expected.  Our fences are almost (but never completely) predator proof because originally it kept Maisy in but she has turned into the perfect LGD. She has bonded with even the wild sheep (they used to be) and the new ram is perfectly fine with her.  They sit head to head many times during the day like they are trading strategies about how the ram can get to the ewes.


----------



## CntryBoy777

That's a pretty sizeable kingsnake skin ya got there. It is amazing how one that size can go unnoticed, but they don't get that size by beeing seen. I bet it would give ya quite a startle if it suddenly made itself known to ya while getting a tool or something from the shed....


----------



## Mike CHS

I don't know how long they live but we have occasionally been seeing it since we bought this place.

He has startled us more than a few times and to it's credit it doesn't react which has kept it alive.


----------



## Mike CHS

I tried to catch the motion of the sheep when I call out "Here Sheep" for some fresh pasture.  I'll try to get a video at some point.


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## CntryBoy777

That sure is a funny looking chicken in your avatar there Mike.....is that a new breed ya are trying??....


----------



## Mike CHS

I was cleaning out some files this morning and ran across that picture of Max our Severe Macaw.  He was a totally spoiled but loving creature.  We had boarded him at a place in Nashville while we went to visit family right after we retired last year and he picked up a bug of some kind and died a couple of weeks later.  He had just had his 17th birthday.

Anyway, I miss that boy and thought I would like seeing his picture when I'm on my favorite forum.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Sorry to hear about that. We had a quaker parrot when we lived in Fl and moved it here with us, Joyce worked with a lady that was interested in it, and ended up giving it to her, against my wishes....it died a short time later. The funny thing about it is, for 6yrs we thought and were sure it was a male....we named it Simon, but 2 days before she gave it away there were 4 eggs in the bottom of the cage. We still refer to it as a he, tho.....


----------



## Mike CHS

I had Max DNA tested and he was all boy.  I took him in when he was a little over a year old and wild to tame him and find him a home.  I found him a home 3 different times on the condition that I would take him back if it didn't work out.  It never worked out.


----------



## Mike CHS

We are getting ready to harvest most of our broccoli for the freezer and the cabbage shouldn't be too far behind.  We plan on making quite a bit of kraut this year since we have so much.  I put a quarter on top of one of the broccoli heads for a size reference. Most of the heads should be well over a pound.

And the other picture is a by-product from our sheep - composted sheep manure.  They bed down by the gate in our catch pen and with sheep being sheep I rake the area up every other morning.  All of the waste grass and their manure self composts in that area so we get one of these 20 quart tubs full about every three days.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Cabbage and broccoli look awesome!  Poo looks good too, lol!


----------



## Latestarter

The broccoli and cabbage look awesome. I've never had any luck growing either. I bet any plants that get it, love that compost though!


----------



## Mike CHS

We have been adding it to our beds since we brought the sheep home.  We have an amazing number of dung beetles that take care of it out in the pasture but we like to rake it up from their bedding area.  I didn't see but a small number of earth worms last year but this spring the beds are teeming with them.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Wow!! That is really good. We haven't done much with broccoli here, mainly cabbage. I don't think this yrs will mature in these 90° days we are having now. That's a lot of fertilizer to spread....


----------



## Mike CHS

We have two pens separate from the main pen - one with the ram and two wethers and the other is the nursery pen with the ewe and her lambs and our tamest ewe with her lamb.  Since they are separate we want to make sure Maisy is familiar with all of the so we don't have any problem when we integrate the flock.  We will be separating half the girls in July and Ringo will go in with them.  Ringo has always been around dogs and has no fear of them and Maisy spends a lot of time at the gate where Ringo stays so there hasn't been any bad things happening.


----------



## greybeard

Mike, have you had any problems with those yellow fence insulators?

I installed several hundred Zareba brand 4 and 6" standoffs in 2011, and have had problems with them succumbing to UV degradation. I've had to replace all of them with some black ones of another brand.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Sure is nice that things are going so well and Maisy has taken to her role....good Girl Maisy!!


----------



## Mike CHS

greybeard said:


> Mike, have you had any problems with those yellow fence insulators?
> 
> I installed several hundred Zareba brand 4 and 6" standoffs in 2011, and have had problems with them succumbing to UV degradation. I've had to replace all of them with some black ones of another brand.



These have only been in for about 6 months but our other fence has been in for almost a year with no problem.  Bases on you post though I'll keep an eye on them.


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> Sure is nice that things are going so well and Maisy has taken to her role....good Girl Maisy!!



This has been a learning experience for both Maisy and us.  We love this girl and no matter what happens from here on out she has a forever home.  We had a lot of questions about how she was raised but were naive and chose to believe what we wanted.   She has adapted to everything that we could expect and even more.


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> These have only been in for about 6 months but our other fence has been in for almost a year with no problem.  Bases on you post though I'll keep an eye on them.


They all failed in the same manner. After about 6-8 months they cracked, then a little later, broke in the bend where the insulator's shape goes around the back of the teepost.


----------



## Mike CHS

Thanks for the info, we will keep an eye on them.


----------



## Mike CHS

We took some time this morning to work on the garden beds.  We got string ran along most of the tomatoes and put cages for those we don't support with garden sisal.  The cucumbers are starting to climb so we ran sisal down the horizontal wire runs in the beds.  We have been eating asparagus for almost two months now so we refreshed the bed with some compost and fertilizer and will let it rest for the rest of the year.  These crowns were 4 year old crowns transplanted here from South Carolina.

We should be getting squash in the next week or so and everything else is in that fast grow mode that only happens in the spring before it gets hot.

We have one bed that has several volunteer cantaloupe plants coming up and since we only grew one type of heirloom cantaloupe last year we just added something for them to climb on.

That sickly Bradford Pear tree in the 1st picture is the tree that the tornado slammed or old red trailer into and tore off most of the branches.  It's going to come down this summer but it is planted in slab rock and they don't like to let go of the rock so it takes a lot to get them out.


----------



## Southern by choice

I love your land! What a beautiful thing to wake up and see everyday!


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## greybeard

I got tired of running the strings, stakes, and posts for tomatoes each year.
Bought a roll of concrete reinforcement wire for about $80. Cut it into 60-66" lengths (10-11 'squares') , and formed tubes about 16"-20" in diameter. 
I think I'm on my 8th year using the same cages.
Off season, I just stand them up next to a fence and tie them off to the fence till next year.
When I'm using them, I hold them in place with cheap plastic tent stakes--some people cut the bottom horizontal wire off to form 'legs; they push down into the ground but I found that not to be an option in my hard clay.


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## CntryBoy777

Everything just always looks so neat and tidy there...and I know for a fact that it doesn't stay that way without a lot of hard work and sweat....with a few blisters to boot. You and Teresa sure deserve a big pat on the back for all y'all get accomplished there....I'm always amazed at the fruits of your labor.....


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## Mike CHS

We have about 20 of those the neighbor used when he was gardening on our big garden.  I prefer using sisal.  It only takes about 10 minutes to weave it around that group of tomatoes and you only have to do it 4 or 5 times a season.  All of the beds that have posts are permanent.  Those that have post and wire are also permanent and we rotate between them.  The cucumber bed this year will be pole beans next year.


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## Mike CHS

Southern by choice said:


> I love your land! What a beautiful thing to wake up and see everyday!



Thank you.  If we ever take it for granted we will no longer be fitting to have it.


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## Mike CHS

We had built another hutch and pen area for the turkeys thinking they might be better off separate from the chickens in the long term.  That didn't work out as they were stressing themselves out trying to get with the chicks they were raised with.  The Rhode Island Red eating with the turkeys in the picture is two weeks younger than the turkeys.  We have some chicks that are 18 weeks old in with these 8 week old chicks and no problem with pecking order.  The turkeys won't let the big chickens pick on the small ones and they all love watermelon.  

The other is a "just because" they are so darn cute picture.


----------



## Bruce

The turkeys and chickens don't know they aren't all the same family 

How many sheep do you plan to take through the winter and how long do you have to feed them hay? 60 bales doesn't seem like a lot for the quantity of sheep you have now but of course you have a much longer growing season (broccoli ready to harvest? I haven't even gotten around to planting it yet!) and a much shorter winter "no grass growing" season. We've been getting asparagus for a couple of weeks and it looks like the rhubarb is ready for me (since no one else is the family likes it). I make rhubarb sauce - LITTLE bit of water, stalks chopped up and sugar.

Love to hear that Maisey is being such a great dog


----------



## Mike CHS

_I would have a hard time adjusting to your short seasons. As it is I'm still learning the somewhat shorter season here compared to South Carolina and for 20 years before that, the Florida Panhandle. _

60 bales is just a WAG based on what we used this year and for the numbers we anticipate carrying through this coming winter.   Even during two winters that we had drought here we had plenty of pasture for up to 80 sheep without a problem.  They are completely on grass now and rotating them through 4 paddocks the grass is staying ahead of them.  We are shooting for 30-35 ewes as our base number but that may take two or maybe even 3 lambings to stabilize at that number.  We will probably be selling or culling up to a 3rd of our current flock depending on how the next two lambings turn out plus we want to get 5 or 6 more Katahdin ewes.

We harvested the rest of the broccoli yesterday since they all looked like they wanted to bolt.  The sheep made short work of the broccoli vegetation.

Teresa just planted some rhubarb about a month ago that is doing great.


----------



## Mike CHS

Yesterday it was raining off and on all day but we got the boys electric netting moved to give them some fresh grass.  The area that looks freshly cut is where the fence was until then.  I'll feel better about using this fence once we get the perimeter fence all done but the sheep are easy enough to get back in since there is so much available browse all around their pens. The way our place sits is literally a bowl shape with no place to go if they did get out.

The other pictures are pictures of a Challenge Coin Rack that I use to do as a sideline until it got to be too close to full time.  I thought of @greybeard when I came upon these.  I'm only adding the project pictures to our journal since now that we can almost see some light at the end of this long tunnel, we are starting to set up to start doing these for some upcoming craft shows.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Nice!


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## dejavoodoo114

You do beautiful work. Wish I had enough money to pay you to build my book shelves!


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## Mike CHS

We got our cantaloupe, Crimson Sweet and Sugar Baby watermelons planted today from our seed starts.  We still have a half dozen Rattlesnake melons and a lot of squash to plant still.  We had a dozen okra starts that also got into the ground.  Lat year we only had 4 hills and wound up with several gallon bags full for the freezer plus that used in gumbo that we like to make.

Corn is up in the big garden but we had to fill in a lot of blank spots that we reseeded.  I think I was moving too fast to allow the seed to get out of the planter correctly.


----------



## Mike CHS

Today has no rain in the forecast so hopefully we can catch up on some odds n' ends.  We are adding two gates mid field in our split pasture so we can use them as sorting areas and also to let us get more efficient use of the portable netting.  I'm liking them (so far) as we get to use more pasture without having to work around fences when we cut hay.  We have an issue with one of the gates though.  I planted some giant bamboo a couple of years ago for shade and food and they are exactly where the gate needs to have a clear area.  Looks like they will get transplanted but not today.

Teresa and I got volunteered to smoke pork shoulders for a church fund raiser and it looks like 45 plus to get done.  Logistics weren't considered when they set this up so getting them done is going to prove interesting.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Holy Smoke (lol, pun intended!)  That's a lot of pork shoulders!  Gotta hope you have a huge smoker!


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## Mike CHS

We had to borrow one. I can do 4 shoulders on ours so that wouldn't cut it.  

They also didn't allow enough time.  They don't get the meat until tomorrow morning around 7:00 and they promised the pickup time for 7 in the evening.

We just finished making the rub which pretty much depleted our supply or BBQ and smoking spices.


----------



## dejavoodoo114

I don't have much experience smoking. Can you cut the shoulders in half? Will that speed up the time in the smoker?


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## Southern by choice

WOW!


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## Mike CHS

dejavoodoo114 said:


> I don't have much experience smoking. Can you cut the shoulders in half? Will that speed up the time in the smoker?



We could if were going to pull the meat for them but they will be picked up whole.  It's all more of  a matter of appearance than practicality.  We will just sear the meat first and cook a bit hotter than we normally would.  People are paying an inflated price because of the cause but everyone knows everybody so it isn't like we have a commercial market to satisfy.
They had enough issues getting this smoke set up that I doubt they will do it again.  They originally had it set up at a sister church and when I went to look at the setup saw that it was just huge grills and not smokers but we were able to borrow a portable smoker.  That would have been interesting if I had waited till Friday morning to go look at it.


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## CntryBoy777

Oh my!!....that is quite an undertaking and a whole lot of work to get them in and out. Hopefully some will lend a hand in the rubbing and prepping. The only good advice I can offer is to get the fire ready early. I know, not much help, they will cook a bit faster wrapped in foil for the first 2-3hrs and then open the foil for smoking. However, ya are a seasoned veteran at the smoker and there isn't a need for my 2 cents worth...
I know it will all turn out just fine for ya, if they have to wait a bit I'm sure they won't give ya too much grief.


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## Latestarter

Man... I hate it when I volunteer to help some cause and then feel like I've seriously been taken... That's a heck of a lot to ask for on short notice and with no prep. Sorry you've been hammered with it and hope you get it all completed on time.


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## Mike CHS

It turned out good and we had plenty of help and good company.  We wound up only doing 36 and the rest I will do myself tomorrow,

On top of everything else it tastes good,


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## frustratedearthmother

YaY!  Glad it turned out well for ya!


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## CntryBoy777

Like I said a "Seasoned Veteran"....I had confidence in ya all along..........I know it was Delicious too!....I'd come for a visit tomorrow if I had better wheels, may be one day I'll get there....
I just want to say that your Service is greatly Appreciated, and THANKS!!


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## CntryBoy777

I saw on the weather that it could get pretty rough over there between 10-12 tonite....stay Safe!


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## Mike CHS

Most of that is just north of of us but Thank You.  About the time I typed that the thunder started up so who knows.


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## Latestarter

Looking at the radar right now (2am C), it appears the worst is about right over you or about to move past you and give you a slight reprieve, but there's a bunch more headed your way, so it's not over yet. Hope no more damaged livestock trailers for you.   Looks like Fred is getting hammered pretty good right now as well. Just heard my first thunder here to the north, so it won't be long here either.


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## CntryBoy777

Yeh, I got woke up at 2:30am with some big clashes of thunder, but turned over and went back to sleep. Nothing major as far as any damage outside has been seen so far...still raining tho.


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## Mike CHS

I haven'ht seen winds like last night since I moved from Florida.  No damage but the neighbors will be getting a bunch of firewood from two trees that came down.  I knew there was a reason I didn't put up any fence near a tree line.


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## frustratedearthmother

OH wow...glad you didn't have any damage!


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## Mike CHS

Our neighbors are camping until Tuesday morning and we have been feeding their livestock.  It only takes a few minutes to feed their sow, chickens and cats.  They have horses but told us they didn't need anything and had plenty of grass and hay outside,  This morning Teresa kept hearing something at one of the stalls and decided it was noise from the pigs on the other side of that stall.  We were getting ready to put things up and we hear a horse a horse whinny in that stall.  We haven't talked to them yet but we think this pregnant mare was put in the stall while they loaded the horses they were taking camping and evidently forgot it was in there.

We let her out and she went running for the water - she had no food or water since Friday morning.


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## CntryBoy777

Good thing ya found her and let her out. That would've been terrible to come home to, for sure.


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## Ferguson K

Poor mare. I bet they'll feel terrible.


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## Mike CHS

Ferguson K said:


> Poor mare. I bet they'll feel terrible.


We let them know and they do - they love their horses and I have a feeling some words were said by the wife to the husband.


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## Latestarter

wow... what a lucky thing that you heard and were able to respond. That would have been a heartbreaking loss!


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## goatgurl

wow, it's a good thing youall heard her making noise, poor girl.  and poor neighbors hubby.  I bet he gets more than his ear chewed.
love the pic of the two black ewelings.  they sure are growing.


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## Mike CHS

goatgurl said:


> wow, it's a good thing youall heard her making noise, poor girl.  and poor neighbors hubby.  I bet he gets more than his ear chewed.
> love the pic of the two black ewelings.  they sure are growing.



I need to get some more current pictures of them.  Their mom is taming right down since we have our tamest ewe keeping her company but they are skittish.


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## goatgurl

as my mama always said "patience is a virtue".  they'll get there.  my problem is I've never been very virtuous.  patience has never been one of my strong points. 
  I read somewhere that you wondered about setting goats on their rumps to trim hoofs like you do a sheep and I can tell you first hand that no one ever was able to set a goat on its butt and live to tell the tale, lol.  they don't take to kindly to that.  I put mine on the milk stand and go around one hoof at a time and get them done.  I would think that someone who had a big herd of meat goats might be wise to use a tilt table but I never have.


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## Mike CHS

We have a friend who has a large herd of large sized Boers who got a tilt table like ours after seeing ours in use and they said it was one of those why did they wait that long moment.  I can't imagine working on our ram without one.  He outweighs me by 100 pounds and is a wholllllllleee lot younger.


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## Mike CHS

The "To-Do" list is one project and that is to get the tree that came down in our latest storm off of some lanes that I need to use on a daily basis.  They are on both sides of a storm drain ditch.  I though we had two trees come down but on looking at it this morning, it is one huge tree with multiple trunks that split in half.  Also attached is the black lambs.  They act differently than the rest of ours and are more independent of their mom. 

I just had to include a picture of Lance with his Professor look.


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## Hens and Roos

looks like a good sized tree to cut up!


----------



## Mike CHS

It is but the neighbors that will be getting the wood will help with that.  I just went down and flattened out all of the furrows around it so the mud will dry out enough to be able to work around it.


----------



## Hens and Roos

my goats would be drooling over a tree like that if it was available in our pasture


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## frustratedearthmother

Wow!  I hate to see a big ol' majestic tree like that come down.  But, that's a whole lot of wood and I'm glad someone will make use of it.


----------



## Mike CHS

Rain has been pretty much here all day so it has been a cooking day.  I made a Greek baked ziti dish for lunch.  We went to town and bought some bulk bacon and Teresa is in the kitchen now making Bacon Jam,  the ultimate comfort food.


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## CntryBoy777

I have been trying to find comfort from this back, but have never heard of bacon jam. I would appreciate ya sharing how it is made so I can try it to see if it will give me "Comfort". 
It may be like grannies Elixer and is good for what ails ya.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have had it but this is the first time we have made it.  Just had a bit on a biscuit and have to say it is better than what we bought but it is excellent.  I'll have her link me the recipe for you.


----------



## Mike CHS

She said she followed the recipe EXCEPT - added two apples chopped and peeled, a little extra bacon and drippings, and she put the bacon in the food processor rather than chopped like it said to.  The bacon we get in bulk is meatier than most store bought one pound packages.  We also used a skillet instead of a slow cooker.  A little over a pound of bacon with all the additions made a little over 3 half pint jars.

http://www.marthastewart.com/326881/slow-cooker-bacon-jam


----------



## Baymule

Mike, do your sheep waste a lot of the hay? I cut up cow panels and made a hay square, tying them together with hay twine. I put a tarp over the top, held down with bungee cords.


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## Mike CHS

They do waste a lot but waste less when they don't have an unlimited supply.  I have racks to put the hay in but have round bales in their pen which they won't touch other than to climb on.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have been slowly working with Maisy with the black lambs and the chickens in both pens to hopefully integrate everyone except for the ram in a more central area.  She doesn't show much reaction to the poultry and the lambs have enough size that she doesn't appear to get excited now when they start running.  My favorite aunt is having some serious health issues so we are trying to be in the position for at least one of us (but hopefully both) to be able to go see her in Florida.

We built all of the pens with at least one common fence side so all of the critters are used to being in close proximity.  We were hoping that would be the case and so far it is.

In the second picture Maisy is walking slowly and the turkey has it's neck stretched out trying to decide if that rope is something edible.

Our neighbors son who has been working with us on our place has been working in all of the pens and Maisy has accepted him as part of the pack so we have some options there.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Glad Maisy has matured and come along so well for ya. Sure hope your aunt recovers fully from her issues, and ya both get to make the trip....


----------



## Latestarter

Sorry to hear about your aunt. Hope she pulls through and you get the chance to see her regardless.


----------



## Baymule

It is a blessing to have a neighbor to take care of things when you are gone. We have a retired couple that we take care of their dogs when they are gone and he takes care of our animals when we are gone. We don't go often or stay long, but it is wonderful to have that backup.


----------



## Mike CHS

Not a very productive day today other than mowing part of our yard and the hill in front of the shop.  I have been having an issue with a tooth that goes from uncomfortable to tears in the eyes pain. Teresa finally got tired of asking me when I was going to the dentist and just made me an appointment this morning to get it checked.  The tooth was broke off from the roots so it got pulled and then they went hunting for the roots.  It's still sore but is better feeling than it has been for months.

Anyway - we have all of this netting and it only takes about 10 minutes to set it up over the area that takes me the better part of an hour with the weed eater so it was a good trade off in time.

Excuse the construction zone look - we are in the process of having new siding installed but like everything else in Tennessee they will finish it when they 'getroundtoit'


----------



## CntryBoy777

Yeh, definitely gonna have to look into that set-up. I know what ya mean about tooth issues....that's why I don't have any. Glad they were able to give ya relief....and that 1 won't ever bother ya Again.


----------



## Bruce

It was a productive day Mike, we go to see pictures of Maisy and the sheep!

So about that netting. What do you do if the power unit is in the barn but you want to use the netting several hundred feet away? I guess:
a) You don't
b) You get a battery operated power unit


----------



## Mike CHS

We run poly wire (rope) with step in posts when we take the ewes in the dry lot to our neighbors pasture (about 150' of open area.  Solar would work but we have hot wire on all of the fences that we want to graze outside of.  We set the boys up in a new pen yesterday that is about an acre and a half so it lets us rotational graze without putting permanent fencing in the way.  I'm loving it but I have seen many cases where it isn't perfect.

I wouldn't trust the poly wire for anything other than an alley though.  The reason we got our spotted ewe is that she would run right through it.  We only use it with bribes to get them where we want them.  They all (including the spotted ewe) respect the netting.


----------



## Bruce

Ah, hadn't thought of that. Poly wire and step in posts are relatively cheap. If I ever get to needing "temporary pasture" I could attach poly to the nearest strand of top hot wire and run it to the netting. But not an issue at the moment. I need to mow not only the yard around the house but all of the pasture (*) area as well. Spring grass is fast growing and the boys aren't even making a dent in it.

* is it still a pasture if it is only 3/4 acre or is that a paddock?


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Ah, hadn't thought of that. Poly wire and step in posts are relatively cheap. If I ever get to needing "temporary pasture" I could attach poly to the nearest strand of top hot wire and run it to the netting. But not an issue at the moment. I need to mow not only the yard around the house but all of the pasture (*) area as well. Spring grass is fast growing and the boys aren't even making a dent in it.
> 
> * is it still a pasture if it is only 3/4 acre or is that a paddock?



I guess technically they are the same thing but pasture to me is like when I grew up and you had one perimeter fence around your 'pasture' and that was it.  We are striving for 'paddocks in size from 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 acres that only get grazed for a couple of weeks.  We had random fecals don last week and our parasite load is still really low so it is working so far.  We try to keep them out of their night time pens (paddocks) as much as possible during the day so it isn't over grazed.

If we wanted to be more active moving fence we could handle another 20 head with no problem so now we are looking at our base herd number of around 45 after culling this fall.  We have 3 ewes that probably should be culled but they aren't going anywhere unless they tell me they want to.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I think it "Is", whatever you "Say" it is....I don't think we've gotten that "technical" here....your amongst Friends....


----------



## goatgurl

glad you got that tooth taken care of.  I hate going to the dentist, i'm a major wimp!  let that drill start and I crawdad in the chair.
so glad miss maisy is working out for you.  it will take time and patience for her to be safe with the lambs and poultry  but she'll get there


----------



## Mike CHS

I wasn't going to take anymore pictures of the sheep in the yard but I was there looking out and noticed Lance (our Border Collie).  We gets to bring the sheep up from the field but has to go into the kennel after that.  I don't know if you can see it well enough or not but I don't think he takes his eyes off the sheep all day and sits there like a wound spring.  Masiey now accepts him when he brings the sheep in but she still can't stand the Aussie.  We call her up before letting Lance go and she seems to understand she is supposed to stay out of the way.I dug some new post holes so I can add a gate to each of the main paddocks.  That way I can just move one leg of the netting and add a half acre to the temp paddock plus that lets us use our sorting chute on level ground. We still have 3 wethers in with the main flock and we are going to send them in with the boys to give the ewes a chance to dry up.  Some of these guys are bigger than their moms and still nursing.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I do beive he is in "Locked On" mode.....just waiting the pressing of the "Button"......and I sure do like "Prof" Lance too....


----------



## Mike CHS

We got holes dug and posts set for the two gates that we are adding to the west side of our two paddocks.  We talked about putting at least one gate there when we ran the fence but didn't do it. It isn't as easy to dig the post holes when there is a fence already there.

We finally had a chance to take a closer look at the trees that came down a week or so ago.  They are white oak and both main trunks are 3' in diameter with at least 20' each of straight wood that we are going to take to a sawmill and have them cut for us.  Our neighbor is going to help for the firewood.  There are a bunch of branches that are as big around as a basketball so there is plenty of firewood there.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

So glad the trees are going to be utilized!


----------



## CntryBoy777

That is some really good size trees, I bet they are Heavy too, being oak. It will make a good fire, too....one that lasts all nite.


----------



## Mike CHS

I really need to finish the farm details and get back to wood working.  I already have around 1000' of oak and this will probably yield close to that much again. There are four main trunks and all straight.


----------



## Bruce

Could have used Lance to bring the boys in last night though 4 people sufficed.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce - We are purposely not handling the wethers so they can revert to sheep like behavior.  The main flock is so used to what we want that Lance is lucky if he gets half way around on the outrun if the sheep are still in the field.  Most of the time as soon as I send him out the sheep run to whichever gate I'm standing at since they know that's what is going to happen.  We are going to build a training pen as soon as we get the lambs separated.  That way the sheep won't have a choice but to allow themselves to be herded.


----------



## Baymule

I know what you mean, my sheep follow me like the dogs do......and the chickens and the horses too. If I want my sheep to go somewhere specific, I just call them and they RUN to me. My husband can call them and they ignore him. LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

We harvested a dozen heads of cabbage yesterday and processed most of them to ferment sauerkraut.  We are seeing some signs of cabbage worms so we will take the rest out tomorrow.  There should be another dozen heads or maybe a bit more.   We were able to avoid much insect damage first with row covers while it was cool and then Teresa made a concoction of peppermint (I think) oil and dish soap.  Out of all we processed this morning we only found a couple of worms and they looked like they had just hatched.

The other picture is a "just because" picture.  Just because every time I look out at the sheep it just makes me smile.  I literally cannot imagine having to live in a subdivision again.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Joyce pulled our cabbage up last wk, it didn't do very good. I'd go Crazy in a subdivision....would rather watch and listen to animals, than to hear and see others acting like Animals......


----------



## Hens and Roos

very nice!  we don't even have our garden in yet


----------



## Baymule

A big AMEN to not living in a subdivision again. NEVER!


----------



## Bruce

I'm almost with @Hens and Roos! 

HARVESTING cabbage? I haven't even planted any yet!
However, today I did plant 6 artichoke plants, 3 cherry tomatoes, 2 Orange sweet peppers, a pot of cantaloupe, a pot with 2 zucchini (DW likes them) and a pot of asparagus. Peas up (not great germination), some Fortex beans up (giving it a few more days before I call them a near bust as well).


----------



## Hens and Roos

Bruce said:


> I'm almost with @Hens and Roos!
> 
> HARVESTING cabbage? I haven't even planted any yet!
> However, today I did plant 6 artichoke plants, 3 cherry tomatoes, 2 Orange sweet peppers, a pot of cantaloupe, a pot with 2 zucchini (DW likes them) and a pot of asparagus. Peas up (not great germination), some Fortex beans up (giving it a few more days before I call them a near bust as well).



@Bruce- you got us beat....thought about getting DH to till the garden again but other items had to be taken care for......


----------



## Mike CHS

I had a hard time adjusting to our Zone 7 after being in Zone 9 and 10 for most of my life.   These pictures aren't meant to show the garden as much as the amount of rocks in this spot and why I'm using raised beds. I don't know how well the pictures show the rocks though.  The row of berries was made with my front end loader.  I pulled out a little over two foot of broken rock and replaced it with some good river bottom soil.

We harvested a basket full of Patty Pan Squash and zucchini today and I will already say we planted too much squash.

 I'm already thinking I planted too many squash plants.


----------



## Bruce

What rocks? I only see small stones


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> What rocks? I only see small stones



You already know what the slabs look like but I need to dig some pictures out of some that were as big as my little tractor and 5-6 inches thick.  I obviously couldn't pick them up but I could push them down the hill to get them to the big hole we are filling in.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

I can't really see big rocks but what I do see is an awesome garden!  Looks great!


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## CntryBoy777

Personally, I could use about 4-5 truck loads of that rock...but that would cost a "Pretty Penny" over this way.


----------



## Bruce

Why is everything always in the wrong place? You need rocks, I have an abundance of excess rocks. Some people need rain, we currently have an overabundance of rain (should not be raining tomorrow through mid afternoon Thursday ). High today 54°, similar to the last few days. Supposed to hit 71° tomorrow and 80°(a bit warm for here!) Thursday.  Oh man, I just looked at the days past that: 72° on Friday, 75° Saturday, 80°Sunday and 85° Monday. Oh joy, and it comes with high humidity. Guess I better find some earplugs because DW complains mightily any time it gets up near 80° let alone higher. Twice as often and more loudly with high humidity.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

CntryBoy777 said:


> Personally, I could use about 4-5 truck loads of that rock...but that would cost a "Pretty Penny" over this way.


Me too...


Bruce said:


> we currently have an overabundance of rain


Me too...


----------



## Devonviolet

Bruce said:


> Oh man, I just looked at the days past that: 72° on Friday, 75° Saturday, 80°Sunday and 85° Monday. Oh joy, and it comes with high humidity


Last week we had mid to high 80's with humidity in the high 80-90's range. DH kept saying, "There's no air to breathe!"  

I've gone to wearing my hair in a ponytail, on top of my head and a rolled up bandana around my forehead to catch the sweat. I HATE the high humidity, but the work needs to get done, so we push through. 

The next six days are supposed to be dryer with upper 80's. Maybe we can now get the back pasture mowed now.


----------



## CntryBoy777

This isn't "Water" from my mouth...but, from my Brow...


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa used the neighbors son today to put a bunch of small jobs to bed.  I planted some giant bamboo a couple of years ago in a 20'x20' area that is just now taking off that needed fenced to keep the sheep off and that got done.  The turkey hutch that the turkeys don't use got painted the same color as our two shelters.  Teresa is rigging the hut to accommodate a young turkey that is an orphan.  We think it is probably one of the batch that we found last month but the mom is nowhere around and we think it got taken by either a coyote or a 2 footed predator.  I only use that term because the season is over.

I started cutting up one of the big fallen oaks and got almost all of the big branches that I can reach.  I'm probably going to have to get as much as I can reach and then try to pull the main truck out into the open so I can try to roll it over.  If my little Kubota can't handle it the neighbors dozer is parked right next to the field the tree is in.  So far almost a full cord of wood has been taken to the neighbors and I'm not much over 25% done with this one side.

I won't post many more   The pictures of squash since they all pretty much alike.  This little pile is the 3rd picking we have done and that isn't counting a big pile one of the neighbors came over and picked.  The tomatoes are putting a huge amount of fruit on and we found our first Horn-worm today.  We didn't see our first one last year until July.  It just dawned on me that we had just got moved in June so the tomatoes weren't in until then.

The red cups are some Marigold, Basil and Oregano seed starts.


----------



## Devonviolet

Very nice!  We use the same red cups to plant seedlings in, too. Except we usually start the seedlings in flats and then move them up into the red cups when they are bigger.


----------



## Mike CHS

I used to do that. Now I start the seeds in damp paper towels and put them in the cups after they have germinated.  That way I plant them about two thirds full of soil and add a bit after they get taller.  It only takes a short time since they are already germinated when they go in the Growers Mix.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Joyce told me today that vine borers got one of our squash plants, so it is history.


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## Baymule

I plant squash the first of March to beat the squash bugs. Your squash looks lovely. If you have too much, try giving some to the sheep. Mine like it and so do the chickens and pigs!


----------



## Mike CHS

We are giving some to the chickens but the sheep seem to be slow to try new things.  Except for the ram that is, he will try pretty much anything I give him.


----------



## Mike CHS

The wethers in with the ram didn't want to try any squash when I offered until they saw the ram gobble it down.  Ringo (the ram) is about the most laid back sheep I have ever seen but of course that will probably change in July when we introduce the girls to him.

I'm attaching a picture of the paint Katahdin and her lambs taken this morning.  We have been letting Maisy in with them every day and so far she only seems interested in smelling butts and they seem to accept her presence.  Maisy got a good grooming today and I think we have enough white hair to make another dog.  We really love this big girl and I think if I had to choose between our 3 dogs she would be the one.

I'm going to be gone for a few days.  I need to head to Florida to say farewell to my favorite aunt.  She is moving to Hospice in Orlando tomorrow after a long hard battle in the hospital and only has a few days left and asked for me to come see her.  Prayers would be appreciated for Faye Harrison and her family.


----------



## Bruce

When I introduced Merlin to the boys he sniffed butts and the poop pile. I think it is the dog's way of associating "this is mine" and links them to the smells the animals leave elsewhere on the property. 

I'm sorry to hear about your aunt. Hard for all the family including her favorite nephew .  At least she will be in hospice instead of a hospital bed.


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## Baymule

I pray for you to have a safe trip and return home to your wife and farm. I pray for your aunt and her family.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Our prayers can be added to the list, too. Sure hope the travel is safe and weather is pleasent. It is really Good to hear about Maisy.....


----------



## Latestarter

Not much on praying, but I'm glad you'll have a last visit before your aunt leaves the world of the living. I hope her final time is peaceful and pain free. Have a safe trip.


----------



## babsbag

Will be praying for your aunt and her family and for your trip. Be safe.

I have rocks too. Lots of them. And when I lived in the city I used to buy there river rocks, now I would pay to have them taken away. Silly the way that works. 

My garden just got planted last week. I still need to plant some corn and cucumbers but will do that after I get back from a weekend trip to my sister's. We are having an estate sale of all my mom's stuff so a bitter sweet visit.  I am hoping that the stupid mice and slugs, etc. leave my bean seedlings alone. I am going to buy some slug bait tomorrow, the non toxic kind just in case anything gets to it that shouldn't. I even have slugs in my strawberries that are planted in watering troughs.


----------



## Hens and Roos

prayers for your aunt and family- have a safe trip.


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## frustratedearthmother

Sending prayers.


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## Mike CHS

I got back about 6:30 this morning to find that not surprisingly Teresa had taken care of everything that she normally does plus picked up on my chores.  There is an amazingly large number of round bales in the pasture as the neighbor elected to cut them instead of square bales.  I can't fault that logic since labor was not available to help.  At least is is cut and I can do my spring spraying now.  She had continued to work with Maisy in all 3 pens with the chickens and lambs and we are about ready to put the lambs in with the main flock.

My Aunt Fay passed yesterday afternoon at 3:00.  She was fully aware of all of her family that was there and showed zero signs of stress or anxiety. She was prepared for this day and went knowing fully that her life was lived like the matriarch that she was.  She left her mark and her children will continue to do so thanks to her.

I only made it to about midnight and felt myself fighting to stay awake so pulled into an Econo Lodge outside of Ft Benning Georgia and grabbed an hour nap.


----------



## Hens and Roos

our condolences to your family


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Glad you got to see her and glad that she passed knowing that she was surrounded by family.


----------



## Latestarter

So happy that you made it before she passed. I'm sure she appreciated your effort and presence. Glad you're home safe and sound. Condolences to you and yours.


----------



## Bruce

If you are gonna go (and we will ALL do so eventually) your Aunt's way is a nice one.


----------



## Baymule

We all have that day to keep, your Aunt passed peacefully surrounded by family. She sounds like she was a wonderful lady, I know she will be missed.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Glad your travels went well, and that hour nap was a Wise decision. It is good to hear that she was at Peace, surrounded by close supporters and loved ones. Our Prayers remain with ya and now Comfort can come.


----------



## Goat Whisperer

So sorry for your loss


----------



## Mike CHS

Back to the grind today trying to get some more of the downed trees cut up and hauled to the neighbors.  I have taken almost two cords already and I'm probably not even 1/3 done.  I'm not finding as much millable (is that a word?) lumber so I'm saving as much of the straightest pieces that I can still work with on my own bandsaw to make it worthwhile.

Most will be in the 4-6 foot range but much bigger than that and I can't handle it easily.  If nothing else they can be table legs are railing parts. Once I can get a better look at the other sections there might be more that can be salvaged.

We are hiring one of the neighbor boys tomorrow and the next day for a few hours each day to help move and set up the handling chutes and tilt table.  I'm going to add another gate to the boys pen tomorrow adjacent to the one added to the ewe pen last week to make moving them between the pens easier. The black lambs and the others that have been on the dry lot get moved to the main pen.  The lambs have some size on them and Maisy has seemed consistent with them so we are hopeful.  We need to get everything set up so we can move the other three wethers in with Ringo and the other two wethers so we can start getting the 10 ewes ready for breeding in July.  We need to work on hooves on several of them anyway plus a couple of the lambs that are still nursing are bigger than their moms.


----------



## Southern by choice

Mike CHS said:


> My Aunt Fay passed yesterday afternoon at 3:00. She was fully aware of all of her family that was there and showed zero signs of stress or anxiety. She was prepared for this day and went knowing fully that her life was lived like the matriarch that she was. She left her mark and her children will continue to do so thanks to her.



Beautifully said. There is a great comfort for those left behind to know there was that peace.
Glad you were able to be there.


----------



## Mike CHS

I spent most of the last two days cutting firewood from the downed oak trees and it was miserable today.  This is some of the first times this year that the temps got up into the 90's.  The sheep have some shade up until about 3:30 in the afternoon but there is zero shade after that as the sun starts to set.

We put up another 20'x 8' cattle panel hoop shelter and added shade cloth to the sunny side.  The sheep found it immediately but we are going to add another the same size just adjacent to that one tomorrow.  They separate pretty well when it's hot so all of the shelters get used.

It's hard to believe the turkeys were the same age and size of the Delaware next to them when we brought them home.


----------



## norseofcourse

Condolences on the loss of your aunt, glad you were able to be there with her.


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## CntryBoy777

Ya know Mike, the pics ya share of your place there always looks like a postcard....so Pretty!.....I'm thinking of putting some smaller ones out in the new pasture, so goats, ducks, and chickens can get water and a break from the sun....without having to return to their pens to get it.


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## Mike CHS

Thanks  Fred.  Once we get everything done there will be shade from trees in all the pastures but the way we plan to rotate for now we need multiple shelters in every paddock and the cattle panel shelters are pretty cheap.  They can handle the heat but I prefer to spend a little bit and not have them need to go through any heat stress.  We have several lambs that have a heavier Dorper coat that we are going to cull just for that reason.

Most of our sheep keep moving to find shade but the shelters draw them in when the sun is at the hottest.  I was worrying about the black lambs trying to get some relief but they find shade wherever it is available but Maisy seems to have adopted them and shares the smaller shelter.  I thought for awhile I was going to have to separate them since the older ewes were ganging up on the black lambs.  I still give them(the spotted ewe and her lambs) some feed in the afternoon and the others haven't quite figured out why the spotted ewe and her lambs get food and I drive the rest off.  The spotted ewe isn't really a flock sheep and has a tendency to go off by herself more than our others.  I feed Maisy at the same time I feed the lambs and she keeps the others away.  I do let her be protective of her food.  She doesn't bite but she does let them know they aren't free to eat hers.


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## CntryBoy777

Something that can give temporary shade is a tarp on some poles. I have used PVC as posts and use a metal auto clamp thru a collar snap, then clip the tarp to them thru the eyelets. Ya do have to take it down for extreme weather, but it is shade otherwise. Plus, it is easily moved leaving the posts and rigging in another area....so the grass will continue to grow.


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## Baymule

I agree with Fred. Your place always looks so nice. Hoop shelters are an awesome invention, I love cow panels! Do you like your Delaware chickens? I ordered 50 straight run Delawares last spring and lucky me wound up with _ELEVEN_ pullets. I found them to be the meanest darn chicks I ever had. They lay fair. Not great, just fair. I am not impressed. The hens are aggressive foragers, so I can say something good about them. But I still don't like them.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> I agree with Fred. Your place always looks so nice. Hoop shelters are an awesome invention, I love cow panels! Do you like your Delaware chickens? I ordered 50 straight run Delawares last spring and lucky me wound up with _ELEVEN_ pullets. I found them to be the meanest darn chicks I ever had. They lay fair. Not great, just fair. I am not impressed. The hens are aggressive foragers, so I can say something good about them. But I still don't like them.



I don't think we will get more of them.  They are more independent than all of the others which might be a good trait but we prefer more hands on.


----------



## Baymule

This is the first bunch of hens that I can't call back to the coop. I have to go close them up after dark. PITA


----------



## Mike CHS

Now that we have handled sheep long enough to know what we do and don't like about our setup.  We are adding a partition fence inside the biggest paddock to use as a catch/holding pen and setting up the chutes and tilt table to sort sheep in the next few weeks.  We added a gate in both the boys pen and one to the main pen.  The chute will be on the outer fence at the left gate.  Where I'm standing to take the picture will be an ally that will be used the full length of the main paddocks and allow access from either direction.

We put together another cattle panel shelter this morning with shade cloth right in front of one we did the other day.  They used the one that was already there last night but I want more room so they aren't crowded to the point where a lamb could get trampled.  They can get out either end of through the openings in the middle.

Since putting them in this paddock they have used the covered area at the rear of our shop to bed downbut that is going to become lambing pens this fall so they got evicted.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Sounds like a plan!  You did good waiting 'til you knew what works best for you and then implementing it!


----------



## Southern by choice

Baymule said:


> I agree with Fred. Your place always looks so nice. Hoop shelters are an awesome invention, I love cow panels! Do you like your Delaware chickens? I ordered 50 straight run Delawares last spring and lucky me wound up with _ELEVEN_ pullets. I found them to be the meanest darn chicks I ever had. They lay fair. Not great, just fair. I am not impressed. The hens are aggressive foragers, so I can say something good about them. But I still don't like them.


It really depends on the stock they are coming from.
We bred them. Ours were smart, independent, friendly- no problems no fuss no muss. Great layers, heavy birds.
THEN I brought in some hatching eggs from a respectable breeder for genetic diversity. I was suppose to give one of my breeding roos to them for diversity in their flock.
The breeding roo I was to send off accidentally got slaughtered. 
I was pretty excited.
Then they hatched.
Worst birds ever! Nothing like my stock. NOTHING!
They were stupid, unfriendly, skitty, did not integrate well with the other birds. They laid ok but not like mine.
I really think it has to do with the fact they were so inbred.
Mine were not.
I love Delawares. Some of the best moms and best birds we had.
A shame yours were less then great birds.

Oh. never order straight run.


----------



## Baymule

I think I'll still take a pass on more Delawares. And I learned my lesson on straight run orders. Never again!


----------



## Mike CHS

I know I'm inviting comments about how you shouldn't treat a ram like a pet but I'll post the picture anyway.  We are treating Ringo exactly like we saw that he was treated at his first home.  He doesn't get a lot of attention but he likes his routine where he gets his scratches when I go out to let him out into the electric netting and fresh grass.  Getting human attention is secondary when he is in with the girls but when he isn't he likes the attention.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Sounds to me like he is enjoying the "Good Life", and it is better to have one ya can approach, than having to trick into a situation, just to get close. I'd do the same thing, so not a problem from my perspective at all.


----------



## Eliya Sage

WOW............ I just looked at the clock after reading this,........... thats one way to go threw some hours...         I totally envy what your doing!!!! I can't wait!!! When i graduate from collage i'm going to boon and start my own veterinary clinic...
My plan is to start with a basic veterinary clinic, right on the edge of town, close enough, but far enough, you know? i'll be living in-town. Then, i want to make a rehab center for all the animals that need it. With all those animals around that area, God knows they need more people willing to take animals, help them, and release them back into the wild. I'll have a little cul de sac that connects the rehab center, to the clinic,  Then once  rehab center and the clinic seems to be steady, i want to start building a place similar to what you've built, probably 2 miles or so away from the clinic/rehab center, I'll build the house in some woods, than i'll work on making it "animal ready", add a small stable.. get some Nigerian dwarfs, for pets and milk, one or two miniature donkeys, for pets, and then i've always wanted a little german shepherd, a bulldog and maybe a cute little rottweiler, fence some area in, and that'll be  the place i live for my life. I'll be set for life.
I've always known what i wanted to do with my life and recently certain details have been clearer,
I envy what you've done and i'll be lucky if i have half the attitude ya'll had, the whole,  "Get 'er done" thing 

-Though i like to dream big, i'll probably work 20 years at someone else's clinic to pay off collage, then MAYBE start to fulfill my dream..
Money will certainly be a continuous problem..

If only we got paid for making our dreams happen 

-Love what you've built!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## Mike CHS

Thank you @Eliya Sage.  I hope you get yours started just like you want to.  Our only regret is starting it so late but I do think we appreciate it more now than if we did it before we were ready.


----------



## Mike CHS

It has been raining off and on today so we decided to process some cucumbers for pickles and shredded enough squash to be able to can a dozen or more  pints of squash relish tomorrow.  Last year we only had a partial season but the garden did good considering.  This year is one of those years where the neighbors probably thought about putting out signs saying NO MORE CUCUMBERS OR SQUASH AT THIS ADDRESS.


----------



## lcertuche

Squash is good pickled. Most years it does better than cucumbers.


----------



## misfitmorgan

What kinda pickles are those?

The place looks great!

We also pet our ram and like our sheep a lot.


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## Mike CHS

Those are all dill pickles this time.  The next batch will be Bread N Butter.


lcertuche said:


> Squash is good pickled. Most years it does better than cucumbers.



We plan on doing some pickled squash when the next batch starts producing.  We need to figure out what to do with the Spaghetti Squash that is coming on.


----------



## Eliya Sage

Those look awful yummy........


----------



## Baymule

The spaghetti squash will keep like a winter squash, so you will have time to enjoy them over time. And if they start going bad, give them to the sheep!


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## Baymule

Mike, I have made these pickles since I was in high school. I called my Grandmother to get _her_ mother's recipe and I've been making them ever since. I made a batch Friday night after slaughtering a hog. Man was I ever tired after that! But we kept our 3 grand daughters that night so their parents could get some sleep-not that we needed any rest....LOL

Mamma Wall's Spicy Sweet Pickles

My spicy sweet pickle recipe came from my great grandmother to my grandmother to me.

Start this process early in the morning so you will have time the next day to process the pickles.

5 gallon bucket of sliced cucumbers about 1/4" thick
cover with water, add 4 cups pickling lime
I put a plate over them to weigh the cukes down in the lime water
Soak for 24 hours, drain, then wash all lime off. ( I put the lime water on the compost pile)
Put cukes back in the bucket, cover with cold water with 4 cups of vinegar added.
Soak for 2 hours. Then drain.
You need 2 large pots with lids.
In each pot, add 8 cups apple cider vinegar and 10 cups sugar

In each pot, add 1 box or bottle of pickling spices. I use McCormicks-1.5 oz bottles in the spice section at the grocery store. (you can put them in a bag so the spices don't get on the cucumbers, but I never do because I like the spices in the jars of pickles)

Bring the ACV, sugar and spices to a simmering boil, add sliced cucumbers.

Simmer on medium-low heat until the cucumbers are translucent.

Pack in hot sterile jars, cover with syrup and seal.

The lime makes them crisp. They are so good, makes the best deviled eggs! I can eat 1/2 a jar by myself.

Using this recipe, I got 20 pints and 4 quarts.

The small quantity version is to use 7 pounds of cucumbers, 2 1/2 cups pickling lime, cover with water and soak 24 hours. Wash well and cover with cold water, add 2 cups vinegar, soak for 2 hours. Syrup; 2 quarts of Apple Cider Vinegar, 4 pounds of sugar and half a bottle of pickling spice. Bring syrup to a boil on medium heat, stirring to make sure the sugar melts. Add sliced cucumbers and cook until translucent. Pack in hot sterile jars, cover with boiling syrup and seal.


This recipe turns plain ol' cucumbers into cinnamon candy!

Let's see if I can reach in the back of my feeble mind to resurrect the fabled "Mock Spiced Apple Rings" recipe from my Grandmother. I haven't made them for several years, so ya'll bear with me.

First off, you use the cucumbers that hid under the leaves and got really big. Yeah, those, the ones that got away, they are big and seedy. You peel them, cut in chunks and then hollow them out. Scrape out all the seeds, then slice into 1/4" pieces.

Now I am trying to remember how many cucumbers to use in the recipe........ For some reason a gallon of sliced cukes is coming to mind.

Ok, now we have a gallon of peeled, cored, sliced cucumbers. Cover them with water and pour in one cup of pickling lime. Let them set 24 hours. Put a plate or something on top to weigh them down so all the slices are under the water/lime mix.

Pour off the lime water and rinse the cucumbers thoroughly. Soak for 2 hours in cold water and one cup of apple cider vinegar.

While the cucumbers are soaking, make a syrup of 5 cups apple cider vinegar, 6 cups sugar and one pound of red hots cinnamon candy. Add one small bottle of red food color and a half dozen cinnamon sticks. Rinse the cucumbers and add to the syrup. Simmer the cucumbers on low heat until they are translucent. Take out the cinnamon sticks and ladle the pickles into hot sterile jars. Pour the hot syrup over the pickles and seal the jars.

Put a jar in the refrigerator and pace the floor until they are cooled down. Eat the whole danged jar!


----------



## Mike CHS

Thanks for another laugh and I will try that recipe next.


----------



## Baymule

Mamma Wall's pickles are great on hamburgers! Glad I can give ya' a giggle.


----------



## misfitmorgan

Well i dont know that i will try the spicy sweet pickles as i dont like sweet pickles, i didnt know pickling lime made pickles crunchy. I'm German and Prussian so we were raised on garlic dill pickles with no lack of spice.....and some pretty serious pucker power.

I will admit my german grandma made red hot cinnamon apples and snuck cucumbers in there time to time. Unless you asked she wouldnt tell you and once it was on your plate you were stuck with it so you better like both or not have any. I didnt think anyone else made red hot cucumbers lol.

I've been making quick pickles and keeping them in the fridge. Apple cider vinegar, halved garlic gloves, salt and pepper to taste, pinch of sugar so your face doesnt fall off...heat until dissolved then chill in the fridge until ice cold. Slice up cucumbers into rounds and drop in brine, store in the fridge for at least 3 days shaking or mixing the contents once a day. The pickles stay crunchy like cucumbers and have no cooked taste at all kinda like Claussen pickles.

Speaking of i found a copycat recipe for Claussen that i am dying to try but no garden this year means no pickling cukes.

Anyone ever tried baby squash? We did a couple years ago, baby pattypans and baby acorn...so so good and you eat the entire thing.


----------



## Mike CHS

This is our first year growing patty-pans but they will be a staple from now on.


----------



## Baymule

I made 2 quarts of refrigerator dills, but they won't keep like a cooked pickle. I am growing dill, so I thought, why not? I found a recipe for dill pickles with dried cayenne peppers and lots of garlic, so I'll try it.


----------



## misfitmorgan

Many of the winter squashes you can eat whole when they are tiny and really light green/yellow in color still. I just today found out you can eat young squash vines/leaves..how interesting is that!


----------



## misfitmorgan

Baymule said:


> I made 2 quarts of refrigerator dills, but they won't keep like a cooked pickle. I am growing dill, so I thought, why not? I found a recipe for dill pickles with dried cayenne peppers and lots of garlic, so I'll try it.



Really? My grandma used to make refrigerator dills and they kept for couple months. I mean we ate them a jar at a time when we visited, so storage space was a problem lmao. Same problem i have now with the ones ive been making...i make them in a 7 cup bowl and as soon as they are ready they are gone.


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## Baymule

A couple of months versus couple of years is what I meant. A canned pickle is available anytime, whereas a refrigerator pickle is available when you have fresh cucumbers. The refrigerator dills are good and easy to make, but I want to try dill pickles that will be good longer than a couple of months. I like canning because my produce is there for me all year long, not just when the garden is making. I have never made dill pickles, so making the refrigerator dills was a good introduction.


----------



## CntryBoy777

misfitmorgan said:


> Many of the winter squashes you can eat whole when they are tiny and really light green/yellow in color still. I just today found out you can eat young squash vines/leaves..how interesting is that!


I must say Misfit....I haven't gotten hard up enough to give that a shot, I much prefer the fruit....but, it is good to know in case I'm starving.....
My preference on squash is crooked neck, but do like acorn and butternut too. Mom did her pickles the old fashioned way of brine, lime, sugar and spicing....she used an old butter churn and it took close to a month...I believe. They were sweet pickles and she used the McCormick pickling spice, but hand picked the red pepper flakes out of it. I thought of them as candied cucumbers....but were really good....I like it as relish in tuna, egg, and potato salads....they are great as slices on burgers too.


----------



## misfitmorgan

Baymule said:


> A couple of months versus couple of years is what I meant. A canned pickle is available anytime, whereas a refrigerator pickle is available when you have fresh cucumbers. The refrigerator dills are good and easy to make, but I want to try dill pickles that will be good longer than a couple of months. I like canning because my produce is there for me all year long, not just when the garden is making. I have never made dill pickles, so making the refrigerator dills was a good introduction.



Oh no they definately wont keep for years lol. My grandma made crock pickles for that...of course....those wouldnt last years either because we ate them all up by the time the new cukes where coming in


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## misfitmorgan

CntryBoy777 said:


> I must say Misfit....I haven't gotten hard up enough to give that a shot, I much prefer the fruit....but, it is good to know in case I'm starving.....
> My preference on squash is crooked neck, but do like acorn and butternut too. Mom did her pickles the old fashioned way of brine, lime, sugar and spicing....she used an old butter churn and it took close to a month...I believe. They were sweet pickles and she used the McCormick pickling spice, but hand picked the red pepper flakes out of it. I thought of them as candied cucumbers....but were really good....I like it as relish in tuna, egg, and potato salads....they are great as slices on burgers too.



Well supposedly the squash vines taste really good, lots different dishes from different countries that use them including italy it seems. 
http://www.motherofahubbard.com/eat-shoots-and-leaves/ That actually a really interesting blog for growing stuff and using stuff you grow lol. 

If you ever get radishes that bolt...let them go until they grow pods on top....you can eat those and omg they are better then the radish. 
http://www.gardenbetty.com/2013/04/radish-seed-pods-and-some-pickles/ Of course i also like radish greens so you have to choose which you want.
Really interesting how much tasty stuff comes out of a garden that i never knew was useful or edible. We always ripped out radishes that bolted....i so regretted 25yrs of that when i tasted a radish pod for the first time.


----------



## Mike CHS

The pickles we made yesterday are all for short term since they weren't done in a water bath but the next batch will be for long term.  The relish (or chow chow) we made this morning was all done in a water bath with splenda since Teresa can't have sugar.


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## Hillaire

I have never been brave enough or have enough patience for canning... maybe next year I will give it a try... my garden is lackluster this year anyways lol


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## CntryBoy777

@Hillaire I don't know about up there, but down here ya can buy peas and stuff by the bushel. You don't have to raise it to benefit ya. The easy way and a good way to start is to freeze peas, squash, corn, and such for winter eating. It is as simple as shelling, washing, and parboiling....allowing it to cool and put it in zip lock bags and place in freezer. The stuff in jars does last longer, and stays good thru extended power outages.


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## Bruce

Poor Teresa! Can she do raw honey???? If I were in her place I'd be eating nothing with any sweetener, artificial ones instantly give me a major migraine. 

I've never canned either. I only buy Claussen's pickles. They stay crunchy in the fridge for months. I also only buy refrigerator salsa/pico de gallo. Cooking turns it to mush and messes with the individual flavors. No thanks.


----------



## Hillaire

CntryBoy777 said:


> @Hillaire I don't know about up there, but down here ya can buy peas and stuff by the bushel. You don't have to raise it to benefit ya. The easy way and a good way to start is to freeze peas, squash, corn, and such for winter eating. It is as simple as shelling, washing, and parboiling....allowing it to cool and put it in zip lock bags and place in freezer. The stuff in jars does last longer, and stays good thru extended power outages.



By the bushel not so much... we do have farm stands but unfortunately they try to really drive up the price due to being in closer proximity to nyc and they really promote "farm fresh" the store bought stuff is fine but just fine lol


----------



## misfitmorgan

Mike CHS said:


> The pickles we made yesterday are all for short term since they weren't done in a water bath but the next batch will be for long term.  The relish (or chow chow) we made this morning was all done in a water bath with splenda since Teresa can't have sugar.



You don't have to water bath pickles. You would need to use a recipe with amounts such as 12C water, 5C White Vinegar, 1/2C Salt for the base and then add whatever herbs or seasonings you like.  Pack jars with cukes and whatever you want, bring brine to a rolling boil, fill jars with brine, quickly put on sterile/hot lids & rings. Place in a deepish pan(with easy to hold handles) and stick them in 310F oven for 15 minutes. Turn off oven, leave in oven over-night to cool. Remove and check to make sure each jar sealed. Done!

Alternatively you can also do 300F for 20 mins with a brine of 6C White Vinegar, 3t sugar, and 6t salt. You can also do the same method with dilly beans. The oven method is much less messy and we generally can make up to 24 quarts at once.


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## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Poor Teresa! Can she do raw honey???? If I were in her place I'd be eating nothing with any sweetener, artificial ones instantly give me a major migraine.
> 
> I've never canned either. I only buy Claussen's pickles. They stay crunchy in the fridge for months. I also only buy refrigerator salsa/pico de gallo. Cooking turns it to mush and messes with the individual flavors. No thanks.



She can and does eat a lot of honey.  We have even grown stevia but neither of us care for the after taste that it has.


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## misfitmorgan

i cant stand stevia either, my mom pretty much lives on it and tries to tell me it tastes exactly the same a sugar...i tell her her taste buds are broken.
 It's good Teresa can have honey , have you tried other sweeteners like agave syrup, brown rice syrup, coconut sugar, palm sugar, date sugar or date syrup? Might offer up different sweet profiles she might like so she can have a change up now and then.


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## Mike CHS

We don't use a lot of sweetener but have tried some of those mentioned.  We cook a huge variety of foods and sweetener in most cases isn't missed.


----------



## goatgurl

things are looking really good mike.  when you get finished at your house you and Teresa can always come here and do a few chores, wouldn't want you to get bored.  I've tried stevia too and like youall i'm not crazy about the after twang.  honey is my go to sweetner but I have been known to use cane sugar too.  between you and baymule I think I need to go plant a few more cucumber vines.  going to have to try those recipes.


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## misfitmorgan

I've been trying to figure out what plants i could put in the garden at the new house(if we get it) that would be ready to harvest before first frost. I know i can do green beans, radish, maybe some fast growing tomatoes if i get kinda largish plants, snap peas, etc. 

Lack of a garden is making me so jealous of all your canned goods but honestly even if i had a garden it would only be 20 days old lol.


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## lcertuche

Bay I'm thinking the mock apple rings would be a good way of using up those big zucchini everyone has after a while. Cucumbers always play out on me to quick and my garden is not big enough to get any great amount in a picking or two.


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## Mike CHS

goatgurl said:


> things are looking really good mike.  when you get finished at your house you and Teresa can always come here and do a few chores, wouldn't want you to get bored.  I've tried stevia too and like youall i'm not crazy about the after twang.  honey is my go to sweetner but I have been known to use cane sugar too.  between you and baymule I think I need to go plant a few more cucumber vines.  going to have to try those recipes.



I don't see our to-do list getting done in my lifetime.


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## Mike CHS

misfitmorgan said:


> I've been trying to figure out what plants i could put in the garden at the new house(if we get it) that would be ready to harvest before first frost. I know i can do green beans, radish, maybe some fast growing tomatoes if i get kinda largish plants, snap peas, etc.
> 
> Lack of a garden is making me so jealous of all your canned goods but honestly even if i had a garden it would only be 20 days old lol.



When I lived in Michigan I always had tomatoes in the ground in June and got a decent amount before first frost.  We are cloning some now to plant next month for a fall crop.


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## misfitmorgan

Mike CHS said:


> When I lived in Michigan I always had tomatoes in the ground in June and got a decent amount before first frost.  We are cloning some now to plant next month for a fall crop.



Yes we normally plant in the garden June 1st....but since we will be moving to the new house July 18th we cant plant anything until then.


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## Bruce

Not sure I would bother with tomatoes, even cherries will be hard pressed to get going before frost unless maybe you are close enough to the lake to get "later fall due to lake effect". 

Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage should be possible. Chives, they will come back year after year so find them a permanent home. Plenty of time to get garlic planted in the fall


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## misfitmorgan

@Bruce  i'm gonna slide the garden talk over to my journal so we dont take over Mike's.


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## Mike CHS

I'm like most folks with Journals.  It is fair game for any/all topics and I never feel like it is hijacked.

We are getting the 3/4 of our house that did not get new siding sided this week.  We are having them pull the plywood off as they take off the old siding to replace insulation that we know mice got to before our renovation started to keep them out.

The Japanese Beetles arrived in force this morning and are really attacking our fruit trees.

We took our #4 lamb in for processing this morning.  He is one that had a recessive gene and had some horns that weren't well formed.  One of them broke off when he made the mistake of head butting our ram who butted back about 10 times harder.  He was going to the butcher next month but to avoid any infection in the broken horn we elected to do the deed early.


----------



## CntryBoy777

No need to pass up "Opportunity"....that's why I'm thinking my next "Adventure" will be duck Housing.....


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> We are having them pull the plywood off as they take off the old siding to replace insulation that we know mice got to before our renovation started to keep them out.


Have you considered expanding foam insulation? It is pretty common up here now. No voides since they see where they foam unlike blown in and faster, plus no itch, than fiberglass batts.


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## Mike CHS

It's already done.  We thought about it but since they were doing it gratis we went for insulation.


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## Bruce

Free is GOOD!


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## Mike CHS

It turned out the insulation was in good shape once they pulled the plywood.  Mice were using the space between the main original cabin and the addition.  We had already found and sealed that.

We will be canning some more squash tomorrow and also a small batch of sweet pepper relish.

One of our Buff Orpingtons laid a small egg this morning (22 weeks old).


----------



## Bruce

Time to start saving egg cartons Mike!

My 6 girls and 1 boy will be 9 weeks on Monday so I still have a few months to go. 1 is an EE, got 3 of those 2 years ago. One started laying at 23 weeks 2 days, one at 26/1 and one at 30/5. The 5 Y/O EE started at 26 weeks (still laying 4-5 a week except in the winter!). I have no experience with the Barnevelder (1 since the other is the cockerel), Exchequer leghorns or Welsummers.


----------



## Mike CHS

Once our youngest ones start laying we are going to need to figure out how to move some eggs.  All together we have 26 hens with 6 of the youngest being 8 weeks old.

The dogs are getting prettier coats as a result of the eggs.


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## CntryBoy777

You could always ask for volunteers for "Freezer Duty"....


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## Mike CHS

Some will be going there but not quite yet.


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## babsbag

@misfitmorgan   the food safety people would disagree with you about not needing a water bath for canning pickles.  I would prefer not to process them as they tend to not stay crunchy when they have been cooked but safety says otherwise. I like to do the very small sweet pickles, about 2" long is my favorite. But it is hard to grow enough cucumbers to get enough small ones at the same time to can them. I didn't plant any this year...at least not yet. Our growing season goes into October/Nov. so I still have time if I get motivated enough. We'll see.


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## Baymule

I call those little itty bitty pullet eggs "chicken farts"


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## greybeard

babsbag said:


> @misfitmorgan the food safety people would disagree with you about not needing a water bath for canning pickles. I would prefer not to process them as they tend to not stay crunchy when they have been cooked but safety says otherwise.



Agree about the safety part.

Liming cukes in a crock will help a LOT with the crunchy issue.
I use this website quite a bit for canning and freezing garden stuff.
The 'W' and 'P' out beside the links stand for "water bath" and "Pressure canner"
http://www.pickyourown.org/allaboutcanning.htm#pickling
Main menu:
http://www.pickyourown.org/allaboutcanning.htm

Otherwise, it's Ball's Blue Book for me..


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## babsbag

I have been using the Ball's Blue Book since I was about 18 years old. I also have an old Kerr book if anyone remembers that jar company. The "Pick your own" is a good site too and I am very cautious about using any recipes off of personal websites as the processing times are seldom verified. Jams and jellies I am a little more lax with as it wasn't too long ago that none of them were processed. 

I do use a steam canner instead of the water bath and it was just recently that a big study was done with those and they were given the official thumbs up. I think that it was done at a university in Utah.  The USDA is still hesitant to approve them and they say that processing times are unknown using the steam canner.


----------



## Mike CHS

Do we have a recipe Folder somewhere on the forum?

Like everyone else this time of year we are eating squash in all manner of forms from, fried, to baked, to raw in salads.  Teresa just made some fried zucchini

https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/ranch-fried-zucchini/468e0613-b816-434f-989d-706a0f771977#!

The garden is looking good and is proving to be the best we have ever had.  The blackberry bushes are giving us a couple of cups of berries a day and is really loaded up.  The raspberry bushes next to them were thought to have lost all of the buds from a late frost but when I was moving the netting on the bushes I saw that they are loaded up with flowers.  I'm guessing that the little bit of berries we got earlier were from an early warm spell and these are later fruiting bushes than I had thought.

I'm learning really quick that I planted them too close together.

The tomatoes are really loaded so we are hoping for a good canning season.  We took cuttings last week to plant next month for a fall crop.  We keep a couple of plants for fresh tomato eating but we can mostly determinate tomatoes and they will stop putting on fruit here by mid July.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Everything looks great!


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I'm learning really quick that I planted them too close together.


Doesn't matter how close or far apart you plant raspberries, they send out underground runners and fill in any space they can including the open space to the side of your carefully planned rows. I have to use the string trimmer to make a path through the plants or most of the berries would be inaccessible.


----------



## Mike CHS

That's what I'm having to do.  Fortunately the vegetable rows next to them were never meant to be permanent.  I thought raspberries grew in a similar habit to blackberries but obviously I thought wrong.


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## greybeard

Blackberries (including domestic thorned and thornless varieties) send out underground runners (suckers) too and if you don't trim them back, will turn into a big unmanageable glob..they just do it more slowly than other vines do.


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## CntryBoy777

It looks and sounds like all the hard work in fertilizing it, is really paying off for ya. I remember raspberries growing in Maine, but have never grown them....much prefer the blackberries. I haven't had fried zucchini in yrs...sounds so Good. I still eat fried foods some, but have to stay away from them most of the time. Joyce brought in a mess of purple hulls the other day.


----------



## Mike CHS

I love purple hulls but Teresa doesn't.  We harvested about 40 pounds last year and most are still in the freezer till we need the space.  I'm going to plant some crowder peas so she can try them and then plant next year if she likes them.  We have enough garden that we haven't bought any vegetables for a long time and we have already canned about enough for this winter.


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## Bruce

I just noticed something wrong with your garden. There aren't weeds and grass growing everywhere you don't have a vegetable or fruit planted!!!


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## Mike CHS

I keep it pretty tidy but it doesn't take a lot of effort.  The rows themselves have some good topsoil but all of the area outside of that is mostly rocky soil and our neat little hoes make quick work of what does come up.  I probably need to give the folks that make those things a plug at some point.

The beds themselves are planted so thick that weeds don't get any sun to get started so no weeding there.


----------



## Southern by choice

Love the raspberry plants! My favorite!

Years ago in another state we had a huge garden and an orchard.
Loved when the berries came in- I would call my friends and say harvest time!  They would come with buckets and buckets so they could make jam.
I never made jam (no time back then) we just ate them as we picked them. LOVED them! 
I am looking forward to moving and doing rows and rows of them!

The strawberry field was wonderful but the daggone rabbits would take a bite out of one and move to the next.   But every morning my wee little ones (wow- long ago its seems) and I would go out and pick some for breakfast!

The asparagus was wonderful but some years they would be fat and awesome other years spindly and stalky.

The orchard however was HORRIBLE! 
The best day we had in the orchard was the day we ripped all the trees out! 

Loved the cherry trees though. 
We had a hurricane and it took some of the more mature trees out and from there we did the rest!  
Fruit trees IMO are a PITA!
I'm sticking with raspberry, blueberry, and maybe blackberry in the future but no trees! 

Love your garden!  
Nothing better than home grown broccoli! 
Something I miss but don't have space or time for right now.


----------



## Mike CHS

SBC we have had a mix of good and bad on our orchard.  Deer got half of our first 20 trees but we wound up with a good variety once we got here full time.  We have had good return on most everything but I'm thinking of crossing blueberries off our list of plants.  They don't seem to thrive at all and I try not to plant anything that takes much effort.  We don't water at all but use a lot of compost and sheep manure.


----------



## misfitmorgan

babsbag said:


> @misfitmorgan   the food safety people would disagree with you about not needing a water bath for canning pickles.  I would prefer not to process them as they tend to not stay crunchy when they have been cooked but safety says otherwise. I like to do the very small sweet pickles, about 2" long is my favorite. But it is hard to grow enough cucumbers to get enough small ones at the same time to can them. I didn't plant any this year...at least not yet. Our growing season goes into October/Nov. so I still have time if I get motivated enough. We'll see.



Oh I know @babsbag but they also frown on the way we make sauerkraut, crock pickles, butchering our own animals(not USDA inspected)...so yeah i ignore the food safety people when it is for our own food. I think common sense gets you quite far.


----------



## Mike CHS

We hired two of the neighbor boys today to help us get caught up.  The weather has been perfect for grass growth and I was getting behind it.  We had one weed eat the dry lot that still needs a lot of large rocks picked up so I can use the mower in there and the other helped Teresa do a major cleaning on all of the chicken coops.  The solution to the dry lot grass is to put some goats in there like we originally planned but the amount of effort expended so far has caused us to slow down on animal acquisitions until the fence line is finished.

We move all of the electric netting every couple of days so the main paddock isn't getting over grazed.  The pen the ram and the wethers are in is growing faster than they can eat it so I haven't been letting them out into the netting.  I introduced our ram Ringo to a curry brush yesterday and found he will follow that brush around as much as he will the food bucket.

Many of the problem weeds that I thought were under control were regaining a foothold in the 10 acres of open hay pasture so I started spraying this morning.  My sprayer only covers about 10' at a time so it took most of the day to spray about 2/3 of what needs spraying and I'll finish it in the morning if the wind is calm enough.

We will separate the flock next week in prep for breeding our 10 original ewes in July and plan to start flushing them but since they are already in good body condition so I'm not sure it will make any difference.


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> My sprayer only covers about 10' at a time


What kind of sprayer, pump, and nozzle(s) are you using?


----------



## Mike CHS

I have the FIMCO 40 gallon sprayer that Tractor Supply (and others) carries.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/fimco-large-40-gal-3-point-12v-bolted-hitch-sprayer


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## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> I have the FIMCO 40 gallon sprayer that Tractor Supply (and others) carries.
> 
> https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/fimco-large-40-gal-3-point-12v-bolted-hitch-sprayer


That's a good little unit. I started to buy one but got a 20 gal for my 4 wheeler around the house then built my own 300 gal sprayer for the pastures.
Do your end nozzles look and spray the same pattern as the center nozzles?

If you are interested in improving the performance of your unit, consider replacing the foldout boom with one of these:
http://www.fimcoindustries.com/ATVBK-3025.html
I and several other people I know are using them with good results on much bigger sprayers and I have used one on my 20 gal sprayer at times. Much better coverage, with a 3.1 gpm pump, and no boom to fold in and out. Each of the 3 nozzles has a shutoff valve incorporated in it if you wish to spray just one side or a narrower pattern in the center. 
The end nozzles spray a long right triangle pattern and increases the coverage area.
(I ran out of room on my drawing but both sides should look the same)





I've also had good luck with Hamilton/boominator type nozzles.
https://www.smalink.com/products/SPRAYERS@@2c AG PUMPS@@2cSPRAY PARTS/SPRAY TIPS/BOOMLESS SPRAY NOZZLES/HAMILTON BOOMLESS.aspx

I know tractor supply sells the Hamilton type nozzles here, but I had to go to a farm co-op to get the fimco setup in my drawing.


----------



## Mike CHS

That definitely looks worthy of looking into.  I have only sprayed the pasture twice in the 4 years we have owned this place but I wouldn't mind cutting the time spent out there in half or better.


----------



## Mike CHS

We move the electric netting every couple of days but 20 minutes spent every couple of days saves me several hours of weed whacking.  Since the field fence isn't electrified they eat right up to the fence.  We have almost 1000' feet of the netting so we can pretty much cover as much of the pasture as we need to keep them on fresh grass without over grazing their paddock.  I'm going to hopefully finish spraying the pasture this morning to beat back the milk weed that is trying to make a come back.  Supposedly it is toxic for sheep but they go for it before anything else and I haven't seen any affect yet.  Better safe than sorry though so back to spraying.  

We have several areas where we don't want permanent fencing due to access to/from our neighbors farm since we share a lot of work load.

The sheep are maintaining good condition and we are going to separate the lambs from the ewes this week.  We got our handling chute and tilt table moved Monday and just need to rig up some fence to use for handling/loading. We wound up moving the equipment to an otherwise unusable area down by the shop.

The garden is providing beyond our expectations.


----------



## Bruce

All systems are GO Mike


----------



## Baymule

Your garden is awesome! I love raspberries, maybe when we get some of our major projects done, I'll make a bed for them. Isn't it nice to have all that good food put up for winter?


----------



## CntryBoy777

With such a "Bumper Crop" y'all seem to be producing there, ya might can sell some, or find a few places to handle them on consignment. 
When Ringo is following ya around is he humming "Centerfield"?....


----------



## Mike CHS

We plan to try to sell some next season but this season was more or less a practice one.  We have all we need for winter and the neighbors get whatever they want.

Ringo is so big that I don't take it for granted what he is humming.


----------



## Mike CHS

Squash is slowing down a little since it got hot but they still have a lot of blooms coming on.  The spaghetti squash and butternut are getting huge and starting to turn color as it ripens.  Melons are looking good but I may have to trim them some since I planted them around the okra which is just now starting to produce.  We have processed almost 50 pounds of onions but the timing is good since we just recently used the last out of the freezer from last year.

The weather has been relatively dry so we have been letting them cure outside and then bringing them in to the porch rack to finish before either chopping for the freezer are keeping for later use.

The last people is cantaloupe growing around concord grapes that were just planted this year.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Looks really good, Joyce dug up a bunch of garlic yesterday. Cantaloupe are a favorite here, too. The jubilee watermelons can't be contained in the garden....they are taking over the lower end. We grew one a couple of yrs ago that was 58lbs.


----------



## Bruce

Um, I planted my onions and Red Kuri squash a few days ago and my broccoli and cabbage yesterday. No flowers on the Winter Nut squash, crooked neck yellow squash, zucchini, beans, tomato or cantaloupe plants (of course they are really small still). Have some peas ready though now that DD1 has returned from her trip and told me THOSE peas are snap peas, not shell peas as my wife thought.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce, I think if I was in that zone I would have to have a hoop house of some kind but even those things don't deal with real cold weather. 

We have 3 different types of watermelon and they are coming along good.  We are making use of the hill that we left mostly barren last year.  I just moved a lot of dirt to it to make it a bit leveler.  That makes our small garden almost 1/4 acre.


----------



## Baymule

Those are some nice onions! Your garden is producing well.


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> I just moved a lot of dirt to it to make it a bit leveler. That makes our small garden almost 1/4 acre.



You know, there's just a very fine line between gardening and row crop farming..........you're getting close to stepping over it.


----------



## Mike CHS

It's fun and still gives me a smile so I think I'm still on the right side of that line.


----------



## Bruce

Plus Mike has a tractor so if he crosses the line, he has the tools to handle it!

My garden is a mess of "planned" and "stick something in". The blueberries, raspberries and rhubarb are along the south fence and were here when we bought the place in Nov '11. Of course they didn't have a garden that year and EVERYTHING else was a mass of hills and valleys filled with thick grass and roots (and rocks of course). We managed to rip out some of it and make a small garden summer of '12. Nothing summer of '13 since we couldn't live here while half the house was rebuilt so the grass took over again. Back to square 1. 

I've made progress here and there, made a hugelkultur last year, it has strawberries on it. And grass and creeping charlie trying to take it over. 

Unfortunately all the new "priority 1" things that come up mean I don't make much progress in taking back the garden space. I spend too much time string trimming the grass back down (not set up for the mower to get in or around and those "hills and valleys" make it pretty impossible anyway) and hand clearing grass and its roots around the established plants just to keep from going backward.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce we had a long time to plan and since we were here only a few days a month we did several things that we were able to 'fix' to make it workable.  All of my permanent beds are far enough apart that I can run the riding mower.  Teresa is the most capable person that I know of but her 'wants' have to be looked at with 'how much manual labor does that add'.  She has the imagination and I have a knack for how much effort will that take so it works.  We never disagree but we have not done a lot of things because of the details.  

And a 'just because' picture.  My cousin wanted a picture of the new lambs.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I love the glowing eyes....


----------



## Mike CHS

We dug our first bit of our row of potatoes and I think we might have crossed that line mentioned yesterday at least as far as potatoes go.  I was weeding the garden beds by the house and Teresa went down to weed the corn but decided to dig a small length of the potatoes.  She dug about 12 lbs or so in a short 5' section and there is around 45' more to go.


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## frustratedearthmother

Oh wow - that's  lot of 'taters!


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## CntryBoy777

Sounds like ya are gonna need a root cellar....


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## goatgurl

your garden is doing great, think @CntryBoy777 is right, you're gonna need a place to store those.  can see them now, cooked with a little butter and a little parsley.  uummm.
boy, your black lambs are sure growing.  couple of my ram lambs are almost as bit as their mamas.  thinking about saving a couple of those spotted hides to tan.


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## Mike CHS

Our December  born lambs are bigger than their moms.  We want to get several more Katahdins and have 4 of the DorperKatahdin crosses sold after they are bred hopefully next month.


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## goatgurl

I had a really late start and my lambs were all born in early may to early june so i'm pleased with how they are growing.  spoke to my friend in west fork that I get the rams from and he is saving us another guy for this fall.  looking forward to seeing him.


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## Mike CHS

I need to call them and at least touch base.  I want to get a few more good ewe lambs when/if they have some available since we are culling some of the crosses.  It's getting higher on the to-do list so hopefully soon.


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## Baymule

You can dehydrate some of those potatoes. I cut them in hash brown strips with a mandolin and put them in water so they don't turn brown. Then I blanch them, drain, run cold water over them, drain and dump out on a towel. I dehydrate them, when ready to use, I just soak in hot water for 20-30 minutes.


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## Mike CHS

I'll have to do that.  I think we have dehydrated most everything but never thought about potatoes this year.


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## Bruce

Or maybe freeze some just before the dehydrating stage, for hash browns   (not real fond of rehydrated spuds) You might end up with a commercial freezer with all your garden is producing!


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## Mike CHS

I moved some of the netting to let the boys finish cutting part of the lawn.  It's almost cruel doing that.  The Aussie just casually watches the ram but the Border Collie stays locked on to the ram the whole time he is in the netting.  They are never allowed to herd the ram so it has to be doubly frustrating for the dog.  One part of the netting is only about 15' from the kennel and it seems Ringo spends a lot of grazing time there.

We got the last of our onions pulled and hung today.  We have a weighed total of 74 pounds but we have been eating some for over a month that we didn't weigh.

I have a half dozen mildly hot peppers called Sweet Heat that I'm planting in the same beds and these will be used for canned peppers.  The cloned tomatoes that we started a couple of weeks ago are just about ready to plant.


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## misfitmorgan

Poor Ringo!

Nice onion crop. We couldnt get ours from last year to dry down for some reason...i think it just wasnt dry and hot enough for it. We ended up using them fairly quickly because of the not drying problem.


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## Bruce

I don't think it is Ringo that is suffering @misfitmorgan 

I guess herding dogs don't have an "off duty" switch?


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## CntryBoy777

That is a good amount of onions....Joyce's didn't do near that good, but the garlic sure makes up the difference. I like peppers, but she doesn't and since I don't spend much time in the garden, there aren't any to be had. I bet Ringo enjoyed the fresh grass....Prof Lance is always ready for ya to just say the word, and Sassy is too, just a different approach. I bet watching the "Young Bloods" doing work is quite enjoyable too....


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## Mike CHS

We cut up and freeze the majority of our onions.  We are going to dehydrate quite a few since we are just about out of onion powder.  We planted 2 bundles of storage onions that have cured really well but we make it simple and set them on the retaining wall to cure after we pull them.

Lance is the Border Collie and Ringo is the ram.  Lance just thinks he wants to herd Ringo but Ringo would make short work of him.  He has no fear of dogs and will attack a herding dog that tries to herd him.  He gets along good with Maisy but she leaves him alone except when they are both in the shelter and then they snuggle.  They are enjoyable to watch Fred  but we haven't been able to work them as much as they need.  Lance has a good outrun but is hard to control in close. Sassy is good working in the handling area but I don't know if she will ever be able to work in a good size field.  Our sheep scatter when she goes at them which confuses her.

The Aussie (Sassy) is a goof ball and they don't have the 'hard' eye like the Border Collie so less intensity.


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## Baymule

The bounty of the garden! What a blessing! It sure will taste good when it's cold and yukky outside this winter.


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## Bruce

Sounds perfect Mike! You have one "long range" dog and one "short range". Just have to teach Lance to hand off to Sassy once he has them in.


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## Mike CHS

Bruce - I've seen other handlers do that with two dogs.  Our problem is that I have the flock so conditioned to home in on me, it doesn't matter where or how the dog goes, the sheep come to wherever I am.  Our next batch of lambs aren't going to be handled any more than absolutely  necessary so they stay skittish.

I posted these pictures before but I can send Lance around to bring them in but they are already coming to me before the dog is anywhere near.


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## Bruce

Obviously you need to send Lance out from behind cover so the sheep don't know you are there. Gives him more purpose 

Looks like Maisy is playing "herd dog" in those pictures, I see no black on the dog. Of course she's just following the flock in.


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## CntryBoy777

What would happen if ya stood in the middle and had him push them passed you?.....just a thought.


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## Mike CHS

I just went down to close the gates on the two temp fences and Maisy came down to see what she could do.  I'm amazed by her now in spit of the small problems (now that we see what she saw).  I moved the netting to an area that is  behind the shop and I can't see the critters but when it started to get dark I saw the flock moving back into the main paddock.  I went down to close the gate and the painted ewe and her black lambs are at the extreme end of the area and it's obvious they don't want to join the flock.  I'm seeing serious issues with segregation with sheep. 

I went up to move them down to the gate and Maisy followed along.  The lambs started to run back the other direction and she went toward then and turned them back.  I am still not sure she knows what I was wanting but she sure acted like it.  Either way, the sheep got back in the pen and I didn't have to chase them.


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## CntryBoy777

Good Girl!!....Maisy....


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## Baymule

Awww..... Maisy is sure coming along! These dogs are amazing, don't know what we'd do without ours. I love the pictures of your flock running to you. You are The Sheep Daddy!


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## Mike CHS

Fred - it doesn't matter where I stand, they will come to me if one of the dogs are in the pasture.


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## Mike CHS

We are starting on a training pen this week but Lance has been getting some time in the big pen and a lot of 'walk up' training on the boys since he can't get to them.  It makes it easier for him to respond to the hold command because he walked into the electric netting the first time I told him to back off and he decided he could get to them instead.  It only took once for him to figure out it hurts.

I can't work a camera when I'm in the field with him but the static work makes for some decent pictures and because the fence is there I don't have to be prepared to stop him from lunging at the sheep when they don't do what he wants.  Since they had such a long time off of the sheep while the lambs were growing I have to use a long lunge line but he hasn't made me use it. 

We had daughter and her fiance arrive yesterday for a short visit so we just did basic chores and had some good visiting time.  They are enroute to a new job with Tessla outside of Reno, Nevada.  They both worked at Boeing but with airplane sales slowing down it was pretty evident that layoffs were in the near future so they started looking for a change for the fiance who is an Industrial Engineer.


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## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> They both worked at Boeing but with airplane sales slowing down it was pretty evident that layoffs were in the near future so they started looking for a change for the fiance who is an Industrial Engineer.


Good to be aware and proactive. Back in '96 half of my wife's dept was laid off (her included). I worked with a lady who was married to a guy in my wife's dept. They read the writing on the wall (something I was NEVER good at) sold their house and rented. Then they both found jobs in another state about 9 months later. Easy to do because they didn't have a house to sell. And yep, the other half of the department was laid off a year after the first half. Best of luck to your daughter and her fiance.


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## Mike CHS

They are starting off perfectly Bruce.  Their realtor called and said they had an offer on their house in Charleston for the ask.  Their new employer has made their move painless and I'm amazed at some of the bennies they are getting including moving their household goods, putting them up in an apartment in Reno and several things I had no idea employers would do since my employed life was relatively sheltered.


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## CntryBoy777

I never got to experience that either. Sounds like a great place, hope it all works out for them. I did hear on the news that there are fires happening around that area and Sparks, Nv too.


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## Mike CHS

The kids left this morning enroute on their way tnew life in Nevada.  Just after they left I was walking around and listening because I could hear the electricity clicking in the electric fence.  You can't normally hear it this far away from the charger since it is down at the shop 200' away.  We went around the fence looking for a short and saw that a snake had fried himself by getting wedged in between the hot wire and the ground connection on the charger.  This charger is a 75 mile charger so I doubt it took very long to get fried at 17K volts.


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## Bruce

Poor snake, probably never knew what hit it though. The terminals on my Cyclops are a lot farther apart, don't think a snake could fry itself. I was a little concerned the boys could accidentally touch both terminals if they decided to give it a sniff as they passed through the alley to their door. Not so concerned now that I narrowed the alley so I could keep them from turning around in it (which, as you know, they can STILL do, just not easily) but they would have to TRY to touch it.


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## Mike CHS

We were sorry to see it happen.  That one had been hanging around the shop door for quite awhile now.


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## Southern by choice

Mike CHS said:


> I just went down to close the gates on the two temp fences and Maisy came down to see what she could do.  I'm amazed by her now in spit of the small problems (now that we see what she saw).  I moved the netting to an area that is  behind the shop and I can't see the critters but when it started to get dark I saw the flock moving back into the main paddock.  I went down to close the gate and the painted ewe and her black lambs are at the extreme end of the area and it's obvious they don't want to join the flock.  I'm seeing serious issues with segregation with sheep.
> 
> I went up to move them down to the gate and Maisy followed along.  The lambs started to run back the other direction and she went toward then and turned them back.  I am still not sure she knows what I was wanting but she sure acted like it.  Either way, the sheep got back in the pen and I didn't have to chase them.



This makes my heart happy!  



Mike CHS said:


> Our problem is that I have the flock so conditioned to home in on me, it doesn't matter where or how the dog goes, the sheep come to wherever I am. Our next batch of lambs aren't going to be handled any more than absolutely necessary so they stay skittish.



Asking out of ignorance here... 
What is wrong with them homing in on you?
I see in large flocks and herds where sheep/goats are so skittish they cannot be handled and I never understand why anyone wants animals that are skittish ...
Andvantages/disadvantages...
 Thanks.


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## Mike CHS

@Southern by choice there is nothing wrong with it but I need to be able to guide the dog with commands to any place on the field.  For our farm use what the sheep are doing is perfect but Lance (the Border Collie) is good enough that I want to be able to work him in trials.  We are working around it by just using three of our sheep that aren't as likely to home on me when he is in the pen since they are scared of him and respond accordingly.  None of ours are really that skittish and I don't want them to be so we are going to rotate some of the tamer ones with those not as tame if that makes any sense.

There has been so many other things that had higher priority that dog training took a back seat to everything else.  I just now have Lance back to just about where he was when we brought the sheep home in  November.

Maisy likes Lance enough that I can take him into the pasture with her in there.  She goes up and lays in the shade at the back of the shop.  I have no doubt that she would probably try to hurt the Aussie if I took her in with Maisy loose.


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## Mike CHS

We got part of the area laid out today for the handling chute and tilt table but ran into some large areas of slab rock where the posts can only be driven in about 6" (not enough for a crowd pen so we keep pounding until we find an area that can accept T-posts.  We are planning on using electric netting for the exit and sorting area since they are used to it now and don't challenge it.

Since we weren't able to get the chutes ready to use we laid out cattle panels on T-posts that we can temporarily use as a catch pen. Some may remember the lamb we had issues with when he got castrated and although he is doing everything normally he isn't gaining the type of weight that's expected so he will be culled on Wednesday.  I have only been feeding the spotted ewe and the black lambs there but the others have been watching for me to call them in.  I called them in today after we got the squeeze area ready and they didn't balk at the new setup.  It is tight enough that we can catch lamb being culled without causing him too much stress and the pickup will be right at the gate.

I got the fence line laid out for the next paddock that will be a little over 4 1/2 acres and we start driving posts in the morning.  I'm hiring two neighbor boys to help so I'm hoping we can knock that out in short order.  What that order will be I'm not sure since one of the boys has never done any farm work.  I'm laying this one out so I can use the gates in both of the existing paddocks to sort to sort the ewes for breeding which will be starting soon.  I need to get all of the piglet lambs off the ewes since several are still nursing.  The ewes are in great condition in spite of nursing for 6 months.


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## Mike CHS

We got part of the area laid out today for the handling chute and tilt table but ran into some large areas of slab rock where the posts can only be driven in about 6" (not enough for a crowd pen so we keep pounding until we find an area that can accept T-posts.  We are planning on using electric netting for the exit and sorting area since they are used to it now and don't challenge it.

Since we weren't able to get the chutes ready to use we laid out cattle panels on T-posts that we can temporarily use as a catch pen. Some may remember the lamb we had issues with when he got castrated and although he is doing everything normally he isn't gaining the type of weight that's expected so he will be culled on Wednesday.  I have only been feeding the spotted ewe and the black lambs there but the others have been watching for me to call them in.  I called them in today after we got the squeeze area ready and they didn't balk at the new setup.  It is tight enough that we can catch lamb being culled without causing him too much stress and the pickup will be right at the gate.

I got the fence line laid out for the next paddock that will be a little over 4 1/2 acres and we start driving posts in the morning.  I'm hiring two neighbor boys to help so I'm hoping we can knock that out in short order.  What that order will be I'm not sure since one of the boys has never done any farm work.


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## CntryBoy777

I'll be cheering ya from the sideline, it is too hot and humid for me to undertake a big project. Although the youngsters shouldn't be bothered by it too much....
Just be sure to stay hydrated....it will sure wear and tear on ya pretty quickly.


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## Bruce

Gotta love all that rock eh Mike! 

I can't even imagine knocking out fencing 4.5 acres "in short order" given how long it took me to fence just 1 acre!


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## Mike CHS

Bruce we are fencing in our good bottom land right now so the auger did the heavy lifting. Jay and I set all of the wood corner/gate and line posts.  I sent him home at 11:15 since what's left for today is hot wire fittings and laying out the T-posts for tomorrows run.  We got all of the T-posts driven on the shorter 250 run and I'll lay out the longer 400' run this afternoon and lay out the T-posts for driving in tomorrow.  I start early and get all of the material out and the time consuming stuff done before the help arrives.  All of what we did today was not quite two hours of their labor for Jay who got here around 9:00 and I started moving material at 6:00.

Teresa had the other helper do weed eating for an hour or so then help me and Jay do T-posts.

We still have a couple of posts to drill for that we couldn't get to today because the sheep are in electric netting in that section.  I'll move that tonight so we can get all the posts in the ground tomorrow.  We are trying to get what we want to do by noon so we aren't out in the heat any more than we have to.


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## Bruce

Ask the sheep to dig the holes in their area for you 

I can see where it would go a lot faster with an auger to dig the holes. And a tractor to haul the T-posts out. Is this an all hotwire area, no stretching?


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## Mike CHS

This fence is the Gaucho high tensile woven wire with hot and ground above that. The plan for this one is use netting this season to divide it in half and take some of the pressure off their main one.  The perimeter for this one is inside the property line by20-40 feet depending on how the treeline curves around the railroad tunnel.  I can use netting to let the sheep eat that on occasion but there is such heavy deer traffic along that edge which is why I'm building fence so far inside the property line.


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## Mike CHS

We showered around 4:00 and went into town to get some parts for the fence and enough posts to finish the posts tomorrow.  I needed to set two of those in concrete so I put on my sweaty clothes and went out and moved the electric netting so I could drill the last of the wood posts and went ahead and set them.  This day was hot but productive.


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## Baymule

Progress is being made. This is the time of year that it takes a little longer. Summer heat turns us into reverse bears-we hibernate after 12 noon!


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## CntryBoy777

Glad ya had the energy to get back out there. I wimped out today and just tended to the animals. I figured that my clothes were wet enough yesterday to count for a few days anyway.....


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## Mike CHS

I was ready to quit earlier but I want to try to get the rest of the T-posts in and most of the woven wire stretched tomorrow.  Its may be wishful thinking but I would like to have the fence up by the end of the day Thursday.  We are going to Florida for a quick visit and I would like for the sheep to have enough fresh grass to keep them happy.  

I'm not real optimistic but if we get this section done this week it will be in a fraction of the time the other fences took.


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## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> I'm not real optimistic but if we get this section done this week it will be in a fraction of the time the other fences took.



You've had enough practice to finally get good at what you're doing!


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## goatgurl

poor lance, his evil eye just doesn't work on ringo who just grazes there to drive lance nuts.  border collies are just so intense.  
  i'm glad you are the one working in this heat building fence.  i'm also glad you have some help.   drink lots of water.


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## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Its may be wishful thinking but I would like to have the fence up by the end of the day Thursday.


If you can't get it all done, maybe you can at least stretch it and get some of it clipped to the T-posts with the electronet serving as a temporary "end" wherever the clipping stops??



Baymule said:


> This is the time of year that it takes a little longer. Summer heat turns us into reverse bears-we hibernate after 12 noon!


When @Latestarter gets to work! Maybe you should educate him on working outside in July in northeast TX, seems he's still in CO


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## Mike CHS

We came in to eat some lunch and get everybody cooled down.  We got all of the T-posts in the ground so the total run for the 3 sides is a little under 900'.  We also got all of the electric wire insulators attached so it's just a matter or running the wire after the woven wire is up.  I started putting on the cross braces so we can at least get wire tacked up on the short 230' side where there will be a gate on each end and we will call it quits after that before the hottest part of the day.

Wrapping the wire will take a bit of time since we will be stretching, cutting and wrapping the wire since there are 6 places where we will be cutting the wire.


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## Bruce

You are a workaholic Mike! Keeps you young and strong


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## Mike CHS

Bruce - right now I'm not feeling so young.    We got the 270' ran and stapled at both ends but the boys said they had had enough heat for one day so I sent the boys home.  I take a BP med that has a tendency to cause my BP to drop really low when I push it too much in the heat and get dehydrated so I'll just do the T-post clips this evening when it cools off and call it quits.  We are hoping to stretch the rest of the wire tomorrow then the only major left is hanging the three gates.


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## Mike CHS

My body kept telling my brain that neither were going out again this evening so I went ahead and got the t-post clips on all but a couple of the posts.  I'll start early in the morning to get ready for the boys to come over so we can put the next run of wire up.  I may need to add an H-brace since the anchor posts aren't working out to where I estimated they should be so that may slow things down tomorrow.  That might just be a good thing as both the boys and me are dragging.  I got dehydrated enough that my voice is hoarse so Teresa had to remind me how much time we have to finish all this stuff.  There will be a gate at both ends of this paddock.  That will let me feed from/to all three paddocks that join plus let me have access to the 20-40 feet of decent grass the length of the paddock that is outside the fence to let the sheep keep it mowed.  The area to the right of this one will be another paddock about the same size as this one but we need to keep it open so we can get a dozer in to fill in a dry pond that has been used for all the slabs and debris that can't go to the dump.


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## CntryBoy777

It does take time to recoup after being in the heat....it takes me 2-3 to do so after working out for more than a couple of hours. A 5gal thermos jug would come in handy on the tractor with water or gatorade and ice in it.


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## Mike CHS

We keep water out for everyone but it seems like you sweat it faster than you can drink it.  This was the last of the long days since it's up in high 90's now. I told the boys that if they want to work at least 3 hours tomorrow they need to be here no later than 8:00 in the morning. I have had enough sun for a bit so it's back to morning hours only.

Before the work started this morning we took our #6 wether in to be processed.  That's the one that tried to drop his intestines through his scrotal sack shortly after castration and had to be sewn up.  He isn't putting on like the others and you can tell for the last few days that he is in some distress so we weren't doing him a favor letting it go on.


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## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> to fill in a dry pond that has been used for all the slabs and debris that can't go to the dump.


Bury that stuff REALLY REALLY DEEP! I don't want anyone hitting buried junk at your place like I am here 



Mike CHS said:


> My body kept telling my brain that neither were going out again this evening so I went ahead and got the t-post clips on all but a couple of the posts.


You got the clips on WITHOUT your brain OR your body?? You ARE impressive!

With all those paddocks you are going to need a lot more sheep. Otherwise, like me, you will have to mow the paddocks so the grass doesn't get too tall!


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## Mike CHS

Our goal for our base flock is 40 - 50 breeders and we will be breeding half every 6 months.  That keeps  their breeding cycles down to 10 or so months.  If that doesn't keep the grass 'mowed' we will up the numbers.  

We have been spending a lot of time with our flock and I have a pretty fair idea how fast they can get the grass down just by watching them in the netting.  I would like to keep another 6 acres set aside for hay but depends on the availability of the neighbor assessing that small amount of land worth the time to cut hay for shares.  If not I'll fence it all in and graze it accordingly.


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## Southern by choice

how big are the paddocks ?


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## Mike CHS

Right now we have one that is 5 acres, 3 acres and 4 1/2 acres.  I just about double that with the electric netting and we will be doing one other that will be about 3 acres which will be the boys pen.  We have an additional 10 acres adjacent to what was our dry lot.


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## Baymule

Your fencing is looking good. I know what ya'll are going through! Watch the heat, you don't want to overdo things. I know when my husband has had enough and I tell him "You're done. Time to quit."


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## Mike CHS

I guess it takes the women in our lives to let us know when we are being silly.  I was nauseous yesterday morning and then felt light headed off and on through the day.  Teresa called EMS on me about two this morning since I had all of the signs of heat exhaustion which I won't describe.  My BP been as low as 75 over 50 when I checked it yesterday and the EMS got a reading of 90 over 60 so it was low but not dangerously so. The bed was soaked.

Anyway, no fencing today and we may reschedule our Florida trip depending how I feel today.  The one good thing out of all of this is Teresa is going to have the boys dig up the rest of the potatoes so _we don't have to.  I'm not sure that could be considered cost effective but it gets the spuds out of the ground._


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## frustratedearthmother

Tsk, tsk, tsk!  MEN!! 

The wife in me wants to fuss at you, lol... but since I'm not YOUR wife I'll keep my mouth shut! 

Seriously glad you're ok!  And, I'm sure Teresa will tell you that you need to recover fully before getting back in that heat again.   An acquaintance had a serious heat issue last year and ended up in the hospital on dialysis because his kidneys shut down.  It's nothing to fool around with for sure!

Take care of yourself! (and listen to your wife)

(sorry if that sounded a little bit like fussing!)


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## CntryBoy777

It has been my experience, that once the heat "Touches" ya, it doesn't take as much to get ya again. Immodium AD will aid that situation ya didn't want to detail. Those taters aren't worth the "Sun Stroke", so paying to have them dug seems like a savings and worth it to me....take care of yourself and quit pushing yourself like ya was 40yrs old....


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## Baymule

Yup! Time to cozy up to the ol' AC unit and sip on some iced tea. A heat stroke just ain't worth it, that work will still be there when you are wiped out and in the hospital-so killing yourself to get it done is not the smartest thing to do. You listen to Teresa and take care of yourself.


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## Mike CHS

All advice will be heeded.  That was a first for me and I have no desire to do it again.  BP is back up a little and I'm not feeling light headed anymore.


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## Mike CHS

We just got back from Florida a few minutes ago.  The trip down got delayed almost 3 hours because of a big accident on I-75 south of Gainsville, FL.  The long delay was limping along at almost zero speed to get to an exit so we could detour around the accident and get on the way.  We had some good family time and headed back home this morning and hit our exit exactly on the GPS original estimate in spite of some severe weather about half of the way.

I need to file a reminder to myself that if you are transporting a golf cart on a trailer at highway speeds, you need to spend more time securing the windshield so it doesn't crack into three pieces. We use our rough shaped cart for work and it has a good windshield so we will put that on the newer one.  

Our neighbor left the same day that we did and when we pulled into the driveway there were 14 deer grazing toward our place.  Laying down on the horn reminded them that they aren't welcome and they ran away.


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## CntryBoy777

Glad ya had a good and safe trip, down and back. I know it feels good to get back and relax a bit....


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## Bruce

Glad your trip went well, other than the accident delay and windshield incidents. At least it wasn't the windshield on your towing vehicle!


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## Baymule

Glad ya'll are home, there's no place like home!


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## Mike CHS

I'm attaching a couple of just because pics of Maisy.  They are 'just because' she is an awesome girl.  This hot weather has her not eating as much as before so we are letting her eat what she wants.  


We used today as a get everything caught up again day.  I got the main garden beds weeded and harvested all of the ripe tomatoes.  They got  processed (actually still cooking) for tomato sauce and tomato paste.  The sauce will get finished tomorrow when I set up the cook stove outside to keep the steam out there.

We cut up and are freezing three big trays of sweet peppers and will put them in vacuum bags tomorrow along with 4 quart bags of okra.  Teresa spent quite a bit of time in the big freezer in the shed and brought everything left from last years veggies into the freezer on the porch.  We need the room for the wether that is at the butchers now.


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## Latestarter

Good chicken dog!  So who's watching the sheep?


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## Mike CHS

Latestarter said:


> Good chicken dog!  So who's watching the sheep?



I guess the hot wire is at that point.    We are looking for two more or possibly three more dogs and have gone to see some but no good fit at this point.  She hasn't had a lot of time with the poultry but the main paddock that she watches goes around the poultry pen so in affect she has been guarding them for awhile.  At first she lay down at the wire and just licked her lips dreaming about the taste but for the last couple of months she finds a spot where she can watch her sheep and the chickens as well as being able to see when her humans come out.


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## frustratedearthmother

She has come so far!  Good girl, Maisy!


----------



## Mike CHS

She hasn't really come all that far since she was only doing what she thought was right but  _like to think that _we have.  It took us a long time to figure out that we had to see her doing something wrong to be able to let her know it was wrong.  Now when we introduce something new we spend a lot (maybe excessive) time making sure she has an idea of what we want.  She has always had the idea but we didn't see it.


----------



## Baymule

I have 10 gallon ziplock bags of tomatoes in the freezer that I need to process. Plus more on the table. I don't know if you do this, but as they start cooking, the water cooks out first. I keep pouring it off. I canned 10 quarts of sauce on my last cooking and I got almost 2 gallons of water. Sure beats standing over a hot stove, cooking all the water off to thicken the sauce. I also can some of the tomato water for cooking with, dry beans and such.

Maisy is such a blessing for your farm. You were so fortunate to find her. I am so glad that she is working out so well for ya'll.


----------



## Mike CHS

I do drain off much of the liquid but I always cook tomatoes before running them through the food mill for making sauce and paste and we let it cook down in crock pots.  It's a lot faster than doing it by hand and this mornings batch was all turned into paste and rich, thick tomato soup.

We didn't process enough for a lot of paste since we only planted two of the Amish Paste Tomato plants.  I wanted the seed as much as anything since I want to plant a bed with nothing but them in it next season.

I forgot to mention yesterday that we did our entire peach harvest yesterday -  a grand total of 3 peaches. They tasted delicious but they are all that survived that freak late freeze earlier.  We were really disappointed but we have talked to some commercial orchard folks and they lost a lot more value wise than we did.

I haven't posted much about the wild turkey baby that wound up back with us.  The mama hen never did return and we had to bring it back and try our best to raise it so it can return to the wild if it wants to or can.  It seems there are rescues for everything but not for wild turkeys or white tail deer.  The DNR said release it as a chick or try to raise it but there was nothing they could do.  So we finally felt we had to try to integrate it into our flock as it was cruel to keep it isolated.  At first it didn't seem like it was going to work as the chickens immediately went for her.  They soon gave up once they figured out they couldn't catch her since whenever they approached her she just flew to the other end of the pen (which is pretty good sized).  The Bronze Turkeys seem to accept her and even seem protective so we are hoping for the best.  She can easily fly out of the pen if she wants so it's her choice now where she goes.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I'd have to do the same thing....so, I think it will be a neat experience to see what happens.


----------



## Mike CHS

We started picking Sugar Baby Watermelons and Cantaloupe today.  The neighbors made out again since although we love those things you can only eat so many.

I was sitting here looking up the hill toward the neighbors house a few minutes ago and see there are 7 white tail deer - 5 does and 2 bucks there.  They may not show well in the pic but I'll post it anyway.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Oh Man!!.....I bet they are really Good!....we got our 1st cantaloupe 2days ago and it was good, but the 2nd one was better.....now, there are 3&4 on the counter to be cut up and put into the fridge. My mom would freeze watermelon and cantaloupe in freezer baggies and make smoothies with them all yr long.....just put in a blender or food processor and whip it up. The jubilees are still growing.....


----------



## Devonviolet

Mike CHS said:


> we did our entire peach harvest yesterday - a grand total of 3 peaches


   Well, you harvested three more peaches than we did!    We had blossoms this past spring, on our two apple trees, as well as our apricot and peach trees.  But no fruit.


----------



## Mike CHS

Devonviolet said:


> Well, you harvested three more peaches than we did!    We had blossoms this past spring, on our two apple trees, as well as our apricot and peach trees.  But no fruit.



I'm not going to gripe since everything else has done so well.  We can't keep up with the black berries and I pulled the netting off today since the vines have made enough holes in the netting that little blue birds of some kind get in and then can't get out.  We have had our fill and have plenty in the freezer so they can have some now.  

We do have plums starting to ripen and we have more melons than we can eat so I'll still give Thanks.


----------



## Bruce

I have some small flowers on my cantaloupe. Guess we are a bit behind TN 
Actually, I've never tried them before. But it has been so wet this year, not much in the garden is doing well. Clay soil that doesn't drain is not beneficial in that regard. I can only "amend" so much but hopefully as the years go by it will improve.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce - My best cantaloupe so far has come from a volunteer plant that came up in a bed I was going to leave fallow. 

When we had the sheep in the dry lot we got 40-50 lbs of sheep manure every day that got composted on the garden beds.


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> Bruce - My best cantaloupe so far has come from a volunteer plant that came up in a bed I was going to leave fallow.


Had watermelon do the same thing, but noticed yesterday, that we have had so much rainfall, that the melons grew too fast and all split open before ripening.


----------



## CntryBoy777

That is so annoying when that happens, GB....we haven't faced that yet this yr....except with a few tomatoes.


----------



## Mike CHS

When we had rains every day for awhile I have had cantaloupe literally rot and deflate.

I got another 300' of woven wire stretched and attachedsetting t-post clips for the last section we did.  I went back and pulled a few T-posts and dug holes for wood posts and braces for two gates I wasn't planning on.  Teresa made me quit so I'll go to town and pick up the unplanned for gates. 

The gates aren't essential but they will make it easier to let the sheep in the alley to eat the grass there rather than cut it.


----------



## Bruce

I have a few flowers on my Sungold cherry tomatoes. 

I guess that near heat stroke fixed your "I can finish this" mentality. Glad you listened to Teresa.


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> When we had rains every day for awhile I have had cantaloupe literally rot and deflate.
> 
> I got another 300' of woven wire stretched and attachedsetting t-post clips for the last section we did.  I went back and pulled a few T-posts and dug holes for wood posts and braces for two gates I wasn't planning on.  Teresa made me quit so I'll go to town and pick up the unplanned for gates.
> 
> The gates aren't essential but they will make it easier to let the sheep in the alley to eat the grass there rather than cut it.



When my brother comes down, he loudly complains about having to go thru so many gates, but doesn't consider what a pain it would be to go way around. 
You can never have too many gates, for animals or us.


----------



## Mike CHS

@greybeard I feel that way also.  The paddock we are working on now has a gate at all 4 corners but it is either feeding into other fields or into the lane that goes all the way around on the outside like the first picture.

The last picture is our view out of the bedroom window every morning.  That area is where they get any feed but the only sheep that are getting feed right now is the spotted one and her lambs.  I guess the rest have to keep hoping.

We moved the tilt table and handling chute down by the side of the shop.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Looks like they are ready for "Roll Call"....and the "Mess Hall" to open up....


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## Bruce

Nice view


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## Pastor Dave

But, can you sleep with the winder open?


----------



## Mike CHS

Pastor Dave said:


> But, can you sleep with the winder open?



Not this time of year but occasionally when milder weather is here it is down more than up.  Almost never at night though since our property borders a CSX railroad.


----------



## Bruce

Bummer, passive cooling is a good thing. Doesn't work too well if you can't open the windows when the temp drops.


----------



## Baymule

I love that spotted ewe.   You sure do have some beautiful grass. I have serious grass envy.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> I love that spotted ewe.   You sure do have some beautiful grass. I have serious grass envy.



She is becoming one of my favorites.  It's funny that they seem to segregate themselves from the rest of the flock.  They will be in the general vicinity but they are more often off by themselves. They aren't nearly as skittish as the other sheep.


----------



## Mike CHS

I got the last fence section finished and still need to go back and double check all the wire wraps tomorrow.  I also got 3 of the 4 gates hung and will do the 4th in the morning.  All that is left is the top hot wire and ground wire since I put on all of the insulators this afternoon after it cooled down a little. Maisy doesn't show any inclination to go over fences anymore since she has so much more room but we are still looking for another couple of dogs that may.


----------



## Hens and Roos

looking good


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## Bruce

Plus, you never know when something my get her riled up just enough to go over. Better to keep the predators on the other side.


----------



## Mike CHS

It is amazing how many 'small' things need to be done when you think you pretty much have everything done.  I went back and wrapped all of the end posts and and did all of the T-post clips that I had skipped in order to at least get sections done.  That took most of the morning and I came in around 12:30 to eat something and get hydrated to keep my Lady from getting on to me.  

About 2:00 I went back out and hung the last gate and went and cut 2x4's to fill some gaps at a couple of the gates.  I wish I had a camera but when I opened the gate and called the sheep, they came galloping down the hill.  They had been laying down by where I have been working since they know that if I'm out doing they will soon get some of that lush grass.   I didn't let them graze it too long since it is more lush than what they have been feeding on.  Tomorrow Teresa and I will section off the main paddock and half of the new paddock with the netting to let us control the rotation better. than two big paddocks.


----------



## Bruce

Never done is it??? Actually, I have a lot of clips not yet installed in the west fence line. I figured they were something I could do to spend time with Merlin. But they are relatively unimportant now, nothing to put much pressure on the fence.


----------



## Latestarter

I'm sure you miss him. Shame you weren't able to make it work.


----------



## greybeard

I enjoy building fence but installing ties on the bottom strands is my least favorite thing to do in fencing. Too much bending over or getting down and then having to get back up to move to the next post. A necessary evil tho. 

Your situation is different, with the rolling, well drained terrain, but my property is all relatively flat ground and stays soggy much of the year. Gateways  tend to turn into a muddy quagmire with the cattle making their way thru them several times per day, not to mention the wheeled traffic that goes thru there. Not surprising considering the amount of weight transferred to just a few sq inches of hoofprint. 

More gates allow for alternate pathways, and closing one while opening another lets the first one dry out some. I try to hang gates a little high, and bring in good soil and build up in the gateways to just under the bottom tube of the gate. Helps keep it drained and extends the time before the cows hooves form the area into a rain holding depression. 

If there is a high spot along a fence, that's where I try to install a gate. Not always possible tho.


----------



## Mike CHS

Over 4" of rain since it started last night and we're supposed to get another bunch this afternoon but we aren't griping.

We just took some water out into the new paddock and locked the sheep in there where there is no shelter.  They are as bad as goats and as soon as it starts sprinkling they go running for the shelters.  As a result of that some of them are in dire need of a bath.  Hopefully some showers this afternoon will get their hair white again.


----------



## Baymule

I'd love to have 4" of rain!


----------



## CntryBoy777

We haven't gotten near that amount, but the ground is soaking it up like a sponge. I think we've gotten about an inch here, so far, and the bulk has moved past us....a few more showers could happen this afternoon....it is 83° here now and I can breath outside again.....


----------



## Mike CHS

There is nothing major going on now except regular maintenance of the farm which is nice not to have to do several hours of fence building and then go do the maintenance things.  The weather is perfect with the high in the mid 80's.  It was nice weed eating and mowing and never breaking a sweat.

We are going to separate the lambs from the ewes this coming week to get the older ewes ready to breed.  Two of the December born lambs are plenty big enough but we are goingto wait until November to breed them. They are both bigger than their moms but still nursing so that will stop soon. The 5th paddock will be done by then and we will have more than enough pasture for rotation with them all.

Once we get everyone settled into their new routine we need to spend some shop time to build the cabinet doors for the oak cabinets in our loft storage.  Plus one of our summer helpers (Jay) is being home schooled but enrolled through one of the Christian Academies where he can get school credit for wood working projects he works on as a learning process.


----------



## Bruce

It is SO great that Jay has you to mentor his wood work! I think a lot of kids would like woodworking but don't have access to tools that make the job easier.


----------



## CntryBoy777

That sure sounds like a Win-Win-Win all the way around for ya.....I know Ringo is trying to countdown "Time"....maybe when ya give him his couple of rubs ya might mention it to him....just sayin'......the helper in the shop will be a plus too. I've been Enjoying the weather tremendously here, also...I haven't had to wring my Tshirts out and leave them in the washer as soon as I come in.....still have a small bit of cutting to do, but the bulk is caught up. I told Joyce that if summer days were more like this I'd be inclined to expand....but, we'll just have to see. I talked to the neighbor today to get a price on a couple of weaned steers...might as well do the research...


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce - at almost 16 he has a lot of potential if he doesn't make some silly choices.  He is picking out two of our ewes to buy after they get bred. I told him he could pick out any of the older ewes he wanted except for two that aren't going anywhere.  He has learned a lot this summer and although they have cattle he has fallen for the sheep.


----------



## Mike CHS

Fred - I've raised a few steers before and found they were pretty easy keepers as long as they aren't hungry.  It looks like you have a perfect place already in place. That bull calf we finished off last winter was zero problems.

Of course I've been known to be an enabler.


----------



## Baymule

Steaks. Roast. Hamburger. And the Holy Grail of Southern Cooking--CHICKEN FRIED STEAK. It can be yours with the purchase of a calf.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Well, I'm thinking if all else fails, then I can have some assistance eating grass for awhile....even if they just stay here, but am looking to raise and sell and meat....if it works out okay.....just have to see how the "Stars Align"....


----------



## Bruce

Baymule said:


> Steaks. Roast. Hamburger. And the Holy Grail of Southern Cooking--CHICKEN FRIED STEAK. It can be yours with the purchase of a calf.


Says the MASTER (MISTRESS??) of enablement!

How does a chicken fry a steak anyway??


----------



## Mike CHS

We went out to some of the Amish farms this morning to supplement our freezer for winter with things we didn't grow enough of in our gardens.  We got a lot of corn from our garden but the ears were small and not near enough to process for all winter.

We picked up two big bags of huge bi- color corn that came out to about 15 cents an ear.  Our neighbor was with us and she and Teresa decided they would have a canning day for tomatoes this week but since neither of us have enough at the moment so we bought two bushels of tomatoes for $8 each.  These are all heirloom tomatoes and vine ripened so we are thinking that next year we will grow our early garden like always since not even the Amish plant early around here.  Our summer garden will just be for the table since the prices the Amish get for bulk veggies is about as cheap as we can grow ourselves.


----------



## CntryBoy777

When the heat, labor, and time is taken into consideration it only makes sense to get the bulk at one time and can or freeze at one time and then have all the time to do other things and stay out of the heat.....I don't believe ya can beat those prices anywhere....


----------



## Bruce

Yeah those prices are fabulous. Your next "build" will be a solar array to power all the freezers Mike!


----------



## Baymule

Bruce said:


> Says the MASTER (MISTRESS??) of enablement!
> 
> How does a chicken fry a steak anyway??



They have tiny fingers on their wing tips!


----------



## Mike CHS

We processed all of the corn this morning, about a dozen ears as on the cob and the rest we are freezing as cut corn.  All together 120 ears.  The rest of the day was cutting grass and running in to town to get cattle panels for another shelter and to finish the catch pen.  We try to do as much of this kind of thing outside as we can to keep the mess and the steam from the stove outside instead of inside.  The camp stove does a better job with the big pan of water than our kitchen stove.

We were out there about an hour and a half and had forgotten that we put the dogs in a 'stay' when they first came out so they were ready to run when we finally noticed them.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I know they were happy and glad...but, that speaks Highly of their training to hold the command for that length of time. The corn sounds like a winner too.


----------



## Mike CHS

Sassy will do that if I put her there but she won't for anyone else.

The Tom Turkey must be feeling his hormones.  He has been strutting around all day just showing his stuff.


----------



## Bruce

He's a beaut! I bet he hopes the hen thinks so as well. Saw 2 wild hens and about a dozen poults crossing the road a couple of days ago. I had to wait a couple of minutes for them to cross. 

And yeah I'd say those dogs sure are well trained.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa was making turkey calls this morning messing with the Tom and she got answered a few times from out in the edge of the woods.  There are about a dozen or so turkeys that make a home on the edge of our place but there is plenty of cover.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Is the wild hen still hanging around?


----------



## Mike CHS

The one we hatched keeps coming back to the pen for now but I'm not sure what she will do long range.  I expect to have her go off into the woods one day and not come back but that's OK since that is what we were hoping for.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Oh, I totally understand and agree, but was curious and have been meaning to ask about her....but keep forgetting to, then the pic of the tom reminded me while I was reading to ask. I believe she will too, but do believe she will show up on occassion just to see y'all.....


----------



## Mike CHS

I forgot to post some pictures of our latest wood project.  We needed some lawn furniture as I was tired of the uncomfortable metal chairs we had for outside.  The picnic table converts to a bench and we still need to make another so we can have a full size picnic table when we need it.  The glider is comfortable but after finishing it I realized I needed to make it a couple of inches taller in order to truly allow it to get enough movement to really be a glider.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Very  nice!


----------



## Hens and Roos

very nice looking!


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## Baymule

Love the outdoor furniture, that looks so nice. I like your canning set up too. I do all mine in the house, maybe I  should think about an outdoor way to process my garden produce.


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> We processed all of the corn this morning, about a dozen ears as on the cob and the rest we are freezing as cut corn.  All together 120 ears.  The rest of the day was cutting grass and running in to town to get cattle panels for another shelter and to finish the catch pen.  We try to do as much of this kind of thing outside as we can to keep the mess and the steam from the stove outside instead of inside.  The camp stove does a better job with the big pan of water than our kitchen stove.
> 
> We were out there about an hour and a half and had forgotten that we put the dogs in a 'stay' when they first came out so they were ready to run when we finally noticed them.
> 
> View attachment 37336



Wow such well behaved dogs!
I really like your idea of using the camp stove outside for canning.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Love the outdoor furniture, that looks so nice. I like your canning set up too. I do all mine in the house, maybe I  should think about an outdoor way to process my garden produce.



We toyed with the idea of building a summer type kitchen but decided that we are going to put a carport where we did the processing.  Since we usually have a nice breeze on the hill it stays pretty comfortable if you can stay out of the sun.  That big camp stove boils the water fast also.


----------



## Bruce

LOVE the bench/picnic table design Mike!!! That is super slick, hinged seat back becomes the tabletop. 


And since you need to make another, it is a perfect time to work with your "student". He will have a "prototype" to reference when trying to make sense of the drawings. And if you did it without drawings, you need to make them so he can learn how to build from a plan 

Looking back I just realized that Teresa is using the "half table" as a work surface. That is great, plenty of knee and foot room!


----------



## Mike CHS

They do come in handy.


----------



## Mike CHS

Other than feeding the critters this morning we took the day off to go shopping in Nashville.  We had things to do but I have been wrestling with the chain saw for the last two days cutting and hauling downed white oak trees and my back was telling me to take a day off.  There is also a 4H Chicken Chain sale at one of the show barns this afternoon that we are going to check out.

I'm posting a couple of Turkey pictures just because I think they turned out good.  One is of Cheep Cheep the supposedly wild turkey. We don't handle her at all hoping to keep her on the wild side but she has no fear of people so I'm not sure how that will work out for her.   She is the only one of our feathered critters that has a name.  The Turkey pair is still amazing me at how fast they grow.  In the one picture there is a Delaware hen that is the same age as the giant turkeys.


----------



## CntryBoy777

They do get big....and they have turned really nice looking. I've always liked the looks of a wild turkey, does she hang with the others, or sorta keeps to herself?.....just wondering if there is any attention given to the tom by her.


----------



## Mike CHS

The turkey pair spend a lot of time with her and even protect her from the hens when they get feisty.  She is so fast though that the hens can't mess with her.  The male spends a lot of time strutting his stuff around her though.


----------



## Bruce

Sounds like she will stay around. Like a lot of strays, life is a lot easier when you get in good with the people.


----------



## Mike CHS

The 4H show forced us to get 5 Barred Rock hens that are about 24 weeks old and laying.  Actually the parents of the young fella that was showing these are sheep people and we have a lot in common.  He worked really hard raising these girls and they warrant a nice home so they are in a temporary coop until we fix something up for them tomorrow.  Not that it matters to us but the hens were Reserve Champions at this show.  We need to figure out if we want to put them in with the Rhode Island Red and then raise some Black Sex Links to sell.  I still haven't decided if that rooster has any future other than the oven so that is yet to be determined.


----------



## Mike CHS

My favorite time of day is feeding the spotted ewe and her lambs.  I spend way to much time with them and they are totally spoiled.  Maisy gets fed at the same time and she usually had some treats in her bowl which she rewards me with some loving.  

Notice the udder on Mama is staying full and the lambs are almost as big as she is at 13 weeks.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Nothing like feeling Loved.....makes all the sweat well worth it.....IMO.....


----------



## Baymule

You sure have a good line of sheep, wow what growth! I love the spotted ewe too. Maisy has wrapped herself around your heart, they have a way of doing that.   Keep that rooster and raise some black sex links. I love black sex links!


----------



## Mike CHS

I finally got the first picture of the Barred Rocks loaded on my PC.  They are settling in well and since they were handled daily by the young man that raised them they are completely tame.

Teresa got one look at my breakfast this morning and said she had to take a picture to send to the daughter so since she thought it was so different I'll share it here. 

The meat is some of my pulled pork.


----------



## Latestarter

Ummmmm that is quite a novel breakfast (from one who gills meat for breakfast on occasion ). But hey, as long as it satisfied the food craving/need, I'm all for it!


----------



## CntryBoy777

I was never one to cater to "Standards" and will eat dinner for breakfast and breakfast for dinner. My goal is to subside the hunger and whatever is available is on the menu.....sure looks Good to me.....and would be more than happy to have a plate right along with ya.....


----------



## Bruce

Eggs, meat and "fruit", sounds like breakfast


----------



## greybeard

I see 2 proteins, some fat, and a little fiber.
Where's your carbs?



Quite often, we eat a breakfast type meal at suppertime. Either at home or drive 20 miles over to IHOP or even Denny's and order from the breakfast menu.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Sorry......I forgot to mention the birds.....it was a very noble thing that ya did by taking those pitiful Barred-Rocks off the hands of the 4H....they knew you were the one to get them back to their vibrant and plump selves...... .....I bet that took a bunch of "Arm Twisting" for ya to get them....


----------



## Bruce

Yeah that Mike is one heck of a guy isn't he?


----------



## Mike CHS

It didn't take too much arm twisting and I was really surprised how low the bidding went. 

None of the lots of 5 birds went over $20 a bird and ours went for $19.  You sure can't feed them to that age for $20 so we plan on this being our source for replacement birds instead of raising our own.  We'll incubate to sell chicks but that's all.


----------



## Baymule

Really nice hens. I like your breakfast, it looks delicious!


----------



## Mike CHS

Modifying a shelter in rock gets interesting.  I spent a couple of hours yesterday and about the same today digging and setting three 4x4 posts.  Our shop is built on slab rock and fortunately where I'm wanting to add walls, it is the thin slabs that you can break with a rock bar (although not fast).  It took close to an hour of pounding stone to get the hole deep enough and there is enough stone around each hole that the posts aren't going to shift.

I got the one side done and framed for a wire panel and half of the front side.  Hopefully tomorrow I can get the other side done as well as a 12' section on the front.  The 12' gate in the picture will be taken off and a 6' gate installed there to let the sheep into the chute.  Once completed the sheep will be kicked out of their favorite bedding area except during lambing seasons.


----------



## Mike CHS

I probably ought to post this in the sheep thread since it seems to me like a good idea.  After I got some framing done in the shelter I saw 2 and sometimes 4 sheep at a time scratching their backs on the framing I put up for the outside fence.  I was curious if anyone has put something like that out in pastures.  They were in heaven and I have only seen them arch like that when I use a curry brush on them.  The only one I could get a picture of is to the left and she is standing over the lower 2x4 and arching her back and rubbing back and forth under the middle 2x4.  There was 3 at a time doing the arching back scratch and by the time I went and got the camera they were all finished.  he one in the picture only raises her head like that when she is enjoying being scratched.

I think I will put some of posts and scratching lumber out in the pasture but I don't spoil my sheep.   If nothing else it may help some of those that refuse to ever be rained on to finally finish shedding.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Our goats use the boards I have around the fence and a 2x4 that I screwed to their house, and the sides of the deck. The 2x4 was a support to hold a plastic tub up, that I used as a hay box.....they tore up the box and I never took the 2x4 down, but after seeing them rub on it....I decided to leave it up.....   ....they rub on the lounger and the overturned table too. If I turn them over, they will flip them to get them back in the preferred position....so, I leave them as they wish. They will scratch their bellies on the support bars across the legs of the lounger...........I don't think you'll go wrong with it or a stretch of fence between a couple of posts.


----------



## Baymule

I like that idea! When we had the pigs, there was a fallen branch in their pasture and they rubbed the bark smooth in one place. I was going to cut it up and drag it to the burn pile, but left it there of their scratching pleasure. I've watched the sheep rub on various things, never thought to make them a scratching post!


----------



## Bruce

Seems to me Mike that the problem is you and Teresa don't spend enough time scratching your sheep 

D1's cat has trained my wife. He gets up on the bathroom counter for his 100 rubs from head to tail ... morning and night.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce - it didn't take me long to figure out I didn't want them so friendly that I could scratch or pet them very much.  Ringo gets more than his share but that's about it.


----------



## Mike CHS

I quit working a little while ago but got the other 3 4x4 posts set and secured and the framing done on the long side of the stall.  I still have to add the framing 2x's on the shorter 12' side and then hang sheep and goat panels tomorrow if I can motivate myself to go to town and get them this afternoon.


----------



## Bruce

Then I guess you need to put out an array of scratching "things"!

And I agree, you don't want to get too "close" to them. They are a business, easier to move them along if they are "just animals".


----------



## Mike CHS

We are having some dog issues here in the last few days.  Our neighbor has been a good friend and neighbor but he has an Anatolian mix (Bullet) that has developed a liking for killing chickens that we just found out about today.  One of our other neighbors came home 3 days ago and his game rooster was gone but feathers were everywhere. No idea what got the rooster but he assumed it was another neighbors Aussie since they had lost chickens a week ago. The night before last Teresa was out checking on the new chickens and Bullet came up behind her and startled her.  He was coming from the place above us and a long way from home.  She yelled at him and he rain on home.  She called the neighbor (Wayne) and let him know Bullet was loose and roaming around our chicken pen.  Wayne really likes Teresa and evidently chained the dog up again.  Seems he let Bullet loose again yesterday and he managed to kill 10 of another neighbors chickens (Jay the young man that works for us occasionally raised them from chicks).

Teresa called Wayne and he initially said Bullet was chained up and couldn't have done it until Teresa told him that Jay and his Grandpa saw it while it was happening and ran him off.  They didn't have a gun handy or Bullet would be done for.

There are only 5 families on our set of hills and we talked about how to handle it since Wayne is having health issues.  Wayne is going to reimburse Jay for his lost chickens and we talked to him and offered to help him find a home for Bullet if he thought it would be better.  We didn't say anything about it but if Bullet is seen around any of the 5 farms again it probably won't end well.

Teresa put aside a half dozen of our Rhode Island Red eggs from today and a neighbor brought down a dozen mixed breed eggs tonight so we are going to put them in the incubator for Jay.


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## CntryBoy777

That's a terrible situation with Bullet and sure hope he keeps him secured, but he has been warned. That's a Great idea ya had for Jay.....he'll appreciate that for sure.


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## Mike CHS

I finished the framing, and cut and fastened sheep and goat panels for the exterior and got the gates hung.  I need to get another gate latch so I don't have to mess with chains working the sheep into the chute area.

The sheep weren't happy with me since they have been using the area for their midday chewing and also at night.  In the one picture you can see the whole flock trying to figure out how to get in.


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## CntryBoy777

That really looks good Mike......I can just imagine that you are the topic of "Discussion" there.....by the looks of it....


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## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> We didn't say anything about it but if Bullet is seen around any of the 5 farms again it probably won't end well.



I guess it would be no exaggeration to say someone has a bullet with Bullet's name on it.


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## Mike CHS

That same pun has been heard several times today. 

A couple of folks are actively trying to find him another home but he has killed chickens at 3 different farms and was evidently hunting outside our pen when Teresa saw him the other night.


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## Pastor Dave

Sometimes a (wo)man's gotta do what a (wo)man's gotta do. I have heard a dog that does it once will keep looking for the opportunity to do it. I guess same with eggs too. Seems like the neighbors have already been as lenient as possible.


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## Latestarter

Mighty nice what you're doing for Jay with the incubator. I'm sure he'll really appreciate it. Wayne can't say he hasn't been informed/warned. Ailing health or not, he still has a responsibility to the dog and to his neighbors. Was kind of under the impression that Anatolians were less of a "walk about" risk compared to say a pyr. Having said that, did Maisey alert you to the other dogs presence? 

Those sheep sure are creatures of habit  No very kindly of you to fence them out of their resting area.


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## Mike CHS

Maisy did sound the alert.  That's why Teresa was out checking things out.

Nobody is sure but Bullet has the Anatolian color but looks like a GP around the eyes.


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## Baymule

Those sheep sure look confused! It really looks good, your hard work is showing. It sure is a nice thing you and the neighbor are doing, hatching out a batch of chicks. That's what neighbors do. 

Bullet=SSS


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## Mike CHS

They are stubborn and were doing their afternoon chew sitting against the wire but finally broke down and went to the cattle panel shelters when it started pouring down awhile ago.

We set the corner posts for the next project this morning and they all had a lot of rock all the way down.  We need a break and are  going to take a weekend off except for the mandatory things.  This pen will be adjacent to the boys pen and only 40' by 70'.  The relatively small size will let us use it for beginner dog herding training.  Sassy is going on 3 and Lance just went past 2 years old so it's time to start a replacement or more likely a backup for Lance.

It can also be a quarantine pen or just a convenience to have a small pen close to the house.  It can even double as a dog run since it's close to the kennel.


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## Mike CHS

The training pen got worked on today.  It wound up being 100' x 40' one one end and 30' on the other.  The reason being that once I started driving T-posts I found even more rock than expected,  I had planned on one leg of the fence being about 20' from the garden but still give some room to expand the garden a bit. Once I saw how much rock there was I decided that the garden wasn't expanding that way so used it for the pen.  Got all of the T-posts set and the wire ran on the 100' leg and the 40' legs  Still have to do the other end and hang gates but it should get done tomorrow.  There is a big farm auction Saturday so I want to get it done before that.


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## Bruce

Given your land, I would think it impossible to find MORE rock than expected. LESS would be a surprise.


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## Mike CHS

I need to post a terrain map that I have if I can find it but where we started the pen is where I thought we were past the rock circle.  Our house is built on a circular set of slabs where the center is just south of the house and emanates outward in layers in circles going out about 150' feet. Once you get past the last ledge it is zero rock and completely flat.

I built the garden on a lot of loose rock but spent many hours working the area till I got rid of the biggest stones and many many slabs in the 3-400 pound range.  Just past the garden is dirt that I can use the auger in but this little pen was all hand work for the wood posts but there was only 4 of them.


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## CntryBoy777

I know I say this everytime the subjects of rocks come up, but sure wished I could see my way to get some of that even if I helped to dig and load.........I want ya to know that I'm raising my Hand and Jumping on 1 leg here screaming that I'll take them.....but, guess the echo doesn't carry quite that Far.......


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## Baymule

With all that rock, you could have built scenic rock fences........Mike smacks his forehead--why didn't I think of that before stringing all this WIRE???

then Mike sends Baymule a message........


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## Bruce

There are some really nice stone wall fences for sheep in England. Can you imagine the work that went into moving all those rocks from the ground to the edge of the fields, then building the walls? Big difference from the "pile them up" stone walls here in New England.


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## CntryBoy777

Yeh, but they have had milleniums and indentured servants and peasants to build those walls....we've only had a few centuries here and no "Royalty"....


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## Mike CHS

I have enough erosion to take care of that every rock I pick up has a place that better fits my needs.  I've even tried incorporating some into the edges of some raised beds and wound up moving them to a better spot when they caused more labor.

I'm trying to keep my weed eating to under 8 hours a week and it's getting harder to do the more I build.  

I think I'll be using my sprayer on the tractor more and more as time goes on.


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## CntryBoy777

I will be following your lead, come next spring, I think that me and round-up will become well "Aquainted" on the fence line. I'm starting to think about prevenative electro wire. We have a new neighbor down the road and it sounds lije they have 2-3 dogs....but, haven't been around long enough....a couple of days....to know whether they just run loose or not. If I do I have to control that weed and JG height.....cause slinging a weed-eater isn't in the cards for me....not in the heat and humidity. Plus, I have to get a big jump on the poison ivy, oak, and sumac in the areas the goats aren't in....that way when the Gsons come visit they can at least ride bikes and stuff around the house. Just waiting on Fall to get here so, I can get started taking over more ground, before next yrs growing season.


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## Mike CHS

Today was grass cutting and weed whacking as with all of this rain the grass is getting ahead of me.  Yesterday we ran 4 strands of electric poly rope for about 300' to divide part of one paddock in half.  Partly to let the grass fill in some there but more to see if the sheep will respect it so we can use that part when we separate all of the lambs.  We are a month behind where we wanted to be as far as breeding goes but it is what it is.  Our sorting pen is about 500' from the paddock we will be taking the lambs to so we are back to giving them some grain for a few days to make sure they will follow me down the hill.

The only sheep that has seen the rope is the spotted ewe from her previous home.  She did not respect it but they were only running two strand and a fairly low voltage charger.  We read almost 11k volts going through the rope.


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## Mike CHS

We have been giving the flock some feed in the catch pen to make it easier to start working on them Tuesday.  We were going to try tomorrow but 'stuff' got in the way today and we still need to work on a couple of things.

We got the hay all cut today and hopefully the rain will hold off so we can bale the square bales.

The one picture with the small pen to the right is the one we just put in for training dogs.

The picture of the slope I just took to see if a picture would show how steep that hill is (it does not).  I call that one Pucker Hill - when I cut it if using the tractor I have to cut it in reverse.  If using the riding mower I have to cut going forward till just about the top then let it slowly roll backwards to make the next pass.


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## CntryBoy777

It seems pretty steep to me in the pic, Mike....but, haven't experienced the tumping over feeling on that hill, so I have no "Flashbacks" that reinforce the steepness....there are a few small ones here that I can only cut going straight down, mine won't cut in reverse, and if cutting there's not enough power to climb before it loses traction.


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## Mike CHS

My mower won't cut in reverse but the hill is steep enough that once I get to the top I just let off the gas and gravity takes me in reverse.


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## frustratedearthmother

I won't even cut our ditch with the rider and it's nowhere near as steep as that hill of yours!  I know why it's called "pucker" hill!


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## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> My mower won't cut in reverse


Most won't. I won't tell you how to disable the reverse switch on a lawn tractor or zero turn, but it takes about 30 seconds on any I've ever worked on and I worked on lots of different brands..


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## Latestarter

Mine (some/many newer ones) have a selector on the key and push button that allow mowing in reverse. Lucky me. I have a very small slope right next to the house that I have to go straight up and roll backward on. There are several other areas where it's very uncomfortable to go "across" them mowing, but nothing as bad as what that appears to be.


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## Mike CHS

There may be a few times that it might be handy to keep the blades working but I'll leave it alone.  My old Troy-bilt just had a wire that could be disconnected under the seat.


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## goats&moregoats

Looking good. Thankfully I do not have to cut grass on any hills. The pasture is where the hill is so when the goats arrive (when ever that may be) they can do the mowing there.


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## Baymule

I get real nervous on even a slight incline. I admire your smooth mown hill and I admire your expertise even more!


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## Bruce

Yeah that first picture looks REAL steep in the foreground. 

My mower has a button to allow mowing in reverse. My mower won't back up a hill for beans but if I mow up a hill, I can mow on the way back down. There are places I can't cut as close going forward, run into a fence.  Would be a real PITA not to have it, having to re-engage the PTO EVERY time I had to back up some??

Plus, the taller stuff gets pushed down when mowing forward. When I see it has happened, instead of making a bunch of passes over the same ground I can mow in reverse which brings the "tips" in contact with the blades and as they cut, the "new tips" are right there to cut.


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## Mike CHS

@goats&moregoats that was part of our plans when we started doing this but life has gotten in the way often enough this year that we made the decisions to prolong getting any goats. Our fence line is slowly making it's way in that direction but that hill may never be fence because of the maintenance issue of keeping it looking decent.  That part of the fields is the first thing people see when they enter our drive way so I like to keep it looking nice.


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## Mike CHS

@Baymule - the first season we owned the place I trimmed that hill with a weed eater.  Since we were only here for a few days a month it didn't get done very often.  Once we got the tractor I could start at the driveway going down hill but there is one spot that as soon as you get close to the bottom, the contour changes and tipping over would be likely if you didn't know the lay of the hill at the bottom.  One reason I keep it short all of the time is that the switch isn't really easy to see.


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## Mike CHS

We got the last of the vine crops harvested this morning and the garden beds cleaned up so I can get the fall plants in that I have started.  I'm later than I like to be  but they will be planted in the next couple of weeks. I have a flat of broccoli and a flat of cauliflower and anything else we plant will be direct seeded.

I have no idea how much we have gotten out of the garden this year but we and the neighbors have been eating squash of some kind and melons and cantaloupe several times a week.

We have a rack full of winter squash already but these pictures are the last of them and the melons.


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## CntryBoy777

That FEL sure beats the wheelbarrow we have....course ya certainly have much longer hills than us, too....


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## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> My old Troy-bilt just had a wire that could be disconnected under the seat.


If physically activated by the seat, that's almost always the start/run safety switch. Prevents start and kills the engine if no one is sitting on the machine. (some will be bypassed if the brake is locked down and the PTO is disengaged)
Reverse safety switch is usually located somewhere that is physically connected to the shift lever or to the transmission itself.

Machines like the one LS has bypasses the rev safety switch remotely on the "dashboard" via the wiring's circuit.


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## Bruce

greybeard said:


> Prevents start and kills the engine if no one is sitting on the machine. (some will be bypassed if the brake is locked down and the PTO is disengaged)


That is how mine works though the PTO will be shut off if it is engaged when the parking brake is set and the seat vacated.


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## Mike CHS

Our mower doesn't function like that but there is a spot on the dash for a button so it must be an accessory on this mower.


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## Baymule

That's a lovely bucket of melons!


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## Mike CHS

_We got hay baled this afternoon that we were planning on doing tomorrow but the weather forecast changed and rain is on the way.  It is pouring down now so we did good.  We hauled and stacked 150 square bales for us and our neighbor cut the rest in round bales for him. We just got done about a half hour ago (8:00 PM) and I had to tell my wonderful lady for about the 1000th time that I love what we are doing and I can't imagine doing it with anyone else and still being able to smile at the end of the day.

We worked our sheep in the catch pen this morning and I have a lot of lessons learned. I planned the layout really wrong so that will change this week.  I made the pen too big and the corners needed to be rounded out.  For those who have really tame sheep that may not make much sense.  We started with sheep to train ours and others dogs so they are left on the wild side.  I gave the sheep too many corners and sheep being sheep, they get into a corner and just stop.  The dog feels forced to lunge at them which just sends them to another corner.  The bottom line is it was an unsuccessful training day that we will fix tomorrow._


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## CntryBoy777

Sure glad ya got the hay took care of and the rain held off for ya....I wouldn't be too hard on yourself.....it is all a part of gaining "Experience", and there aren't any in the "Herd" that hasn't stood in those "Shoes".....there are always adjustments to make with any set-ups....yours is on a bit larger scale than most....and that magnifies the weakness of the plan, but with all ya have done already there will always be "Fine Tuning" the plan and system....


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## Baymule

Some people think wealth is precious metals, stocks, all the accumulated things of a lifetime. But I tell you, they have no idea of the true feeling of wealth when you look at hay stacked in the barn, a full freezer, a pantry with glass jars full of your garden produce.... don't we feel sorry for them!


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## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> e worked our sheep in the catch pen this morning and I have a lot of lessons learned. I planned the layout really wrong so that will change this week. I made the pen too big and the corners needed to be rounded out. For those who have really tame sheep that may not make much sense. We started with sheep to train ours and others dogs so they are left on the wild side. I gave the sheep too many corners and sheep being sheep, they get into a corner and just stop.


1. I've yet to see a single working pen for any species of livestock that worked as was originally envisioned. (Mine included..I re-built it several times and still needs some tweaking) 
2. Non-Rounded corners. This, is the biggest mistake people make when designing a working pen. We tend to think animals use their vision just like we do, but Most livestock as well as non livestock animals have a more enhanced peripheral vision than humans, so their brains process what they see differently than we do. 90 deg corners present problems for them. Tho better, you don't have to form true radius, but any break from 90 deg will do the trick. 



 
Been my experience, that livestock 'want' to go back in the direction from where they started. They were safe there, not bothered, then we start trying to move them, and they do good till they come to a sharp angle and they are unsure just what to do. A radius or bend seems to make them think they are turning back from whence they came and they deal with that radius so much easier and much more calmly.


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## Bruce

greybeard said:


> Been my experience, that livestock 'want' to go back in the direction from where they started.


That is the basis of Dr. Temple Grandin's method of getting animals into a trailer. Make a U shaped chute so they head out then as they continue they feel like they are returning from whence they came. All calm and content.


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## Mike CHS

A 'just because' picture - as in I love the views on our place but this spot is my favorite.

We wound up with between 145 and 155 square bales (lost count) and the neighbor wound up with 18 large round bales. We are only cutting right at 9 acres so the grass was decent.


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## frustratedearthmother

I can see why that's your favorite view!  It's beautiful.


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## Mike CHS

frustratedearthmother said:


> I can see why that's your favorite view!  It's beautiful.



That would have been a good spot to build a house except that is is solid slab stone going down nobody knows how much.


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## Pastor Dave

Mike CHS said:


> Today was grass cutting and weed whacking as with all of this rain the grass is getting ahead of me.  Yesterday we ran 4 strands of electric poly rope for about 300' to divide part of one paddock in half.  Partly to let the grass fill in some there but more to see if the sheep will respect it so we can use that part when we separate all of the lambs.  We are a month behind where we wanted to be as far as breeding goes but it is what it is.  Our sorting pen is about 500' from the paddock we will be taking the lambs to so we are back to giving them some grain for a few days to make sure they will follow me down the hill.
> 
> The only sheep that has seen the rope is the spotted ewe from her previous home.  She did not respect it but they were only running two strand and a fairly low voltage charger.  We read almost 11k volts going through the rope.



Ok, so quick question. Month behind on breeding pushes you further into the Spring for Lambing, right? Guess it's no big deal, but just used to March/April here.

The charged rope is made from what material?  Just curious. Not used to it, so sounds interesting.


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## Mike CHS

The market here for meat sheep has been fairly consistent and it doesn't seem to vary very much.  We have done some direct sales and used a local processor so it works for us. We prefer a winter lambing because of parasites but we have other issues this year (daughters wedding) so we had to adjust our schedule.  I don't know what the material is for the rope but what we got came from Premier1.


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## Pastor Dave

The farmer I help out has a beef operation and devotes February to calving. The sheep are a smaller operation and come second. It just seems like the lambs come around St Patty's Day and my birthday in April.


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## Latestarter

Mike CHS said:


> That would have been a good spot to build a house except that is is solid slab stone going down nobody knows how much.



I obviously had the same thought as many others. It would be an awesome house position. As for the slab, folks build homes where there's nothing but rock all the time. They use this stuff called dynamite... you may have heard about it  That is one really nice view. I like all the tiny white sheep wayyyyyy down there in that lower pasture.


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## Mike CHS

We have been working in the shop most of the day getting small projects done but I put some lamb ribs on the grill this morning before we went down.  I just put them in foil for another hour or so and they should have most of the fat cooked off by then.


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## frustratedearthmother

Yummmm, looks delish!


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## CntryBoy777

Sure does!!.....it's a good day to enjoy them too....


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## Mike CHS

All that talk about cooking in @Latestarter thread made me want to cook something.


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## CntryBoy777

When the weather breaks for Fall, I'll be gearing up to really "Season" my new grill....I've never had one like this before and it takes a lot of "Trial and Error" to get it just right.....I was always told that if I cook it, I have to eat it....so, it's a shame to have to eat the good and bad BBQ.........but, mine is never charred to a crisp, so it isn't that bad....just not quite right....


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## Mike CHS

Fred - I keep thinking about buying a nice smoker setup but I haven't seen too many folks that turn out some Q any better than I can with my Weber grill.  That little attachment on the inside of the grill in the picture is called a Smokenator and turns the Weber into a smoker that's hard to beat.  I don't have the capacity of the bigger smokers but I can do two shoulders at a time.


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## Pastor Dave

I have a rack of ribs (the pork variety) to do one of these days. My grill with side burner makes it a Texas-style smoker. I smoked two whole rabbits the other day. I didn't care for the end results. Believe it or not, too smoky flavor. The texture turned to mush too. They do great on the grill, but I will pass on smoking them. The pork I have smoked always come out good.


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## Mike CHS

I don't do Low and Slow so my cooks aren't technically smoking.  I keep my temps between 275-300.  I tried rabbit once that a friend cooked slow and didn't care for it at all but I would be curious if it did better at higher temps.


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## Pastor Dave

I give them some color when I grill em and then brush on the Sweet Baby Ray's to finish off. It's good grilled with the higher temp and not so infused with smoke. There's always the debate about whether one is grilling or barbecuing. I don't consider it barbecue unless the sauce is applied. Not sure exact requirements and definition.


----------



## Baymule

We have 2 pits. One is the tank of a water heater, nicely set up on legs and wheels. We bought one of those smokers with the firebox hanging off one end for $99 and used it to smoke our bacon and sausage in. It did great. I love smoked or BBQ meat! Sometimes I do a whole lot at once, then seal it up with my food saver. I can drop a frozen package in boiling water and supper is ready in no time!


----------



## Mike CHS

We do the same Bay.  Whenever I do ribs or shoulders, I do multiples and vacuum seal many meals for later.


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## Mike CHS

I thought some might like these pictures.  Teresa lets Cheep Cheep the wild turkey (who is not so wild) out of the coop to wander around the yard in the morning thinking that at some point if she is so inclined she can go off into the woods.  Then at night about roosting time she wants to go back in to roost on the turkey platform in the tree that is in there.

I wish I had my camera when I first saw her by the dogs in their kennel.  It almost looked like she was taunting them and got about an inch from the chain link and just stood there taunting them as they were having a fit.  By the time I got my camera and got back out there she had just nestled in for a staring match at the Aussie who was sitting there drooling.

She has a natural fear of them when they are loose (which is a good thing) so she somehow understands that they are contained.


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## CntryBoy777

I've always heard that wild turkeys are pretty smart....much more than the domesticated breeds. This kinda reminds me of the old cartoons we grew up watching....with the cat just out of reach of the dog on a chain....


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## Baymule

Those are some cool pictures. What a great experience with a wild turkey. Ya' gotta love it!


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## Mike CHS

She is a character.  Just for grins, this picture was when she was a little over a week old.


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## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Cheep Cheep the wild turkey (who is not so wild) out of the coop


Um isn't that  bit of an oxymoron? Wild turkeys don't sleep in coops 

I don't suppose there is any incentive to leave her happy home unless she sees a flock walking by. Maybe you can breed some intelligent turkey genes into a flock of domestics


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## Pastor Dave

That pair up sounds like a good breeding arrangement. We have thought abt it with domestic and wild rabbits, but never have gotten a wild one to live in captivity. My uncle used to say that whether it was a wild doe or wild buck, paired to a domestic would wind up with large offspring. Maybe I will find out some day.


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## CntryBoy777

Just be sure @Pastor Dave to check local and state law on game animals....just so ya know where ya stand, there are federal laws too...that apply.....the local game warden can help ya. I sure would hate for ya to be doing something that seemed fine, but brings a nice "Fine" along with it.....it is much better to Know ya "Know",  than to "Pay" for the "Lesson" of a simple "Mistake"......


----------



## Pastor Dave

Yah, you're entirely right. I'm sure there would need to be a permit to even have one penned. I have no idea what would be necessary legally to involve one in a breeding program. I would think it neat to utilize the hybrids and possibly reintroduce the wild one back to nature. Maybe that would be inhumane. Idk, but it is all hypothetical.


----------



## Mike CHS

It wasn't easy to find out if any laws were impacted by us raising this girl but the agent told us that either we raise it and try to release it later (if it wanted release) or let it go since there was nothing they could do.  She doesn't want to spend the night outside the pen and she goes to Teresa when she goes out just before dark to get let in the gate. We found that Federal laws only applied to a select few cases.


----------



## Mike CHS

Pastor Dave said:


> Yah, you're entirely right. I'm sure there would need to be a permit to even have one penned. I have no idea what would be necessary legally to involve one in a breeding program. I would think it neat to utilize the hybrids and possibly reintroduce the wild one back to nature. Maybe that would be inhumane. Idk, but it is all hypothetical.



Pastor Dave - this young turkey still has many of the characteristics of the wild ones even though she was reared by us.  She knows to hide in tall grass as soon as she senses something/someone unknown and eats very little poultry feed since she free ranges all day.

We would like for her to breed with our domestic turkey if she elects to stick around but we give her her freedom as much as possible.


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## Mike CHS

We went to an Estate Auction in Chapel Hill, TN this morning but get very much and didn't expect to since it wasn't far from Nashville and those folks seem to buy at auction like they do at a retail store.  The real reason we wanted to go to Chapel Hill was to make contact with the owners of Caney Creek Farm in Chapel Hill.  Coincidentally we ran into the owners at the auction and made arrangements to take a look at their sheep this afternoon.

We will go back next weekend and pick out 3 or 4 of their March lambs to breed with our lambs in October.  These are some of the prettiest sheep we have seen and will be another step in upgrading our flock.  We have another source that we were given by @goatgurl in Northwest Arkansas which will hopefully be another improvement.


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## CntryBoy777

Well ya may have not bought anything from the auction, but it sure sounds like the trip was well worth it....


----------



## Mike CHS

We are going to have to move the ram tomorrow before we get some unplanned breeding.  All of the December ewe lambs and most of the older ewes are hanging around by Ringo's fence backing up to the fence and wagging tails at him. I added a hot wire to his side this afternoon to keep him from trying to go through the fence.  The dog training pen will become a ram pen for a bit while we flush the breeders that we will sending his way.  The ewe lambs are obviously ready to breed but they don't have the size yet to accommodate a ram as big as Ringo is so they will have to wait till October.

One thing we saw at Caney Creek today taught us that we won't wether any more ram lambs.  All of their rams destined for meat sales are intact and the growth rate is half again faster than ewe lambs the same age.  We have the fence to let us do that so no more banding or castrating unless we need a male to keep a ram company.


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## CntryBoy777

When I do come over your way, I'll be sure to bring a couple of coolers with me and talk some bi'ness....


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## Baymule

So if you don't castrate the ram lambs, they grow faster? Ram lambs grow faster than wethers? Hmmmm......I would probably still castrate the ram lambs because of space issues. My wethers going to slaughter next month were back with the flock after weaning, and everyone is happy.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> So if you don't castrate the ram lambs, they grow faster? Ram lambs grow faster than wethers? Hmmmm......I would probably still castrate the ram lambs because of space issues. My wethers going to slaughter next month were back with the flock after weaning, and everyone is happy.



Our wethers are definitely happy but their growth was stunted when we did the deed to them.  We have one wether that was almost 12 pounds at birth that is now still smaller than his sibling ewe that was 2 pounds smaller.  I have read about all of this for a long time and have thought about leaving them intact.  They have committed restaurant sales which say a lot about what they are doing since they only process males.  Your space limits what you can do but I am going to change our planning now based on what we saw that confirmed my research.  These folks have a lot of road miles getting to where they are in the genetics return.


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## farmerjan

Testosterone is a growth factor.  See it in the bull calves as opposed to the steer calves.  The big problem we run into, is when they are castrated older;   unless we do them, let them back in with their mothers for awhile, then wean;   they will drop off too much weight when weaned and castrated.  It is a balancing act with the steers, but some still do not get done until older.  Others we do at about 4-8 weeks, whenever we work them through the chute,  like when we move them out to pasture in the spring or move them around in the fall for winter grazing/feeding.  Some places it is just not convenient to get them in a month before weaning and/or selling; get them castrated, then let them back with the cow to "get over it"  then bring back to wean and/or sell.  They will put on an average 50 lbs or more as bull calves.  Once they hit the 6-700 lb size,  or as I like to say  "when they are starting to feel their cheerios"  they start acting more like bulls and will "wear off the weight" from acting like adolescents with a hormone attitude.  

The markets here are such that we do not castrate any male (ram)  sheep.  The ethnic market wants the males to be intact....so we don't do any castrating.  Since we always keep more than 2 males for breeding, there is never any problem with a male needing a companion.  If you are going to feed a wether,  then I would just keep a second male as a backup for breeding. They might have some scuffles over establishing their social standing when you first put them together, but they soon get over it.  We will put anywhere from 4-8 mature bulls, weighing 1200 to 2000 lbs, together after breeding season;  they do their pushing and shoving and establish their place and then get over it.  The Dall sheep will but heads...literally ram heads.... and then stop eventually.


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## Mike CHS

We brought home some ram lamb meat and tried it and I could tell no difference from what we have been eating all along.

We are getting ready to go pick up our alfalfa for this season in a few minutes.  Last year we were paying $12 a bale at the only place in Lewisburg that carried alfalfa.  We are going to pick it up out of the field for $6.25 a bale.

The picture attached is our ram Ringo pining away trying to figure out how to get to the ewes.  They are all cycling but we only want to breed 10 of them this month and the rest in October.  They spend most of the day down there flirting with Ringo and backing up to the fence trying to figure out why he isn't doing his job.

This kind of rotation is why I put in so many gates.


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## Baymule

Wow, what beautiful pasture. I spent the morning digging and sprigging Bahia grass. It grows on the road side, so I took my wagon and a shovel and dug a wagon load of Bahia. I dug trenches, my husband dropped Bahia in, covered with dirt and stomped it down. I did this yesterday too. I got a feeling I might continue this for awhile......its free......


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## Mike CHS

I saw that in your thread and I always like free.


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## Latestarter

Who's that running the bush hog on the Deere in the background? I thought you had a Kubota... A neighbor? I ask because it appears it's inside the fence line. Poor, poor Ringo... He'll get his chance!


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## CntryBoy777

That's quite the savings on the alfalfa....I think Ringo looks like a Centerfielder to me....


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## Bruce

farmerjan said:


> The ethnic market wants the males to be intact


How very convenient!


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## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> They spend most of the day down there flirting with Ringo and backing up to the fence trying to figure out why he isn't doing his job.


Hussies!


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## Mike CHS

Latestarter said:


> Who's that running the bush hog on the Deere in the background? I thought you had a Kubota... A neighbor? I ask because it appears it's inside the fence line. Poor, poor Ringo... He'll get his chance!



That is our neighbor Jimmy.  I cut 3 acres of his yesterday so he had some time off today and cut some of the high stuff that was left when we cut hay last week.  We cut much of each others depending on who has the most time and what equipment is hooked up at the time.  He saw my bush hog wasn't attached because I was using the sprayer on the 3 point hitch.


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## frustratedearthmother

That's awesome!  Nothing like a great neighbor!


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## Mike CHS

frustratedearthmother said:


> That's awesome!  Nothing like a great neighbor!



We have 3 households in our little valley and everyone helps the others pretty much all the time.  We all have some equipment that the others don't have so it works out well.  I was spraying driveways (all 3 of them) so it's a good trade.


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## Baymule

Good community is priceless. You are blessed.


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## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> We have 3 households in our little valley and everyone helps the others pretty much all the time.  We all have some equipment that the others don't have so it works out well.  I was spraying driveways (all 3 of them) so it's a good trade.



It is a lot easier to afford 1 attachment that isn't used all that often and share than have everyone buy each item.


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## Mike CHS

I hesitated to post anything about our normal activities with the disaster going on with our friends down south but decided it might be a good time because of that.

We are finally getting to the point where we can separate the 8 & 9 month old sheep from those that will get bred in the next few weeks.  We got Ringo separated and him and the wethers are now residing in the dog training pen.  Their training has taken a back burner to everything else up to this point.  We have the two main paddocks separated into 4 smaller paddocks using electric rope.  It We feed the two youngest lambs first and the rest sense they aren't allowed until I either walk away or take them down to the handling chute.has been up for two weeks and nobody has tested it so we shall see how it works when the lambs can no longer get to their moms.  Some are still nursing and they are bigger than their mom.  We feed the two youngest lambs first and the rest sense they aren't allowed until I either walk away or take them down to the handling chute.


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## CntryBoy777

In the last 3 pics I think ya look like the "Pied Piper" of sheep, but then again that bucket could be the focus....kinda hard to tell....


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## frustratedearthmother

Love the pics - thanks for posting them!


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## Bruce

Looking good Mike. 

No need to second guess posting just because of disasters elsewhere. While we are all concerned about those being beaten down by Harvey, life does go one elsewhere and "all tragedy all the time" is hard to take!


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## frustratedearthmother

At this point - I just enjoy seeing normalcy!


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## Baymule

I am in love with your spotted ewe! Post all the happy, normal pictures you want!


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## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> In the last 3 pics I think ya look like the "Pied Piper" of sheep, but then again that bucket could be the focus....kinda hard to tell....



Originally the bucket was the focus but now they are so conditioned I can go anywhere in the pasture and call them and they will come running.  I always try to have a least a little something but they are so used to coming when I open a gate they don't need anything.

We just finished putting everything up and getting ourselves cleaned up. I had to resort to the water hose to get the first few into the chute but after that they all went in without much problem. It took us a little more than two hours and I'm tired but the next to breed are into their waiting paddock and will get flushed over the next couple of weeks. I don't think they need much if any since they are in such good body condition. The lambs that were still nursing are big enough to breed but we want them to lose some weight now that mama's milk is no longer available.


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## Mike CHS

Bruce & FEM - I thought some new pictures of critters might be nice.

Baymule - that ewe also has a personality to go along with her looks.  She never has become a part of the flock though and keeps off to herself.


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## Bruce

Poor thing! She needs a friend even though there are many friends to be had.


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## Mike CHS

We were expecting (and got rain) starting around 10 this morning so we used the time before it got here to run a couple of strands of hot wire on both sides of the ram pen down low to keep the sheep off the fence.  Ringo tested it first thing but hasn't touched it since then.

Since it was raining we went to Etheridge to see if any of the Amish farms had any tomatoes left.  The farms that we frequent didn't have any so we went to the auction that started at 1:00.  We only spent $50 dollars but brought home a bushel of small cucumbers to make some more pickles, two bags of bell peppers (for $5 each) to both freeze for kitchen use and we will make a bunch of stuffed peppers to freeze for later meals.  We also picked up 60 pounds of tomatoes that came in 20 pound boxes for $9 each box.

On a side note, Teresa was cooking a pasta dish for the youth meeting at the church and made a batch for us also.  This stuff is awesome and tastes like lasagna but uses spaghetti noodles.  When she was telling me the ingredients this morning I was skeptical that it would be edible and used ground beef and pasta sauce and cottage cheese, cream cheese and I'm not sure of anything else.  Good comfort food. 

All items at this auction are picked the day of the sale and here are the peppers.


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## Baymule

Wow! I wish we had produce auctions like that! But I just can't see growing a big bag of bell peppers like those and selling them for a measly $5!!


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## CntryBoy777

I can't see planting, tending, growing, and picking them if I can get them for $5 either.
We use cottage cheese in our spaghetti sauce and lasana  we just prefer the taste over ricotta and it is cheaper too. I've never tried using the cream cheese in it, but may have to try adding some....especially in stuffed shells. Once again ya are the envy of many here Mike....


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## Mike CHS

Baymule- there is a large Amish community not far from us.  Most of them sell off their farms but take the majority of their produce to the auction.  It's ran by English as they call us but all of the sales items and workers are all Amish.  You can drive down the road and all the farms have signs out by the road with what they currently have.

Fred - this auction is why we are going to change our garden planning.  We will still do be vine crops and a few tomato and pepper plants for daily eating but all of our canning produce will be bought at auction.  With seed packets pushing $4 I can eliminate the labor and still put up for the winter at our garden value.

The last time we went to one of the farms we picked up 120 ears of Peaches & Cream sweet corn for $8 because it was picked the day before.


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## Bruce

Gee, I got 3 orange peppers from the 2 plants I bought. Would have been cheaper to buy them at the store. Similar situation last year. Clearly growing peppers isn't one of my strong points.


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## Mike CHS

Bruce - we normally get enough peppers out of our garden to last all winter but with everything else going on we decided to buy since the prices are so low.  We see quite a few people at the auction that we also see at Farmers Markets so Local Grown has a double meaning.


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## Mike CHS

We put up a bunch of pickles today and only used up 1/3 of what we bought so we should finish them tomorrow.  We made a big patch of stuffed bell peppers for later meals and also for dinner tonight.

The pictures are of stacked corn in one of the Amish farm fields that we went to yesterday.  I thought they turned out cool and want to share.


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## goatgurl

while I was catching up on your thread mike I saw where you had tried meat from a ram and found it good.  a few years ago I butchered a 2 1/2 year old ram and honestly I couldn't tell it from the wethers we had butchered before.  no strong taste, not tough.  the only difference is that the chops, ect were bigger, lol.  things sure look good at your house.  and along with the others I'm having auction envy.  would be nice to get good veggies that reasonably.


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## Mike CHS

Thanks GG.  We won't be processing any more lamb for ourselves unless it is one that is having problems and  do appreciate the larger cuts of meat.  The only time we could tell a difference was with the ribs that seemed a wee bit stronger but that was probably due to a larger layer of fat.


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## Baymule

Why do they stack the corn stalks? What do they use them for? If I had Amish neighbors like that I'd probably go buy my canning veggies too. But I don't so I'll continue to grow mine. LOL


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## Baymule

@goatgurl I will probably be sending my 2 year old ram to slaughter in a few weeks when I take wethers. I'm going to upgrade my ram. My daughter requested a standing rib roast instead of chops. I'm excited to try that.


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## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Why do they stack the corn stalks? What do they use them for? If I had Amish neighbors like that I'd probably go buy my canning veggies too. But I don't so I'll continue to grow mine. LOL



We asked one of the farmers a ton of questions last year since we are out that way often enough that they tolerate us. 

The corn is probably almost dry enough to start husking but not completely. Stacking is intended to keep the corn from contact with the ground where it would absorb moisture.  This is all field corn which is used for both their livestock and themselves to eat.


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## CntryBoy777

Mike CHS said:


> Thanks GG.  We won't be processing any more lamb for ourselves unless it is one that is having problems and  do appreciate the larger cuts of meat.  The only time we could tell a difference was with the ribs that seemed a wee bit stronger but that was probably due to a larger layer of fat.


Just for clarity, are ya lessening lamb in the diet, or just the processing of it?


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## Mike CHS

Just the processing Fred.  We are about 50/50 with beef and lamb supplemented with some pork every once in awhile.  We are just going to let them get full grown since it doesn't cost any more to get 80-100 pounds vs 40-50 pounds.  Our lamb ewes are 7-8 months old and they weighed between 90 & 120 pounds when we worked them the other day.  The males would be even bigger if they weren't castrated but the one left in that group is 130 pounds.


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## Mike CHS

We just finished canning that bunch of tomatoes we bought the other day plus we already have enough total that we shouldn't need anymore until we start picking our own again next year,  The camp stove did well 
even with the wind and rain that we have going on.

The baby chicks in our incubator started hatching.  Several are already out of the egg and quite a few are working on it.


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## CntryBoy777

Awww!!....peepers are always so cute and sweet...we still only have 1 so far....duck that is.....hope most hatch for y'all, is it a mixed batch?


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## Mike CHS

These are  a mixed bag of ours, a neighbors and Jays. These will replace the 10 that Jay lost to the dog or however many he wants.  A couple you can already tell will be Black Sex Links which came from ours


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## Mike CHS

I thought Teresa said she put 40 eggs in the incubator but it was 30 instead. 14 have hatched since this morning and so far doing good.

We processed pickles and tomatoes today till we finally called "Uncle" but got it all done except for about 15 pounds of small cucumbers that a neighbor wants to buy for some pickles for them.


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## Pastor Dave

We have Amish down South and West of us. No wholesale prices on their wares. Of course we also have Shipshewana up North, but that has commercialized so much that it's hard to call it Amish.

Your wife's pasta with cottage cheese and cream cheese sounds good. I make a layered "lasagne" with elbow macaroni because it is so much easier to scoop out than cut and lift out. I WILL BE trying the cream cheese addition!

If I understood you right, you are at 1/2 and 1/2 with lamb and beef the way I am with our rabbit meat. Haven't bought chicken in I couldn't say how long, and hardly any pork. Can't avoid the pork steaks and racks of ribs though. There's hardly any fat on the rabbit, and well, the ribs are no bigger than somewhere between a toothpick and popsicle stick.


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## Baymule

A friend just texted us with an offer for us to buy half a beef.


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## Mike CHS

Pastor Dave - the cream cheese makes a good dish even better.  We put on some shank of lamb yesterday in the slow cooker while we were canning.  Added a little spice to some flour to coat the lamb, brown it in butter then to the slow cooker with some white wine and garlic.  The Amish farms get a decent price lower than retail but not near wholesale.  The auction barn targets bulk food buyers so it is a wholesale market.


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## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> A friend just texted us with an offer for us to buy half a beef.



We are literally loving every bite of the one we split with our neighbor.


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## Pastor Dave

Mike CHS said:


> Pastor Dave - the cream cheese makes a good dish even better.  We put on some shank of lamb yesterday in the slow cooker while we were canning.  Added a little spice to some flour to coat the lamb, brown it in butter then to the slow cooker with some white wine and garlic.  The Amish farms get a decent price lower than retail but not near wholesale.  The auction barn targets bulk food buyers so it is a wholesale market.



I'm still jealous of the auction y'all have down there. 

I saw reports of TN flooding in parts. Is that close to you?


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## Mike CHS

The flooding was all north and north west of us mostly on a line from Nashville on up into Kentucky and east to the Cumberland Plateau.  There were several places that got better than 20" but not here.  Not saying it couldn't happen here but if we got flooded the entire state would be under water since we are so high in elevation and everything around us is several hundred feet lower.


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## Pastor Dave

In the early 80's, my family lived along the line you mentioned on the Cumerland Plateau in Henry Co. It's been a long time since I heard mention of the Cumberland Plateau or Cumberland Gap.


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## goatgurl

mike I do the same thing now with my wether that I keep to butcher.  born in the spring and not butchered until the following fall.  more meat and it cost almost nothing to keep him for that year.  at butcher time I have a lot more meat.  @Baymule  I really think you'll enjoy your ram.  and mike I didn't cook the ribs so don't know about the taste.  this fall I have a wether and i'm going to butcher one of my old ewes.  she and I hurt her front leg and it hurts her to walk.  we were wrestling while I was trimming her hoof and she twisted and I didn't let go so we hurt her knee.  and no it isn't getting any better.  that happened last fall.  don't want to sell her to continue her suffering so freezer camp it is.  the gentleman who processes for us makes some awesome summer sausage from lamb so she is going to be this years sausage.


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## Mike CHS

I haven't tried any sausage from our sheep so I might have him do some of our next one that way.


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## goatgurl

oh man is it good.  he makes a plain version and a jalapeno/cheese version.    and it freezes well too.


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## Pastor Dave

@goatgurl they ought to have a double click effect on the like button or a button for regular likes and another for really likes 

I enjoy reading just abt anything on Summer sausage. I began making mine with deer I would harvest and out of others' deer they harvested. There was sooooo  much we never did as a kid with our rabbits we processed. Now, I make sausage and summer sausage out of my rabbits. It is so hard getting the temps to allow me to infuse cheese without it oozing out as it cooks. But, I still experiment.


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## Baymule

Pastor Dave said:


> @goatgurl they ought to have a double click effect on the like button or a button for regular likes and another for really likes
> 
> I enjoy reading just abt anything on Summer sausage. I began making mine with deer I would harvest and out of others' deer they harvested. There was sooooo  much we never did as a kid with our rabbits we processed. Now, I make sausage and summer sausage out of my rabbits. It is so hard getting the temps to allow me to infuse cheese without it oozing out as it cooks. But, I still experiment.



Oh, will you PLEASE make a thread with pictures, details and recipe on how you make your summer sausage???? And tag me when you do?? PUH-LEEEZE?? My husband loves summer sausage and I'll make him some!


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## goatgurl

@Pastor Dave years ago I use to make sausage from a combo of venison and pork or goat and pork.  i'll have to ask john what kind of cheese he uses.  never thought about using rabbit.


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## Mike CHS

I was hoping the camera would capture what the Wild Turkey was doing but it didn't.  This girl teases the dogs non stop when they are in the kennel.  I c.ame in to fuel up the tractor and caught a glimpse of something moving fast by the kennel.  I looked for a second and it was the turkey running as fast as she could around the kennel over and over.  Of course the dogs are going nuts.  I went in to get the camera but she had stopped running and was taunting the Aussie a few inches from the wire.  She roams around the yard and garden beds all day so I have to keep the dogs really under control when we let them out since she taunts them so much I'm sure they would love to put an end to it.

She has a whole dug right beside the wire and when she gets tired of the staring game she will just lay down and ignore them.


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## Bruce

Mean little thing isn't she??


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## CntryBoy777

The Road Runner and Wylie........poor girl has to have something Fun to occupy her time with....


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## Mike CHS

I guess that could be considered cruel.  A taunting turkey on one side and a ram that is off limits to them on the other side in that picture.


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## Baymule

*BAAAAD TURKEY!!!! 

*


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## Mike CHS

I put together a jump gate of sorts for Maisy and now the only issue is to get her to want to go through it.  We did a couple of trial runs with the gate attached to the shop door and that worked because she loves going into the shop.  We made the mistake of lifting her front legs and head through to get her to do it outside and she decided that we were trying to "MAKE" her do something so then she acted like she had no idea what that thing is.  We'll work with her some more at the shop before wasting time putting it out on the interior dividing fence and have her not use it.

What she is staring at so intently is a big bone and a piece of bacon.


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## Baymule

I like that idea.


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## CntryBoy777

That sure makes sense and may take her a bit to be confident it isn't going to shock her going thru.....a few more bones and bacon should do the trick....


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## Bruce

She'll go through when she feels a need to do so. I suggest putting a fox on the other side


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## Mike CHS

Bruce - I'm sure she will go if she feels the need.  She doesn't like to do anything that isn't her idea so we didn't push it after she jumped through the final time.   I made another frame for another 'gate' today and will use it on the fence that separates the two paddocks where the breeders are and will leave the one in the picture where it is.  I'll be letting the ram in with the older ewes in another week or so and I'll move all the younger ewes through the ram paddock to get them into a couple of acres in electric netting so we can let the main paddock be fallow for a month or so.  I already cut most of the tallest grass down to the good stuff and will broadcast some grass seed over a few areas that has some of the sparser graze.  Overall the grass is filling in pretty good and looks much better than it did when we first put the sheep in there.


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## CntryBoy777

Are ya sowing orchard grass seed? I've gotta get some rye grass next week to sow, so the goats, chickens, and ducks will have something to eat on thru winter here.


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## Mike CHS

I'm putting some rye grass in this paddock and some oats.  Our sheep eat orchard grass hay but it isn't their favorite.  _I need to get the extension agent out to figure out exactly what I have because that stuff they devour when I was cutting it._


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## CntryBoy777

Either that or dig up a patch next time ya go by there and stop, show it to them and ask...that's what I have to do most of the time....especially with unknown plants or grass. Around here I'd be waiting for months for them to show up...


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## Baymule

Yeah, just what is that lush green grass in every picture? I have serious grass envy.


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## Bruce

Play "Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox". Tell Maisy that under no condition is she to go through that portal.


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## Mike CHS

We finished running electric wire on the inside of the breeders paddock and let Ringo join the ewes.  They have been bedding down on opposite sides of the fence so they are already used to each other.  We can finally start calling the fences that we have in DONE.  We will be letting the younger bunch into the boys pen now that Ringo has moved and they can also graze on the hay field for another month or so.  We can then let the others except our spotted ewe and her lambs in with Ringo so they can all be in the same paddock until just before lambing starts.  By then the spotted ewe and the ewes we are buying share a paddock with Ringo.

We are going to the Fall Classic Katahdin consignment sale at Middle TN State University tomorrow but not really planning on buying anything.  This will be another networking trip for us.


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## CntryBoy777




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## Baymule

Are you ready for Irma? Most of the projections have her coming to visit your neck of the woods, or near to it. Got everything put up and tied down? Irma might be just a tropical storm by the time she gets close to you and you might be on the edge, but I bet she's bring a lot of rain.


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## Mike CHS

We pretty much stay ready.  I don't leave anything out loose and we have all we need for the livestock in the shop where we can get the sheep too from any of the paddocks.  Hurricanes Ivan and Dennis used my house in Florida as a target to home in on but we have always been a bit on the prepper side.

We are due south of Nashville about 60 miles so we will get wet.

On a side not, we went to COSTCO today to pick up a few things and the Traeger grill people were there with a good sale on the Traeger grills.  So I already have my Birthday, Christmas, Anniversary present for this year.


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## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> So I already have my Birthday, Christmas, Anniversary present for this year.


Going to be some nice lamb dinners! Do you have to wait until all those events have passed to use it?  



Mike CHS said:


> but not really planning on buying anything


Famous last words spoken by many


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## Mike CHS

We aren't taking the trailer so that will help control impulses Bruce.


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## Bruce

Plenty of room in the back seat! Unless you are taking the truck, then WAY plenty of room in the bed


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## CntryBoy777

Yeh...that just takes care of you, but what about Teresa's?..


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## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> Yeh...that just takes care of you, but what about Teresa's?..



I always make sure she gets her fair share and she got her share before I got the grill.  I wouldn't have it any other way.


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## Mike CHS

We had a good day and made a whole bunch of new friends.  We have been involved with either sheep herding or raising for going on 5 years now and we literally haven't met a single stranger and most we have met have become friends.  Today was the fall meeting and sheep sale for the Tennessee Katahdin Sheep Association which we joined today.  I'm not sure how but we volunteered to host the spring Association meeting at our farm in late April of next year.  That meeting will not involve a sale but they say the attendance is always good with folks coming from of course Tennessee but there was several from Alabama, Kentucky, Alabama and Louisiana.

Good to my word we did not bring any new sheep home but this pretty white male Akbash pup followed us home.  We started introductions this evening when we got home and will continue tomorrow.  This pup is going to be a big boy, his sire is right at 140 lbs and his dam is 110 lbs.  The sheep were curious enough about him to come up and sniff and he was well behaved with them.  I'll post pictures of him at another time.


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## HomeOnTheRange

Mike CHS said:


> but this pretty white male Akbash pup followed us home.


And the pictures would be???


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## Mike CHS

This forum gives no slack on pictures.    I got one but we didn't have a lot of daylight left after we toured the fields and did some interaction with the other LGD.  This is one I took right after we got home but then we had to do chicken chores and feed the few critters that are still getting fed.


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## Bruce

Oh sure, didn't take the trailer so you COULDN'T bring home a few Katahdins but there was room for an Akbash pup. Should have ridden your bicycles  And somehow got convinced to host a meeting. 

Looks like he understands food and water. What does Maisy think of him?

Looks like you and @CntryBoy777 better batten down the hatches, Irma is going to hit both of you Tuesday as a Tropical Depression. No horrendous winds, haven't heard about rain amounts.


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## HomeOnTheRange

Nice looking pup!  Congrats


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## Mike CHS

Maisy wasn't sure how to take the pup at first and the pup has no fear so we will have to work with that one.  He had been with sheep and his dam and sire since born so he is pretty confident.  We only had about an hour before it got too dark but Maisy finally decided the pup was ours to and left it alone.  They won't be together unsupervised for awhile so we have time to play with.  She knocked him down once but when it yelped and bit her back she decided that wasn't good and and left him alone.  Since we were there we let her know it wasn't what we wanted and she backed off.  The pup played submissive for the first meeting but not for long so we shall see. 

They are forecasting some winds and some rain but nothing like they are predicting for Florida.  We have winds all the time so nothing new.


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## CntryBoy777

Somehow I figured there would be something that would come out of this trip.........really nice looking boy, things should workout with the situation and sounds like he will be a Big boy, for sure. Before long they'll be drafting ya as an officer in the association, especially when they get a gander at your place there, too....
@Bruce we have worse weather come thru spawning tornados than Irma will do here....they are talking some rain....maybe, depending on where it stalls to...right now, we are west of the projected rain field...so it is iffy that we get any of it here.


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## Bruce

Yeah, She is supposed to run NW between you and Mike, then turn NE.

I have friends that have had their permanent residence in Fort Myers for about the last 12 years, they summer up here. Irma is slated to run directly over Fort Myers. Based on the storm surge maps, no need to hurry back south, their house has a 90%-100% chance of being flooded by 9' storm surge. It is in one of the many neighborhoods built with canals so everyone can have their boat in the "back yard" and motor out to sea to "play". Near as I can tell from Zillow, the entire neighborhood is mobile homes. Depending on the winds, the surge flooding may not matter at all because there won't be anything left to flood.


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> Somehow I figured there would be something that would come out of this trip.........really nice looking boy, things should workout with the situation and sounds like he will be a Big boy, for sure. Before long they'll be drafting ya as an officer in the association, especially when they get a gander at your place there, too....
> @Bruce we have worse weather come thru spawning tornados than Irma will do here....they are talking some rain....maybe, depending on where it stalls to...right now, we are west of the projected rain field...so it is iffy that we get any of it here.



Fred - one of the things I like about this bunch is that other than a Secretary/Treasurer, there are no officers just board members.   The majority of them are small farms with less than 50 sheep and a few with several hundred.


----------



## CntryBoy777

It sounds like a really good group and it can only benefit your operation there. The support, commradery, and experiences can only be a benefit to y'all.....not to mention the ability to improve your herd.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Mike CHS said:


> pretty white male Akbash pup followed us home


Oh my goodness - he's precious!!  I'd bet that Maisy will take to him soon enough!


----------



## Mike CHS

Maisy was typically not sure what that thing was at first but when we take him out in the pasture with us she was ok with him being there.  The pup almost blew it when he grabbed a bone Maisy had been chewing on and took off with it.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Mike CHS said:


> The pup almost blew it when he grabbed a bone Maisy had been chewing on and took off with it.


THAT was not a smart move, lol.  But, he'll 'get it' soon enough I'll bet!


----------



## Bruce

Did the Katahdin group mention that the person hosting the annual meeting get a quality breeding pair as a thank you???


----------



## Mike CHS

Most of the sheep this group has isn't cheap so it isn't likely.


----------



## Bruce

You forgot to make that a requirement in the activity contract??? Mike, you are slipping


----------



## Mike CHS

We made more contacts in that one day than we have since moving here so we will take that as a plus.  

The pup is settling in to our routine.  He got quite a bit of time in the paddock today but it was all supervised. If Maisy doesn't hurt him the sheep very well might.  We used a 20' sheep & goat panel to make him a pen where he can see all the critters including the chickens but we bring him in to the porch at night by himself.  He gets to interact with Maisy but only enough contact with the herding dogs to know they belong here but that's all.

We have one of the bigger farms that we have dealt with offer 'advice' about how to handle LGD's and they are one of the types that BrendaMNgri writes about.  The advice was to put the pup in the pen and let it adjust.

By the way, Maisy used the jump gate to get to the food bowl when we fed the pup in the catch pen.


----------



## Bruce

I told you she'd use it when SHE felt a need to be on the other side. But it has to be her idea, right? Almost like a cat.


----------



## Mike CHS

She went through it without touching it and it is about her body size.  But you were right - we have learned that a lot of what we do with her is on her terms but it works and she is part of the family.


----------



## Mike CHS

Cheep Cheep has been in the bigger chicken pen for the last week and seemed content to stay there since there are fewer chickens and they don't put any pressure on her.  That is until last night.  I was taking the dogs out this morning and heard something overhead in the pop up canopy.


----------



## Hens and Roos

congrats on the new addition


----------



## Bruce

Better view from up there!


----------



## Mike CHS

She goes pretty much wherever she wants.  The only issue is having a turkey with the run of the place has the same problem as having geese.  There are reminders left behind wherever she goes.  

We don't open the door very wide until we make sure she isn't standing by it.  She has gotten into the house when we went out and she is so fast she can scoot right by you.


----------



## Bruce

Yep that sure is one WILD turkey!!! Soon you'll find her sleeping on the sofa.


----------



## HomeOnTheRange

Not to be confused with the Wild Turkey from Lawrenceburg, Kentucky (which would help you sleep on the sofa).


----------



## Mike CHS

Thanks for the laugh.


----------



## Latestarter

Beautiful pup! Grats! I'm sure he'll be one of the gang in no time. Gotta love that (not so) wild turkey hen... She's one of the gang too it seems.   Looks like she's gonna be yours for the duration. Hope she mixes it up with a wild male next spring and then goes broody on you... You'll have a herd of domesticated wild turkeys in no time at all!   I can't drink whiskey... makes me mean. Must be the injun in me.  Your place and animals are looking fabulous!


----------



## Bruce

HomeOnTheRange said:


> Not to be confused with the Wild Turkey from Lawrenceburg, Kentucky (which would help you sleep on the sofa).




So true!


----------



## CntryBoy777

She is just trying to make things interesting around there and keep ya on your toes....such a pretty bird, she is. You'll have Maisey running the obsticle course in no time.....
....and I can't say that a few fifths of Wild Turkey 101 haven't stayed at my house down thru the yrs.


----------



## Mike CHS

Latestarter said:


> Beautiful pup! Grats! I'm sure he'll be one of the gang in no time. Gotta love that (not so) wild turkey hen... She's one of the gang too it seems.   Looks like she's gonna be yours for the duration. Hope she mixes it up with a wild male next spring and then goes broody on you... You'll have a herd of domesticated wild turkeys in no time at all!   I can't drink whiskey... makes me mean. Must be the injun in me.  Your place and animals are looking fabulous!



Thanks Joe - she can stay as long as she wants to.  Glad to see you are typing in spite of the finger.

The pup has adapted pretty well.  We built a small pen in the main paddock and Maisy has taken to laying by the pup.  He will spend days in the paddock and nights in the porch till he gets more size to him.  I would bet he has gained 5 pounds in the last 24 hours.


----------



## Mike CHS

We made a decent sized run inside the main paddock for the puppy who we optimistically named Thor.  When I'm out in the paddock he walks out with Maisy and me but the sheep will take awhile to accept him.  He jumped up on my leg once and two of the sheep lunged at him like they do when they think Maisy is out of line with me.

It has been raining all day and usually Maisy will go to one of the shelters with the sheep to stay dry but today she is staying between the sheep and Thor so she can keep an eye on both places.  Hopefully for a good reason.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Mike CHS said:


> It has been raining all day and usually Maisy will go to one of the shelters with the sheep to stay dry but today she is staying between the sheep and Thor so she can keep an eye on both places.


What a good girl!  Sounds like she's really 'getting it' now!


----------



## CntryBoy777

We were predicted to get 1-1.5" but at 8am we had 1.3" in the gauge, so guess they missed another one....still falling here. I'll make a note so that when I come to visit ya I don't make any adverse movement around ya and get attacked by the sheep........it sounds like Maisy has accepted the role of foster sister to Thor....


----------



## Mike CHS

So far she has Fred.  Maisy has been going around to her usual guarding spots on high ground and the pup tags along and sits down with her.  We have them in the paddock where we can keep an eye on them but will put him up at night till he gets more size on him (which won't take long).


----------



## Hens and Roos

Cool name for the pup!


----------



## Mike CHS

A "Just Because" picture.  The pup eats like a big dog and even though we have only had him a few days, he feels like he is 5 pounds heavier in the couple of days we have had him although I know he probably hasn't.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

You might not be exaggerating!  I remember Cowboy growing like that!


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> He jumped up on my leg once and two of the sheep lunged at him like they do when they think Maisy is out of line with me.


I think I "heard" that the stock will help train an LGD pup. Sounds like your sheep are doing that. 

Looks like Maisy is enjoying her new pal and he is enjoying her.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> I think I "heard" that the stock will help train an LGD pup. Sounds like your sheep are doing that.
> 
> Looks like Maisy is enjoying her new pal and he is enjoying her.



The sheep aren't afraid of Maisy and they have leveled her several times when they thought she was being rough with me (usually just pushing her head on my leg looking for some scratches).  The pup keeps looking under her belly for something to nurse on but it isn't happening.


----------



## Bruce

Maybe he should try a ewe.

Um, maybe NOT!


----------



## Baymule

I am glad that Maisy and Thor are getting along together. I'm sure that he will make a wonderful addition to your farm. He is so darn cute. They just don't stay cute and fuzzy long enough.


----------



## Mike CHS

He is a smart boy and is learning fast.  He has calmed right down but I think Maisy being so laid back has helped that.


----------



## Bruce

Probably true. Does she play with him at all?


----------



## Mike CHS

She plays with him when he gets too rough and he doesn't come out on the good side.  She is acting more like a mother.  She goes out and checks perimeter whenever she sees something but she is spending more time by the shop with the pup than she normally does.  They both patrolled last night because I could hear the barking from both but she is staying in shop shelter most of the day trying to sleep except the pup keeps climbing on her.

Maisy normally stays with the sheep in the hoop houses but it looks like because the sheep aren't comfortable with the pup she is staying with it under the shop roof.  I opened it up for them since they were staying out in the rain.  The pup is comfortable walking right through a group of sheep but he has been with sheep since he was two weeks old with his parents.


----------



## Pastor Dave

It sounds like he is going to be great, with some guidance and patience on the part of Maisy.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> she is staying in shop shelter most of the day trying to sleep except the pup keeps climbing on her.


Ah the energy of youth! DD2's cat Christofur is like that. At ~9 months he doesn't sleep near as much as the older (5, 10 & 15) cats. The 15 Y/O is the one with diabetes, I think she has 4 modes: sleep, eat, drink, litter box; sleep is over 23 hours a day.


----------



## Mike CHS

The pup decided he could go through the electro-rope.  He touched it with his nose and yelped for about the 30' that he ran before stopping.  I need to find a fault tomorrow since I also got zapped when I touched the lower electric wire which should have had no current going through it.  10K volts gets your attention quickly.


----------



## Bruce

OW! 

I wonder what a hot ground wire does to the entire system. Doesn't that suggest that even your ground rods are hot now?  Or is it possible that some part of you was close enough to a hot wire that it arced?

I hope Thor doesn't get so scared of the fence that he hides inside like (IIRC) @babsbag's pup.


----------



## Mike CHS

A minute after it happened you couldn't tell that he had done anything.  Him and Maisy were patrolling the big field this afternoon.  He walks through a group of ewes like they aren't there and a couple of them were stamping their feet at him the first couple of days. I haven't seen them doing it recently since they got no reaction from him.


----------



## babsbag

Glad that Thor is braver than Alondra. I offered her a broken insulator tonight as they make good chew toys and she did take it but it is obvious that she associates those insulators with the bitey fence. She was very hesitant to take it. 

My hot wire is so not hot right now it is pretty useless, about 4k and it is usually 7-8k.  Of course it is breeding season and I would like it hot to keep the bucks off of the fence. I can't find a short anywhere so it may be that the ground is just too dry for the ground rod to be of any use. I may stick a garden hose on it tomorrow and see if that helps. Or disconnect the fence and take a reading at the charger, then I'll know what to look for. I use the plastic twisted wire and it does break now and then. I replaced some places tonight where I could hear it arcing on its self where it was wrapped around an insulator. There are some sections I need to redo...the buck pen of course...when they are in rut...um, NO.


----------



## Bruce

If the ground is too dry, drive ground rods in along the fence. I can't tell you how far apart of course. Then run a ground wire from the ground on the charger along the fence. Tie in to the new ground rods.

In your spare time of course


----------



## Mike CHS

The pup has started to explore more and doesn't have to be with Maisy all of the time.  She is evidently feeling free of her motherly duties to keep an eye on him and is back to being with the sheep.  We are taking the electric rope down tomorrow so they all have a free run.  We will be vacating this paddock in a few more weeks and give it a month or so without any pressure on it.

Got to try the Traeger grill tonight with a ribeye steak that was about an inch and a half thick.  The Traeger isn't the best steak grill since it only gets up to 450 degrees.  I did the Traeger version of a reverse sear and although I would have liked more of a sear it tasted awesome.  Smoked at 210 degrees for 25 minutes then turned it up to 450 for the rest of the cook.  I pulled it at 140 and it was perfectly pink but not bloody from one end to the other.  I prefer it more rare normally but Teresa doesn't so this works as we slice and share big steaks like these.  Also put some burgers on and they were some of the best I ever had.


----------



## Baymule

Got leftovers?


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Got leftovers?



We couldn't eat it all so the dogs were happy tonight.


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> We couldn't eat it all so the dogs were happy tonight.


*NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> We couldn't eat it all so the dogs were happy tonight.


I believe I have some LGD skills having spent a bit of time outside at night with Merlin back in Dec.


----------



## Baymule




----------



## Mike CHS

I was trying to get some pictures of the two dogs together but Thor never cooperated.  He had finished eating and when I reached down to pick up his bowl.  He picked it up in his mouth and went running.  He didn't take it far but just dropped it thinking he had done a good thing.

We had to work on some food aggression issues with the pup but he hasn't been away from his litter mates for but a week so that was expected.  He made the mistake of getting into Maisy's bowl once but I doubt he will do that again any time soon.  They both growl at the sheep if they get too curious but that's what I want them to do because of the location of where we feed.  I mess with their food a little just so they know that I am not going to take it away.


----------



## CntryBoy777

He is just stinkin Cute!!.....they look really good together and hope they mesh into a great Team....


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I was trying to get some pictures of the two dogs together but Thor never cooperated.


You know those LGD breeds, always thinking for themselves!


----------



## Baymule

I am glad that Maisy likes him and looked after him until she figured he would be ok while she went back to work. Maisy is a keeper, for sure! They look like partners already!

When we got Trip, all Paris wanted to do was eat him. Since we were in the middle of the move, he spent 3 weeks in the chicken coop.LOL

I mess with my dogs food just to remind them that I am the ALPHA dog.


----------



## Mike CHS

Cheep Cheep will follow Teresa around like a puppy dog.  If she wants feed she will run to catch up to her and gently peck her leg.  I had always heard that wild turkeys weren't too bright but I'm seeing otherwise.  I was putting some sealer on some lawn furniture today and she kept trying to fly to the top of it so I had to put her in one of the pens.  She sits right at your feet so she isn't hard catch.

Whenever we are out there with the turkey the other poultry assumes there is food coming soon because we feed her by herself.  She spends time in the pens with both flocks but the chickens in the smaller pen have never accepted her.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

I swear that is a WILD turkey, lol!


----------



## Baymule

Cheep Cheep is so darn cute. I know y'all are enjoying every moment with her. Not too many people that have a pet wild turkey.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Looks like your Tom is in full "Show" for attention. Shoot, wild turkeys are a very smart bird. That's why Ben Franklin wanted it as the national emblem over the bald eagle. The domesticated ones aren't as smart, tho. Anyone that hunts turkey will tell ya just how smart they are....


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Cheep Cheep is so darn cute. I know y'all are enjoying every moment with her. Not too many people that have a pet wild turkey.



We may never experience it again but this has been awesome.


----------



## Latestarter

Mike CHS said:


> We couldn't eat it all so the dogs were happy tonight.



Glad I'm not the only one who shares with his dog(s)... They work so hard they deserve a treat every so often. Thor looks like he's going to be great for you.


----------



## Mike CHS

This is a bunch of pictures from this morning that we have been trying to get for months but never had the camera.  I have to take the dogs out to go potty since they don't listen to Teresa as well. We look outside to see where Cheep Cheep is but it doesn't seem to matter.  She was out of sight this morning so I took the dogs out and Cheep Cheep comes running across the grass straight at the dogs.  I put them in a Sit and Stay and fortunately for Cheep Cheep they listened.  This is a lot of pictures of basically the same scene.   She does this virtually every time I take the dogs out if she is in the yard so I'm hoping I can keep control of them.
They were not calmly sitting there as the pictures indicate.  I was saying Leave It almost non stop while Teresa was taking the outside pictures.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

That's a brave (or dumb) turkey, lol.   She's lucky your dogs are so well-trained!


----------



## CntryBoy777

I always love watching the interaction between different animals, too. We are enjoying the communal gathering and interaction between the goats, chickens, and ducks. Each day the chickens and ducks venture further and further inside the common area, as the goats try to get close enough to check them out....


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> They were not calmly sitting there as the pictures indicate. I was saying Leave It almost non stop while Teresa was taking the outside pictures.


But they DO "leave it", nicely trained. I imagine Cheep Cheep can fly pretty well. The dogs might get a big surprise if they get too close and those big wings start flapping. 

BTW, I do love that bench/table. Are there plans to make such a thing? I'd love to do so, if I could find the time.


----------



## Mike CHS

That was copied from one that a neighbor has.   The only thing I did differently was to run a round over bit on all of the edges.  The neighbor's has straight edges that was always splintering.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> But they DO "leave it", nicely trained. I imagine Cheep Cheep can fly pretty well. The dogs might get a big surprise if they get too close and those big wings start flapping.
> 
> BTW, I do love that bench/table. Are there plans to make such a thing? I'd love to do so, if I could find the time.



She flew into the paddock where Maisy lives once and fortunately I just happened to look out the window at about the same time.  It looked like Maisy was trying to hold it down rather than kill it but the silly bird still has no fear of dogs.

I could take pictures and come up with a rough drawing if you are interested.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce - you got me curious about a plan since I've seen several versions similar to this one.  One that came up was a plan by Ana White.  Do a search for convertible picnic bench table and Ana White and it should come up.  I also saw several plans searching for the same wording but dropped the name and added plans.


----------



## Bruce

This one looks pretty similar:
https://www.buildsomething.com/plans/P5DAC6A8E2D6C2FA7/ConvertiblePicnicTableandBench


----------



## Mike CHS

I went out and took a couple of measurements and it is almost exactly the same.

I put a big brisket on at 8:30 this morning so dinner should be around 6:00 this evening.


----------



## Baymule

Cheep Cheep has a wicked sense of humor. Who knew?


----------



## CntryBoy777

Your brisket is Waffing....smelling almost Done from here....


----------



## Mike CHS

You were pretty close Fred.  I pulled it off the grill about 5:15 and boy was it good.


----------



## CntryBoy777




----------



## Pastor Dave

Bruce said:


> BTW, I do love that bench/table. Are there plans to make such a thing? I'd love to do so, if I could find the time.



Give me a few days to get pics, but I saw the most awesome bench with the perfect angled back that rose abt 6' above the seat. It was huge too. Like 15'-20' long. I had to walk around the back of it to see how it was made. That's when I realized it hinged down to make a top and there was another bench on the back side. It seats the whole family and grandkids at the same time. Like 8-10 ppl per side. I have never seen anything quite like it!


----------



## Mike CHS

It would take some big folks to even move that thing but it sounds interesting.  I don't think I have enough flat land around the house to set it up.  

Just for Fred's pleasure the brisket picture is at


 

 

 tached plus one of the photo bombing turkey.


----------



## CntryBoy777

That really looks good Mike...I just wanted to be in-line for the leftovers....in case any was throwed out....
I just love Cheep Cheep, she is obviously keeping an eye on ya and the activity in her territory.


----------



## Bruce

CntryBoy777 said:


> I just wanted to be in-line for the leftovers....in case any was throwed out....


I believe you have to get in line behind the dogs, probably the chickens and turkeys as well. I would also put me in that list but you live a lot closer and can get there WAY before I push my way in. I bet I can beat out the fowl but I'm not messing with the dogs' share


----------



## Mike CHS




----------



## Mike CHS

The neighbors dog broke his chain again and racing up and down our fence line freaking the sheep out as well as the dogs.  We hoped on the golf cart and went after it trying to take it back home but he disappeared.  The ram was in stampede mode but slowed down before he got to the fence.

The neighbor showed up a short time later looking for his dog.   _feel bad for him but told him that all of the neighbors were in a shoot on sight feeling. _


----------



## Baymule

Do you keep a rifle handy? Bang.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Do you keep a rifle handy? Bang.



I do.


----------



## Pastor Dave

I double clicked Like on your rifle response,  Mike. But, as usual, didn't work. 

I believe if Bruce and Joe begin a day earlier from NE and SW respectively, they could arrive in similar fashion when Fred and I delay our trip from South and North for the smoked grub. (Barbecue, grilled, smoked, etc. Whatever you call it) 

Jill makes great baked beans and I will bring my rabbit casserole. That leaves somebodies to bring potato salad, sweet tea, and water melon.


----------



## Mike CHS

Pastor Dave - I'm having to seriously try to keep from burning Teresa out on grilled food.  Part of the purchase included a cook book that Traeger put in some seriously good looking recipes.


----------



## Latestarter

As a male of the species, I don't think it's possible for me to get "burned out" on any normal meat coming off a grill... BBQ, smoked, or whatever. LOVE grilled meats! But I hear ya on the Missus... gotta keep her happy


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> The neighbors dog broke his chain again and racing up and down our fence line freaking the sheep out as well as the dogs.  We hoped on the golf cart and went after it trying to take it back home but he disappeared.  The ram was in stampede mode but slowed down before he got to the fence.
> 
> The neighbor showed up a short time later looking for his dog.   _feel bad for him but told him that all of the neighbors were in a shoot on sight feeling. _


I don't suppose the neighbor might want to _fence his dog IN_! Dogs shouldn't be on chains and they should stay on their own property.


----------



## Mike CHS

I agree with both points but a fence isn't going to happen.


----------



## Bruce

Well then I guess we can all be sorry for the dog when someone shoots it because its owner is irresponsible.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I'm with you Joe....never gets old. Ya cook a different meat each time and it's a whole new meal. Both my wives loved for me to cook on the grill as much as they could....meant they were only heating veggies for the meal, cause the meat was up to me....


----------



## Pastor Dave

Mine would agree with that. Most of the time with such a large grill surface, I grill abt 4 days to a week's worth at one shot.


----------



## Mike CHS

I have used a Weber for both grilling and smoking for most of my life and often wished I had more space.  Two racks of ribs was pushing it.  I could smoke a turkey on it but there wasn't a lot of indirect space so the outside parts usually got too done.  With this grill when the brisket was almost up to temp I put on a half dozen burgers and a package of hot dogs along with the almost 15 pound brisked and could have put as much again.


----------



## Mike CHS

I pulled the lambs off our spotted ewe this morning.  Depending on her condition in a month or so we may breed her when we let all the other ewes in with the ram in October.  She has been getting some feed because of the lambs so she may be too fat.  I think she was ready to quit nursing anyway and it didn't seem to bother her much but the lambs bawled so much they got hoarse.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I'm sure they will adjust rather quickly with such good pasture around them....


----------



## Mike CHS

It doesn't take long for them to adjust.  They didn't know the two wethers in the paddock with them.  I'm going to put Hoss in with them since they have been together since the lambs were born.


----------



## Mike CHS

It doesn't take long for them to adjust.  They didn't know the two wethers in the paddock with them.  I'm going to put Hoss in with them since they have been together since the lambs were born.


----------



## Pastor Dave

Mike CHS said:


> I think she was ready to quit nursing anyway and it didn't seem to bother her much but the lambs bawled so much they got hoarse.



Silence of the lambs. Haha.
The beef farm East of us is close enough, I can hear the calves bawling when they get weaned. Man, they hate it.


----------



## Baymule

I wean our lambs in a pen next to the pasture the ewes are in. They cry a few days, but soon settle down. The ewes bed down next to the fence, so both ewes and lambs can see each other.


----------



## Mike CHS

They are in joining paddocks.  The ewe hasn't been over to them at all during the day but we have sheep in 3 different paddocks that share a common corner where they all bed down at night.  I'm still giving the lambs some feed so they aren't too unhappy.


----------



## Mike CHS

Our male turkey has some issues with one foot that we are pretty sure is Bumblefoot from everything we have read.  We thought about just going ahead and processing him but Teresa has been treating his foot with oregano oil and he seems to be improving. Four days ago he didn't want to put any weight on it at all but today she has him walking a fair distance without much issue.  He is still in some pain but eating and drinking normally.  We will see how he does in the next couple of days to decide what to do with him.

Just wanted to put that out there about the Oregano Oil.


----------



## Mike CHS

I just fed Maisy and Thor down by the shop.  I have the livestock scale set up just inside the door so it makes it convenient to check the pups weight.  He is just a tad under 22 lbs this afternoon.


----------



## Baymule

Maisy looks happy that she has a friend! Thor is a handsome pup.

I like that about the oregano oil, thanks for sharing Teresa's doctoring secrets!


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Our male turkey has some issues with one foot that we are pretty sure is Bumblefoot from everything we have read.  We thought about just going ahead and processing him but Teresa has been treating his foot with oregano oil and he seems to be improving. Four days ago he didn't want to put any weight on it at all but today she has him walking a fair distance without much issue.  He is still in some pain but eating and drinking normally.  We will see how he does in the next couple of days to decide what to do with him.
> 
> Just wanted to put that out there about the Oregano Oil.


Have you checked to see if there is a hard lump on the bottom of his foot? I've been lucky enough not to have bumblefoot in my flock but as I understand it, if you soak the foot in epsom salt water and soften up the area where the "seed" got started, you can eventually get it out and cure the problem.


----------



## Bruce

Baymule said:


> Maisy looks happy that she has a friend!


Doesn't she though? Lucky dogs, both of them.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Have you checked to see if there is a hard lump on the bottom of his foot? I've been lucky enough not to have bumblefoot in my flock but as I understand it, if you soak the foot in epsom salt water and soften up the area where the "seed" got started, you can eventually get it out and cure the problem.



We will try that tomorrow.  We read about lancing and squeezing out puss but there is no build up there.  Thanks Bruce.


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## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Doesn't she though? Lucky dogs, both of them.



I was watching them patrol the perimeter fence this afternoon and the pup was looking proud of himself.  I'm thinking I may need to be talking to @Southern by choice as he grows because he is going to be a big boy.  We socialize some and he seems to respond well to my taps on his nose when he wants to mouth my hand.  He doesn't seem to mind the leash but we haven't gone very far with it other than the weight scale.


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## Baymule

Paris was already a basket case when I got her, but she will leash up and go to the vet. I got Trip as a pup, so he has been to Tractor Supply a few times. He actually enjoys the vet and will hop in the back seat of the truck. I do put a choke chain collar on him for the vet trips, he gets so excited.

Leash Thor up and give him some practice around the farm. Take him to Tractor Supply and let him get some treats. Be sure to work with him as a pup!


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## Goat Whisperer

A bit late here but congratulations on the pup!

I love oregano oil. That stuff is amazing. 

The turkey story is pretty cool. I wonder if someone else had fed her or raised her? I've seen people raise poults up and release them. Either way- it's pretty neat. 
Years ago (prior to "farming" we'd have herds of deer come through our property. They were incredibly tame and would come within 10 feet of us. Especially if we had "treats". 

Now we eat deer


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## Mike CHS

@Baymule we will make sure he is socialized.  Maisy had never been on a leash till we got her but she does OK at home.  If you want to take her somewhere you will have to pick her up.  We had the vet come out on a farm call for her shots but he was coming out anyway.

@Goat Whisperer we hatched out the turkey after the nest was ran over by a neighbors tractor.  We have somewhere around 20 deer that habit our property but the dogs keep them on the outer edge.  She is free to go but since she has no fear of dogs or humans I don't think she would last long.


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## Baymule

Cheep Cheep needs her own thread.......she is kinda special ya know...


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## Mike CHS

I just hope she doesn't have an unhappy ending.  We have made a point of not letting the dogs mess with her but that has the result of making her think they are harmless.


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## CntryBoy777

I don't think she will correlate all dogs to yours, animals can tell many differences between the familiar and the strange...even of their own kind. Since she is a prey animal, she has a hieghtened awareness of her surroundings and just as your dogs will react differently to another person, she would too. They handle each encounter differently and if she is enticed away by a passing flock, she will have them as extra sensors. I believe she will probably be enticed after she is a yr old, next spring during breeding season........but will come for a visit from time to time.


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## Mike CHS

That's what we figure Fred.  This part of Tennessee is known for it's large turkey population.


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## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> We read about lancing and squeezing out puss but there is no build up there.


From what I've read, the "in foot" part of bumblefoot isn't pus but a hard "kernel". Once the foot is soaked enough and if there is a "weak spot", you can get the "kernel" out. It can get bad. On another forum there were pictures of what the vet pulled out of a chicken with bumblefoot. It wasn't just in the "pad" but had gone down into a toe. Hopefully your bird just has a smallish "kernel" in the pad. If you do get it out, I would use castor oil on the open wound.


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## Mike CHS

He is getting better.  Teresa has been doing the Epsom Salt soak twice a day and then treating with Oregano Oil.  I guess this is one of the advantages of being 'hands on' with all of our critters.  I can't imagine trying to soak the foot of a 35 pound turkey that wasn't used to being handled.  Teresa is the poultry person though. They tolerate me but she is the 'whisperer'.


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## Bruce

Can you tell if there is a soft spot starting where the kernel can come out?


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## Baymule

I have a mental picture of Teresa the turkey whisperer, doctoring a 35 pounder's foot. It makes me smile.


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## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Can you tell if there is a soft spot starting where the kernel can come out?



There isn't anything that we can see yet but we will stay at it.

@Baymule Teresa does most of the work with the chickens.  I do most of the easy stuff with the sheep and LG's.


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## Bruce

Who does the HARD stuff with the sheep and LGs?

BTW you need to add Thor to your signature.


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## Mike CHS

It's a team effort in just about everything. 
I haven't looked my signature since I put it up there.


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## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I haven't looked my signature since I put it up there


Most of us don't! But since I noticed it I figured Thor should get a credit line.


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## goatgurl

congrats on the acquisition of that big name.  hopefully he will grow into his big dog voice and have the sound of thunder when he barks.  such a pretty boy, and he seems like he is settling in nicely.  I can easily tell the difference in Katie and marco's bark.  he has that male deep big dog bark and she can get high pitched when she is really excited.  
I got such a laugh out of cheepcheep harassing the dogs, she is such a brat.  bay's right, she needs her own thread


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## Mike CHS

We canned a bunch of apples today and in between batches I put a whole chicken on the grill.  Being used to have to always be doing something on the grill I haven't gotten used to this one yet.  Prepped the chicken, started the grill and didn't even raise the lid for an hour and a half.  I hate to admit it but even though I do some super good grilled foods, this is the best chicken I have had and I didn't have to do anything but season the bird, start the grill and then take it off.

We bought apples with a neighbor and wound up with 14 pints of apple sauce each.


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## CntryBoy777

The applesauce sounds wonderful....but, that "Yard Bird" looks simply Delicious!!...


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## Mike CHS

It was Fred.  That grill takes away the challenge but it's nice to be able to get it started and walk away.


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## Mike CHS

We will be putting the rest of the ewes in with the ram in a couple of weeks.  All of the older ewes seem pretty dried up and in good condition.  I called the young ones up this afternoon because I wanted to take a better look at our #2 lamb born in December.  When we weighed the herd a few weeks ago she came in at 70 lbs according to the scale but that didn't seem right.  After we let her out I noticed that the scale was set up over a piece of the chute hardware and figured it threw the weight off.  We put her in a halter for the first time and kind of duck walked her with her between my legs and weighed her today. She is actually 98 lbs so we can cancel our plans to cull her.  She isn't as big as we would like but she if well built and in great condition.  It's amazing how strong a lamb is that is under 100 lbs.


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## CntryBoy777

Don't they quit being lambs at about 50-60lbs?....


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## Mike CHS

They go by age here. Under a year is a lamb.  These girls have been hugging the fence with Ringo since they were 5 months old.  I was looking at the older girls today and it looks like two of them are about two months pregnant and they have only been with the ram for 3 weeks.


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## Bruce

CntryBoy777 said:


> Don't they quit being lambs at about 50-60lbs?....


Officially they stop being lambs when the "break joint" in their leg fuses. Of course until they are butchered, that isn't something one wants to test  It happens, IIRC, at about a year. 



Mike CHS said:


> I hate to admit it but even though I do some super good grilled foods, this is the best chicken I have had and I didn't have to do anything but season the bird, start the grill and then take it off.


With all you have to do, not having to bird sit the BBQ is a big plus!


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## Mike CHS

I couldn't tell you how many times I had to say "Leave It" while Teresa got the camera and came out to find an angle to get a decent picture.  Cheep Cheep as usual was nowhere in sight when I let the dogs out into the yard but as soon as Sassy got headed out, here comes the turkey.


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## Baymule

Poor Sassy, just look at that face!  She wants a turkey dinner so bad!


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## Bruce

But Daaaaaaaddddddddd! I just wanna play with her!

That Cheep Cheep sure is a brazen little thing isn't she?? I guess she's figured out it is safe IF "Dad" is around. If not, she might find herself on the wrong side of the dog pile some day.


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## Mike CHS

I was letting the wethers and the lambs out on some fresh grass this afternoon and Lance gets fixated on the sheep.  I still need to round off the corners inside the training pen and Lance will finally be able to get back into training tomorrow.  Sassy we shall see how she will do as lately she has been fascinated more with the young turkey. just outside the pen.


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## CntryBoy777

Hopefully, it'll work out, as long as she is off-duty she can watch what she wants...right?....


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## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Lance gets fixated on the sheep


He's saying "Dad, I want a job"


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## Mike CHS

We aren't sure what the turkey sees on my feet but whenever I go outside barefoot she will come after my feet. She doesn't peck hard but it will startle you if you don't see her coming. Teresa was able to get a picture of her in mid-peck. She came in the shop this afternoon and kept me company for awhile. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




I did work Lance for a bit this afternoon but kept it short both for him and the lambs he was working since they had not been exposed to dogs.  One of the wethers in this group had no fear of dogs till this afternoon.  He tried to head butt Lance and he doesn't take that too well.  He worked with them well once they knew they had to be moving when he was approaching.


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## CntryBoy777

The life of luxury....your personal pedicurist. Glad Prof Lance was able to teach the young'uns a thing or two....


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## Mike CHS

I was out checking on the lambs this afternoon and Maisy and Thor came over to see what was going on and saw something I haven't seen before.  The spotted ewe was over there also and she can be on the ornery side.  When I looked up you could tell she was getting ready to head butt Thor who was just sitting there.  Before she could get to him Maisy quickly raised one of her front legs and stiff legged the side of the ewes head.  Not hard but quick enough for her to know that she wasn't allowed to do that.


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## CntryBoy777

Guess that ends all doubt as to where Maisy stands on the acceptance of Thor.....I believe ya have the makings of a really Great team there. It also has to make ya feel better about introducing something new to the mix....I know I'd have been concerned about it, if it were me....hoping it turned out well. It also showed the ewe just who runs that "Pasture" too...


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## Bruce

Good girl Maisy!!

If Cheep cheep is like our chickens, ANYTHING that "doesn't belong" on your skin just might be FOOD!!. Freckles, a small scab, dirt ... any are fair game just in case.


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## Mike CHS

We are really pleased so far.  We are in contact with Thor's home farm also and will probably get another one next year.  Maisy is our love bug but so far I'm liking all the traits of this Akbash pup.


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## Baymule

Cheep Cheep pecking your feet, Maisy taking up for Thor, Lance working the lambs......isn't life good?


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## Mike CHS

@Baymule I would feel guilty if it was any better.


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## Mike CHS

We went to the Livestock Marker/Auction this morning and man was it disappointing. There wasn't a single animal there that we would even think about having on our place which I guess is why they are for sale.

Condition was so bad on many that I would have been embarrassed to admit to ownership.


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## Bruce

That is too bad. Not good for the sellers either if they happen to have good animals back at the farm. You sure aren't going to seek them out in the future given what they had to sell.


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## Mike CHS

Teresa took some pictures while I was working Lance today.  The sessions are short to keep from stressing the sheep out and the main one is these sessions are confidence builders since he hasn't had any time with sheep in over 10 months other than just keeping them in holding.  He is easier on his approach now than ever before and is much faster responding to commands.  I'm still using a loose tether since I don't want to take a chance hurting the lambs.


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## goatgurl

that is so cool.  I love watching dogs work.    i'm glad you like thor.  if I hadn't found another maremma I would have gone with an Anatolian or an akbash too.  
and how come it is that every time I come on your thread I get hungry?  man that chicken looked good.  of course the apple sauce did too but the chicken would have been my choice, maybe with a side of apple sauce..


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## CntryBoy777

It's good to shake the rust out of the pipe, and I'm sure he enjoyed his attention....he is such a good dog....glad he has settled down some and is not too anxious.....


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## Mike CHS

@goatgurl we went to the Association meeting where we picked Thor up just because the pups were going to be there.  I know he will probably push limits at some point but so far he is following Maisy's lead.  I am really liking his personality except when he tries to steal the food bowl and go hide it when he finishes eating:. )

And that chicken was excellent.  

Fred, Lance is actually doing better now than when we last let him go after the sheep last winter.  One of the wethers went from wanting to head butt to running away as soon as the dog shows up.


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## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I am really liking his personality except when he tries to steal the food bowl and go hide it when he finishes eating


Merlin used to take his food bucket all over the place. I had no idea why. But since I bought a 4 pack, I could feed him then go look for the "other" bucket later. Since it was winter the short time I had him, the colored buckets stood out in the snow pretty well.


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## Mike CHS

I think he is playing since he will pick it up and stand in a way that I can see him.  When I get up to get the bowl he starts prancing away but doesn't go far.  For awhile he wouldn't get far from Maisy but now he wanders all over the pasture by himself.  He was nose to nose with our boss ewe this morning so it seems he is accepted.


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## Latestarter

I use a huge stainless steel bowl for Mel... I think it holds over a gallon, maybe 6 qt. I basically fill it every other day or whenever he empties it. He self regulates and I never know when he's going to want to eat. Sometimes it's during the morning, other times late at night. He's in great shape, no over eating, in fact I think he could use a few pounds, but we're coming out of a very warm summer, and it's easier for me so I'm not complaining. It's nice to know that I can fill the bowl and leave for a couple of days and he'll be fine. I hope this works with future dogs as It didn't with my late Mystie... She was glutton and if there was food available, she would eat it, to the point of getting sick. Glad everything continues to move in a positive direction for you folks, with the animals, and farm.

ETA; the original point of the post was to explain why Mel doesn't pic his bowl up and play with it, but any tools I might be working with are fair game.


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## goatgurl

my marco is quite the thief too.  he has stolen more than one feed scoop and chewed them up, stole a bag of egg cartons that the neighbor left for me, carries limbs around for fun and moves his and katies food bowls hither and yawn.  he is almost 18 months old and still is a big goofy pup sometimes but is also becoming quite the guardian too.  i'm really proud of him.  I guess I should brag on Katie too.  I take her for granted because she is such a reliable honest guardian that I don't think about it, I just know she is there and always at work. 
mike, I can guarantee you that thor will push your limits after all he is a free thinking working boy who will need some guidance now and again.  remember patience and consistency are the keys.  its also important to keep @Southern by choice  on speed dial.


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## Mike CHS

Maisy is a good teacher, not only for Thor but for us.  We are a long way from being expert but we have learned a huge amount in the year that we have had that big sweet Great Pyrenees and we try to pay attention to her.


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## Mike CHS

I've seen a change in the pups activity around the pasture.  Maisy has always patrolled at night but spent much of the day by the shop pen which we leave open for them.  In the last couple of days Maisy is leading the pup among the sheep more and more.  I haven't seen any of them try to head butt the pup since Maisy whacked the ewe for trying to butt him.  I was watching this afternoon and the pup was sitting among a group of ewes just watching the fence line.  He got up and went about smelling sheep butts and heads and the ewes returned the favor.  Maisy was watching approvingly almost like she had set it up.


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## CntryBoy777

She seems excited to have the assistance and has him on the fast-track of training her helper.....so much easier when 1 trains another.....


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## Bruce

And the sheep have accepted their newest protector  Thor seems like a natural.


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## Mike CHS

I can't think of another forum where you can talk about getting excited about a dog smelling sheep butts and folks know what you are talking about.


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## CntryBoy777

...Context is everything....


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## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> I can't think of another forum where you can talk about getting excited about a dog smelling sheep butts and folks know what you are talking about.




Busted out laughing!!! That's so true!! Had to read it to my husband and we had a good chuckle!


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## Baymule

Latestarter said:


> ETA; the original point of the post was to explain why Mel doesn't pic his bowl up and play with it, but any tools I might be working with are fair game.





I'm so glad Trip finally grew out of that. I'd set a tool down, reach for it only to find it gone. I have a 26 ounce framing hammer that bears his teeth marks on the handle. LOL I set out green onion sets one day and he pulled every one up. Anything with my scent on it was "loved" by Trip.


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## Mike CHS

_I'm missing an 18 volt Milwaukee drill that I'm pretty sure Maisy took last summer when we were enlarging a lean-to and it has never turned up._


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## Hens and Roos

that's for all the odd projects she does for you


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## CntryBoy777

A screw driver or hammer is one thing, but a Milwaukee drill is quite another....Ouch....maybe Thor will show up with it one day...


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## Mike CHS

I doubt we will ever find it Fred.  She buries things that are 'special' to her.


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## Baymule

Paris buried a feed pan, I've never found it....


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## Mike CHS

When I feed Maisy and Thor I sit there while they eat to make sure they get what I brought plus I get to play some to make sure no food aggression issues later.  They both growl at the sheep when they get around their bowls and we don't interfere with that, just us.


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## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I can't think of another forum where you can talk about getting excited about a dog smelling sheep butts and folks know what you are talking about.


Yep. That is the first thing Merlin did when he arrived. Check the poop pile, check the butts, make the connection.



Baymule said:


> Paris buried a feed pan, I've never found it....


Then how do you KNOW it was buried? Maybe it is safely stored in the barn somewhere.


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## Mike CHS

Here is a picture I took this morning after we got home from the vet. Thor got shots and wormed and Lance got left behind to be neutered.   I have been doing some minor leash training with the pup so he is easy to handle. We stopped by Tractor Supply and took advantage of their dog friendly attitude to take him around and socialize a bit.  He has no fear and isn't the least bit timid in a new environment. Thor was at 26.5 lbs yesterday when I put him on the scale so in the last week he is putting on a little over a pound every two days.





 .


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## Pastor Dave

Mike CHS said:


> I can't think of another forum where you can talk about getting excited about a dog smelling sheep butts and folks know what you are talking about.



I don't do other forums. The content on those aren't as worth while as discussing dogs smelling sheep butts. The folks on here are like-minded, morally decent folks, and make me recall the country I use to love. We have to stick together discussing sheep butts and good ole dogs. Maybe throw in some hay talk, a new tractor, building a barn, and some goats and rabbits too. All in all at the end of the day, I would rather go to bed tired from that than live in the city and discuss politics.


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## Pastor Dave

Good pic of the dogs too.


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## CntryBoy777

Growing like that, he won't fit in her shadow for very long....the pic reminds me of an old saying....they look like 2 peas in a pod.....


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## Baymule

Pastor Dave said:


> I don't do other forums. The content on those aren't as worth while as discussing dogs smelling sheep butts. The folks on here are like-minded, morally decent folks, and make me recall the country I use to love. We have to stick together discussing sheep butts and good ole dogs. Maybe throw in some hay talk, a new tractor, building a barn, and some goats and rabbits too. All in all at the end of the day, I would rather go to bed tired from that than live in the city and discuss politics.


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## Mike CHS

Most of the first ten ewes in with the ram look visibly pregnant and a couple look far enough along that I think we had some fence line breeding.  We will put the younger ten ewes in the same pasture in another week and the youngest is 10 months old. Our spotted ewe will be in with that bunch - she has had almost 3 months off after we pulled her lambs.  Once it gets cold and the ticks aren't an issue we will use the next months through the fall and winter to do woven wire perimeter fencing so we will have two layers of fence that we can use for security and grazing.  That will also put all of our property inside of fence and we have a decent ally all the way around our place. 

One of her lambs came down with Bottle Jaw about a week ago and we have been working through that.  She seems back to normal and has gotten even more spoiled with the extra handling and treatment.

The Akbash pup is looking really good.  He is becoming more independent of Maisy and wanders down in the pasture to sit and watch the boundary while sitting with the sheep.  I expect him to be an issue with chickens but I'm going to retrofit a gate from the chicken pen to the paddock that the dogs are in so I can do some supervised visitation.


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## CntryBoy777

It'll be interesting to see the lambs that Ringo produces for ya. I like your idea of having an alley as a barrier and cushion from the animals....will it just be wire, or are ya going to put up hot wire too?


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## Mike CHS

We are going to use woven wire and hot wire on top.  That is a main deer travel area right now so we shall see how much time I need to repair.


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## Mike CHS

I'm really liking this puppy.  He was standing side by side with Maisy this morning and I think his feet are out growing the rest of him.  His paws are as big as Maisy's.


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## Pastor Dave

It's always neat seeing a pup grow into their feet.


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## Bruce

If that is the case @Pastor Dave, he's going to be one big dog since his feet are growing faster than his rapidly growing body!

Hopefully Maisy will help him understand chickens are not toys when the time comes.


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## Mike CHS

I expect some issues with chickens but we are doing everything we can to see that we don't.  All of our dogs get time with the chickens either in their pen or outside when they are running around the yard.  I wouldn't bet that they would be on their best behavior if they weren't supervised but that won't be happening anytime soon.

Bruce I'm not sure if I posted his parents sizes or not but Thor's sire is right at 140 pounds and his mom is 110 pounds.  He was the smallest of the liter but not by much as they were all big strapping puppies.


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## CntryBoy777

I would feel like you do about the dogs and the birds. The way Thor is growing, nothing seems to verify him being a "Runt" for sure....


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## Pastor Dave

Our last Boston Terrier was a male and the runt of his litter. Their average weight for males were 15-25lbs roughly. We had his pedigree papers and saw his parents on site. With eating good and playing hard, his neck got so big we had to use large breed collars. His chest was a barrel and back thighs were massive. We never could show him because he maxed out at 36lbs. It was ok, he was just our pet anyway. But, never underestimate those runts!


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## Mike CHS

Our Border Collie was the runt but he is now bigger than his siblings.  He works like a big boy and when I sit in my recliner he doubles as a lap dog.


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## Latestarter

them lap dogs


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## Bruce

So @Latestarter, how much of Mel fits in your lap??


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## Mike CHS

Lance is a wiry 45 pounds so he fits pretty well. Maisy and Thor, Not so much.


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## Baymule

Thor is growing! He and Maisy make a good working pair already.


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## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Thor is growing! He and Maisy make a good working pair already.



Amazingly fast - He has put on 12 pounds since we got him on the 9th of last month.

One of our youngest lambs came down with Bottle Jaw last week and we started treating for Barber Pole worms and dosed with Nutri-drench plus she is getting some extra protein.  The Bottle Jaw has subsided but since she is one of our tamest lambs I found a know on the side of her neck.  It's not an abcess and has no leakage and is about the size of a lima bean.  It's in the general vicinity of an injection site where she got her vaccine but I'll keep an eye on it.


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## goatgurl

I've had goats develop a knot in an injection site.  never amounted to anything and finally was absorbed.  so yup, just watch it.  I sure enjoy watching thor grow.  and you are right maisy is a good teacher.  I turned the ram lamb in with my ewes but so far he doesn't seem interested.  I just hope he isn't to immature or i'm going to be having late lambs and I don't like that.  as mama used to say, "time will tell"


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## Mike CHS

It had been so long without any females that our ram was obsessed when we put him in with the girls.  We are going to put all of the other ewes except for the two youngest lambs in with the rest next week.  At least we will be lambing over a three month period instead of one like last time.


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## Latestarter

Mel can basically lay his chest across my lap with fore paws hanging over one side of the recliner and rear claws on the other standing on the floor. Unlike with previous dogs, I tried with Mel to NOT let him learn to get on the furniture.


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## greybeard

My son had a big rotwieller he kept inside the house years ago. It ate the couch.


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## Mike CHS

Teresa has been working on another chicken coop in the big pen.  She wants to move all of the chickens into the same pen since they are all free ranging around that pen now.  This has been all her project from the start up to where she is now.  Like most of the Ladies on BYH my Baby is a pretty handy woman.


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## CntryBoy777

Looks just Fine to me....I have a few things on the agenda that I'm willing to "Farm Out" if she is interested.....
I see the tarps out, are y'all expecting much rain from the coming storm over that way?.....it keeps shifting to the east, so they are saying about an inch and a half here.


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## Mike CHS

She was experimenting with the tarps.  We are on the edge of anything forecast at the moment.  North and east of us is supposed to get quite a bit more. 

I don't usually answer for her but I have a feeling she would say she has plenty on her own to-do list.


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## CntryBoy777

I figured so....but, I had to ask....


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## Bruce

Latestarter said:


> Unlike with previous dogs, I tried with Mel to NOT let him learn to get on the furniture.


But it is OK as long as Dad's body is already there


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## Baymule

Go Teresa! Nice looking coop! I know the chickens don't care as long as they have the basics, but WE care and want their home to be a home. Looking good!


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## Latestarter

Looks like a lot of rain for you from this storm Mike. Maybe some wind as well since it's moving so fast. Know you're on high ground but hope everything fares well.


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## Mike CHS

Thanks for the thought.  It looks like we are on the western edge with lots of rain but most of the wind looks to be heading east of Nashville.  The forecast is decent enough that we are making a Costco run into the city this afternoon.


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## Latestarter

good to hear


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## Mike CHS

Teresa used Jay this morning to get the metal roof on the new chicken coop.  We should be able to get the panels for the upper section and doors cut tomorrow and be ready to consolidate chickens.  The wire is already installed on the lower base section.

The other picture is of a small group of chickens that had decided to turn the area around the base of an ash tree into a dust bath (not that there is much dust after 2" of rain).

I put Thor on the scale this afternoon and he was 30.2 pounds so he is putting on just shy of 1/2 pound a day now.  I have never had a dog grow like this and I'm hoping I'm feeding him enough.  I'm giving him just shy of 2 cups twice a day plus some eggs mixed in with the kibble.  He is staying at the sleek but large body style typical of an Akbash so he definitely won't get fat at this rate.  I just upped the amount of food a couple of days ago from 1 1/2 cups twice a day.


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## Baymule

The coop is looking good!

I can't tell you the details, but @Southern by choice mentioned overfeeding a pup once and it damaging it's joints? I'm sorry, but my memory is fuzzy on this. I don't remember if she was telling about someone's dog or making a comment. @Goat Whisperer ? 

You're trying to feed the pup, make sure it has had enough, and not over feed him. Conundrum.


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## Mike CHS

He would probably be a good choice for free choice feeding since he quits when he's had enough.  Maisy does also but the sheep would eat their food if they got to it.  Maisy runs them off if they come up while she's feeding but once she quits she doesn't care.  Right now I'm just feeding the same amount their home farm feeds their siblings and they have had Akbash almost as long as they have been in the U.S.


----------



## Southern by choice

Are the eggs raw?


----------



## Mike CHS

Southern by choice said:


> Are the eggs raw?



All the eggs we give our critters are cooked.


----------



## Southern by choice

Good.  
As far as amount- how old is he now?
It seems right to me. As long as his energy level is good. Pm his food if you don't mind.
I would not free choice feed.
Are you keeping him dewormed as well?


----------



## Mike CHS

We had him to the vet for last shots and wormer last week.  He is 15 weeks old and spends more time patrolling the pasture than Maisy does so he is super active.


----------



## CntryBoy777

The coop is coming right along and looking really nice....and speaking of Jay, how's the eggs coming along for his chickens?....and does he know yet?


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> The coop is coming right along and looking really nice....and speaking of Jay, how's the eggs coming along for his chickens?....and does he know yet?


Jay had a  weasel or something get most of his chicks so there are only a few left.


----------



## CntryBoy777

That's a real shame....sure hope he gets the danged critter.


----------



## Latestarter

Man... Jay and chickens just don't go together too well... Maybe he ought to start raising eagles or something... you know, something that can protect itself? Sorry for his continued poultry losses.


----------



## Pastor Dave

Surely the amount of feed is abt right you use on Thor. Not sure what Southern by choice advised since pm, but no doubt it was accurate. Maybe the vet has a calculation for the breed, age, etc. If you are folliwing guidelines of the farm that bred him,  sounds good too.


----------



## Mike CHS

Thanks Dave - These dogs stay on the sleek side even though they get so big.  The farm we got him from are experienced Akbash folks.  As for the vet, most of the people that have seen the dog including the vet did one of those "what's an Akbash?"  

I've just never had a dog that grew so fast.


----------



## Mike CHS

A few pictures I took this morning of the dogs and poultry. We were not expecting the integration of free ranging chickens with our dogs to go smoothly and really thought we would have problems (especially with the Aussie) but they just sit and watch. They look like they are ready to spring but they just stay in the down position.
We aren't really sure what the fascination that golf tees have for the turkey but she will make a beeline for the golf cart and take the tees out of the holder every morning when we let them out.

I have to say though that the dogs aren't allowed out unsupervised when the poultry is out so that shows I don't fully trust them.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Ya never know, she might make a great caddie for ya....never lose a tee....


----------



## Mike CHS

A 'Just Because' picture.  The sheep have fully accepted the pup.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

I like your 'just because' pic!  Pup looks great!


----------



## CntryBoy777

He's almost as big as the sheep, height wise....and will be weight wise before very long. Glad it is going so well for you and Thor....and Maisy, too....


----------



## Mike CHS

It won't be long and he will outweigh Lance and Sassy. He was just shy of 32 lbs this afternoon and the smallest ewe in that bunch was 105 pounds a month ago but she is only 9 months old now and has a bit more growing to do.


----------



## Bruce

So now Cheep Cheep wants to drive?? She sure is a pushy bird.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> So now Cheep Cheep wants to drive?? She sure is a pushy bird.



That turkey is one of the domestic ones but just about as bold.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa was cleaning out her phone pictures and had one that I thought was really cute.  This picture is of Thor on the way home when we first got him.

I have to make sure I file these pictures for later since now when I look at him you can barely see the pup we brought home 5 weeks ago.


----------



## Baymule

Thor sure is growing fast! What do you expect his adult weight to be?


----------



## Mike CHS

His sire is 140 and his dam is 110 so he should be a big boy.  He was the smallest of the bunch but none of them were small.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I was thinking just a couple of days ago that I needed to download my pics from the phone to the computer and clear them....well, yesterday my SD chip went bad and I lost a year's worth of pics........I do have thumbnails of most of them, but not all....since most are shared in many Threads here I'll just have to enjoy rereading the past year's posts....


----------



## Latestarter

You should be able to select to view the pics online and then select to save them to your computer... So you can get them back if you wanted.


----------



## dejavoodoo114

First off, it took a while to get caught up again on your thread so some of these are old. I tried to keep it short...



Bruce said:


> That is the basis of Dr. Temple Grandin's method of getting animals into a trailer. Make a U shaped chute so they head out then as they continue they feel like they are returning from whence they came. All calm and content.


I had never heard of Dr. Temple Grandin until a few weeks ago. She came to UT to speak this week, Wed night I think. We, in the animal science department, were encouraged to go but with kids and animals and living an hour from campus I didn't. Now I wish I had. My understanding is that she has a great understanding of animal behavior. 



Mike CHS said:


> The lambs that were still nursing are big enough to breed but we want them to lose some weight now that mama's milk is no longer available.


Why do you want your ewes to lose weight? Or are you just waiting for them to lose the weight they lose after weaning?



Pastor Dave said:


> It's been a long time since I heard mention of the Cumberland Plateau or Cumberland Gap.


Can't count the times I have driven through Cumberland Gap... My kids' school is right there. 



Pastor Dave said:


> Now, I make sausage and summer sausage out of my rabbits. It is so hard getting the temps to allow me to infuse cheese without it oozing out as it cooks. But, I still experiment.


I have to admit I am jealous. I want to learn how to do all of that. At the moment, all we are doing is making the basics when we process. Basic meat cuts and ground burger, venison or goat. Actually, we are making more goat burger tomorrow (today)... 



Mike CHS said:


> but this pretty white male Akbash pup followed us home.


I am fascinated hearing about your Akbash pup. And love how he joined your herd. We were considering Akbash and called 3 or 4 different owners/breeders. All but one told us they were extremely dog aggressive and that we had better have great fencing or any dog on or near our property will die. The other who didn't mention it was trying to hard sale their pups. With the lose dog population around us, that didn't seem wise. Both our two pyrs and our two Boz chase the strays and lose dogs away without killing. In this area, killing another persons dog can have some very serious consequences.... Of course, that would never stop me if they were on my property and bothering my chickens or other animals. But with my LGDs that just doesn't happen any more.


----------



## Mike CHS

@dejavoodoo114 we are new to the Akbash breed but so far are completely loving this one and plan on getting another.  Those that we have seen are dog aggressive to unfamiliar dogs but in our area, that is what we want since loose dogs are more of an issue than coyotes.  We are comfortable with our fences so in most cases we are also comfortable with our dogs safety also.

  The pups parents are very laid back and acted much like Anatolians we have seen but this pup is integrating well and so far seems to accept even our herding dogs.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I burned the midnight oil...dug thru the trash...found the chip and retrived the 1,351 pics........I used the adapter and plugged it into the computer. Thanks Joe, but no internet on the computer.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Wow!  Glad you were able to save them!  Lotsa memories there.


----------



## dejavoodoo114

Mike CHS said:


> We are comfortable with our fences so in most cases we are also comfortable with our dogs safety also


Your fences should certainly be able to keep him in. Ours our high tensile electric so we chose a different breed to be on the safe side.  I do like the Akbash from all that I read and heard about when we were considering getting one. I just wasn't sure if anyone mentioned that part to you.


----------



## Mike CHS

dejavoodoo114 said:


> Your fences should certainly be able to keep him in. Ours our high tensile electric so we chose a different breed to be on the safe side.  I do like the Akbash from all that I read and heard about when we were considering getting one. I just wasn't sure if anyone mentioned that part to you.



Thanks - we had already spent a lot of time with his home farm and we were actually looking for a more aggressive breed.

I'm curious to see how he turns out since right now he is just mimicking everything Our Pyr Maisy does so we shall see how he gets when he starts developing his own.  He spends more and more time now with the sheep and less with Maisy watching and patrolling around the sheep.  We don't allow any interaction with our working dogs but we do make sure they are allowed in proximity of each other.


----------



## dejavoodoo114

The higher aggression in the Akbash is what drew us to them in the first place. We have a lot of strays and wondering lose dogs in this area. I look forward to seeing how he grows and how he does. 

BTW, how did you find the Amish in your area? I would love to find a source for veggies that cheap! That way, when I have a down spell during growing season it doesn't affect our food supply as much. I wish I were as good at networking as you are. I have been in TN and on our property longer than you and only know one neighbor, sort of.


----------



## greybeard

dejavoodoo114 said:


> BTW, how did you find the Amish in your area?


Just follow the road apples?


----------



## Mike CHS

The people in East TN must not be as friendly as Middle TN.    When we first started renovating our place by the time we had made 4 monthly trips here we had met everyone within a few miles of our place since they all made a stop to say hi and introduce themselves.  One of the neighbors said we gave them to put on a cookout one weekend and there must have been 100 people there.

For the Amish I just did a search for Amish Markets and got a ton of hits.  We went to a Consignment Auction there today that I think is the Amish equivalent to Black Friday. There was so many things that they had 6 auctioneers going at the same time and when we left about 1:00 this afternoon they weren't half way through.  The produce market (in Ethrige) sells in bulk to a lot of area restaurants and the Amish farmers are under contract to the local grocery chains for a lot of things.  That's where we bought the bulk of our produce for canning this year.


----------



## CntryBoy777

You mean ya went to such a big sale and didn't bring anything Home with ya?.....ya ain't ailing are ya?....


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa bought a nice antique oak table and a small wall cabinet.  We weren't big spenders since they were $20 each.  

There must have been 1500 people there.


----------



## Bruce

dejavoodoo114 said:


> I had never heard of Dr. Temple Grandin until a few weeks ago. She came to UT to speak this week, Wed night I think. We, in the animal science department, were encouraged to go but with kids and animals and living an hour from campus I didn't. Now I wish I had. My understanding is that she has a great understanding of animal behavior.



Oh I do wish you had known! I'd drop pretty much anything I had scheduled to go hear her. I've seen some videos though. Yep, she seems to have an innate understanding of how animals think and I say "that concept is so obvious ... once someone points it out."


----------



## Mike CHS

I brought all of the younger sheep in so I could separate Hoss the wether that has been running with them this whole time.  I put the younger ewes in with the breeder herd and Ringo so he's a happy camper. Our neighbor Jay has gotten the bug for sheep and is buying two of our ewes once they are bred.  He's taking our #34 ewe that we used to call Wild Thing and our #1 that was born here.

Lance isn't fully healed yet so I figured I could easily move one wether over to the boys pen with a halter since they normally lead so well. He didn't agree with me and it was a fight all the way across the field. Hoss weighs 160 pounds which doesn't seem like much when he's standing there getting petted but it sure is when he's jumping straight up and pulling backwards.


----------



## Latestarter

You could always halter/lead train by attaching him to the back of the lawn tractor and taking him for a ride...  Just kidding folks!


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Hoss weighs 160 pounds which doesn't seem like much when he's standing there getting petted but it sure is when he's jumping straight up and pulling backwards.


And while you likely outweigh him, he has 4 leg drive, you have only 2. He wins if he really wants to.

Too bad Lance wasn't up to the task.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have still been getting quite a few peppers from the few plants that we left in the garden beds.  I could probably pick a five gallon bucket of jalapenos but we already have more than we can eat between now and next summer.  I'll probably pull the last plants up next week and clean everything up and let them rest.  The only cool weather plants we have in now are broccoli and cabbage.


----------



## dejavoodoo114

Mike CHS said:


> The people in East TN must not be as friendly as Middle TN.    When we first started renovating our place by the time we had made 4 monthly trips here we had met everyone within a few miles of our place since they all made a stop to say hi and introduce themselves.  One of the neighbors said we gave them to put on a cookout one weekend and there must have been 100 people there.
> 
> For the Amish I just did a search for Amish Markets and got a ton of hits.  We went to a Consignment Auction there today that I think is the Amish equivalent to Black Friday. There was so many things that they had 6 auctioneers going at the same time and when we left about 1:00 this afternoon they weren't half way through.  The produce market (in Ethrige) sells in bulk to a lot of area restaurants and the Amish farmers are under contract to the local grocery chains for a lot of things.  That's where we bought the bulk of our produce for canning this year.



The people/families here have been here so long it is not easy to "get it". However, I think my biggest problem is probably that I am not a very social person. They are friendly I do not believe I have made enough of an effort. I am going to try and rectify that. Getting involved in the Farmer Veteran Coalition should help me do that. 

I will try googling it and hope for decent results. I tried when we first got here but none of the businesses up here even use the internet. I rely on my neighbor to tell me where to go for things...


----------



## Mike CHS

@dejavoodoo114 - I'm going to PM you a link I found.  It is mostly about the large Amish community that is near us in Ethridge but it also mentions a few other locations in Tennessee.  The market here is not owned by Amish but it's business is geared toward providing them a market for their produce and animals. You can drive the back roads here and the individual farms will have signs out by the road showing what they currently have for sale.


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> Hoss weighs 160 pounds which doesn't seem like much when he's standing there getting petted but it sure is when he's jumping straight up and pulling backwards.


Reminds me of the 1st calf I ever bought..back in 1965..and tried to halter break her. I had been showing swine, but decided I wanted to show a calf. We were raising Herefords atthe time but I wanted a black Angus. Bought a registered heifer about 400lbs and 50 years ago, I weighed about 125 soaking wet. The Angus breed back then wasn't known for docility like they are today, and she wouldn't budge even with me reaching back and twisting her tail. Got brother to hit her in the hip with a hotshot and she promptly ran right over me.  She'd just set all 4 legs stiff and never move otherwise. One day, my father was discing up some ground with an 8n tractor and he came over and had me tie the lead rope to the back of the disc frame and me sit on the back of the disc and away we went. After 100 yards of her just bouncing along stiff legged, and never break into a walk, he gave up and we turned her in with the rest of the cattle and that was my 1st, last and only sojourn into black hide fever. Bred her the next year to our polled hereford bull and I got a nice a baldy calf out of her.


----------



## Mike CHS

I don't outweigh this boy by much and got him moved but he made me work at it.  If he had been a Dorper without much of a tail he would still be where he wanted.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I sure do miss your avatars Mike....if it is your choice to not have one, that's okay....but, I miss it...I just haven't gotten used to a dull gray symbol being you. Just wanted to let ya know it was missed.....


----------



## Mike CHS

I actually changed it this afternoon and evidently didn't save it.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Oh so much Better...great pic too...btw....


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa and I both said we wished we had a video of me moving Hoss into the pen this morning.  I was amazed how high his fat self could jump.


----------



## Baymule

Latestarter said:


> You could always halter/lead train by attaching him to the back of the lawn tractor and taking him for a ride...  Just kidding folks!



A lot of 4-H and FFA kids halter train their steers how to lead with a tractor.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I'm often amazed at how the Boys can jump, run, and reach things that seemed impossible for them to do so.....with Comet it is the belly that drives the desire, but competition drives Lightning. There is a huge difference in weight between the 2 now and when I reach up to pull acorns from a tree limb, Comet will jump up and try to lean on me like they did when they were smaller....and will knock me backwards for 3 steps....even when I'm braced for it. I can still hold Lightning up, but Comet thinks I should be able to hold him too....Comet is about 110-115 and Lightning is about 80-85.....


----------



## Mike CHS

Fred - I carry a light weight buggy whip when I'm working with the dogs because the sheep think they can run my way and they will be safe.  Problem is they literally run straight at me somehow thinking they will miraculously wind up behind me.  I don't have to use it, just hold it up.  Either way this is the first time I saw one that big and fat jump high enough that his rear legs were waste high to me with his front legs a couple of feet over my head.  I'm glad it was one of the tame ones.  I can see I need to start doing more halter work with the ones that will be handled manually.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> We have still been getting quite a few peppers from the few plants that we left in the garden beds.  I could probably pick a five gallon bucket of jalapenos but we already have more than we can eat between now and next summer.  I'll probably pull the last plants up next week and clean everything up and let them rest.  The only cool weather plants we have in now are broccoli and cabbage.
> View attachment 39385


ONE jalapeño would be enough to last me from now to next summer. Next decade or two actually  I do need to make some more Pico de Gallo with tomatoes, onions and cilantro from the garden. Fresh is best!


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Baymule said:


> A lot of 4-H and FFA kids halter train their steers how to lead with a tractor.


But its so much more fun when they hitch 'em to an as....  I mean a donkey!


----------



## Bruce

Saaaay, careful what you call @Mike CHS @frustratedearthmother


----------



## Mike CHS

I put out a couple of rolls of electric netting this morning and let the sheep move out onto that.  That field was over seeded with rye grass 3 weeks ago and is pretty lush after all this rain we have been having.  I seeded the pasture all around their main paddocks so they can be on that for quite awhile.  Jay said he saw a couple of coyotes coming out of our woods this morning so we ran more hot wire on the outside of the two paddocks that didn't already have multiple strands of it.

Three of the ewes that we put in with the ram last month look like they are already with lamb.  Seven others are looking like it also but too soon to be sure.  The 8 ewes we put in yesterday are already standing for the ram.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Ringo just needed the opportunity to prove his Worth...and it sounds like he is well on his way of doing just that....
We ended up with a whole .1" in the guage, but am hoping that will be enough for the seed to get started with.....I really don't want to drag hoses around to water....


----------



## Bruce

Oh man, seeing coyotes in the daytime? Ouch. I hope the dogs' bark is menacing enough that the coyotes decide to hunt elsewhere for eats. 



CntryBoy777 said:


> I really don't want to drag hoses around to water....


You don't think that would be fun?? 
Maybe you could put some slightly leaky buckets over the goats backs, like saddle bags, and they could water it for you.


----------



## farmerjan

Better hope for more than .1 of rain.  That will only get it started and if you don't get some more fairly soon, the tiny root systems will dry up and it will all be wasted.  Better to get more right away or to water once at least very strongly so the moisture gets down in the soil more than the top inch.


----------



## greybeard

CntryBoy777 said:


> Ringo just needed the opportunity to prove his Worth...and it sounds like he is well on his way of doing just that....
> We ended up with a whole .1" in the guage, but am hoping that will be enough for the seed to get started with.....I really don't want to drag hoses around to water....


I hope you have a good well. According to USGS Water Science School website, just to equal that .1" of rainfall on 1 sq acre, you would have to run 2715.4 gallons of water thru your hose.
Here's some other 'rainfall calculations'.





You can figure how much rain in gallons fell on any given sq footage area:
https://water.usgs.gov/edu/activity-howmuchrain.html

(approx 136 million gallons of rain fell on my property during Harvey. 
(how much ran across it was a much much higher volume)


----------



## CntryBoy777

That's very interesting GB....Thanks!!


----------



## Bruce

That is  LOT of water on an acre isn't it!! Given I believe one desires at least 1" per week, at least for a garden, that 27,000+ is a huge number.


----------



## HomeOnTheRange

@Bruce we put about 162,500 gallons (per acre) on our pasture every two weeks.  It is flood irrigation off of the river.


----------



## Bruce

Wow. I guess that is why you have green, green grass to mow!


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce - the rye grass is coming up in that section in the picture but we have a cool season grass that has just started coming on and that was what I was cutting for the sheep last winter.

I went down about a half hour ago thinking they would have moved to the area they usually bed down in so I could close the gate to the paddock.  They decided they weren't leaving that sweet spot so I had to go back up to the house to get the magic feed bucket so they would follow me in through the gate.  I was afraid if something did spook them at night they would run right through that netting since it's so dark out there.

We have a frost forecast tonight so I stripped the pepper and okra plants and put a half barrel over a lone tomato plant to see if I could get it through the night.


----------



## Bruce

Time to bring out the herding dogs! Kinda dark for that though I guess. Last thing you need is a bunch of sheep and 2 dogs hitting the electric net even if it isn't plugged in.

We are having frost as well. Hoping for the best, I've covered the pepper plants with a plastic "umbrella" and the 7' tall "rack" around the cherry tomatoes is wrapped in an old clear plastic shower curtain and a blue tarp.


----------



## CntryBoy777

....I bet when they get to running it sounds like a "Thundering Herd"....a cloud of dust....and a hearty Hi-Oh Silver....coming at ya.....


----------



## Mike CHS

Fred - one of the first things I learned was to be facing them before I started shaking that feed bucket.  They will crowd right around me and all they see is the bucket but 4 of the boss ewes get close on my side and kind of guide me to the feed troughs.  

Ringo is a gentle now as he was before I put the ewes with him.  I still keep an eye on him but he is about as laid back as any sheep I've seen.


----------



## Bruce

Must be those 4 ewes don't think you are very smart! 
"Come on Dad, it's this direction"


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> Fred - one of the first things I learned was to be facing them before I started shaking that feed bucket.  They will crowd right around me and all they see is the bucket but 4 of the boss ewes get close on my side and kind of guide me to the feed troughs.



I rarely turn my back on anything with 4 legs and sure don't do it at night. My cows act really spooky and strange at night..not aggressive, but just different, like they see ya but they don't know what you are...
(some days, after all these years, I don't even turn my back on my wife...)


----------



## Bruce




----------



## Mike CHS

I think I found my main sweet pepper for canning whole peppers next season.  When we were at the fair last week I saw one booth that had a whole bunch of different kinds of peppers and the label on the sweet peppers said "tastes like candy".  The best part is they actually do.  The peppers don't have many seeds but what there was I saved for planting next year. He said that everything he grows is open pollinated so we shall see.


----------



## CntryBoy777

They look really good....did he mention the variety?....may have to give some a try....


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> They look really good....did he mention the variety?....may have to give some a try....



The label by the peppers said Yum Yum but I didn't turn anything up in a quick search.  He said all of his seed came from Bakers Creek though and all they sell is heirloom.

I'll try some in a bed off to themselves and hope they come back true.


----------



## Mike CHS

Fred - If they turn out to be a hybrid they may not come back true but I have enough seed to share some if you want a few and hope they are Heirloom.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

I found this - but  not Baker Creek or Heirloom 

https://www.gurneys.com/product/yum_yums_hybrid_mixed_mini_bells_sweet_pepper


----------



## Mike CHS

Thank you - I was afraid of that - that picture is them so they are a hybrid.  I may try a few anyway since I have plenty of space.


----------



## CntryBoy777

We get a gurney's catalog each year, so I'll have to pay attention to it....and see if Joyce still has it so I can mark it....Thanks!!


----------



## Mike CHS

They are proud of them.  That link to Gurney's shows 15 seeds for $8.99.


----------



## CntryBoy777

That does seem a mite expensive....it would need to be a prolific producer....


----------



## Mike CHS

We are thinking about making some pepper relish since we have so many peppers in the freezer.  I processed all of those that I picked yesterday when I stripped the plants and wound up with almost another 20 pounds.

There was two trays like the one in the picture.  Once they freeze hard they will go in vacuum bags.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> They are proud of them.  That link to Gurney's shows 15 seeds for $8.99.


Well if you get 15 plants for $9 that's not bad compared to buying them already started (IF you can find the variety you want). Of course 15 seeds for $1 would be better


----------



## HomeOnTheRange

Do not know if you have tried these, but they grow well for us.  They are organic as well, if that is something you look for:
http://www.johnnyseeds.com/vegetabl...x-organic-pepper-seed-3515G.html?cgid=peppers

We also grow a large amount of Green Chile and Jalapeños.


----------



## Mike CHS

HomeOnTheRange said:


> Do not know if you have tried these, but they grow well for us.  They are organic as well, if that is something you look for:
> http://www.johnnyseeds.com/vegetabl...x-organic-pepper-seed-3515G.html?cgid=peppers
> 
> We also grow a large amount of Green Chile and Jalapeños.



_I'll give those a try.  I have plenty of Jalapeno seeds from the same stock I've been using for a long time. _


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa and I had to go out and retrofit some of our outside hot wires since some were touching the woven wire which took the charge down to under 2k volts. We fixed that and it's back up over 8k volts. While we were out Teresa took some phone pictures of the critters inside the portable netting. The older ewes are visibly with lamb and the others we expect will be soon.

The picture of the chickens in the hay bale (if I don't exceed my picture allowance) are more for the novelty. Our sheep reluctantly ate on that bale for over a month before we moved them out and would starve before eating it.

Thor is looking like a mature dog already and Maisy is just the perfect guard dog.


----------



## CntryBoy777

You have many more signs of fall there than we do, guess the thinner air up higher kinda promotes that. Those bellies are certainly pooching already. That pic of the chickens has a real Fall feel to it and they sure seem to like the shelter. Maisy has grown and matured into a really nice Girl....Thor just looks like he is setting on the ready....for the next "Big Adventure" just like a young growing boy....


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Thor is looking like a mature dog already and Maisy is just the perfect guard dog.


And in a couple of years he WILL be a mature dog  Unless Akbash mature faster than GPs.


----------



## Baymule

I love the chickens in the hay bale picture. You should frame that one.


----------



## Mike CHS

They can be as bad as any of these guys.  I was around his litter with both the parents and was amazed at how serious they seemed.  He is the least playful pup (so far) that I have known but I'm guessing that is because he mimics everything Maisy does.  Maisy is very deliberate moving around the sheep unless she sees something along a fence line and then it seems like she sprouted wings.


----------



## Bruce

Merlin was like that. Amazing how fast a dog that big can run.

The boys were alerting on something out by the woods today. I could not tell what it was. Not the turkeys, no deer. I got the binoculars from the house and went back to their gate at the barn. I finally spotted a gray tiger stripe cat walking along at the edge of the woods. Those boys have damn good eyesight. I couldn't see the cat without the binoculars even when I knew it was there.


----------



## TAH

Wow, been so busy I just finally caught up and had time to reply! 

Congrats on the puppy..... He is so darn cute! 

And I can't wait to see the lambs this season!


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> I love the chickens in the hay bale picture. You should frame that one.



That we are planning on doing.  I love our place and often wish I had a camera I could hang around my neck that sweat wouldn't bother.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Merlin was like that. Amazing how fast a dog that big can run.
> 
> The boys were alerting on something out by the woods today. I could not tell what it was. Not the turkeys, no deer. I got the binoculars from the house and went back to their gate at the barn. I finally spotted a gray tiger stripe cat walking along at the edge of the woods. Those boys have damn good eyesight. I couldn't see the cat without the binoculars even when I knew it was there.



Maisy has been on the perimeter more in the last week or so that anytime since we have had her and I'm hoping it isn't the coyotes getting braver. I went down this morning about 2:00 when both her and the pup were raising heck but didn't see anything.  I have a low light scope on the rifle but never saw anything.  If nothing else, Maisy seemed happy that I was checking things out.  When I went down this morning to let the sheep into the electric netting I saw that something had gotten tangled up in the fence and when Maisy came down she looked like a Beagle sniffing the ground all around so I'm not sure if it was a deer or something else.


----------



## Mike CHS

TAH said:


> Wow, been so busy I just finally caught up and had time to reply!
> 
> Congrats on the puppy..... He is so darn cute!
> 
> And I can't wait to see the lambs this season!



You have had an awful lot on your plate for awhile now.  

I'm really liking this  breed of dog but we shall see when he gets a bit older and a whole lot bigger.


----------



## TAH

Mike CHS said:


> You have had an awful lot on your plate for awhile now.
> 
> I'm really liking this  breed of dog but we shall see when he gets a bit older and a whole lot bigger.


Yeah, we have and things just keep getting crazier but life is good. I will try to update my journal asap. I've been slacking in that. 

Yeah, I can see why with his adorable little face..... And he sounds like he is great! 

AKbash?


----------



## Mike CHS

He is an Akbash


----------



## Mike CHS

We actually had a few days off of the farm.  Teresa's daughter got married this week and all had a wonderful visit in Asheville, NC.  Two huge houses were rented and all together we had a wedding party of about 40 or so people.


----------



## Latestarter

Congrats to Teresa's daughter. May you have a passle of grand kids from the union.


----------



## Baymule

Sounds like a good time, wonderful celebration of a new life together.


----------



## Bruce

Where are the pictures and who took care of the animals??


----------



## Mike CHS

We have hundreds that Teresa is posting a link to on Facebook.  We paid our young helper Jay to take care of all the animals except for Sassy and Lance and we have a kennel that they really like so it's a treat for them.  It's nice having Jay feed the critters that need feeding and he's around enough that Maisy and Thor don't fuss when he's around.  Actually Maisy still fusses at him but she will stop fussing long enough to eat her food.


----------



## Bruce

You are going to be sad if/when he goes off to college. As I recall, he is in High School, right?


----------



## Mike CHS

He is in 10th grade this year but it has been good for both him and us.  His Grandmother has told us that she thinks we were sent to save him from himself as he has become much more responsible and out of trouble since he started working with us.  He is 'officially' going through an apprenticeship with us as part of his school program.  It works as fun for him since when he is working on projects for credit it isn't paid and he likes it.  He's learning some good wood working skills.


----------



## CntryBoy777

That is certainly what more young people need these days and times....imo...they can see a much different side of life than they see either at home or in those buildings they call schools today...
He couldn't have any Better mentors either...


----------



## Mike CHS

He is a good boy that I hope makes good Fred.


----------



## goatgurl

his grandmother may be right mike.  youall are doing a good thing for him, yup a good thing.


----------



## babsbag

Another good small sweet pepper is Gypsy.


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> Actually Maisy still fusses at him but she will stop fussing long enough to eat her food.


Odd how that is huh?
Kinda like my children were too..yap yap yap till ya put  free plate of food in front of 'em.


----------



## Latestarter

Bet it's the same today... Is with my kids... Grand kids too.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> He is in 10th grade this year but it has been good for both him and us.  His Grandmother has told us that she thinks we were sent to save him from himself as he has become much more responsible and out of trouble since he started working with us.  He is 'officially' going through an apprenticeship with us as part of his school program.  It works as fun for him since when he is working on projects for credit it isn't paid and he likes it.  He's learning some good wood working skills.


Kids with a purpose (I'll go out on a limb here) always make out better than those that just meander along. He has a sense of purpose, knows that you appreciate what he does for you (paid in cash or school credit) and is learning skills most of his classmates probably are not. All good for one's self esteem. Who knows what path he will take that he might not have considered without these experiences.


----------



## Mike CHS

We are hoping that's the way it will go Bruce.  If you believe that genes have a part in growing up the odds were stacked against him not long ago.  That has changed a lot in the last year or so and hopefully will continue.

We are getting ready to put up another 1500' of fence so he will stay busy anyway.


----------



## Mike CHS

I just put up some netting to let the sheep out on some fresh grass and used the opportunity to get a couple of pictures of Maisy and the pup.  I got him on the scale this morning and he has topped 37 pounds now. The area where the netting is in the picture will be about a quarter of what gets fenced next.  This will be the main paddock from this point on.


----------



## Baymule

You are having a positive impact on this young man when he needs it the most. You and Teresa are Angels from Heaven sent to pull this young man from the spot he was in to make him a responsible, productive member of society.


----------



## Bruce

LOVE the pictures of the dogs!!!! (Sheep aren't bad either)

Nature vs Nurture. You can't change the first but you sure can modify the outcome of it with the second. I'm betting you and Teresa are extra important in that BECAUSE you aren't family. Kids get too comfortable (and entitled) with family. They will do things for others that they won't do at home. And you have a "working relationship" with him that validates him outside the home. That is a confidence builder and gives a kid reasons to be productive rather than get into trouble with "idle hands".


----------



## Mike CHS

We hope so but he has also given us an awful lot since we left our family behind in Charleston.  

He has also developed a strong interest in sheep.  He is buying two once we make sure they are bred.  He wants the one we called Wild Thing before she tamed down and also one of the lambs (actually our #1 lamb born in December). Wild Thing is the big girl directly behind Thor in the picture that looks like at a minimum she is carrying twins and probably triplets.


----------



## Bruce

So if he buys Wild Thing, he might get 4 for the price of one


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> So if he buys Wild Thing, he might get 4 for the price of one



That is the idea.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa and I both seem to have picked up a cold bug at the wedding so it has been hard to get motivated the last couple of days.  The weather was pretty and even though I got a late start today I got all of the wood line post holes dug and about half of them seated.  I had to run into town to get more posts so that shoots a fair amount of time. This is the last major fence build and there will only be some high tensile installed after this.  This run has some odd shaped legs because of the curvature of this piece of pasture but all together the fence build will be approximately 1300' and joins existing fence on one of the long legs.  This will give us another almost 7 acres in permanent fence and will give us a lot better control of our pasture rotation.  I will still have 20'-30' runs on the outside ege of all of the paddocks with no perimeter fence but I can put up netting to let the sheep eat that grass every month or so.  That adds a small bit of work maintaining those areas but it borders a wooded area that needs reclaiming and I would rather do that with some working room and away from all fences.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I really like having a buffer area, too for predator control. The animals and me can see them approach much better, taking away a sneak attack. It gives me time for a better shot too.


----------



## Mike CHS

I do also Fred.  I had planned on doing the tree line before the fence but with a whole bunch of lambs due in a few months the fence took priority.  There is a big black dog or possible a coyote/dog mix that has been driving Maisy nuts that I have seen twice this week.  I've been keeping my rifle handy if I can get a shot.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa has been putting the finishing touches on her new chicken coop.  We are going to put all of the chickens in the same pen since it is so big.  She did some really good problem solving on this one and literally did it all herself with no help except for the roofing material.  I usually do the table saw cuts but she did all those too.  

The doors on both sides are sliders to make it easier to access and clean.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Wow - I am impressed!   She does good work.


----------



## CntryBoy777

That looks really Good!!.....what is the overall size? It appears built on a couple of pallets.


----------



## Baymule

Nice job on the coop! Girl Power! (and Dewalt and Skil and Hitachi......)


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> That looks really Good!!.....what is the overall size? It appears built on a couple of pallets.



It's 63" x 48" but has two levels of roost inside and has lots of room.


----------



## Mike CHS

We usually do projects like this together but on this one she kept picking times when I was doing something else so it was pretty obvious she wanted to do this one on her own.  I stayed out of the way and you could tell she was happy when something hard got resolved.


----------



## CntryBoy777

That is good sized....sure does give me some really good ideas to incorporate into future structures....got it bookmarked, thanks for sharing it....


----------



## Mike CHS

Fred - it was pretty cheap to build also.  All of the framing are ripped 2 x 4's so I doubt there is more than $25 for the frame and one sheet of siding.


----------



## Baymule

What? No scrap pile? No reject lumber, no cull rack stuff?


----------



## Mike CHS

She is deservedly proud of this one @Baymule


----------



## Bruce

Baymule said:


> What? No scrap pile? No reject lumber, no cull rack stuff?


Teresa clearly doesn't understand how to source building materials 



Mike CHS said:


> It's 63" x 48" but has two levels of roost inside and has lots of room.


You will find that they all sleep on the highest level, if they can fit.


----------



## Mike CHS

There is plenty of room for them.  The Barred Rocks were already claiming it as their own before it was done.  Two of them were trying to lay eggs in the new nest boxes.


----------



## greybeard

Baymule said:


> What? No scrap pile? No reject lumber, no cull rack stuff?


I don't keep much scrap lumber myself anymore. Too much draw for insects. I have built lots of stuff out of lumber, including 2 hay barns but I'm about done with that kind of thing. I did acquire a LOT of floated in 2xs and some 4x4s in the flood, but burned everything that wasn't PT. I'll make feed troughs out of the PT stuff. If I need to build something out of wood, I cad it out, then buy exactly what I need and nothing left over except a few drops to burn. Only other thing I might build out of wood would be a 30 bushel bulk feeder for range meal, but I will probably just buy one or pay someone to turnkey build it for me. 
Steel tho, is a different story. I keep a LOT of structural steel, including about a dozen used 20' joints of 2"x6"x1/4" channel, all kinds of pipe, angle iron, square tubing, several hundred feet of rebar,  and various I beams. Have a oxy/acet rig, 16" abrasive wheel chop saw, drill press, angle grinders, a 220v welder in the shop and a 160amp gasoline powered portable welder. Only thing I wish I had was a horizontal band saw. 

Good job on the coop for sure, what little I know about chicken coops.


----------



## Mike CHS

I was getting ready to go out and dig the last few holes for the line posts when Teresa reminded me that I had 4 pork shoulders in the refrigerator that I am smoking for a church dinner.  I'm going to throw a rack of lamb ribs a little later on for us.  I guess there is always tomorrow for the fence.  I'm going to be ready to start driving T-posts by Monday and hopefully Jay can come over and help me with that.  The first time I had him drive posts he did something like 60 posts in about 45 minutes.  That included the time getting the posts out to the site and setting them up.


----------



## Latestarter

60 posts in 45 minutes?  That kid is a hydraulic powered pounding machine! Can I borrow him? I have about 6000' of perimeter line posts I could use help with!


----------



## Mike CHS

He was out on his own that day Joe.  When I work with him I keep him at my pace or he would never make any $.


----------



## Latestarter

That is very impressive none the less. You are very kind to slow him down and allow him to earn some money from his work. I could make a day (OK, maybe 1/2 a day) out of pounding 60 posts. Of course you could have always paid him based on the time it would have taken you to pound them  

ETA: Those are some really delish looking pork butts (shoulders) you have cooking there...


----------



## Mike CHS

I don't count time as much as I do how much got done so when he humps it I pay accordingly.  We work pretty good together.  Even when we are having to manually dig holes because of stone, I use the rock bar to break the stone up and he uses the digger to clean it out and then we swap.


----------



## Baymule

Teresa ought to be proud of that chicken coop. It's a hum-dinger! 

@Latestarter I just noticed the new avatar, good one!


----------



## Mike CHS

She is. I told the daughter today that she has been strutting around with her chest out and beating it like a gorilla.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I'm going to be ready to start driving T-posts by Monday and hopefully Jay can come over and help me with that. The first time I had him drive posts he did something like 60 posts in about 45 minutes. That included the time getting the posts out to the site and setting them up.


Um < 1 minute per post? It would be impressive enough if the numbers were transposed!


----------



## Mike CHS

We have been getting a lot fewer eggs from one of coops so Teresa put the game camera out last night.  It turns out we have a possum visiting the coop around midnight.  The nest boxes aren't secure and are in a different area than their roosts.


----------



## Mike CHS

Here are a couple of pictures of the guilty party.  I'll put the trap out tonight to get rid of it.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Sure hope ya get the rascal....they'll eat anything won't they? I dislike them immensly.


----------



## Mike CHS

We got an image of something else outside that didn't come in but we have no idea what that is.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Mike CHS said:


> We got an image of something else outside that didn't come in but we have no idea what that is.


Yikes!


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> We got an image of something else outside that didn't come in but we have no idea what that is.


Graboid?. ............ or chupacabra?


----------



## Mike CHS

I hope not greybeard.    We are going to close everything up tonight and put some food around outside and see what we or the camera can catch.


----------



## Baymule

Bad Possum! Gonna be a GONE possum!


----------



## Mike CHS

Got the possum (at least hope there is only one).  I trapped one last year and only took it a little over a mile away so this may be the same one.  This one I took 10 miles away so hopefully if it is the same one it stays gone this time.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Good job on getting this one- it doesn't look to thrilled...hope it stays away!


----------



## Mike CHS

They really seem to like sardines and apple chunks since they were all gone.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Glad ya got the rascal....but, I make sure they won't be dealt with by me or anybody else...they become buzzard food...


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> Got the possum (at least hope there is only one).  I trapped one last year and only took it a little over a mile away so this may be the same one.  This one I took 10 miles away so hopefully if it is the same one it stays gone this time.
> View attachment 39808


If it returns again, change the distance to .22  next time...


----------



## High Desert Cowboy

I second greybeard.  Where we used to live we’d trap a lot of raccoons and a .22 insures that they can’t come back to cause grief.  And while we don’t have possums around here aren’t they supposed to breed like bunnies?  I know they have a ridiculously short gestation period.  A little population control can only help in the long run


----------



## farmerjan

I don't go out of my way to kill wildlife.  That said, once they find the chickens, they are trapped and disposed of...like everyone else that has posted a .22 is the only way to go.  I would not do my neighbors, no matter how sparsely populated the area is, the injustice of setting loose a potential problem for them to deal with.  And of all the different things, opposuum's carry several different diseases.  I can't think of the name offhand, but they can transmit one to horses that can be fatal.  They will have 6-15 young carried in their pouch, and they are not only scavengers, but will eat eggs, feed, and small chickens/chicks.

Had a "neighbor"  several miles away in Ct years ago that just "couldn't kill"  the poor raccoon, and took it several miles down the road and set it loose in the woods.  It managed to find it's way to our place, and proceeded to open hooks and eyes, and kill more than 30 young birds that we were raising.  Finally caught it and killed it after hundreds of dollars loss of purebred young out of our show chickens.
  A week or so later just happened to be in the feed store and heard this person talking about the "poor raccoon"  that they had caught trying to get into their chickens and that they felt sorry for it and took it down "such and such" road and turned it loose in the woods.  It was right over the hill from us.  And the coon had a badly torn/scarred ear and they said they felt sorry for it because it had probably been in a fight with a dog or something.... well, I proceeded to ask them if it was the right or left ear and when they said it was the right;  I then told them that the "poor raccoon"  was now dead along with over 30 of our purebred half grown chickens that it had gotten in and torn apart.  I also told them that if I had any  problems with any others, I would gladly trap the poor things and bring 'em and turn 'em loose in the woods up behind their property so they could feel sorry for them there. 
Don't take a problem animal and turn it out to be someone else's problem.


----------



## Baymule

@farmerjan how in the world did you refrain from slapping the snot out of that idiot?


----------



## Mike CHS

There isn't a home or farm within 10 miles of that possum in either direction so he can more than likely be a meal for the coyotes.

I got all of the T-posts for the leg of the fence I'm working on driven in and that leg measured in at 520'.  I went in to TSC and picked up what material I need to finish it up and hope to be done by the first part of next week.  I'll get the short leg T-posts driven in tomorrow which is 325' and then have Jay help me drive T-posts for the longest leg which is 625' and then we will see about getting the wire up.  One leg is more circular and is on a good size slope so it will be the hardest to run.

In the second picture you can barely see it but it makes a left turn by the horse trailer and runs 100' to tie in to the training pen.


----------



## CntryBoy777

You just amaze me at the amount of progress ya make so quickly....I just pale in comparison....looking really Good!!...


----------



## Mike CHS

Thanks Fred but right now my shoulders feel like spaghetti which is why I'm going to use Jay for the long span.


----------



## Hens and Roos

looking good, I enjoy reading about your progress!


----------



## Mike CHS

Hens and Roos said:


> looking good, I enjoy reading about your progress!


 
Thanks.  I'm anxious to get this one fenced in since it is the last relatively large (for us) paddock. I have  around 2 acres below this one that I haven't decided what to do with yet since it is so steep.   It's also out of sight and close to a road where we occasionally see dogs and coyotes.


----------



## farmerjan

You have a really nice place and have done so much to make it productive and workable for your operation.  I admire all that you have accomplished.

@Baymule;  I was trying to be "decent" because I really think they were too dumb to really realize what they were doing... there are some people that make clueless look like geniuses....  Nowadays, I probably would have smacked them....I have little or no patience with stupid anymore.


----------



## Bruce

It is illegal in Vermont to "rehome" (off your property) an animal you trap.

Mike, sure glad it didn't get to your chickens. A friend on another forum had a possum get into the coop and rip the back off a hen, it was STILL ALIVE when she found it. Really graphic photo I'll tell you. Finally found the possum hiding under a slanted board. She went farther than you, and farther than others suggested. She went with the number "38". She didn't say how she put the hen out of its misery but the flock was totally messed up for days, wouldn't go in the coop, etc.


----------



## Mike CHS

If it had done any damage I would have taken care of it.  As it is I put it on some State owned land that is full of coyotes so I doubt I did it a favor.


----------



## Bruce

That is the general consensus regarding "rehoming" anyway. You dump it somewhere it doesn't know, doesn't know where water and food are, and in the case of something like a woodchuck has no tunnel to hide in and there may be predators more than happy to "welcome" them to the neighborhood. Killing them is more humane in many cases.


----------



## goatgurl

the new fence is looking great mike.  you make me tired just watching the progress you all are making.  sure is nice to have strong young men around to help.  
glad you got the opossum.  i'm kind of a .22 girl myself, just don't to give them the chance to come back.  are you going to put the camera outside the barn to see what else is prowling around?


----------



## greybeard

Well, I have seen lots of times what both wild and domesticated canines do to possum and it isn't pretty or quick. .22 would be much quicker and more humane.


----------



## Mike CHS

goatgurl said:


> the new fence is looking great mike.  you make me tired just watching the progress you all are making.  sure is nice to have strong young men around to help.
> glad you got the opossum.  i'm kind of a .22 girl myself, just don't to give them the chance to come back.  are you going to put the camera outside the barn to see what else is prowling around?



We had the camera out again but didn't get any identifiable pictures.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa took this picture a few nights ago and I thought I would show how mistreated our "working dogs" are.  

I was about to fall asleep and you can tell the dogs were worn out.


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm posting a few "just because" I love my white dogs picture.  I hope I'm finding that happy medium where they get enough but not too much attention.  Maisy is a dream and hopefully Thor will continue to be as mellow as she is as he surpasses her in size.  He has put on 15 pounds in the last month and tipped the scale at 40.2 this morning.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

They both look great...Thor is gonna be something else when he's grown!


----------



## CntryBoy777

They both look so Good....I never noticed before, but Maisy has tinting around her eyes that is like eye shadow...it really sets her eyes off and makes them stand out....Thor still has a ways to go to grow into those paws and legs....gonna be a Big boy...


----------



## Mike CHS

She has some brown tint to the hair on her back also so there may be something along with the Pyr in her.


----------



## Baymule

Some Great Pyrenees are badger faced with black or brown markings, some also have random spots. So Maisy might be showing a little "color" from recessive genes. Thor is growing and looking like he's going to be a BIG boy!

Love the sprawled out with the dogs picture! Here's my 105 pounder in my lap, his back legs were on the floor.


----------



## Mike CHS

I love that picture.  Lance doesn't get much lap time since I rarely use the recliner part of our couch but he is up there as soon as I raise it up.  Sassy gets very little couch time because she earned her name and pushes for that mile for every inch given.


----------



## Devonviolet

Mike CHS said:


> We got an image of something else outside that didn't come in but we have no idea what that is.


If you still have the image, you should post it.  Maybe some one will recognize it.



Mike CHS said:


> I thought I would show how mistreated our "working dogs" are.


So, you're the "working dog" with the white hair, right???


----------



## Mike CHS

I should have posted it but it got overwritten.  This camera is set to only store for 24 hours.


----------



## Mike CHS

I was putting some electric netting into a virgin grassy area and the sheep were wondering what's taking me so long to let them in.  Half of them have been with the ram going on two months now and the other half was put in with him at the end of the September. Most are visibly pregnant and are looking in great condition.  Maisy also knows there will be some new smells to check out.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Sure looks like some serious sheep math going on there...


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> Sure looks like some serious sheep math going on there...



The 10 oldest are 3 years old now and have been in excellent condition so we are hoping for more twins this season.  We had planned to flush them before putting Ringo in but they were already too fat just on grass.


----------



## Baymule

Your sheep are beautiful! I love the spotted ewe!


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Your sheep are beautiful! I love the spotted ewe!



She is a big baby and her lambs are even bigger babies, not that I had anything to do with that.  

We are hoping for more like her from our ram.  Even though he is white he has color in his heritage and I love his disposition.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> She is a big baby and her lambs are even bigger babies, not that I had anything to do with that.
> 
> We are hoping for more like her from our ram.  Even though he is white he has color in his heritage and I love his disposition.


Geez, I HOPE not!!! 



CntryBoy777 said:


> They both look so Good....I never noticed before, but Maisy has tinting around her eyes that is like eye shadow...it really sets her eyes off and makes them stand out....Thor still has a ways to go to grow into those paws and legs....gonna be a Big boy...


A girl likes to dress up a bit now and then 

[QUOTE="Devonviolet, post: 524961, member: 12516"So, you're the "working dog" with the white hair, right???  [/QUOTE]
Well we've all seen the evidence that he works like a dog! No surprise he needed that shut eye. Yep I can see how mistreated all 4 of your dogs are. I'ffn I were a dog, I'd be happy to live at your place. Of course, as has been noted on many occasions, it looks pretty darn nice from the human perspective as well!

@CntryBoy777 The difference between Mike and Teresa's sheep math and regular <insert farm animal here> math is they PLANNED to have that increase


----------



## Devonviolet

Baymule said:


> Here's my 105 pounder in my lap, his back legs were on the floor.


He is a big boy!  And such a sweetie!!!


----------



## Mike CHS

Jay and I knocked out the T-posts on the longest fence line of 620' this morning.  I'm going in to pick up the 5 gates for this paddock and I'll drive the T-posts for the shorter 320' section this afternoon if it doesn't rain.  I've got Jay coming back tomorrow and we will start putting up the woven wire.  We will do the longest section first mainly because it's the only leg on flat land and easier to roll.


----------



## Bruce

Darn good thing you have help there Mike! 620' is plenty long for a morning's work.


----------



## Mike CHS

Jay and I shared the long one and after I got back from town with the gates I went ahead and did the shorter 320' leg also because I want to start moving wire tomorrow.  All of the posts are in now but I need to pull 5 tomorrow morning where my alignment got hosed up.


----------



## Mike CHS

I had a moment this morning that I probably shouldn't tell about myself but everyone needs a smile at someone else's mistakes especially if they are willing to take it.  

I was setting the gates on the ground and I also needed to pull two of the T posts that were 6' and should have been 6 1/2'.  I set the replacement post on the ground and got ready to drive it in.  Being fresh and not bone tired like I was yesterday afternoon, I took a look at the post I had just set in place to drive and looked at the posts on either side of it only to notice that the tabs were all facing out when they should have been facing in. Fortunately Jay's Grandpa had work for him at their place today so Jay didn't make it over to install wire.  I pulled and replaced all of the posts on the run that I did yesterday and then finished those half dozen things that needed to be done to be able to say "now we are ready for the wire".


----------



## CntryBoy777

Oooo!!....so glad ya noticed before the wire went up...even tho it was double work for ya...and ya kick your own behind for such....it sure would've been worse if ya noticed while running wire. I'm sure ya released the frustration when ya was Repounding the posts...I would've been....just be thankful it wasn't the Long stretch....


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## Mike CHS

Fred - if it had been the long stretch I would have yanked them out and waited for Jay to work again.  By the time I got almost done today I had one T-post to drive where the new fence quarters with the older fence.  I set the post up and put the driver on it and started driving.  I doubt the post went in more than a 1/4 of an inch at a time and the driver had gained 30 pounds over the course of the day.


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## CntryBoy777

I sure feel for ya, no doubt....I felt that way back in June and was only driving them in once....I became aware that I wasn't a healthy Young man anymore........I can only imagine how much those shoulders are screaming right now.


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## Latestarter

Just curious, but is there any reason why the wire couldn't have gone on the other side this run? I'm under the impression that you have a hot wire up to keep the animals from rubbing on the fence, so the biggest concern shouldn't be one... Also, just curious but what spacing are you using on your T-posts? I use 10'


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## Baymule

When we finished our fence this year I got tired, but kept pushing to get it done. One day I looked at my husband and said "I'm done. Take me to the house." I got in the Mule and he took me to the house. I was utterly about to collapse. I crawled in my recliner the rest of the day, next day I was ready to go again.


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## Mike CHS

Joe - three legs on this fence are really steep hills and it is easier to roll out the wire on the downhill side of the posts which face inside.  Plus there will probably be a couple of cows in this paddock at some point and so far we have done all of the lower hot wire well after the wire was put in. I use 10' also on the T-post spacing.

Bay - I usually quit before I get to the point of exhaustion but I am really getting tired (no pun intended) of fencing and want it done.   I posted before that I still have a little over two acres at the end of this leg that I'm not sure how it will get fenced (if at all) because it is so steep.


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## Bruce

I guess it would be hard to do with field fence instead of strands, but IIRC Greybeard has said that he sometimes alternates the "faces" of the posts. Could have maybe only pulled half the posts


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## Baymule

I usually try to quit before getting totally exhausted, but once in awhile it sneaks up on me. Once I was so tired after dragging myself to the house, I drove my car to the chicken coop to feed them and collect eggs!


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## Bruce

The whole 50 feet??


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## Mike CHS

This has been a fairly unproductive weekend but we got a little done. Teresa spent most of the day yesterday processing a bushel of apple. I finished up getting set up to finish the fence line and I spent quite a bit of time moving and setting the electric netting and drilling some more post holes where I decided I need ed anchor points since a lot of this fence is following the inside of the property line which curves.  Teresa had some church business to take care of this morning so I decided to go ahead and anchor one roll of wire and at least get it started down the hill so we can finish it tomorrow.  Once I got it rolled out to the point it started uphill, I thought since there was only another 100' up the hill I should just went ahead and finished rolling it out.

Once I got it rolled out I though I might as well put the stretcher on the fence so we can start stretching in the morning.  I got the stretcher on and thought I might as well stretch it a bit to make it easier on Teresa in the morning since Jay won't be able to work tomorrow.  I got it stood up and thought it wouldn't take much to finish tightening it up and we can start with the staples first thing in the morning.

It stood up so pretty and tight I thought I might as well staple the anchor posts and I can start with the T-post clips in the morning.

I figured I would do a couple of T-posts and of course by now anyone reading this post knows I went ahead and finished it and reset the last post on the run in cement to be ready for the morning to start another roll.  Only 4 more to go.  

The Maple trees beside the drive were started from seed  before we brought them from South Carolina a little over two years ago.


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## goatgurl

I wish you'd come to my house to make it easier for Teresa,   have so much that needs done and no one around to help.  
I had huge maple trees all along the road in front of my house in west Virginia.  I loved their shade in the summer and their color in the fall.  I hope yours grow strong and prosper.


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## frustratedearthmother

Mike CHS said:


> This has been a fairly unproductive weekend but we got a little done.


If that's what you call UNproductive... geeze, I'm just a big ol' slacker, lol!   Ya did good!

Love the maples!


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## Baymule

We planted 4 Crepe Myrtles by our driveway. We're thinking about planting some more. They are a dark burgundy color.

I love to see trees planted down a driveway, it makes it look so nice. You will enjoy your maples, starting them from seed only makes them more special to you.


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## Mike CHS

goatgurl said:


> I wish you'd come to my house to make it easier for Teresa,   have so much that needs done and no one around to help.
> I had huge maple trees all along the road in front of my house in west Virginia.  I loved their shade in the summer and their color in the fall.  I hope yours grow strong and prosper.



The most practical layout for the fence would have been on the other side of the Maples but I love the view with them when you come around the corner on the drive. There was 3 more but the deer girdled them scraping antlers on them.


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## Mike CHS

frustratedearthmother said:


> If that's what you call UNproductive... geeze, I'm just a big ol' slacker, lol!   Ya did good!
> 
> Love the maples!




We usually try to take at least one day on weekends off except feeding critters but it seems like I have spent a ton of time on fencing that I want to be able to say that's it for this year.


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## Mike CHS

@Baymule there are a couple of Crepe Myrtle at the far end that we brought from starts in SC thinking they were the regular trees but it turned out they were the dwarf variety.


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## Latestarter

Looks beautiful, but seems like a lot of potential pasture to graze is outside the pasture... Is there any way that you can set it up so the sheep can graze the driveway area? Maybe putting the fencing right up close to the driveway on that really steep section way in the distance would work? Then you'd only have to worry about the end line running vertically down hill to close it in? Is the pasture fenced uphill from the driveway part of your property as well?


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## Mike CHS

Joe there is another 2 1/2 acres just past the curve in the driveway that can be fenced and most of it can be maintained with machines although parts are 10 degree slopes.  You can't really tell it well in the picture but the slope just past that big oak tree at the far end is a little less than a 15 degree slope so I have to weigh my options long term.  I will probably have a gate there leading down to the gate by the tree and also have a pair of gates stretching across our drive to the neighbors gate.  That way we can both use either side to handle animals and use the opposite side for loading or dropping off.

We use the electric netting in places that doesn't have permanent fence (including our back yard) but there are places that I'll sacrifice the convenience of permanent fencing in favor of aesthetics. Especially that one since that is our view out of the living room window.

The picture doesn't show it but the slope just beyond that big oak tree is an incline of almost 15 degrees so I need to leave me some maneuvering o[


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## Baymule

When I saw the dark burgundy Crepe Myrtles around here, we found a nursery and bought four. Two are outside the front gate, two are on the inside. My husband wants to get some more and plant down the driveway.


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## Mike CHS

I know a lot of people that don't like them because they can be messy but I like them and that color is pretty.


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## Bruce

You sound like me Mike, I'll do JUST this one more little thing. Yeah right.  Awful hard to stop once you are on a roll when there is just ONE more little thing that can get done. Don't do too much though, Jay can use the money


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## Mike CHS

Bruce - it turned out that Jay called and said they changed his dental appointment.  His Grandmother told him I ran a roll today and was planning on running all the rest of the wire tomorrow and he wanted in on it.  He knows that is the last decent payday until we get started on the tree line.  I already have the anchor post wire attached on the long run and the other roll set in place to finish it up so we should get it all tomorrow except for the 5 gates.

A lot of what he does is under his apprenticeship program and he doesn't get paid for that.


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## Bruce

You tire me out Mike  I think the only thing I accomplished today besides Aunt Ruth's BDay party was checking that all the girls got themselves into the coop and collecting the 4 eggs. Oh, and catching up on the days posts in 3 websites. Yeah, REAL productive


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## Mike CHS

Bruce - this weekend is the sort that lets Teresa take pictures of me falling asleep with the dogs that aren't allowed on the couch, on the couch.


----------



## Bruce




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## Mike CHS

I do let them up every once in awhile so I won't blame her.


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## Bruce

And we HAVE seen the evidence of that. Teresa can post all the "Mike and the dogs sleeping on the couch" pictures she likes


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## Mike CHS

I only had Jay to help for an hour this morning and most of that was putting in T-post clips and doing wire wraps on the anchor posts that were stapled but not wrapped.  After he left I stretched one full row of the Gaucho wire and then switched to the heavier Red Brand and got a little over 200' of that mounted with a little over 100' left to go on that leg.  It went slow because this fence row follows the contour of the property line which is a constant but small curve the whole length on this leg so I could only stretch about 100' at a time.  Depending on the weather tomorrow I hope to get the shorter 320' leg mounted and start hanging gates.


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## Baymule

And one day you will look around and say, "Lordy, just LOOK at all that bee-yoo-tee-full FENCE!" And you will be done and can go into maintenance mode.


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## Mike CHS

I am wanting that mode to kick in fairly quick which is why I'm humping it on this one.


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## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> I am wanting that mode to kick in fairly quick which is why I'm humping it on this one.


We have a lot of "projects" to do yet. But we are light years from where we started. Your place is so beautiful, what views y'all have!


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## Mike CHS

I finished up the 620' fence line and also three short stretches and hopefully I can at least make progress on the last 320' leg and the last two gates tomorrow depending on the weather.  Heavy rain kept us off the field till mid morning.


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## Mike CHS

The temperature has dropped 15 degrees in the last hour and a half.  I was working on fence most of the day in shorts and T-shirt but when I went out to the road to check mail a little while ago I had to put on a jacket.  While I was out that way I took a couple of pictures.  We have one 300' run and about 50' of the first run we did but needed to set a post in cement.


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## Bruce

You are going to be SO bored once all the fencing is done


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## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> You are going to be SO bored once all the fencing is done



We are hoping to be able to use some of that lumber in the shop that has just been standing in the racks.  

We still have the 900' run that is above the fence we are now doing once I decide how I want to do it but that isn't on the schedule as of now.

I thought we had a few weeks worth of clearing the tree line to the left in the second picture but I've been clearing that out with the front end loader so mostly what is left if low branches.


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## Baymule

Bruce said:


> You are going to be SO bored once all the fencing is done


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## Mike CHS

Today was "give Mikes back a break" so I just finished up a few things to be able to run the last of the wire tomorrow and I got the gate hung that joins with the breeders paddock.  I stapled and tied off the last 320' leg and rolled out the fence and hope to get that one done tomorrow.

I laid out enough electric netting in the new pasture to give the girls and Ringo some grass that has never been grazed on and they were in heaven.

I had to go out with some feed to lure them back inside the wire for bedding down just before sun down.


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## CntryBoy777

Ya need to take it easy some to let the bones and muscles get some rest every now and then....don't blame ya a bit, either. It has been overcast bere for the past 8 days with on/off moisture....they are sayin we get to see the sun tomorrow, but the ground is sure soggy....but, the seed that I sowed is really coming on....


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## Pastor Dave

Sounds like a plenty for taking it easy on your back!


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## Mike CHS

Pastor Dave said:


> Sounds like a plenty for taking it easy on your back!



I twisted wrong the other day and got one of those knife like spikes that lasted about 5 minutes.  I just leaned on the truck wishing it to go away and thankfully it did.  I'll listen to that warning and take it easier for a few days.


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## Pastor Dave

I inherited a bad back. It really has forced me to go different directions in life than I wanted, but I realize it has been God's direction. Cliche, I know but I believe it. Now, if I have a big job to do, sometimes I take extra breaks. I know my limitations too. I don't roller skate anymore. Never tried to snow ski, or ride broncs or bulls. I don't run or lift weights. But, like Toby Keith, I am as good once as I've always been. After that, I take a day or week to rest.


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## Baymule

My husband did one of those wrong twists a few weeks ago and spent 2 weeks on a heating pad. Complaining. Constantly. Men are such babies.


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## CntryBoy777

I used to say that too @Pastor Dave , but I got even passed that and ain't even Half once what I used to be....even once. So, enjoy it while ya can still be at least that Good....


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## Pastor Dave

I remember Dad saying how strong Grandpa was, and at his best he didnt think he got up to Grandpa's best. And, I can remember thinking the same thing with my Dad. For 5'9, he had some arms and was strong as a mule, but he was smart too. If you can't just move the huge rock you just ploughed up, which he did a lot by bear hugging it, he was good at levers and pulleys, and improvising. 

I saw Grandpa get weaker over time when I was in my late teens or twenties. But, it hit me in my late twenties or thirties when I realized I was stronger than Dad. I hated it! Now I am just waiting for my boys to be stronger than me. Gotta ways to go yet


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## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> My husband did one of those wrong twists a few weeks ago and spent 2 weeks on a heating pad. Complaining. Constantly. Men are such babies.



I only complain on here @Baymule.   I'm pretty sure Teresa would verify that one since I seldom gripe even when I've done something stupid.  I spent 1 1/2 years not able to walk back in the early 80's so I try to be careful but often forget I'm not getting any younger.

Pastor Dave - I think most of us have memories like that or at least everyone should have them.

One of the RIR hens got out this morning and delivered her egg to the front door.  To explain - she dug an Aloe plant out of a flower pot by the door and got up and laid an egg in the pot.


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## animalmom

Now that's service for you!


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## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> One of the RIR hens got out this morning and delivered her egg to the front door. To explain - she dug an Aloe plant out of a flower pot by the door and got up and laid an egg in the pot.





> Now that's service for you!


Or...........She's part cat....


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## Latestarter

Chickens are some strange birds sometimes... Makes them fun to have around... sometimes   Hurt my back in '87' (before some folks on here were even around ) and it's never been the same since. Have thrown it out doing absolutely nothing and also when doing hard manual labor since then. Always conscious of what I'm doing, and the movements I'm making and even the slightest twinge will have me frozen in place until I know whether it's gonna go again, or go away. IMO, once you hurt it once, it's with you for life. I don't wish it on anyone. Glad your latest flare didn't put you down.


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## Mike CHS

I thought the same thing @greybeard 

PSA - Just got an email from Tractor Supply that they are giving a 15% discount for Veteran's Day to to Former or Active Military and their family members - No limit to the discount and it's timely since I need 4 more rolls of wire and another 90 T-posts and just got a 10% coupon in the mail.


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## greybeard

Often, the coupons have a disclaimer on them, something to the effect of:
"Not valid with any other promotion or discount".

IOW, it's probably one or the other--use the coupon's 10% discount or the Veterans' 15% discount but not both for a total of 25% off......


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## Latestarter

Just got that same Email Mike. Very timely, and I intend to use it as well as take advantage of a few restaurant freebies also.


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## Mike CHS

I wwasn't meaning to use both. I meant it was nice to get a 15% when I was planning on 10%.


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## Mike CHS

@greybeard - I know you don't have sheep but I have a question for you.  I'm thinking about running 3 lines of 5 strand electric to subdivide the 7 acre pasture I'm just about to finish.  What would you recommend for minimum gauge wire and how far to space posts?   These are all internal fences.


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## Mike CHS

Teresa did take a picture of the impromptu egg nest and the mess the hen made.   She didn't see her in action but opened the door just before she was done laying.


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## CntryBoy777

That's what I call "Special Delivery".....


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## Baymule

Ya gotta love a hen that brings the egg to you!


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## Bruce

She'll probably want to keep laying there, might as well replant the aloe somewhere else.


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## Mike CHS

For the third day in a row now the Egg Delivery Hen dropped an egg in the flower pot by the front door so she gets her wings clipped tonight.

We went to TSC and took advantage of the Veteran's Day Sale.  We don't have that much acreage to fence in but we have the supplies to do what is left.

I'm going to spend some time and splice together all of the partial pieces of wire that we have by the shop.  There is probably close to a whole roll there.


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## Pastor Dave

Don't want the special delivery?
I don't know what gets into such a amall brain. Pinion is a good idea to keep her in her yard. You might end up missing the special delivery.


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## Bruce

Yeah, what is wrong with her giving them to you at the door? Better than hiding them in the weeds somewhere ... I know!

Trill let herself out of the back this morning, it was 10°F. By the time I wandered down there around 9:30 she had gone back over, around the back of the barn and inside.


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## Mike CHS

That hen is now our only chicken with a name.  I started calling her E.D. for egg delivery.


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## Mike CHS

I had Thor step on the scale this afternoon and he is right at 47 pounds so he's still growing at just under one pound a day. He is growing so fast I need to get some more pictures before the puppy look is completely gone.  He lost his puppy bark at some point in the last week or so and sounds like an adult.  With him and Maisy standing side by side his feet are bigger than Maisy's although she is on the small side for a GP at 80 pounds now.


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## Latestarter

He's gonna be a big handsome boy! I hit the TSC as well today. They didn't have everything I needed so I got rain checks for the items to include the 15% savings. If I thought I could afford it, I would have ordered a lot more stuff. Had lunch at Chili's and swung into Little Ceaser's for a free Deep Deep Dish lunch deal that's in the fridge for lunch tomorrow. Just finished moving manure/compost/hay spillage from the pen to the new compost dump place. I think it was about 15 trips with a new 8 cubic foot wheel barrow. Got cleaned up and I'm about to head out to Hooters and Buffalo Wild Wings to get some free hot wings for dinner. Later tonight I'll hit Applebees for a late night, before bed free snack meal.


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## Mike CHS

I have been working on socializing the guardians with our herding dogs.  They accepted the Border Collie right away but he isn't afraid of the bigger dogs.  The Aussie isn't sure what to make of them so I usually take her out with me when I'm moving the electric netting.  Teresa got one shot when Sassy and I were talking about the game plan and the others are out in the field.


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## Latestarter

Your pastures look to be in amazing shape.  Maizey and Thor are just laying there peacefully, not bothered by your other dog at all. That's great! Hopefully you get to the point where the two totally different occupations can work together and the LGD's will let them do what they need to do and understand it's OK, and what you want. That would be so much better than having to lock up the LGD's and have them all stressing out watching the herders working the sheep. I think if you did that, it might actually breed animosity in the LGD's that they'd like the collies even less.


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## Mike CHS

That's what we are shooting for Joe.


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## Southern by choice

Love the pics!
Especially the first one! 
It is interesting- as you know I adore my LGD's and have a special relationship with them... but their nature is so different from dogs that are "highly trainable". When I am out with my GSD there is an appreciation for that well trained obedience and that look that says "what do YOU want me to do?". Adelina will be in a full run and I can say COME and she will stop on a dime and return in  flash. No hesitation just pure obedience. 
I love the difference of the two types... appreciate both. Something really hard to put into words, but there really is a love for the dog and it's purpose and abilities.

Your pastures look great.


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## babsbag

OK. My border collies should be highly trainable and yet "come" is not even a suggestion with them.  Sit, stay, down, quiet, show me your tummy...those they follow and yet "come" has never been in their vocabulary.  

@Mike CHS I certainly wouldn't hesitate loving on those LGDs. They are beautiful.


----------



## Southern by choice

babsbag said:


> OK. My border collies should be highly trainable and yet "come" is not even a suggestion with them.  Sit, stay, down, quiet, show me your tummy...those they follow and yet "come" has never been in their vocabulary.
> 
> @Mike CHS I certainly wouldn't hesitate loving on those LGDs. They are beautiful.



 
Rita definitely acts more like her mastiff/pyr lineage... come is like a foreign language to her.
I plan on really working some obedience in now.
She responds well to when I need to correct her... she will drop, sit, down.... but more so when she knows she is in trouble. LOL
She has these eyes... you can never stay mad at her for more than a second IF you look at those eyes. Sometimes I have to avert my eyes... or I'll break into a pile of mush. 
I love Rita. Everyone loves Rita. She is the most kissed on dog ever- sometimes I feel bad for her.


----------



## Mike CHS

SBC I know exactly what you mean.   The Aussie is kind of goofy but she doesn't anticipate what needs to be done as well as the Border Collie but both of them have gotten some kine of training every day of their lives and will as long as they are working.

Babs  - the Aussie was in a 'stay' the whole 1/2 hour we were out there moving netting.  

The LGDs were calm but they don't let the Aussie out of their sight.


----------



## Mike CHS

Southern by choice said:


> I love Rita. Everyone loves Rita. She is the most kissed on dog ever- sometimes I feel bad for her.



Maisy gets more loving than the herd dogs and those two live in the house.


----------



## Baymule

It's hard to beat Big Hairy Dog Hugs!


----------



## Pastor Dave

It amazes me the sets of dogs can work out ok to do the jobs they are both supposed to do. I can't imagine a LGD or pair allowing another dog or set to come in to herd them for you. It is two different jobs of course, so what do you do to the LGDs to allow your herders to work?


----------



## Mike CHS

My LGDs aren't ready for that yet but they will be (but it's a slow process).  We know a bunch of people that train their dogs for herding trials.  The pup isn't there yet but I can put Maisy in or near her hut and tell her stay and she will not bother the Border Collie when he is in.  All bets are off though if she sees something that she thinks she needs to check out and she will be off and we don't try to stop her since we are in "Her" paddock.  If we want to just train we use the training pen but if we are in one of the big pens we stop working until Maisy is comfortable with whatever alerted her and she goes back to or near her shelter and usually just sits and watches.  If she thinks there is danger she will stay out and we either stop working with the herding dogs and if there is something that needs to be done with the sheep the BC gets taken out and I get the feed bucket. The puppy wants to help the BC  herd the sheep so he has to be put up for now.  Maisy had to be put up the 1st couple of times until she figured out the sheep weren't being hurt.

If you want to work herding dogs that the LGD does not know they have to be put up and normally completely out of sight so they can't see the working dogs move the sheep.  I've had experienced trainers work with us over the years but this is our first time to actually implement the process.


----------



## Mike CHS

@Pastor Dave I didn't mention that until recently I couldn't get the Aussie anywhere near the electric netting because Maisy doesn't like the ghost eye the Aussie has and _I don't want to put Maisy in a situation where she might think she needs to challenge the netting.  I_t has been a ton of baby steps with those two.


----------



## Bruce

Figured I likely knew what "ghost eye" was but looked it up. I was right but found some interesting facts on Australian Shepherds ... like they aren't from Australia and never were!! 

Most likely their predecessors came from the Basque region of the Pyrenees Mountains.
Their origins may be hazy, but the breed was perfected here in the U.S. 

http://mentalfloss.com/article/70628/11-active-facts-about-australian-shepherd


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce - I've read all kinds of guesses about how they got that name but they definitely didn't come from there.


----------



## greybeard

Catahoula hounds also have what we always called ghost, merle, or glass eyes.
lots of different names for them in the deep south.
Some of those have more than one color in the same eye--a 'cracked' eye.


----------



## Mike CHS

The sire of our dog had a garnet and a amber eye and her dam had multi colored eyes.

There has been more than a few occasions where dogs would act aggressively to the Aussie for no reason other than the look.  As a result she has a hair trigger with pushy dogs.


----------



## Baymule

I've had several Aussies. I had a red merle with amber eyes, have had several blue merles with blue eyes and one black tri color with 2 brown eyes. A friend had a blue merle with a lot of white and she was deaf. Too much white is a fault, some breeders will put down a puppy with too much white, as they are usually deaf.


----------



## babsbag

Baymule said:


> Too much white is a fault, some breeders will put down a puppy with too much white, as they are usually deaf.


 why don't they just have the hearing tested? I tested many pups when I raised Dalmatians; it is a common trait.


----------



## Mike CHS

I got the last long leg of fence finished today but have to finish up the last 50' in the middle of one run.  I had several small turns on the first section that I did that I skipped a 50' piece because I needed to pull on both ends of that area.  I had (I thought) a 60' piece that I rolled out today after fastening it to the corner post and it wound up being 10' to short.  I'll go out in the morning and put crimp sleeves to add the needed length then pull and finish.  The only thing left is hanging the gates (3 of which I won't get to pick up till Friday).

It hasn't been really cold but it has been in the 40's and on our hill top the wind is always blowing 15 -25 mph for most of the winter.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Been a bit chilly here with the wind too.....the sun has been nice to have, but clouds coming back in as rain chances are going up....the best chance tho is this wknd. I know ya will be sooo ready to hang up that stretcher for a long while, when ya finally get it done....


----------



## Flock Master64

hello


----------



## Mike CHS

Flock Master64 said:


> hello



Nice to see ya.


----------



## Flock Master64

you too


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## Mike CHS

The fence is all up and all of those little things that you leave and have to go back and finish.  I hung 4 gates and ran out of battery power so I will hang the last one that is on hand in the morning. The last two 8' gates (for one of the 16' openings) won't be in until Friday so they will get hung then or Saturday.  There is a lot of hand clearing of a hill side before I can get the adjoining 2 acres started but it will make rotating the sheep easier.

Jay is coming over tomorrow and we will drive T-posts to divide this field into 3 paddocks for rotation.

Then I can get back to cleaning out a storm ditch that previous owners used as their dump.


----------



## Devonviolet

Wow!  Will you come and do our fencing???  You can sleep in the guest bedroom & I'll cook you anything your pea pickin' heart desires!  Pretty please??? 

You can bring Theresa & we can kibbutz in the house, while you & DH work on fencing.    I'll even teach Theresa how to milk goats & make cheese.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Good luck with that DV!


----------



## Mike CHS

@Devonviolet - that wouldn't be a hard trip.


----------



## Mike CHS

We never did clip the wings on E.D. so she has been flying out every day and laying her egg in the flower pot.  After she is done she will wander around looking for bugs until she sees one of us and she will then fun by us toward the pen so we can open the gate and let her back in.  I have no idea what the thought process is but she has figured out how to get back in.

I tried to upload some pictures but the site won't let me.


----------



## Mike CHS

About a half hour ago Maisy and Thor were barking like I have never heard before so I grabbed my pistol and went down to see what was going on.  By the time I got there they had settled down but my normally calm girl Maisy was jumping up and down like she hadn't seen me in weeks. I see them off and on all day long during the day and she is all calm and slow moving plus they are always nearby when I'm working out there.

The puppy bark is history and Thor sounds vicious so I think and hope if I was a coyote I would avoid this place.  I got him on the scale this evening and he has put on 19 pounds in the last month (48.5) (14 weeks old). He has outgrown both of our herd dogs.


----------



## Baymule

Devonviolet said:


> Wow!  Will you come and do our fencing???  You can sleep in the guest bedroom & I'll cook you anything your pea pickin' heart desires!  Pretty please???
> 
> You can bring Theresa & we can kibbutz in the house, while you & DH work on fencing.    Ill even teach Theresa how to milk goats & make cheese.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I got him on the scale this evening and he has put on 19 pounds in the last month (48.5) (14 weeks old). He has outgrown both of our herd dogs.


You sure he isn't going to grow up to become a moose??



Mike CHS said:


> I had (I thought) a 60' piece that I rolled out today after fastening it to the corner post and it wound up being 10' to short


Good place for another gate 
When you say "fastening it to the corner post" you mean all wrapped and wired in? If so but I guess since you could splice another piece on the "free" end, it wasn't wasted work.


----------



## Latestarter

Mike CHS said:


> About a half hour ago Maisy and Thor were barking like I have never heard before so I grabbed my pistol and went down to see what was going on. By the time I got there they had settled down but my normally calm girl _Maisy was jumping up and down like she hadn't seen me in weeks._



Good dogs!   When Mel really lights off I also load up and go check if he needs backup. Mel does the same thing... I'm not sure but feel/think it's a combination of things... hold over "fear/adrenaline" about what just happened, and happiness/looking for approval for what they did. Either way, I'm happy to praise my big fella and give him scratches/hugs. It's a little daunting when my 140lb boy is jumping (well) higher than my head...


----------



## Mike CHS

I got started this morning and got the insulators attached for the upper electric wires attached and went into town to pick up the gates that I ordered.  Got home and then it started raining.  We are about out of the pups food so decided it was a good day to go into Nashville and do a bit of shopping at Costco.  They only carry puppy chow in 30 pound bags so we got 4 of them for the pup and 2 big bags of dog food for the 3 adults so we won't have to go back for a month or so.

I'll put the other 2 gates up in the morning and let the sheep have at it while we run hot wire to split up the pasture.  It was going to need to be cut soon so I'll let the sheep do it for me.


----------



## CntryBoy777

It is nice to have such dependable "Assistants" that do such a good job....


----------



## Mike CHS

We got the last of the gates installed and latches installed on the  3 single gates.  The other two gates are double 8' gates so no latches.  The insulators for the top wires are all on and ready to pull the hot wire tomorrow.

I'm always amazed when the sheep try to "protect" me from our dogs.  I was walking across their bedding pen which is about 300' to get another of my home made PVC feed troughs and the dogs were walking along with me trying to get my attention.  The flock was right at my heels knowing that it was time for their little bit of feed they get as a bribe for coming back into the night pen.  Several of the sheep I guess thought the dogs were being aggressive to me and several of them head butted both dogs enough that they backed off.


----------



## Devonviolet

Gee, Mike!  I want a couple of your "guardian sheep"!  You & Theresa can bring them when y'all come to help put our fencing in.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Aww now....the sheep knew what should be coming and didn't want the dogs to side-track ya into doing something else, before they got what they wanted....


----------



## Mike CHS

Devonviolet said:


> Gee, Mike!  I want a couple of your "guardian sheep"!  You & Theresa can bring them when y'all come to help put our fencing in.




Almost all of the original 10 will do that.  They will even head butt other sheep when they get pushy.


----------



## Mike CHS

Fred - I'm not sure what goes through their minds but they have been that way since they had their lambs last year.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Our goats will do that to the cats if we are around them, and they can't stand for anything else to get any attention while they deem it their time and should be getting all the rubbings, scratcbings, and treats....of course it happened more when did the daily walk thing....so Glad that is over.....


----------



## Mike CHS

If goats are anything like sheep they will remember.  We haven't given the sheep feed of any kind for a couple of months till the last week or so and that is only to bribe them in from the electric net.  All they have to do is see me coming and they come running for the gate.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I'm sure they remember all the grass ya cut and fed to them too....but, it always makes me feel good for my animals to greet me and want my attention....even the ducks will gather around me if I enter their area. I wouldn't have it any other way, and they all look to me for protection...if I hollar out they will all run to their pens and in I'm in the fence the goats will get behind me....


----------



## Baymule

My sheep like me to accessorize my grungy farm clothes with a red plastic Folgers can.


----------



## Mike CHS

We had a heavy frost this morning but it warmed up nicely this afternoon.  I took some random pictures of the sheep and dogs.  The pup tipped the scale this morning at 50 lbs even and he was 4 months old on the 9th.


----------



## CntryBoy777

He is wearing his weight really well and growing like a weed. They look really good together and think they will be quite the dynamic duo for ya there....


----------



## Mike CHS

Yes he is Fred - not long ago his paws were a bit bigger than Maisy's. Now they are almost twice as big.


----------



## Mike CHS

I cleaned the rest of the pictures from yesterday off of the camera.  Maisy (I'm glad to note) is staying really close to the sheep now that they are in a more open area.   The first picture is of the sheep and the next two are the dogs just outside of the frame. I watch the interaction with the dogs and Thor will make some kind of contact with Maisy before laying down beside her.  If he doesn't do anything and just flops down, Maisy will move to another spot.

The last one is supper (lamb chops) using a recipe that @Devonviolet posted awhile back.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I watch the interaction with the dogs and Thor will make some kind of contact with Maisy before laying down beside her. If he doesn't do anything and just flops down, Maisy will move to another spot.


Well YEAH! Can't be rude and not even say hi when you "invade" the other dog's space. That is just poor manners, she is teaching him well


----------



## CntryBoy777

So how did the recipe turn out?....looks Good!!


----------



## Mike CHS

It was excellent.  If she posts more lamb recipes, I'll be snagging them also.


----------



## Devonviolet

I'm so glad you liked it.  


Any recipes I post in the future will likely be for goat meat. However, I'm pretty sure, while there is a difference in taste, both would be interchangeable.. 

I'm planning to bone & butterfly a leg roast, marinade it (using the recipe you used) overnight & grill it until medium rare.  YUMMM!!!


----------



## Mike CHS

I pretty much use the same recipes for goat and lamb.  We smoked several pork butts and a couple of goat hind quarters last summer and the goat went faster than the pork.


----------



## Devonviolet

Sounds good!  Now that I've finally had goat meat, I really like it!


----------



## CntryBoy777

I'm looking forward to trying it....have heard a bunch about it, but have never had it....I do like lamb, so it should be pretty good. The 2 does we are looking to get in the Spring will begin the production of goats for meat. We are looking to get either pygmies or kiko/boer crosses.


----------



## Baymule

Devonviolet said:


> I'm so glad you liked it.
> 
> 
> Any recipes I post in the future will likely be for goat meat. However, I'm pretty sure, while there is a difference in taste, both would be interchangeable..
> 
> I'm planning to bone & butterfly a leg roast, marinade it (using the recipe you used) overnight & grill it until medium rare.  YUMMM!!!


What recipe??


----------



## Mike CHS

From Devonviolet on BYH


I followed the recipe ingredients by grinding the anise seed and rosemary before I made the marinade and also added some to the oils .  I had to improvise a bit because of 30 mph winds all day so I cooked the chops on the stove top with the oils and spices (and chopped garlic).  I also didn't have 8 hours to marinate so I used the vacuum function on our Foodsaver and I added some red wine to the skillet at the end to make a small bit of sauce. I have never used anise that way and it is really unique and tasty.

Lamb Marinade

1/2 cup melted Coconut Oil
1/2 cup Grape Seed Oil
1/4 cup Lemon Juice
2 tsp Emeril's Essence
1 Tbsp dry Mustard Powder
1 tsp Savory Powder
1 tsp dry Garlic Granules
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
1-1/2 tsp Ground dry Anise **
1-1/2 tsp Ground dry Rosemary **

Place Lamb pieces/roast in 1 gallon zip lock bag. Pour marinade over meat, close zipper & massage marinade over all pieces. Place in refrigerator at least over night (8 hours). Twenty four hours is better. Grill on BBQ until browned on outside, but pink inside (6-8 minutes?)

** I made this just prior to putting the marinade, by adding 1 Tbsp of Anise seeds and Rosemary Needles into a small electric coffee grinder. Once it was mixed, I used 1 Tbsp of the combined herbs.


----------



## Devonviolet

Mike CHS said:


> I have never used anise that way and it is really unique


I'm glad you like the anise in the marinade. I love anise.  I've been using it for years, since I got my X's grandmother's (Oma - from Austria) recipe for Lasagna.  It has anise in the tomato sauce. Oma a was of Italian decent and grew up in the part of the Alps, adjacent to Northern Italy. So some of her recipes had an Italian flavor.  I'm pretty sure the anise was an Italian influence.  It gives the lasagna a unique, yummy flavor.

Its been many years since I've made lasagna, and I've been wanting to make lasagna lately.  Now my challenge is to figure out how to make it with a white sauce, since I can no longer eat tomatoes. They are in the nightshade family, and I have learned that I am allergic to all nightshade: tomatoes, potatoes, peppers & eggplant.   They increase my inflammation & give me migraines.  I LOVE nightshades, But They don't love me.


----------



## Mike CHS

I feel for you.  I would have to learn a whole new way to cook if I had to avoid all of those things.


----------



## Devonviolet

Yeah!  Its sure is hard sometimes.   Although, I will eat the occasional tomato in a salad or on a hamburger.  Or, a few French fries off DH's plate.


----------



## Mike CHS

Ohhhhh, the things we do to have poultry and livestock in our lives.  I went out to get the smoker ready to do some beef ribs and went to get the power cord that is hanging on the flower pot rack that is used by E.D. to deliver her daily egg.  I didn't notice she was sitting in the pot and of course she freaked out and flew off the nest thinking I was trying to grab her.  Sooooo,  I came in to wait for her to go back to egg laying so I can start the smoker.


----------



## CntryBoy777

......I sure am glad that I'm not the only that faces such issues....


----------



## Mike CHS

You'll appreciate this picture Fred.  I finally convinced her I wasn't going to mess with her by pulling the grill out further.  She is in the upper left above the corner of the grill.  The chickens are all pretty tame but Teresa is the one taking care of most of their needs.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Those ribs look really good too.........I never have a problem with leftovers either....just sayin....


----------



## Latestarter

Just enough meat on that grill to feed me today!   Love the life changes you make to ensure your workin' girls can get the job done! She sure does look at home in the flower pot. Maybe a name change is in order?


----------



## Mike CHS

Joe - she is one of the few critters here that has a name  --  E.D. said like Edie for Egg Delivery.


----------



## Mike CHS

The ribs turned out perfect.  We only had a sample since we are expecting company tomorrow for lunch which is why we had to cook them today.  The beef ribs got stuck at 188 degrees for over an hour and then the fat finally broke down.  I guess my cooking isn't herd related except everything I cooked came from our herd.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Well I for one, think sharing recipes and cooking tips is certainly a part of herd life and has my vote as a topic of discussion.....


----------



## goatgurl

boy those ribs looked yummy!  it sure feels good to know where your meat comes from doesn't it.  i'm going to try that lamb marinade looks like it will be good too.  I am so glad i'm not the only one who spoils their chickens, lol.  e d is being so nice to deliver her eggs straight to the house.  I have to go after mine.


----------



## Mike CHS

You won't regret trying that recipe GG


----------



## Mike CHS

Our helpers Grandfather came by this afternoon and wanted to pay for two of the ewes they are going to buy.  They are going out of town for the Thanksgiving weekend and want to pick up the sheep right after they get back.  Not being extremely superstitious but somewhat I told him they can pay when we load them into the trailer en-route to their house.


----------



## Bruce

Good plan Mike. Pay FOB at the farm.


----------



## Pastor Dave

Cooking is part of life shared on here. No matter what the ingredients, I like to see what folks are eating to sustain themselves to keep doing the herd work we do. Yah, that's it. That's the ticket.


----------



## Baymule

My Mother had a reaction to nightshades in her 50"s and had to give them up. But after a few years she could eat them again, in moderation.

Use some of that fantastic goat cream and make Alfredo sauce for your lasagna.

What is Emeril Essense and where do you get it?


----------



## Latestarter

I "herd" the word "work" and decided food was a better alternative... followed by my recliner 




Maybe Emeril Essense is referring to chef Emeril Legasse of cajun cooking fame who always yelled "BAMMM" while adding copious amounts of red pepper "essence" to his food...
http://emerils.com/


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> My Mother had a reaction to nightshades in her 50"s and had to give them up. But after a few years she could eat them again, in moderation.
> 
> It is a Creole seasoning that most stores I've seen carry or you can make your own - I do:
> 
> Latestarters link has it:
> 
> *Ingredients*
> 
> 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
> 2 tablespoons salt
> 2 tablespoons garlic powder
> 1 tablespoon black pepper
> 1 tablespoon onion powder
> 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
> 1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
> 1 tablespoon dried thyme


----------



## Bruce

That doesn't sound too dangerous. I remember watching Justin Wilson's Louisiana Cooking show. He used to measure the hot sauce carefully with a measuring spoon held over the bowl. But he missed the spoon WAY more often than he hit it. When it was full he put the sauce in the bowl, then added a bit more because he liked his food hot.


----------



## greybeard

Pastor Dave said:


> Cooking is part of life shared on here. No matter what the ingredients, I like to see what folks are eating to sustain themselves to keep doing the herd work we do. Yah, that's it. That's the ticket.


----------



## Pastor Dave

Close resemblance, but he has more hair!


----------



## Mike CHS

I always enjoyed just listening to Justin Wilson on PBS. I gar-on-tee!


----------



## Bruce

Me too. I don't think I ever tried any of the recipes but he was fun to watch.

I couldn't hear what he put in with the olive oil to make the roux.

LACK of product placement! The salt container was covered with paper and SALT written on it


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce - I actually watched the video and my gumbo is about identical to his but I guess gumbo is gumbo.


----------



## CntryBoy777

His story telling was as entertaining as his cooking, especially with the cajun creole...


----------



## Bruce

Stand up on that box over there ...


----------



## Mike CHS

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  We have no family in our area but had a wonderful lunch with some super good people.  On days like today I look around and reflect how Blessed we have been to be able to do what we are doing and to have moved to a place where we never see a stranger and have more to look forward to than ever before.


----------



## CntryBoy777

The ducks were thankful that I cleaned their pen today and they got the little treats crawling from under the hay.... ....and I was thankful I didn't have another heart attack doing it....


----------



## Bruce

Geez @CntryBoy777 make sure you take it easy!


----------



## Mike CHS

It was in the 20's this morning but but all of the critters are liking it.  I think most of the sheep are bred but one obviously isn't since Ringo keeps trying to change that.  I brought both of the LGDs into the porch this morning for some grooming.  Thor is more biddable doing obedience training than Maisy but even she is getting better (when she wants to).  She is good with her people but getting her into a vehicle isn't a pleasant experience.  I have Thor jumping up onto the golf cart and in the truck on command and we go for short little trips so it isn't something he dreads.  Maisy watching that has resulted in her getting on the golf cart as long as it doesn't move.  

Typical of the breed, Thor is a serious looking boy.


----------



## Bruce

Merlin had to be lifted/shoved into my car by his owner and her sister when we picked him up. Wasn't sure how I was going to manage getting him in the car when I had to take him back 3 weeks later. But I had given him a rib bone the night before. I walked him to the car and opened a back door. DD1 opened the other back door and reached across with the bone. Merlin got in unassisted.


----------



## greybeard

Pastor Dave said:


> Close resemblance, but he has more hair!


That's a past member of Saturday Night Live. He, playing character Tommy Flannagan was always saying "yeah..that's the ticket.." too.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce - Maisy was due for her shots right after we brought her home.  We wanted the sheep checked over anyway so we had the vet do a farm call and she got her shots that day.  I like our vet because if you need something done and don't want to go in he will come out to the truck.


----------



## Pastor Dave

Yah, I enjoy Jon Lovitz. He's a good comedian.  

He still has more hair than me.


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Loved all the pics! So glad Thor is doing well. I can tell that you really love that pup  He is going to be an awesome dog.


----------



## Southern by choice

Love the dogs Mike- I just love 'em!
Like GW said- you can tell you love them.


----------



## Mike CHS

Southern by choice said:


> Love the dogs Mike- I just love 'em!
> Like GW said- you can tell you love them.



I really do.  I often just go out and walk with them and I see what you guys often post about.  They are marvelous creatures.  I love my kids but never took as many pictures as I do of these guys.


----------



## Southern by choice

You really get to see firsthand now why it is so important to have that human interaction with pups. Really glad Maisy has a partner!

A friend of mine recently called someone about a pup- the person told her that "hands off" is the way to raise the LGD.
My friend asked a few questions and then said, yeah not the dogs for me...
Unbelievable.


----------



## Bruce

You need to go to those people and slap some sense into them @Southern by choice. Or if you prefer a non violent method, tie them up, stuff them in your vehicle and bring them to your house to see how LGDs SHOULD be raised.  



Mike CHS said:


> I like our vet because if you need something done and don't want to go in he will come out to the truck.


So you just stick your head in the window Maisy is facing, talk to her, and the vet goes in with the needle through the other side, she never knows what hit her  Hope he doesn't charge extra for a "truck call". Actually assuming he doesn't need her up on a table (how "fun" would THAT be???), it saves them from having to clean a room! He should charge you LESS for a "truck call".


----------



## Devonviolet

Bruce said:


> So you just stick your head in the window Maisy is facing, talk to her, and the vet goes in with the needle through the other side, she never knows what hit her  Hope he doesn't charge extra for a "truck call". Actually assuming he doesn't need her up on a table (how "fun" would THAT be???), it saves them from having to clean a room! He should charge you LESS for a "truck call".



Our Vet does truck calls for our animals almost every time we have an appointment. Our dogs don't get out much, since they spend 24/7 with their goats (they DO get lots of people time, though - our Deo is a great big "love sponge"  ) Anyway, when we go to the Vet, they don't want to get out of the truck.

I just back the truck up, in front of the door, we open the back window (above the tailgate) and open the side windows (with a piano hinge across the entire length of the bed cap),




and he examines and/or gives shots through the windows.  They are friendly and well behaved with him & His staff. They just don't want to get out of the back of the truck.


----------



## Bruce

Too much effort, especially jumping back in


----------



## Mike CHS

Maisy won't fight to get away from the vet or his tech as long as I have control of her head.  She is like DVs dogs though and does not want to get out in a strange place.  She is more biddable now that we have Thor getting in and out of the vehicle.


----------



## Bruce

Can't be shown up by the little guy!


----------



## Mike CHS

He won't be the little guy much longer.  

I did find out yesterday that I have to watch how I get on to the pup.  I put some feed out to call the sheep back in for the night and Thor started pigging out so I got on to him and made him leave it alone.  The next thing I know Maisy has him on his back and is just laying into him.  She doesn't use her teeth but she looks and sounds vicious. It's almost like Maisy felt like she had to also get on to the pup and reinforce it.

I only had to tell her NO once when we first got her about eating the feed and she has never done it since.  These are amazing dogs.


----------



## Bruce

He probably understands what she is saying better than he understands what you are saying.


----------



## Pastor Dave

She is the translator!


----------



## Baymule

Mine are easy to transport. Paris does get a little anxious, but she will load and unload. When Trip was a puppy, I took him to Tractor Supply for treats. My super training method worked!


----------



## Bruce

Pastor Dave said:


> She is the translator!


I visualized the "picture" with closed captioning turned on.
Maisy: Little dude, we have a good thing going here. Plenty to eat, a cushy job, nice people to pet us. Don't screw it up pissing off Farmer Mike by eating the sheeps' food. GOT IT???
Thor: Yes'm


----------



## Mike CHS

Thor has been to TSC but not Maisy.  That 80 pound dog weighs about 250 when she doesn't want to be somewhere.


----------



## Mike CHS

That was funny.


----------



## Mike CHS

The neighbors potbelly pig came visiting today.  They live about a half mile away and said they moved their horses out of the paddock the pig was in and he decided he wasn't going to stay by himself.

Thor definitely has his big boy bark going on.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I take it he didn't get a warm welcome.....


----------



## High Desert Cowboy

Dang that’s quite the walk on them little legs.


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> I take it he didn't get a warm welcome.....



They came to get him but couldn't catch him so he is still out in the woods somewhere.  If it doesn't head home it won't last long out there.


----------



## Bruce

High Desert Cowboy said:


> Dang that’s quite the walk on them little legs.


Sure is!!



Mike CHS said:


> They came to get him but couldn't catch him so he is still out in the woods somewhere.  If it doesn't head home it won't last long out there.


Time to break out the shepherds.


----------



## CntryBoy777

That's a shame....sure hope they are able to get him...ya don't need feral hogs running around ya over there.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Time to break out the shepherds.



Sassy might work it but I'm pretty sure Lance would try to kill it instead of herding it.  I thought he was going to chew through the kennel fence trying to get at it when it got close to them.


----------



## Baymule

What about luring it home with feed. Chasing a pig is counter productive. You can't catch them and if you do get your hands on it, how to hang on to it?


----------



## Mike CHS

I would be surprised if it makes it through the night.  Either way, I'm not going to try to catch it.


----------



## Mike CHS

I started laying out material for the next section of fence this afternoon but had to try and drive a bunch of test holes with T-posts because where the main section is going is adjacent to our drive way which is ledge slab rock.  I was able to find spots for the wooden posts that will be for the gates but it looks like I'm going to be using a lot of wedge-loc hardware for braces on a good bit of it.  I'm using the Gaucho wire again which doesn't need to be pulled as tight as the Red Brand so they will work.

I may or may not get much done this week since Jay wants to pick up the two ewes he is buying which means I need to put the handling area back together and move all of the equipment and fencing material that is in the spot I need to pull into to get a trailer to the loading pen.  One of the things in the way is the old stock trailer that is jammed full of bales of alfalfa and of course it has a flat tire that I need to change before I can move it.

We got our microscope and supplies today to start doing fecals so tomorrow I'll follow a couple of ewes that look like they might need worming to get some fresh berries to do the test with.  I plan on taking some of the manure from the same ewes to the vet to sort of do a test on our ability to read the fecals.


----------



## CntryBoy777

It sure would be nice if that tire will hold air long enough to get it moved at least....the FEL will certainly help if it has to be changed. Shame that rock wouldn't cooperate and be spaced appropriately for the fence placement, but it sure seems to be the way most works out with many of the things we do....it is the challenges and difficulties that make us soooo Thankful when it is finally over.....


----------



## Mike CHS

We have all of the property I want to manage but I think I'll be disappointed  when the fences are all done.


----------



## Baymule

It always seem to be a domino effect. To do one thing, there are 17 other things you have to do first.


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> We have all of the property I want to manage but I think I'll be disappointed  when the fences are all done.



Well there will always be some fence repairs to do on even the best of fences, which IMO is 100 X worse than building a new fence.


----------



## Mike CHS

We got a lot of little stuff done this week.  Teresa made some mods to one of the coops that we bought to strengthen it up.  She added some LED lights in them so we are still getting a good amount of eggs in spite of the change to cold weather.  Today was beautiful and I even broke out some shorts to say I had worn them in December.  

I got the alfalfa trailer tire changed and the trailer moved down the hill out of the way.  I had the auger on the tractor and didn't want to take it off so I tried to move it with chains on the front end loader.  That was a bad idea as the tractor felt like it would tip and I had to move it down a pretty steep hill.  Being a bit risk averse today I took off the auger and put on the three point hitch ball.

I got all of the wooden posts set for the new section of fence and had to do them all in cement because of the rock but they are set.  This run is 1020' so we will start running the wire next week.  That will give us 6 decent sized paddocks to rotate through.  There is still the 1 1/2 acre section down where the big garden bed is that I'm thinking of turning into pasture but that can wait for awhile.

Tomorrow is sheep hooves day since we have to bring them all up to break out the two ewes that are getting sold tomorrow.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Glad ya chose to do the change-over, ya sure don't need to damage anything....especially yourself. I wish I were in a position to run over there tomorrow....I'd be willing to help, but if nothing else just observe. I have to get this truck back in working order for the trip to get Gabbie next Fri.....it is suppose to rain most of the day Tues and much colder temps from Wed on....so, I have to get the heater hooked back up after getting these quick disconnect connectors off....that aren't so quick to disconnect....I've got 1 off but still another to go....sure hope it all goes well and Jay is all smiles when he gets his sheep.....


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm looking forward to all of the Gabbie events (of which I'm sure there will be some  )

Our "pup" weighed 55 pounds this afternoon.  That makes it 15 pounds put on in the last 30 days.


----------



## Baymule

My 22 slackers were laying 2-3 eggs a day! They had gone through their molt, but there's that day length thing..... So I lit 'em up! Got 12 eggs from them today. Have 17 EE pullets that are just starting to lay, got 8 from them today.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I must admit Mike that last pic that I got and shared is the wallpaper on my phone....if that tells ya anything....
Sometimes I catch myself just looking at the phone....


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> in spite of the change to cold weather.


Cold weather


----------



## Latestarter

Yaaa... Bruce wouldn't know anything about that "cold" weather...   I been there brother... I know.


----------



## Bruce

Hey it was above freezing ALL night and ALL day!
Supposed to be bouncing around the 32° mark tomorrow, slight warming Monday and might even hit the mid 40s Tuesday


----------



## Southern by choice

Tomorrow will be chilly. Tuesday though should be 68! 
Really don't like cold. @Bruce  cannot understand living where you do 

Mike- great weight gain (pup not you- I don't know if you are gaining weight or not ) at this age 5lbs a week is good. In a few months you will want to see more of 3lbs-5lbs....
Keep up a good deworming schedule.

Love to hear how the fecal analysis goes for you.


----------



## babsbag

@Baymule  How many more hours of light are you giving them? I have about 50 chickens and zero eggs right now. I have never had NO eggs.


----------



## Mike CHS

@Bruce I have spent some time at Antarctica and still think anything under 40 is cold. 

babs - the chickens are getting 14 hours of light.  It's set on a timer and comes on at 4 in the morning when the roosters are crowing anyway and goes off at 6 in the evening.

@Southern by choice I will post about the fecals.  We are going to try to do some this weekend.  I'm still getting used to a dog that grows this fast as all I can do is go by his for and how much he wants to eat.  He still quits when he has had enough so that helps.


----------



## Bruce

My understanding is that it is better for the chickens to have natural sundown and artificial sunrise. Possibly since they won't go to roost until it starts to get dark? They see very poorly in the dark. I know mine gravitate toward the barn as the sunlight gets more flat and into the coop as it starts to get darker but there is still plenty of light for them to get up on the roosts. 

Though that would mean your light comes on at 2 AM!  Maybe a hybrid system where there are a couple of lights on separate timers, the last one to go off some distance from the coop windows so it doesn't go full dark all of a sudden?


----------



## Mike CHS

You might be right Bruce but I prefer not to try to "fix" something that is already working.  We are getting as many eggs now as when it was warm.


----------



## Bruce

Agreed. Though my understanding is light is the key, temperature not so much.

I still don't quite understand it all though. The "rule" is you need 14 hours minimum light for winter laying. But my girls generally start back up sometime in February when there isn't even 12 hours of light and it is colder than it is now.


----------



## Mike CHS

Sunset is 4:35 and sunrise is 6:40 so the days are officially silly short right now.

I got T-posts set on right at 300' of the new fence and hopefully get that much more tomorrow unless I get back on to trash pickup.  I got hold of a piece of carpet that was mostly buried that has been on my to-do list for when things get caught up.  I was amazed at how much trash was under that thing.  I looks like about 20 plus years of household trash not to mention old computer monitors and just about anything else you can imagine.  I got the visible stuff picked up today and will start trying to do one truckload a week till it is mostly gone.


----------



## Bruce

Our sunrise today was 7:11, sunset at 4:12. And you thought YOUR days were silly short. Plus they only get shorter for the next ~3 weeks. Of course we could ask @Alaskan when sunrise/set is up there in AK and we wouldn't be whining any more 

Don't you just have to wonder about all the stuff people just threw out in the woods or edge of a field?


----------



## TAH

Mike CHS said:


> Sunset is 4:35 and sunrise is 6:40 so the days are officially silly short right now.


man, I would trade ya... sunrise-8:00-8:15 and sunset at 3:30.


----------



## Mike CHS

@TAH - I actually would have thought your days would even be shorter.

@Bruce - what makes this pile of trash even worse is that I thought I had a handle on it until I used the FEL to pull that carpet off of what I thought was level ground and instead it was about 10' of trash dumped in a storm ditch.


----------



## Mike CHS

The dynamic between Maisy and Thor is proving interesting to say the least.  Maisy has a tendency to get food aggressive if Thor shows too much interest in her bowl even if he isn't approaching her bowl.  She has taken him down a couple of times for showing interest in her bowl and in one case when she got close to his bowl and he did a more of a wimper than a growl. Today Maisy had finished her food and had gone outside the stall where I feed them but when she came back in she approached Thor from the rear where Thor was eating.  He did the wimper growl (don't know what else to call it) and she laid into him again. This time he sort of played submissive but he also had his teeth bared and was really tense.  When she let him up he still had his teeth bared and was just glaring at her.  I distracted him and he went back to his puppy self.

At all other times they are joined at the hip but I'm thinking to provide more separation at meal times.  I stay with them when they eat since it takes the pup longer to eat.


----------



## Baymule

babsbag said:


> @Baymule  How many more hours of light are you giving them? I have about 50 chickens and zero eggs right now. I have never had NO eggs.



I have the timer set to come on at 2 AM, it goes off at 8AM. Daylight is around 7, night starts around 5:30. I let natural darkness tell them it's time to get on their roost.


----------



## babsbag

That is about the same amount of light that we have here. I am going to try a lamp that brightens over time to simulate dawn.


----------



## Bruce

babsbag said:


> That is about the same amount of light that we have here. I am going to try a lamp that brightens over time to simulate dawn.


Can it also work in reverse to simulate sunset?



Mike CHS said:


> @Bruce - what makes this pile of trash even worse is that I thought I had a handle on it until I used the FEL to pull that carpet off of what I thought was level ground and instead it was about 10' of trash dumped in a storm ditch.


Prior owner probably decided it was more expedient to cover their dump than clean it out. What better than a large carpet? You are lucky they didn't cover it with 3" of dirt so you could "find" it with the tractor one day as it fell through.


----------



## Latestarter

Yaknow, it just dawned on me... you're cleaning out your "landfill" to deliver it to a public landfill... There must be a deeper meaning to it all somewhere...


----------



## Mike CHS

Joe - if I thought it would stay there I would just cover it with dirt but since it is a storm runoff ditch that might not be a good idea.


----------



## Bruce

Especially if it rains 

I imagine you had some "widening" and overflow of the water in that ditch in the past. Water takes the easiest path downhill and getting "strained" through a dump likely isn't the easiest way when it is really moving.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Especially if it rains
> 
> I imagine you had some "widening" and overflow of the water in that ditch in the past. Water takes the easiest path downhill and getting "strained" through a dump likely isn't the easiest way when it is really moving.



The ditch takes a turn and there is a good sized indentation where they dumped all of the stuff for no telling how many years.  I bagged up a pickup load this afternoon and there is a large percentage of things that don't look like they had been there very long which tells me that the most recent dumpage was from the realtors people that emptied out the previous owners contents.  There was no cleanup done since the house was so rough there would have been no point in it.  Here a couple of pictures.  The one with the smallest number of things is where running water has moved things off of the pile. The other I'm standing on the top of the bank which is about 10' deep at that point and the junk is all the way to the top.  I'm amazed that I haven't been getting a lot of trash on the exit point of the ditch.


----------



## Baymule

Amazing what you can find......


----------



## Bruce

Those realtor or their "charges" should be held to account. Oh well, you will get it all cleaned up. What is scrap metal selling for these days?


----------



## Baymule

Bruce said:


> Those realtor or their "charges" should be held to account. Oh well, you will get it all cleaned up. What is scrap metal selling for these days?



Not enough to pay for all the work of cleaning it up!


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Not enough to pay for all the work of cleaning it up!



That pretty much sums it up Bay


----------



## Bruce

True, but if you ARE going to clean it up, hopefully it would at LEAST pay for the gas to get it to the metal place and maybe lunch . I took some I think about a year ago and it was selling for something like $35/ton. Fortunately I also had a bunch of old copper and wire, that sells for a lot more. It paid more than what it cost to rent the truck and put gas in it. Of course the primary purpose for renting the truck was to move furniture. Getting rid of the metal was a bonus.


----------



## Mike CHS

All of the metal I find I give to our 85 year old neighbor.  He sells scrap but we also do things for each other so that works for us.  His scrap trailer isn't far from where the trash is and it's less I have to haul off.  We don't have "dumps" here where I can take a dump trailer but rather transfer stations so unloading is about as much fun as loading the truck.


----------



## Latestarter

Sorry if I came across as dinging you for cleaning up...wasn't my intent. I have the same issue here that I'll have to deal with including an old vehicle back in the woods half buried/sunk. The thought just hit me of un-burying it all to re bury it somewhere else...


----------



## Mike CHS

I didn't take it that way at all.


----------



## Pastor Dave

I'm thinking dynamite.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Your ditch area sounds like the 3 acres we bought in FL....I thought I'd ever get that place even close to cleaned up, but had a similar plan to the one ya have there and after about a year we got it in decent shape....still had some to do, but didn't have to push so much to finish it up. We never did find anything very useful....but, did uncover a few scorpion nests....


----------



## Bruce

Well THOSE are a dandy find @CntryBoy777! Did you batter and fry them for a snack?


----------



## CntryBoy777

I'm just a country boy Bruce....not into delicacies from other countries....


----------



## Mike CHS

We rounded up the two sheep that Jay wants but I'm betting that one of them (Wild Thing) isn't bred yet and she is still standing for the ram.  We have them in the sorting pen until tomorrow so I can talk to his Grandfather to see what he wants to do.  I'll let him choose another that is showing with lamb now or leave her here longer.  He's getting antsy but I won't let him take the one ewe by herself.

We wound up trimming her hooves without the tilt table since somehow she got turned upside down in it.


----------



## CntryBoy777

A couple of yrs ago I saw a youtube video of a piece of equipment being used to flip the sheep upside down to trim hooves....I believe it was in Austrailia or New Zealand that it was being used in....boy those guys were extremely fast at trimming too. I thought it was pretty unusual, but they did goats that way, too.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have friends that have a chair like thing Premier calls a deck chair but it isn't easy to get some of the heavier sheep in it.  Most of ours are in the 140-170 lb range and they aren't that easy to flip into it.  They are fairly easy to keep in place as long as you have two people and none of them are that afraid of me so they don't panic.


----------



## Baymule

Australians got it goin' on when it comes to sheep care! 

We have done a lot of cleanup on our place too. We are at the point, that as long as we don't dig any holes (thus turning up more "artifacts") it is pretty clean and picked up around here. 

@Latestarter you have a "mystery mobile" in your woods across the creek or is in your big ditch? Did you finally go across the creek to investigate? Oughta be fun getting that out of there.

I've seen pictures of that chair, looks like I'd end up in it instead of the sheep.


----------



## Latestarter

back in the woods, this side of the creek. adventuring soon as all the leaves are down.


----------



## Bruce

CntryBoy777 said:


> I'm just a country boy Bruce....not into delicacies from other countries....


And here I thought country folk ate all sorts of things. Like possum belly with gopher gravy


----------



## CntryBoy777

It's the hills people that eat those things....


----------



## Bruce

Ah, got it. Of course my only reference is "The Beverly Hillbillies" and that show MIGHT not be historically accurate


----------



## Baymule

Well now a mess of fried squirrel is down right tasty. My Grandmother used to fry the heads, crack open the skull and eat the brains. I never could get past those orange teeth......


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Well now a mess of fried squirrel is down right tasty. My Grandmother used to fry the heads, crack open the skull and eat the brains. I never could get past those orange teeth......



I couldn't eat them but did cook them and they got eaten.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I've ate plenty of squirrel....fried, bbq, and in stews....if'n ya don't brine them....ya will be chewin' fur quite awhile too...


----------



## Pastor Dave

Meat is meat. Depends on how much $ there was to live on, how open you were to trying new stuff, and if it was palatable. I have had much more array of meats than what I do at the moment. Money is present more now than as a kid. I was taught not to shoot anything I didn't plan to eat unless it was attacking me or a threat in some way.


----------



## Bruce

Yep and I understand that you can buy "guinea pig on a stick" on the street in Peru. It all depends on what you grow up eating. If it is only the things that were in the grocery store when you were growing up (as is the case with me), lots of things others consider food take a bit to wrap your (emotional) head around.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa made some Vietnamese Pho (soup) yesterday using some of @CntryBoy777s beef brisket that turned out awesome.   That brisket was so big we had to cut it up into pieces and freeze separately.  The sweet smokey taste of the brisket worked perfectly used this way.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I've never eaten that, but I know that brisket would've been really Great by itself.....the soup does look good tho....


----------



## Latestarter

Gosh Fred... if you're giving away huge beef briskets, add me to the present list willya?   That soup sure does look good.


----------



## Baymule

X2


----------



## Mike CHS

Today is our Anniversary and we did a rather low key dining out at a quaint little restaurant in Columbia that we have been wanting to try.  We had planned on a movie but we have company coming tomorrow so the last minute 'get er done' things need to be finished.


----------



## Latestarter

Congrats on your anniversary! Happy Pearl Harbor day as well. Did you plan it that way? connotations?


----------



## Mike CHS

When we were discussing our wedding date Teresa came up with December 7th for a variety of reasons but none to do with Pearl Harbor.  I asked her did she realize what happened on that day in history and then told her what it was.  I figured if nothing else, I'm not likely to forget that day.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Happy Anniversary!!!.....with all the goings on here it slipped my mind, but intended on posting it much earlier....I have picking up Gabbie on my mind, I guess....


----------



## greybeard

Happy Anniversary to Mike and Theresa!



Latestarter said:


> Happy Pearl Harbor day as well.



That, is the very first time in my life I have ever heard/read anyone in this country say/type  that. 'Happy VE Day..Happy VJ Day' but never heard of 'Happy Pearl Harbor day...

Is it even a celebrated day in Japan?

Kinda like saying "Happy Fall of the Alamo Day" (March 6) (unless one is from Mexico I guess.)


----------



## Hens and Roos

Happy Anniversary!


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Happy Anniversary!


----------



## Latestarter

Yeah... most folks in this country don't give the day a 2nd thought... Not many left who were involved in that war. "happy" no doubt wasn't the best term to use.


----------



## Mike CHS

Latestarter said:


> Yeah... most folks in this country don't give the day a 2nd thought... Not many left who were involved in that war. "happy" no doubt wasn't the best term to use.



But I knew what you meant.

Thanks everyone.


----------



## Bruce

Happy anniversary Mike and Teresa, which one is it? 



Latestarter said:


> That soup sure does look good.


Yes it does!!!!


----------



## HomeOnTheRange

@Mike CHS Congrats on the Anniversary!
To all of the vets - Thank you so much for your service!
To our Gold Star Families - Your deep sacrifice will not be forgotten!!


----------



## Mike CHS

This is our 7th.


----------



## Baymule

Happy 7th anniversary. Picking a memorable date is a smart thing. When my husband asked me to marry him, I said ok, followed by When? I replied February 14, it sounded good at the time. I wanted to be able to remember the date too.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have an old barn wood sign by our front door that has our name and "established December 7 2010" so I also have another good reminder.  

We were guided to each other late but it just keeps getting better.


----------



## Baymule

DH and I got married when he was 50 and I was 40. When you've been there done that, it makes you appreciate each other even more.

Mike, may you and Teresa have many, many more wonderful anniversaries together.


----------



## Mike CHS

I need to get some updated pictures of the LGDs.  The pup went past 59 pounds this afternoon.  I thought the growth spurt was slowing down since he stayed a little over/under 57 pounds for about three days and when he got on the scale this afternoon he was a little over 59 pounds.  As hard as Maisy and him play fight and chase each other I'm surprised they both aren't losing weight.  Either way they are loving the cold weather.  
I had to break out the thermal clothing to be able to stay out like I needed to.

As cold as it was out there today I spent most of the day out both trying to finish the last run of T-posts but also to keep an eye on the pup.  I noticed yesterday that he was moving the sheep from the big paddock to the smaller one.  I finally caught him in the act of trying to round them up and got on to him to stop. I'm hoping he is like Maisy and it only takes once to change behavior as long as I can catch him in the act.

I don't expect to always have it so easy but whenever I can catch him in the act doing something he shouldn't I have only had to get on to him once and (knock on wood) I haven't seen the bad act again.


----------



## Bruce

They aren't losing weight because they are building muscle 

Perhaps Thor fancies himself a dual purpose breed. Herd them up when needed, protect them when needed. Maybe he figured they would be easier to protect in a smaller area


----------



## Mike CHS

I thought something like that was possible Bruce or even mimicking Lance since that is the place I put the LGDs when training Lance.  But discussing it with folks that have Akbash, they say that is almost always the precursor to chasing and nobody really knows why it starts with moving the sheep so we are stopping that.  

In their mind I'm sure they have a reason but their track record isn't very good for the next stage.


----------



## Bruce

Glad you have that prior knowledge of their behavior!


----------



## Mike CHS

The coyotes seem to have moved out because a pair of cougars seem to have moved in.  They had been reported in the counties west of Nashville but no way of knowing which way they were moving.  The neighbors have seen them twice.


----------



## CntryBoy777

That doesn't sound good, sure hope they just keep on moving On away from ya..........stay locked and loaded just in case.


----------



## Pastor Dave

A good caliber and a good scope puts a good distance between ya and with good velocity, a quick kill.


----------



## Latestarter

Sure wish Thor was a year older for you right now, but I'm sure he'd back up Maisy with a bark if not fight. Between the two of them it may be enough to persuade a cougar to hunt elsewhere. But you bring the sheep up close to the house at night as well don't you?


----------



## greybeard

Pastor Dave said:


> A good caliber and a good scope puts a good distance between ya and with good velocity, a quick kill.


In some states tho, the big cats are a protected species and you cannot (legally) kill those type felines unless they are actually causing property damage or present an imminent threat to human life. 
Best to dot your Tees and cross your eyes if you're going to shoot one.


----------



## Pastor Dave

Yah GB, hadn't considered that. Better wait til it's close and use iron sights. My state reintroduced timber rattlers a while ago, and now they're protected. We were better off without them.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> The coyotes seem to have moved out because a pair of cougars seem to have moved in.  They had been reported in the counties west of Nashville but no way of knowing which way they were moving.  The neighbors have seen them twice.



Oh my! I sure hope there is plenty of natural game around for that pair. And you have good fences so maybe if they come your way they will find easier dining at someone else's house. 



Pastor Dave said:


> My state reintroduced timber rattlers a while ago, and now they're protected. We were better off without them.


I understand reintroducing "top of the food chain" animals in places where the prey animal population has exploded once people killed off all the top predators. Not quite sure why timber rattlers would be in that category. Why did they do it?


----------



## Latestarter

From my understanding, timber rattlers are endangered (as are eastern diamondbacks), like many other animals due to loss of habitat. With the loss of the (all) snakes comes an exponential increase in rodents -mice/rats. Everything in balance... Folks out west didn't want wolves re-introduced, but the deer/elk population got so large that they ended up with CWD and that spread causing all kinds of other issues. The wolves help keep the deer in balance. There aren't as many hunters as there used to be primarily due to social issue with it. Whole nuther discussion there.


----------



## Bruce

Ah, I hadn't considered the rattlers' roll in rodent control.


----------



## Mike CHS

I finally had the camera in the truck when I was out finishing up the last few T-posts.  The dogs always usually hang out near where I'm working so that's usually when I can get some candid shots.  Maisy has been jumping on Thor for what seems to me to be a non problem but I'll leave them along as long as no harm is done.  I didn't see what caused it this time but I'm guessing it was over a stick.  Thor is teething and will chew on anything he can find. I didn't see Maisy take Thor down but after it was all done Maisy went and picked up a stick that looked like the one Thor was chewing on and walked off with it. Sooooo, either Maisy had it and Thor tried to take it away and the battle ensued.  Thor is still smaller than Maisy so she can take him down but he is fighting back and his isn't just noise.

The puppy look is all but gone on the boy.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Maisy better get her licks in while she still can cuz it won't be long and Thor will be ruling the roost!


----------



## Pastor Dave

I reckon it is definitely for rodent control, but I do not like snakes. I do not like rats either, but that's why they invented poison and traps. 
My Dad was under my sister's house trailer working on a dripping pipe abt twenty years back or so. He kept hearing a steady drip abt 3 or 4 feet away from him, and as he belly crawled closer, it sped up. Yah, you know where I'm going with this. It was abt a 24" timber rattler coiled up and warning him it was there. 

He called IN DNR and they said they bred and repopulated them. So, Indiana officially has timber rattlers, copperhead, and water moccasins. If there is a row of pines for wind block, that's where the rattlers will be, or under a hedge, etc. Any sheet metal or spare plywood and lumber, the copperheads hang out. Creeks, ponds, water ways hold the moccasins.

They probably did see a rise in rodents and decided to reintroduce them. Any species eliminated will result in an imbalance somewhere, but I could have done without the snakes.


----------



## Mike CHS

frustratedearthmother said:


> Maisy better get her licks in while she still can cuz it won't be long and Thor will be ruling the roost!



I can already see it coming as he no longer just lays on his back submissively.  As soon as he is able to get up he tries to go back at her enough so that she will turn her head and walk away, sort of like an ex saying "Whatever".


----------



## Bruce

They are working on the pecking order


----------



## Mike CHS

I know Bruce but it's a scary thing.


----------



## Bruce

Yes but I doubt they will actually hurt each other. Thor will win in the end based in size ... unless he is a gentleman and respects his elders, especially women.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Cowboy was never a gentleman... as soon as he was physically able he would trounce ol' Maddie...but with age comes wisdom....and sometimes she'd give as good as she got!   But, they were fierce....two 100+ lb dogs going at it is not something you want to get in the middle of!


----------



## Southern by choice

It can be quite scary I agree!
Usually it is a lot of noise but sounds horrible.

Callie was always the boss here. Amy is too. 

We do keep leads (stiff thick 6 ft leads) close by , usually hanging on a fence somewhere... if you ever need to break up a fight you need those, or a shepherds crook if they have collars. We've had to break up a few. The key is to do it safely! Calmly.


----------



## Bruce

Oh, guess I was WAY wrong!!! Sure hope Maisy and Thor come to an amicable partnership.


----------



## Mike CHS

I wimped out today.  I had hoped to get a good bit of fencing done today but the wind is biti and all I got done was a 60' run which was a pain because it is so steep.  Post spacing is all over the place because of all of the rock.  It isn't terribly cold (32) but the wind is a steady 25 mph with gusts above that.  Gloves seem to get in my way and by the time I got this leg finished up my fingers were numb and I decided there is always tomorrow.

I was hoping to get this section done before the weekend since we are going to Charleston to visit family but it's time consuming because of all of the cuts that are needed.  This 300' section is circular to follow the driveway so I broke it up into fairly short but straight runs.


----------



## CntryBoy777

It is very difficult to work with numb hands and fingers and don't blame ya one bit....the temps are warmer here at 47, but the wind sure makes it feel much colder. The good thing about it is that it is you that is pushing yourself and not a have to for some animals....no need to push it thru the extremes, there'll be more pallatible days ahead....


----------



## Baymule

You know you don't have to go freeze your buns off to put up a fence, don't 'cha? There will be a sunny, nicer day. 
Mike, 
You. Are. Retired. You can pick your days to work hard and if the weather is not to your liking, there are plenty other things to do.


----------



## greybeard

CntryBoy777 said:


> ....no need to push it thru the extremes, there'll be more pallatible days ahead....





CntryBoy777 said:


> ....no need to push it thru the extremes, there'll be more pallatible days ahead....


Ain't that about the same thing  you said back when the temps were up and humidity thru the roof?

There's no such thing as a 'fair weather farmer or rancher'.

Fence is looking good Mike!!


----------



## CntryBoy777

greybeard said:


> Ain't that about the same thing  you said back when the temps were up and humidity thru the roof?
> 
> There's no such thing as a 'fair weather farmer or rancher'.
> 
> Fence is looking good Mike!!


Yep....and it applies to both ends of the spectrum....fair weather is one thing, but extremes are quite another....like when your fence and grass is covered with water....


----------



## greybeard

Depends how deep the water is. 
I've welded a 5' and 8' tee posts together and driven lots  in from an an aluminum boat before and waded waist deep water fixing fences so when the water went down, the cows wouldn't get out on the highway.  
Brother and I built new, 750' ft of 5 strand fence Feb 2015 over 2 days of pouring rain that was so cold I could barely feel fingers to put the tee post ties on. 

No such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Just because Crow warriors rode horseback threw water in freezing temps in Montana during winter doesn't mean I'm going to emulate them either.....
There is a famous line in several Clint Eastwood movies...."A man has to know his Limitations".....and I sure know mine.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> You know you don't have to go freeze your buns off to put up a fence, don't 'cha? There will be a sunny, nicer day.
> Mike,
> You. Are. Retired. You can pick your days to work hard and if the weather is not to your liking, there are plenty other things to do.



Retired to me means I work till I don't want to and then go in.    I have a list of things to do after the fence is done and I'm hoping to get them all done during the cold weather.

Today was actually colder in the morning than yesterday but the wind was not blowing 30 mph today so it felt better.  I got another 250' of fence finished.  I'm going to at least hang the 320' run tomorrow and then do the last short leg after this weekends trip to Charleston.


----------



## Baymule

Yeah, we go out and work until we quit. In the heat of summer we might come in from 11 Am to 1 or 2. Now it might be 3 or 4. We have a list of things to do this winter too.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> It isn't terribly cold (32) but the wind is a steady 25 mph with gusts above that. Gloves seem to get in my way and by the time I got this leg finished up my fingers were numb and I decided there is always tomorrow.


Gee that seems somewhat familiar. Oh yeah, fencing last Nov and Dec, except "tomorrow" would be as bad or worse and it had to get done. Yep, gloves are a pain and a hindrance and no gloves yield pain and lack of feeling is a hindrance. Lose - lose


----------



## Mike CHS

I guess one of the reasons I want it all usable pasture is that I come down the driveway and as good as it looks, I still see it like it was when we first bought it.  I want to get this vision gone for good.  This is how it was when we bought our place.

It looks like mostly weeds but it was a dense stretch of sapling trees among the weeds not to mention a couple of tons of debris.  That dense looking section in the upper part was briars so thick that all the tractor could do the first three times I bush hogged was to flatten it down.


----------



## CntryBoy777

It has sure come a really long way from that....it speaks to all the Hard work y'all have done there...and it screams Progress!!


----------



## Baymule

But we can look at those fields of saplings, debris, trash and briars and envision  fields of lush green...


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> But we can look at those fields of saplings, debris, trash and briars and envision  fields of lush green...




Yes "We" can


----------



## Southern by choice

Umm, not me.   I don't want to. It is beautiful that way too!
I envision "goat haven!"  Yep, goats would be living the life with that!

Of course all the work you've done is amazing and yes, it is beautiful now too with those pastures.


----------



## babsbag

I am looking at the 16 acres on the other side of my land and wondering how long it would take the goats to clear it?  Pastures are pretty, but not to my goats, the rougher the better. Thing is I am not sure I would ever get 16 acres fenced.


----------



## Mike CHS

We ran fence again and only have two 80' sections to do next week along with the two gate openings.  We  probably could have ran one of the sections today but I decided I need a gate opening that I had not planned on so that will get done next week.  I've been having some shoulder issues so it's probably a good time to take a few days off as we head to South Carolina tomorrow for the weekend.

I had an odd thing happen this morning.  We laid out the wire yesterday for a run that used 220' of wire leaving me with 110' of fence to finish up the next 80' leg and should have left me with 30' left over.  I wound up 15' short after laying out the wire.  No big deal since I had plenty of wire that I crimped to the fence for what I needed but I thought it inconvenient that my 330' roll of wire was 45' short of 330'. 

After tonight we probably won't be on for a few days but wishing everyone a happy weekend.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Have a safe trip and an Enjoyable time....check the air in the Spare and take a real jack with ya....


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> Have a safe trip and an Enjoyable time....check the air in the Spare and take a real jack with ya....



We do have a real jack and had the oil and tires did today.


----------



## greybeard

Bruce said:


> Yep, gloves are a pain and a hindrance and no gloves yield pain and lack of feeling is a hindrance. Lose - lose



As I recently saw someone post elsewhere.."Farming & ranching ain't for wimps".

Been doing some fencing myself:


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> I guess one of the reasons I want it all usable pasture is that I come down the driveway and as good as it looks, I still see it like it was when we first bought it. I want to get this vision gone for good. This is how it was when we bought our place.



No, you don't want that vision gone from your mind. Once it's gone, so is what it took for you to build a new version of it. Anyone with a half good credit rating and a down payment can buy a finished, ready-to-stock place. The day will come when you are going to sit back, look at your accomplishment and you'll want the memory of what it was, to gauge what you and your family went thru to build it.

One of the problems this nation has developed in the last few decades, is that non-ag people drive down the back roads, see a nice place and have no idea what it took to acquire it, improve it, and maintain it. You do, and always will as long as you can remember what you started with..and, a vision for the future and an appetite for hard work and perseverance. Don't lose any of that.

Enjoy your trip, be safe.


----------



## Baymule

Well said Greybeard.


----------



## Mike CHS

That does say a lot @greybeard.  I can relate to your hands also but not quite as bad since I'm not using barbed wire. :


----------



## Bruce

greybeard said:


> Been doing some fencing myself:





Mike CHS said:


> That does say a lot @greybeard.  I can relate to your hands also but not quite as bad since I'm not using barbed wire. :


No poly wire here either!!



Mike CHS said:


> I thought it inconvenient that my 330' roll of wire was 45' short of 330'.


Um, more than a bit inconvenient. Someone at the factory shorting rolls?


----------



## Mike CHS

I'll double check the length on the next roll and will complain to TSC if the next one is short.

We got to Charleston without incident and have been enjoying the grandsons.


----------



## Mike CHS

And today we got reminded of one of the things about Charleston that we miss the least.  We went to eat at a Thai restaurant that we always liked and noticed first thing that the traffic was bumper to bumper and not a soul in either the cars are out and about on foot would make eye contact or acknowledge a greeting from the red necks from Tennessee. 

I reminded myself that nothing in town had changed but our getting used to the slow motion life style and the "nobody knows a stranger" attitude in in small town middle Tennessee had changed our perception of how things should be.


----------



## Bruce

Definitely nicer living with less "humanity" stress.


----------



## Baymule

Mess with 'em Mike. Put on a big happy grin and say Hi! to strangers. It scares the crap out of them and they look at you like you are from another planet. I have been known to do that........BWA-HA-HA-HA


----------



## Mike CHS

I treated them just like we do in Tennessee.  I truly think it does scare them and especially so when I answer for them when they don't.


----------



## Baymule




----------



## CntryBoy777

Glad ya had a safe trip down.....and it sure doesn't take very long to get accustomed to a simpler and more Enjoyable way of Life, either....


----------



## Baymule

I'm friendly like a big, wet, muddy dog. I just can't help myself.


----------



## Southern by choice

LOL- I just had a similar experience. I was commenting on how much traffic there was (we were going up and around Raleigh) and how crazy it was...I thought maybe Christmas shopping traffic or something... My DH drives in this all the time, he starts laughing and saying nah... this is nothing compared to the weekdays.


Yikes!


----------



## greybeard

Southern by choice said:


> LOL- I just had a similar experience. I was commenting on how much traffic there was (we were going up and around Raleigh) and how crazy it was...I thought maybe Christmas shopping traffic or something... My DH drives in this all the time, he starts laughing and saying nah... this is nothing compared to the weekdays.
> 
> 
> Yikes!


Many decades ago, a friend of mine and I took a weekend off from duty at Cherry Point Marine Air Station MAG-14 (near New Bern) and after a bus ride, spent it in Raleigh. I think maybe mid '69.
Just a sleepy little city at that time. Easy to get around in and pretty good local bus service then. 
(spent all our $$ WW&S and had to hitch hike back tho)


----------



## Southern by choice

@greybeard  I bet it was like how we all pictured it when we watched The Andy Griffith Show. They had to go to the "Big City".
Of course even now getting in and out of Raleigh is a breeze compared to No VA and the beltline around DC... Atlanta is the worst.... but I hear LA is a true nightmare.

That is a hike to New Bern.  WW&S


----------



## Bruce

L.A. is fine ... as long as you do your driving between 2 & 5 AM when there is visible space between the cars on the freeway. Driving in ALL big cities is BAD BAD BAD. Too many people and all in a big hurry. Courtesy is non existent. True also in smaller "big" cities. I moved to Vermont nearly 40 years ago. People would stop and let you cross in front of them or (gasp!) get on the road in front of them. Still happens up here in the "less big" city but down in Burlington, South Burlington, etc ... they close the gap to make SURE you can't get in front of them. And that goes for letting someone cross in front because then someone coming out of the side road or parking lot might get in front of them. And they do not follow the LAW which says you can not enter an intersection you can not immediately clear. So the people on the cross street get a green light and go .... nowhere.



Mike CHS said:


> I treated them just like we do in Tennessee.  I truly think it does scare them and especially so when I answer for them when they don't.


Oh I bet!! They probably think you escaped from the asylum.


----------



## Mike CHS

I commuted to D.C. from Virginia Beach for over a year and a half (long story) and despised that drive.

We got back home this evening in time to feed my big dogs.  They were happy campers and my stoic boy Thor even lost his cool and knocked me over as I squatted down to get my loving.


----------



## Bruce

Just wait until he gets big!


----------



## CntryBoy777

It's a great feeling to know ya was Missed and no matter what another may say or do...they'll never be able to replace ya with the animals....


----------



## Mike CHS

Rained all day which made it easier to give my shoulder another days rest.  We made use of the time by canning up a bunch of my BBQ sauces and mixing up enough of my BBQ rub to give as Christmas gifts.  Ever since we did the big BBQ for the church several months ago I have had people offer to buy some and figured they would make good gifts.  Teresa is in the kitchen now making a bunch of home made egg noodles for the same reason.


----------



## Pastor Dave

I still have a gallon sized ziploc bag half full of barbecue rub in the freezer that I made up summer before last.

I generally use Sweet Baby Rays barbecue sauce.

I will put in an order for the egg noodles though.


----------



## misfitmorgan

Caught up....I hope your current fencing project can get finished soon. I am not looking forward to starting with 0 fencing on the new place this spring 

We do have the electric net fence but living on a main highway we would like something a bit more permanent between livestock and the highway.


----------



## Pastor Dave

Definitely


----------



## Mike CHS

misfitmorgan said:


> Caught up....I hope your current fencing project can get finished soon. I am not looking forward to starting with 0 fencing on the new place this spring
> 
> We do have the electric net fence but living on a main highway we would like something a bit more permanent between livestock and the highway.



Everybody will be cheering you on.  We have one section that doesn't have permanent fence yet but it's between us and a neighbors so they don't have anywhere to go.  I do let my girls out to another neighbors pasture that isn't fenced at all but I have to be out there with them to keep them where I want them.


----------



## Mike CHS

I let the flock in to the new section today and they pigged out.  I kept them in a smaller pen with hay before letting them in so they couldn't eat too much of the fresh grass.

I'm still not done with the last couple of runs on the fence since Teresa has made it a point to let me know that I don't want to do permanent damage to my shoulder so I'm behaving. 

I do have several pounds of our beef in the dehydrator making some jerky.  There was a couple pieces that were going to be too done so I had to check them out -  this is going to be a good batch.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Teresa has made it a point to let me know that I don't want do permanent damage to my shoulder so I'm behaving.


Smart of you. 
And her. 
She doesn't want to go out and pound posts when you incapacitate yourself!


----------



## Mike CHS

I think theWe have gotten 5 1/2" in the last two days.  The pictures are of a branch of Richland Creek that is about 1/2 mile from our house. It is usually only a couple of feet deep and about 20' across at the widest part.

The last picture is some of my BBQ sauce that we canned.  Just posting those because they are pretty.  

The red is a Jack Daniels sauce and the others are a mustard sauce that seems to be the favorite around these parts.


----------



## Baymule

After months of drought, we finally got rain. Most of it soaked in, but the rivers and creeks are up. Teresa knows when to tell you to rachet it down a notch. Us girls gotta take care of our bone headed fellas. LOL 

Merry Christmas!


----------



## CntryBoy777

Our ducks were swimming in the pasture all day yesterday, we ended up with 4" in the guage with 2.5" in it on Wed stepping in a mole run now makes ya think ya are on a trip to China.........the sauce does look really good and I wouldn't have a problem trying either or both.....


----------



## Bruce

I bet the goats weren't as happy as the ducks @CntryBoy777


----------



## Mike CHS

The Farm Center (feed and seed) store had their customer appreciation lunch today and it shows a little piece of small town life.  When we were there there had to be close to 100 people spread out on the feed sack seats   listening to Blue Grass music and visiting with neighbors.  I'm not sure how many pork shoulders they cooked this time but last year it was right at 25 of them.


----------



## Bruce

That's really nice Mike. Do you and Teresa know any of the other "regulars"?


----------



## Latestarter

That's the kind of community that so many have never experienced (including myself - but some of that is on me I'm sure) and sorry, but I'm really not into bluegrass music in the least...


----------



## Bruce

I like bluegrass! Very peppy.


----------



## CntryBoy777

That sounds like right up my alley.....Love bluegrass...just wish I could pick this 5 string of mine good enough to sit-in on some of that. When I was driving I had a couple of Flatt and Scruggs that I'd play when I couldn't stop to nap and had to get somewhere.....


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> That's really nice Mike. Do you and Teresa know any of the other "regulars"?



We only have a couple of neighbors close to us and they were there plus quite a few people we know from other activities.  Most of the folks that frequent the store you know by sight or from talking to them in places like this or the COOP or just around town.  It is a pretty small community and there aren't many strangers.


----------



## Bruce

CntryBoy777 said:


> I had a couple of Flatt and Scruggs


I have a 4 CD F&S "set"


----------



## farmerjan

Neat thing for your local feed to do.


----------



## Baymule

I love it! What a great place to live!


----------



## Mike CHS

I finally got an updated picture with the pup and Maisy.  I have just about quit calling him a puppy except when I catch him being silly with the sheep.  I have spent a lot of time in the pastures the last week or so since I wasn't being productive in other ways.  I had seen Thor running with the sheep and like with most things, the only way to make them stop is to catch them in the act.  I finally got to get on to him when he started to trot at the sheep and it was a couple of hours later that I was able to catch him in the act again.  After I got on to him the second time he stood there just watching me to see if I was serious I guess but I didn't see it happen again.

He has just about lost all of his 'puppy' look and has the typical Akbash serious look going on now.


----------



## CntryBoy777

He sure has grown quickly....not much difference between him and Maisy now at all. Gabbie is realy growing too....it really is amazing how fast they develop.....


----------



## Mike CHS

I know Fred and your earlier pictures really showed her off. 

Maisy was the dominant one until last week.  She took him down over some food and I'm not sure what happened but when they got up there was a confrontation and Maisy turned and walked away.  I want to keep that boy on my side as vicious as he looked.


----------



## Bruce

And the "pecking order" is rearranging. Hopefully they are both OK with the switch. But he still has a lot to learn, hopefully he will let Maisy teach him even if he is "top dog". 

Both dogs are very good looking Mike!


----------



## Baymule

Very nice dogs. Thor is one handsome boy, I know you are proud of how he is developing into a magnificent sheep guardian.


----------



## Mike CHS

I have been hauling off a small load of trash and debris out of the dump site that I mentioned not long ago but got tired of how long it was taking.  We called in Jay and another neighbors son (Jackson) and they just pulled out with the 4th truck load today. We still have several loads in there but at least you can now see some progress.


----------



## Baymule

I think you win. Pretty sure you have more trash than we had. We had helpers on clean up too!


----------



## Mike CHS

I have one of those "helpers" also but Thor is pulling trash out of a dry pond that we are going to bulldoze as soon as the ditch is cleaned out.  I hauled at least two pickup loads a month when we came out to work and that went on for a year and a half.  At least I don't have any old vehicles laying around surprisingly.


----------



## CntryBoy777

That is one thing I'm thankful for being here, we don't have anything like that....just some places where it looks like old med bottles and such were used for target practice....cause there are shards of old glass in a few places. The place we had in Florida was a whole nother issue....it had trash scattered over the whole 3 acres.


----------



## goatgurl

first thing, thor is sure growing into a handsome fellow.  2nd just 'cause maisy walked away from him after he bowed up at her doesn't mean she has abdicated her throne.  it just means she doesn't think he is worth the time and trouble to fight.  he is still wet behind the ears and they both know it.
i'm glad someone else has trash piles on their place.  I've got one where the people filled a deep gully with all kinds of stuff and I pilfered thru it, pulled out some cool old bottles and things and then left it alone.  its so far from the house and the goats and sheep don't go over there so what the heck, its covered by leaves, branches and the like.  at least there are no old cars, trucks or appliances in it.


----------



## Mike CHS

The dogs have developed a pretty decent relationship that is a joy to watch.  They both hit the perimeter when something causes them to alert but at night one of them will go to the perimeter and the other will stay with the sheep.  Maisy can still put him down but he isn't challenging her as much as earlier so they rarely get into it anymore.  I do some training after they eat so I'm with them to avoid some of the silly fighting just to get that last piece of food.

@goatgurl if this trash heap had been in an out of the way spot I would have dozed some more dirt on it and left it alone.  As it is, this spot is on a real visible part of our place and is right beside one of my most used lanes.


----------



## Mike CHS

So far we have hauled 6 pickup loads of trash to the dump.  There wasn't any wind today so while we were going to be in the area I got a burn permit to do a lot of stuff like construction debris, 3 piles of carpet, two mattresses and assorted plywood and about anything else that would burn.  That spot is probably toxic for 100 years but the stuff is out of the storm ditch.  I don't know what that carpet was made of but it was waterlogged and covered with mud but it still caught fire after about 2 minutes on the fire.

There was a computer monitor, two old TV sets and a microwave among the many things that got hauled off beside 20 years worth of cans and household trash.

We got just about everything that was loose bagged up and hauled off but what was left was packed in so we asked the neighbor to bring his backhoe down and work the ground up for us.

The pile he is working on isn't the one I was griping about the other day.  This one we thought was nothing more than an old tarp (which was covering the cans) and some old plywood (NOT).  There was a lot of siding mixed in with all of the trash and having Jimmy work it a little will make it where we can get it all bagged up and gone. Hopefully we can make a dent in it tomorrow as the 1st pile is mostly gone and it was bigger than the one in the pictures.


----------



## CntryBoy777

That backhoe sure saved a bunch and was nice of the neighbor to help out there. I know ya will be happy when it all gets gone....sure is a lot of work to be just dealing with trash, and ya have to keep asking yourself....What was they Thinking?....of course it is obvious they didn't care and didn't mind leaving it for someone else to deal with.....doing really Good work Mike....I wouldn't be able to stand it either.


----------



## Mike CHS

Just to show we have made some progress in the last couple of days. Teresa took a picture of the 1st pile after most of it is gone. There is still quite a bit to pick up since I had the neighbor stir it up also.

And on a more pleasant topic, my baby made it a point to supervise those young men that she doesn't know
very well.


----------



## goatgurl

such a good baby girl.  watch 'em close maisy, watch 'em close.  and yes mike if my piles of trash looked like that and all the world can see it i'd have to be hauling it out.  i'm just lucky mine is out in the woods and out of site.


----------



## Bruce

Geez Mike, looks like what you needed was a crane with a huge magnet!!


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Geez Mike, looks like what you needed was a crane with a huge magnet!!



We made a pretty good dent in it this morning.  I would have liked to do more but the waste transfer station closed at noon.  I got the boys coming back Tuesday so between what I get bagged up before then and their help we should knock it out then.


----------



## Bruce

By now the transfer station operator is saying 
"Him AGAIN!!!"


----------



## Mike CHS

I doubt he bothers Bruce since all they do is point you toward the dumpster that I "transfer" the stuff out of my truck.  

I was talking to him and he says there has been a large influx of people moving from other places and it seems they are less tolerant of having an exposed dump in their yard so he has seen a lot of folks like us.


----------



## Bruce

Well that is good, no place needs a lot of trash strewn about and metal rusting away waiting to snag some unsuspecting soul ... or their pets or livestock. All that metal can go somewhere and made into new products. 

I guess I am really lucky I haven't found a dump ... yet. I have found a couple of odd things, might just be a matter of wanting to dig a hole in some new place though


----------



## Baymule

You definitely win! You have WAY more trash than we did! It sure feels good to get it cleaned up and GONE. Good girl Maisy. Keep watching and let them know they are being watched. Mike, you might want to casually mention that she can jump fences......when she wants to.


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Baymule said:


> you might want to casually mention that she can jump fences......when she wants to.


 I've done that quite a few times! I think between the dogs and the evil turkeys, we are all set. 

Mike, y'all have done so much! We have had to do the same. Still so much trash! We actually had to move all our compost to one field in particular, to help cover the glass. We've picked up so much already, but everytime it rains we find more   Have you found a cast iron bathtub yet? What about concrete stairs? 

You have put in so much time and effort to get to where you are. So happy for you!


----------



## Mike CHS

I haven't found a bathtub but have found concrete stairs, a hot tub and besides the trash and construction debris was 200+ theater seats.


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> I haven't found a bathtub but have found concrete stairs, a hot tub and besides the trash and construction debris was 200+ theater seats.


WINNER! WINNER! CHICKEN DINNER! Yup, you got way more trash than we did!


----------



## greybeard

I found a bathtub, in an old cowpen in 2008. It was completely buried up above it's top rim. I'm assuming it was originally a water trough and had to been put there by my father, but I don't remember him doing it or seeing it before.

A metal detector would go nuts on parts of my place.


----------



## Mike CHS

GB - I don't have the nerve to get a metal detector.  I'm OCD enough that I would probably be digging non-stop.

This southerner is a cold weather wimp.  We are taking care of a friends animals at their home/business (horse and dog boarding).  They have a half dozen horses and an assortment of goats and dogs as well that are being boarded.  Just hauling water for all of them had me out way past my comfort level.


----------



## Bruce

Goat Whisperer said:


> I think between the dogs and the evil turkeys, we are all set.


Speaking of turkeys, how is Cheep cheep Mike?


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> GB - I don't have the nerve to get a metal detector.  I'm OCD enough that I would probably be digging non-stop.
> 
> This southerner is a cold weather wimp.  We are taking care of a friends animals at their home/business (horse and dog boarding).  They have a half dozen horses and an assortment of goats and dogs as well that are being boarded.  Just hauling water for all of them had me out way past my comfort level.



My thought is, 'If it's below the ground, leave it unless ya know it's something toxic, otherwise, you don't know it's there and in most cases nature will eventually reduce it to base elements.

I'm boarding a neighbor's horse myself right now, since he is non-resident owner of that property and it needs daily feeding and wind/rain proof shelter for the next 30 days. It'll share water trough with a couple of my momma cows and their new calves till the weather gets better or he returns from out of town late January. Friends of his came by yesterday and put an insulated waterproof blanket/coat on her yesterday in preparation for the 20s temps we will get starting late tonight.


----------



## Mike CHS

Cheep Cheep went off about a month ago and we haven't seen her since.  Their is a big flock of female turkeys that lives on the edge of our woods and we had been hearing them calling for quite awhile.


----------



## Mike CHS

I can confirm today that the hardest part about trimming a skittish roosters flight feathers is catching the rooster.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

True!


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> I can confirm today that the hardest part about trimming a skittish roosters flight feathers is catching the rooster.


Wife said the same thing about me....


----------



## Pastor Dave

Mike, I just watched Shawshank Redemption for the first time in a long time. Cheep cheep reminds me of Brooks and his crow Jake. Once he was paroled , he sat in the park feeding the birds thinking Jake might fly by to say hello. Cheep Cheep might just do that too. Was she old enough to go broody, or maybe it's off season for them? Maybe she'll come back in the Spring and make a nest close by.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Sooner or later nature has a way of taking over.....I was really looking forward to seeing her on my trip there, but she has to be what she was created to be.....


----------



## Baymule

Cheep Cheep is liable to tell her new friends, "Hey, I know a place where the food is FREE and all you gotta do is run up and down the dog kennel to amuse the people. They hear the dogs barking, come outside and will FEED us!"


----------



## farmerjan




----------



## Mike CHS

farmerjan said:


>



That was and who knows what they will do.

Dave - they breed in the spring here and she will be old enough by then.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Cheep Cheep went off about a month ago and we haven't seen her since.  Their is a big flock of female turkeys that lives on the edge of our woods and we had been hearing them calling for quite awhile.


Back with her own. Hopefully they will guide her on living OFF the dole!



Mike CHS said:


> I can confirm today that the hardest part about trimming a skittish roosters flight feathers is catching the rooster.


It is easier if you take them off the roost at night.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> It is easier if you take them off the roost at night.



He roosted about 20' up in a tree and I'm not climbing that at sunset.   We consolidated all of the chickens in the big pen but the one rooster continued to fly out at night and go back to his original pen where he roosted in a tree.  That worked OK in decent weather but it's getting down into the single digits for the next week.  The feather clipping seems to have worked since he is in one of the coops where we want him to be.


----------



## Bruce

My girls voluntarily go back to the coop at night. The only tree they can get into is the ornamental cherry front of the parking area. There aren't any high branches big enough to hold them. Guess I'm lucky!


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce - this roo was raised with the turkeys in the pen that he kept going back to for the night except now all of the turkeys are gone.


----------



## Bruce

Ah, so he has to learn a "new normal".


----------



## Mike CHS

It only got up to 14 degrees today and will be down to 4 degrees tomorrow morning.  Water was thawed out 4 times to make sure they had water since there has been no dew on the grass and their water consumption is double what it has been.

I put a 16 ounce water bottle filled with salt water in one of the tanks that is out in full sun.  All of the other tanks froze in a few hours as did the one with the water bottle partially but it got enough solar heat to keep part of the water thawed.  I'll try it again tomorrow since it's going to be colder yet.

I managed to get one picture of my babies which isn't easy to get by myself since they want to be at or under my legs when I'm out with them.  The second picture has been posted before in the middle of September but I thought it would give a good perspective of the pups growth.  He is just under 70 lbs this afternoon.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Yeh....it seems so long ago on 1 hand....and just yesterday on the other.....I'm experiencing the same thing with Gabbie and each day is certainly a New day....


----------



## Mike CHS

The obedience work with Thor has paid off big time. We keep the sessions short and fun but partially because of that he responds instantly when I distract him by my ARGGGH growl even when he is way off when he does something silly around the sheep.  He gets butted more than Maisy ever did but he stays closer to them most of the time.


----------



## farmerjan

Use 1 cup salt  in a gallon jug and fill 1/3 full of water.  Float in the water trough.  A guy on another forum said his large water trough was staying open with it down to 20*.  

If only I had water in the trough to deal with the freezing.....


----------



## Baymule

Tell me about the salt water bottle trick! How much salt to make it float? 

Like the parrot in your avatar. Is that y'all's pet parrot?


----------



## Baymule

I busted ice and hauled hot water today 3-4 times. At least it will be gone in a few days.


----------



## farmerjan

Baymule said:


> Tell me about the salt water bottle trick! How much salt to make it float?
> 
> Like the parrot in your avatar. Is that y'all's pet parrot?



See my recipe in the previous post.  1 cup salt in gallon bottle, fill 1/3 full of water to make a "heavy" salt water brine in bottle.  Float in water trough.  Have had several tell me it works pretty good.   All our open troughs are spring fed so the water runs in and out the overflow pretty strong,  and the temps would have to stay at Zero for several days before I would have to even start to worry about them.  All except for the one where I am now hauling water.  Normally that spring runs very slow and it has frozen in the past.  BUT you have to have water for it to freeze.  I am going to try the salt water bottle in the troughs I am filling when I haul water so that they might stay open longer.  I am going to use the heavier laundry detergent bottles rather than say milk gallon bottles so the calves can't bite through them as easily.  And the 2 water troughs are black that I am filling so they do absorb any sun that hits them and warms them even a little.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Tell me about the salt water bottle trick! How much salt to make it float?
> 
> Like the parrot in your avatar. Is that y'all's pet parrot?



That is Max.  I was cleaning out some pictures and ran upon that one.  Max died last year after (we think) he picked up a bug of some kind when we boarded him while we went to see family right after we retired.  He was my buddy for a little over 17 years.


----------



## Baymule

Awww   sorry about Max, he sure was pretty.


----------



## Bruce

I missed Max, guess his was a fleeting visit.

Salt water freezes at a lower temperature than fresh. I have to GUESS that floating the bottle is to yield a bit of water movement to keep the ice from freezing around it thus some open water for the animals. It might have a wee bit of solar gain to help as well. I'm guessing stock tank heaters are not practical in locations were the salt water bottle is used, or the temp doesn't go below freezing often or long.


----------



## Mike CHS

Sorry Bruce - It was a bit sad that on every time I opened my journal Max was everywhere it seemed.

I think it is the movement more than anything else plus I only put enough water in the barrels to last them part of the day.  In the 4 years we have owned our place it got like this every January and that was the coldest.  Hopefully it will be the same this year.

Last winter we had lambs on the ground in 9 degree temps and decided not to go through that again.


----------



## Bruce

Wise choice! Why put yourself or the animals through that misery!


----------



## farmerjan

The very same reasoning that I don't want calves starting before the first of March.  And I want them done by the first of Dec.  Of course that is totally NOT what we have this year.  With a major problem with cows last year not gaining/losing condition, calves slow growing, sick cows, not breeding...we are totally out of synch.
  Have had 6-8 calves born this past week.  Just had a 3rd calf cow prolapse her uterus overnight.  Doc got it back in but it has some frostbite damage.  She is doing okay and the calf is about a week-10 days and sucking and all.  If she does okay she will raise this calf and then be sold at the end of the summer or whenever.  Had a heifer have a rectal prolapse about a month ago.  Saw her at pasture.  So loaded her up brought her back, doc fixed that and she is doing good.  Don't know if she is pregnant as he obviously couldn't palpate her.  If she continues to do okay, then she will raise her calf and get sold.  She also has been one to not stay where she is put, but until this we figured she mature and get over that.  Well, this is her second problem.....sooooo  that's it.  
Just some freak stuff, and not wanting calves this time of year  has been strongly reinforced with this COLD weather.  Luckily, these are experienced cows so they know to get the calf licked off and dry.  Still if I was a calf I would be protesting loud and long..!!


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> I put a 16 ounce water bottle filled with salt water in one of the tanks that is out in full sun. All of the other tanks froze in a few hours as did the one with the water bottle partially but it got enough solar heat to keep part of the water thawed. I'll try it again tomorrow since it's going to be colder yet.


The salt water bottle won't keep the tank water from freezing, except right under the bottle. The brine solution works as an insulator and the rest of the tank surface freezes but not under the jug are around the bottom 2/3 of it's periphery. The premise of it's operation is the livestock push the bottle down some, which displaces liquid water on to the top skim of ice and they can drink.
Balls work the same way.
Neither will work if the temps are near and below 0°F and stay that way for many hrs on end.


----------



## Mike CHS

The bottles kept a small area open in both of the tubs today which is all I was hoping for.  My number of sheep lets me just take out a few gallons at a time without much effort.  What little that is left in the morning will be froze solid but 4 or 5 gallons of hot water solves that.


----------



## farmerjan

Yeah, the balls don't work in 5* weather.  And all these Professionally installed water troughs aren't worth @#$# in this weather cuz the lines are freezing down in the ground and now we have no water at 3 different places.  So today all I did was haul water to cows that were out for the last 2 days.  At least everyone went away from the troughs tonight fully satisfied and I will just start over in the morning.  Can't move cows to other places because most have these water troughs.  All this BS with fencing them out of the creeks and all this, but then when we get weather that is not normal, BUT NOT UNHEARD OF in this area, we are the ones that are doing everything we can to see they are taken care of.  The free running creeks have ice, but are not completely iced over and we turned the 8 bulls out of the bull lot into this "crep" area so they can go to the creek and get water.  
AND it is supposed to get worse in the next 3 days with MINUS 20 with the wind chills and daytime highs not to hit 20*.


----------



## Baymule

I am sorry that you are having such a hard time. I will shut up and not complain any more about the iced over water we have here. I can at least carry buckets from the house, I don't have to "drive" water to another place. I hope this weather breaks soon and the sun comes out and melts the ice.


----------



## Latestarter

So sorry Jan, that's some pretty remarkable cold for your area. Hope you and your animals all make it through to warmer days.


----------



## Mike CHS

Jan - we are having similar temps but i'm glad we don't have more sheep than we do.  Our numbers are small enough that I only have to haul water cans in the morning and again in the afternoon to make sure they bed down hydrated.

It's supposed to be warmer for the next week or so and I may get out of semi-hybernation mode.

Not much going on but here's a picture of my babies.  I haven't been getting much done outside so I have spent quite a bit of time with both dogs.  Thor would make a great farm dog and doesn't even mind going in the house.  Maisy is doing great now that she sees what Thor is doing and will even get into the truck now.


----------



## Latestarter

Really gotta love those dogs Mike. So well behaved and good looking. Has to be a joy to just walk up on 'em and see them. Really glad they've become the team you wanted/needed. Must be awesome when they teach each other and can learn from each other. Another 6 months and I believe you're going to have a new top dog. Though he may not be bigger than her right now, just yet, his head appears to be bigger than hers already and with these dogs, IMHO, size matters.


----------



## Mike CHS

They are a joy to work with Joe.

If nothing else this cold weather has me concentrating on the dogs more. Lance has gotten more work this week than he has in the last month.  Sassy still gets to go in and sort of work but she is too goofy to give her much more time with the sheep since she keeps them too spooked.  I need to find our video camera to get some videos of Lance working.  He is something to watch but as soon as we started working the main flock came over to see what was going on and he kept trying to figure out how to get them all together.


----------



## Bruce

Latestarter said:


> Another 6 months and I believe you're going to have a new top dog. Though he may not be bigger than her right now, just yet, his head appears to be bigger than hers already and with these dogs, IMHO, size matters.


Unless he respects his elders and the women in his life 


Mike, here's something your herding dogs can learn 
http://www.wect.com/story/37200760/viral-video-dog-takes-herself-sledding


----------



## Mike CHS

Someone sent me that yesterday but I stilled watched it a couple more times.


----------



## Southern by choice

Dogs have to be the best animals on earth!


----------



## Baymule

Love the dog update. It is awesome that Maisy is learning to load up in the truck. It makes things so much easier!


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa got all of our expenditures done for the 2017 tax year and we now know how much we have invested in fencing.  I'm sure glad we were able to spread that out over the full year.


----------



## Bruce

And unless you were keeping good mental track, it was probably a fair bit more than you thought.


----------



## Mike CHS

We are pretty close to actual dollar mount.  We log every receipt and don't pay cash for anything as everything gets paid for out of the farm checking account.  The only thing we don't track for taxes is our helpers hours but we do track that so we know what went out.

Both of our main vendors gives us an end of year report detailing everything we bought.


----------



## Baymule

I've got to get mine done.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I spent enough at the CoOp this past year in fencing and feed that they sent me a $42 check.....good thing about disability is ya never make enough to have to file fed taxes anymore....


----------



## Mike CHS

I was surprised when we had COOP lime and fertilize our pasture we got a $200 check from them.


----------



## Bruce

They paid you to lime and fertilize your pasture?


----------



## Mike CHS

I had to pay them of course but at the end of the year they give a dividend like payment according to what you spent on their product.  We are actually member of the COOP here.


----------



## Bruce

Yeah, I figured. Sounds like the Co-op is doing well if they can return some of the money.


----------



## Mike CHS

We made a run into Costco and got out of town just before they started shutting down the roads so President Trump can get back to Air Force One to go home after addressing one of the bigger farm associations.


----------



## Bruce

Did you know he was around? If I were there and knew I would stay home. No telling how many miles of roads would be closed off or for how long.


----------



## Mike CHS

I didn't know and would have also stayed home if I did.  Turns out they only went from where he spoke at the auditorium to the airport (all of which is on the east side of Nashville).  We go in on I-65 (southwest of Nashville (to Franklin) so it wouldn't have affected us at the time we were heading south.


----------



## Pastor Dave

I-65 will bring you up to Indianapolis, close to me.


----------



## Mike CHS

Dave - we are close enough to I-65 that we can hear the trucks in the distance.  A five mile drive but just 1 mile over the hills.


----------



## Baymule

Do I hear road trip?


----------



## Mike CHS

Indianapolis is a bit far for a quick trip.


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> Indianapolis is a bit far for a quick trip.


Not if you drive like you were AJ Foyt......


----------



## Pastor Dave

Or like Mario and Aldo; or is it Mario and Luigi?


----------



## Mike CHS

GB - I'm approaching a point in my life that I drive more like Jed Clampett.  

On a side note I made some soup today from some leftover Prime Rib and it is/was delicious.


----------



## Pastor Dave

Sounds like good broth, but what went in it?


----------



## Mike CHS

Pastor Dave said:


> Sounds like good broth, but what went in it?



This soup was clean out the beef and the rest of the leftovers out of the fridge.  

Some really thin sliced beef, garlic, potatoes, diced tomatoes, carrots, some beef broth, cumin, chili powder, chopped garlic and salt and pepper.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Sounds delish!


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> GB - I'm approaching a point in my life that I drive more like Jed Clampett.


Jed didn't drive, Jethro did. Granny tried a couple of times, it did not go well. 

So I guess "driving like Jed" means you have a "chauffeur" ... probably named Teresa.


----------



## greybeard

Bruce said:


> Jed didn't drive, Jethro did. Granny tried a couple of times, it did not go well.
> 
> So I guess "driving like Jed" means you have a "chauffeur" ... probably named Teresa.


He was gonna drive but someone moved the steering wheel...probably the double naught spy.
http://global.fncstatic.com/static/managed/img/Entertainment/beverly hillbillies ap graphics.jpg


----------



## Bruce

Or in that case, flipped the picture since clearly they were not driving on the wrong side of the road 


 

But yes the double naught spy sure was clever


----------



## Mike CHS

I got another truck load of assorted fiber glass panels and bags and bags of old burn barrel trash.  I can actually see the ditch bottom in spots so we are making progress.

When I went down to feed this morning I took the camera down to get some current pictures of the sheep and the dogs.  I set the hay down to move the hay rack and since they were pigging out it was a good time to get some profile pictures.  We should start lambing around February 9th or possibly a bit earlier.  The spotted ewe looks closer but she is one that I thought might have gotten bred through the fence.


----------



## CntryBoy777

That's a nice looking group of mommas-to-be.....looks like the rotational grazing is working out much better than the dry lotting, for sure.....
We are getting ready for another dip on the weather "Roller-Coaster" here....I know y'all will get hit a little harder with it up in that thinner air....stay Warm....


----------



## Baymule

They are looking good! I love the pic of the dogs with them.

Mine are dry lotted right now. We planted sprigs of bermuda  and Bahia, then spread fescue and rye grass seed, along with 2 types of clover. The winter grasses are up, but not enough to stand grazing. I guess in the spring, there will be enough to start grazing. I usually let them on the grass for 1-2 hours a day until their gut adjusts to green grass. Hoping the sprigs grow well too.


----------



## Mike CHS

Fred they are forecasting snow but I doubt (or hope) there won't be much accumulation.

I put rye grass in the main paddock but it's one that needs lime so it didn't do great.  Our hay is off of our place so they are enjoying that.


----------



## Southern by choice

They look great! 
...and the sheep too!


----------



## OneFineAcre

The animals look great.


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm happy at their condition for this time of year and it has all been on grass unless I need to bribe them into another field.  Then they get enough grain to make a noise in the bucket. 

I'm hoping to avoid some of those 11 or 11 1/2 pound lambs this lambing unlike last time and keep them under 10 pounds.


----------



## Bruce

Mike you have to be careful when you count your sheep, the LGD's blend in pretty well. That is probably a camouflage method to fool the predators into thinking the sheep are unguarded


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Mike you have to be careful when you count your sheep, the LGD's blend in pretty well. That is probably a camouflage method to fool the predators into thinking the sheep are unguarded



I have found bones in the pastures so I assume they are getting something out there.  I have gone out in the middle of the night with a gun when they are raising heck but they are settled down by the time I get out there.


----------



## CntryBoy777

They don't want ya to take all the Fun out of it so quickly....


----------



## Bruce

Looks like it was pretty ugly on the roads down your way today Mike. Hope you were safe at home.


----------



## Mike CHS

We stayed home today but from just a few miles from us and up through Kentucky was a mess.  That big pile up the news was showing tonight was just outside of Nashville.


----------



## Baymule

What a luxury to NOT have to jump out of bed, get dressed and rush out the door for work-no matter what the weather. We love having the option of NOT getting out on the roads in bad weather. 

I smiled reading that you find bones, I found the remains of a gopher this morning, back bone, teeth and a bit of fur. LOL LOL At least she got one for all the HOLES she digs!


----------



## Bruce

Baymule said:


> What a luxury to NOT have to jump out of bed, get dressed and rush out the door for work-no matter what the weather. We love having the option of NOT getting out on the roads in bad weather.


I bet DD2 and DD1 would agree with you, especially today. Lots of scraping of car windows this morning. No real snow overnight (they predicted 3" to 4") Me? I stayed in bed  

I checked the 511 website DW had up on my computer after I got up and fed the cats. Sure glad she checked it. It is 35 miles to work whether she goes north or south. She usually goes north but the only road she can take is closed due to flooding from all the snow melting Fri and Sat. Had she not checked she would have gotten halfway to work and had to turn around and take the southerly route. Would have been late for sure.

It is blowing snow horizontally, I'm going to wait for the snow and wind to let up (PRESUMABLY around 1 PM) before I go out and blow. Should "only" be about 15 MPH NNW winds then, better than the "gusting to 30" we have now.

Supposed to be -9°F overnight and about 0°F for a high tomorrow. But SUN! That is good, the panels make a lot more power when there is sun instead of clouds.


----------



## Baymule

Minus 9 degrees.....I cannot even imagine.


----------



## Bruce

It is better than -22°F


----------



## Latestarter

Been sitting here at the computer watching the temp drop about 4 degrees per hour. Right now it's at 34° & should drop another degree in ~10 minutes. Was 60 @ ~3:00pm now 8:45pm. Should bottom out ~19°f ~3-4am or so.


----------



## Mike CHS

It is cold and we are getting some heavy snow but it's days like this that I appreciate not having to make the commute into Charleston.


----------



## Bruce

Or anywhere else Mike. Commuting to the barn is much nicer.


----------



## Mike CHS

Our weather isn't as bad as many out there but it isn't fun outside.  The high for today just passed and it's 17 degrees and dropping down to the single digits tonight.  We have only gotten about 3" of snow but unfortunately we got sleet and freezing rain before the snow started so nobody is leaving home today in a car.

We are feeding a neighbors critters for a few days so I had to hike over with hot water to melt ice.  Even the fields are slippery and I almost slid into a fence trying to bring the tractor up a really steep incline so had to back down the lane to get to the other end of the field.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

You are a great neighbor!!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Stay safe!


----------



## Bruce

Probably don't have chains for the tractor, I bet it was hairy.


----------



## Baymule

Bad enough to haul hot water to your own stock, much less down the road. You are a good neighbor and I'll bet you are helping a neighbor that is good to you too.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bad choice on my part Bruce.  I "assumed" the ground was solid but it wasn't.

Bay - there are six families in our little valley and everyone pitches in when they can.


----------



## CntryBoy777

It is certainly good when ya can be relied on....and ya can rely on others too....irregardless of conditions.....
I've never been in those shoes...well, I've been relied on, but the reciprication part hasn't....it would be nice tho. I think we made it up to 20° here today with a reelfeel of 12....going down to 6° tonite with a negative windchill....up to 50° on Sat....just gotta love the roller-coaster ride....


----------



## Latestarter

Hang in there... the days are getting longer... Although as I recall the worst month is Feb followed by March, so still a ways to go.


----------



## Bruce

March is better than January,at least up here. Comes in like a lion, goes out like a lamb. January comes in cold and dark, goes out colder and somewhat lighter. Except this year when it came in REALLY FREAKING COLD. Might go out warmer than it came in.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Believe it or not, I have seen a couple of yrs here when I lived in Memphis that it snowed in April....it is a strange event, but has happened before. As crazy as it seems to be I wouldn't be surprised to see it this year....hope not, but could....


----------



## Baymule

CntryBoy777 said:


> Believe it or not, I have seen a couple of yrs here when I lived in Memphis that it snowed in April....it is a strange event, but has happened before. As crazy as it seems to be I wouldn't be surprised to see it this year....hope not, but could....


*NOOOOOOO!!!!! SHUT UP!!!! *


----------



## Baymule

Going to twelve degrees tonight. I have never lived anywhere that it got that cold.


----------



## Mike CHS

It's 9 degrees here this morning and I didn't want to get out from under the covers.


----------



## Hens and Roos

You have us beat- we are currently at 0* and maybe get into the low 20's today...


----------



## CntryBoy777

Got down to 3° here this morning....hi of 24....if I dealt with these kinds of temps too often I'd have to rethink having animals cause I just want to hibernate....


----------



## Latestarter

It's 18° here right now. Sun is shining, but not adding a whole lot of warmth. forecast says high of 32 today. The hot water line to my kitchen sink is frozen solid... not even a dribble. I hope the pipe holds out and doesn't burst. Gonna be another real cold one tonight so I think I'm going to let the other faucets "leak" overnight. I do NOT want to be laying on my back under the house repairing water lines...


----------



## CntryBoy777

Saw the neighbor doing that exact thing yesterday Joe, his wife was bringing him a blow dryer and pipe insulation....sure hope it thaws out without adding problems....open up the cabnet door too to circulate some warmth.


----------



## Latestarter

The problem as I see it is that the floors here are NOT insulated. The house is built on piers maybe 3 feet above ground at the back of the house and 2 feet or less at the front. There is skirting around the house, but it does not extend into the ground, which allows cold air to blow under the house, especially when it's real windy. The last cold snap we had back in December I opened the taps a bit over night, but for some reason this time I completely forgot. I don't know that it will be warm enough today for the pipe to thaw. I have left the tap opened a bit so if it does happen to thaw enough to move, it will hopefully run enough to clear the ice. Tomorrow is supposed to be mid 40s, so hopefully that will melt it. I'm going to be monitoring for broken pipes for the next several days...


----------



## Baymule

@Latestarter turn your water off tonight and open all the faucets. Then if you do get a busted pipe, it won't spew all over the place. Turn the water on tomorrow and then go turn off the faucets. Maybe draw up some water for the inbetween time. This might be a good time to buy a hair dryer for thawing out pipes.


----------



## Mike CHS

@Latestarter I'm glad you got your water line thawed out.  The water troughs are getting such thick ice in a short time that I resorted to using a sledge hammer to break the ice.

I made what to me is an interesting observation today with the pup and this is the third time in as many days that I've seen it. I have spent a lot of time breaking Thor from moving the sheep and i haven't seen him do it in a couple of weeks but there is a new twist to what he's doing and I'm inclined to not stop this one since I'm not REALLY sure that what I'm seeing is anything other than coincidence until I see it more.

Sheep being sheep they will head butt each other and when they go at it fairly seriously he will start walking toward the pair doing the butting.  With him being so big, they stop and start walking away.  As soon as they stop, he turns away and stops paying them any attention.  He won't even walk toward them until they start butting again and he will do the same thing.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Guess he is trying to decide who is the aggressor and protect the other....or referee....


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> Guess he is trying to decide who is the aggressor and protect the other....or referee....



I'm probably over thinking on my part but he rarely walks right at them like that.  He usually will go around them unless he is alerting to something.


----------



## Baymule

Maybe he has a sense of fair play and considers one of them the aggressor. It's kinda cool that he does that. What amazing dogs. I never want to be without a LGD.


----------



## Bruce

He likes a calm herd, just saying "break it up you two".

Or not


----------



## Latestarter

These LGDs are very smart. and they have good minds and can think for themselves.


----------



## Mike CHS

Between the weather and my shoulder there isn't much for our journal.  My shoulder felt well enough today to finish up the short run of fence I started a couple of weeks ago and hopefully I can finish the last 100' this week while the weather is nice. Teresa and I just realized that we had not updated Wills and POA since we moved to Tennessee and the state has this thing that if something happens to you and you don't have a Will, they have one for you.  The surviving spouse get half of everything and the children get the other half.  Since that doesn't work for us we see a lawyer tomorrow.  

I am setting up an appointment for my shoulder since it I am tired of using my left hand for everything.

The Akbash pup is getting huge and I am learning to really love this breed.  I am not an experienced LGD handler and would not recommend anyone that can't read dog body language to get one of these dogs but I am super glad that we got him.  He keeps you on your toes to avoid resource guarding (me) but he loves to please.  I'll be sending a PM to @Southern by choice on some more tips on handling that.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Sure hope the shoulder eases up for ya and there isn't any lasting injury to it. I encourage all to get a Will and tend to those matters before ya stick others in the situation that I'm in....it isn't any fun at all.
I'm sure glad that Thor has turned out so well for ya and Maisy settled into being a great one also....


----------



## Southern by choice

Sent a pm


----------



## Baymule

Get that shoulder taken care of, pain isn't any fun at all and it keeps you from doing the things you want to do. Texas has that same law, it didn't work for us either. We updated our wills when we moved here, things had changed. Nobody gets out of this world alive. We came into it with nothing, we leave with nothing, but what we leave behind can spark a fight like no other.


----------



## Southern by choice

You know it really is something to think about.

We are in many of our clients wills. The LGD's come to us, where they will remain. The goats are to come to us so that we can take time and find appropriate homes. We are blessed to have great clients that care enough to remember their animals and that they trust us to care for their goats and place them.


----------



## Mike CHS

We are making provisions for all of our animals.  You tend to overlook their welfare when you think things can go on with no interruption.


----------



## Baymule

Neither of my kids would want my animals. Hmmm....... But I got another 40 years to go-I ain't leaving 'till I'm past 100 years old.


----------



## Mike CHS

We aren't planning on going anywhere anytime soon either but we network enough that every critter would still have a good life if something unexpected did happen.  The herding dogs have two places to go where they could still work and the LGD's have several folks that would love them.  Sheep are easy to relocate so no problem there either.


----------



## Dani4Hedgies

HI just finished reading all the post and am LOVING your journal as your journey is very much like the one we are getting ready to embark on as we start the "slow" process of building our small house and moving into it and starting our first homestead  Thankfully we have friends that are already on the land so we will all be working together to get everything built and as the animals are brought on board. Just wanting to say Hi and quit being a lurker


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm glad you decided to jump in and I know your journey will be as rewarding as ours has been,


----------



## Mike CHS

We got the last of the wooden posts set and Jay and I will run the last 100' of wire tomorrow (depending on the weather) and get the last two gates hung.  I used Jay to dig the last post hole since I think that is how I got my shoulder whacked up.  I did make a Dr appointment for the 1st of February to hopefully see what kind of shape it is really in.

We switched all of our insurance over to Farm Bureau this afternoon from USAA to better fit our needs.  I have been with USAA since 1978 but they aren't geared toward farms and they don't offer what we are needing.


----------



## Baymule

We are covered by Germania Insurance. It is for homes and farms in rural areas. We have a farm policy with them, it covers everything.


----------



## Mike CHS

Thor is growing so fast I figured I had better get a couple of current "puppy" pictures.  I have to keep him on a leash during his house visits since I'm afraid Sassy will show some fear aggression toward Thor.  I don't want them to be friends but I do want to try to show them that they belong. He tries to play with Lance but Lance isn't sure that would be fun and his expression shows it.


----------



## Southern by choice

He is growing so well!  I know you are smitten!


----------



## Dani4Hedgies

LOL OMG the LOOK on Lances face PRICELESS!!!


----------



## CntryBoy777

Thor standing with Lance sure puts perspective on his size....it looks to me as if Lance is hoping Thor isn't moving in anytime soon.....


----------



## Mike CHS

Southern by choice said:


> He is growing so well!  I know you are smitten!



Maisy is a big love bug but Thor is just so intense all of the time that I'm amazed at his personality.  

He was 77 pounds this morning which means he will weigh as much as Maisy in the next day or so at 79.  Lance is 50 pounds and he us feeling a little less cocky around the LGDs all of the time.


----------



## Southern by choice

Mike CHS said:


> Lance is 50 pounds and he us feeling a little less cocky around the LGDs all of the time.



LOL yeah, that happens. Our GSD, that has the fastest bite, started Schutzhund, will not even look funny at the LGD's.


----------



## Bruce

Dani4Hedgies said:


> LOL OMG the LOOK on Lances face PRICELESS!!!


"If I pretend I don't know he is there, maybe he will go away."
"Is he gone yet??".


----------



## Dani4Hedgies




----------



## Mike CHS

Lance does have some easy to see expressions.


----------



## Mike CHS

I forgot to mention earlier that we got the last section of fence ran.  We do the top hot wires and the two gates tomorrow and that is the last fencing until May.  We want to keep one open area as vehicle parking and access for the Tennessee Katahdin Association meeting we are hosting in April.


----------



## Baymule

Thor is such a handsome boy! Lance looks like the invasion of the zombies is here. LOL LOL

It will be fun to host the meeting, we will want pictures and a summary of how much fun you had!


----------



## Mike CHS

I got everything installed for the hot wire and should finish that Monday. 

I made use of some decent weather to go out and rake up sheep poo from the bedding areas that they use.  That's only something that I do every couple of months but the garden beds are all replenished and ready for tilling all of the manure in.


----------



## Bruce

Is said sheep poop nicely dried out? I have to assume so if it can be raked rather than needing to be shoveled.


----------



## CntryBoy777

We've had rain here all day, but come tomorrow I hqve to tackle the goat house and duck pen....


----------



## Mike CHS

It's a mix of dried and fairly fresh and I have this huge dust pan like thing and use a broom to brush it in and have big tubs to hold all of that.  I probably got between 70-80 pounds and still need to do their shelters.  Even fresh it sweeps right up.


----------



## Mike CHS

We took some pictures of the sheep while we were out feeding and taking a look at how everyone is doing.  The ewes we put with the ram in October are due to lamb starting in 2 weeks.  We have a couple that are showing signs of being ready NOW so they might have gotten bred through the fence.

The younger ewes were put in a month later and a few didn't cycle right away so they will be due to lamb mid February into March.  They were all in really good condition going into breeding and several look to be carrying multiples.

First up is 34 who used to be known as Wild Thing and she is sold with her lamb(s).  She will never be tame but she is a sweet one that doesn't panic when being handled.

Next is 70 who is smaller than I like but has perfect lines and dropped twins last season.

Then there is 122 who can be handled like a puppy dog but she is my girl and will probably stay here long enough to retire.

Next is Notag - she has soft ear tissue that doesn't like to keep ear tags in place and since she is another of my girls, she doesn't need a tag anyway.

Maisy needs no introduction but she must put on several miles following me around the paddocks when I'm working out there.

Thor is taking his treasure off to hide somewhere so mean old daddy can't take it away.  I had it sitting by the gate so I could throw it away and he grabbed it and hauled off.3 

The older ewes are all between 2 1/2 & 3 years old and they all shed much better this year than last.  The 3 males from last season are all going to be sold soon.


----------



## Southern by choice

Your sheep look fantastic Mike!

Yes, you are a mean daddy... taking his possessions away.    He is gonna be your special boy... 

Maisey looks so happy and relaxed now. Makes the heart happy!


----------



## CntryBoy777

The girls are coming along quite nicely....and it does look that there are more than singles in your future this season........Thor just thought he'd save ya some steps and needed to see if there was anytbing he could use before it was tossed.....


----------



## Mike CHS

He already is my special boy.


----------



## Mike CHS

I love living in a rural area.  I went into Pulaski today to get some fencing supplies and on the way home I saw a small herd of cattle in a pasture beside the road.  One of the cows had a strange look to her rear and it almost looked like something hanging on her.  As I got closer I slowed down until I could see she was delivering.  I pulled off on to the shoulder to watch this pretty calf being born.  Quite a few cars slowed down because of me sitting there but they wound up doing the same as I did.  I don't care who you are, births are always an awesome thing and even though this is a rural area folks still like to watch the magic.

There wound up being a half dozen cars on US31A which is a traffic jam for here.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I would've been one there too!!....just born anything is always beautiful....and calves are especially....


----------



## Southern by choice

Absolutely! There is such a magical beauty in life being born! 
I guess that is why we all get so excited for each other when lambing/kidding/calving/foaling etc... happen.  I'm always so proud of the mamma's!


----------



## Mike CHS

I hope I don't have withdrawals but I am done building fence.  I got the hot wire finished on the section I have been working on this morning.  I kept track of time spent on this section since it seemed like it has taken forever to fence in our place but this section was just under 500' and I spent 30 hours getting it done and that includes 6 hours of Jay's time.  Plus there was often a week or more at a time that other things were getting done so I don't feel so bad about how long it took.

I'm going to take our ram and the LGDs out of the paddock that we will be lambing in tomorrow and put them in with the wethers until I can see how the dogs handle lambing.  Maisy did well last season after a questionable start but Thor the pup can't be trusted yet. He is bigger than Maisy now by quite a bit and well behaved (mostly) but he is a 6 month old pup in spite of his size.  I have enough paddocks to give everyone enough room to roam without being bored and plenty of hay to not need to worry about graze.


----------



## Bruce

Now that the fencing is done you can sit on the deck, tea (sweet or not) in hand, and admire your work  Then figure out the next thing you want to tackle on your to-do list because farmers don't get time to just sit.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Now that the fencing is done you can sit on the deck, tea (sweet or not) in hand, and admire your work  Then figure out the next thing you want to tackle on your to-do list because farmers don't get time to just sit.



It's called reclaim 3000' of fenceline on our property line with CSX.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I know it feels good to be at that point....and a huge weight off the mind and back, shoulders, fingers, arms, and legs..........I seem to remember quite a bit of wood that was put into a Shop, if I recall.....maybe there would sometime to bring us along with ya on some of that Fine woodworking skill ya have there....


----------



## Southern by choice

You should do what you feel is best but I do want to encourage you...
All our dogs have been in with kidding as pups. I don't go for that automatic "can't be trusted" thing.
The dog has to PROVE it is untrustworthy. Not the other way round. 
Of course that means you present, at 5 months it is only wise.
I see so many kick the dogs out and miss the opportunity to be alongside and teach... there is something magical.

This is Chunk and Eliza. We were not out there and we knew the goat was close... we went out and she was pushing. 
The dogs behaved this way naturally, chunk on belly sniffing... we gave the go ahead for them to clean of the kids! They were super fast and wonderful... Callie came around after a bit if I remember right.  




Chunk as a pup took care of our Kiko that kidded in the field to our surprise... 
She hasn't delivered the after birth yet... he was just there beside her. he was 9 months I think.


----------



## Baymule

Fencing done. Next? LOL

Love the pictures of the sheep and dogs. That's what we wake up for, so we can go outside and play.


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm fairly sure Maisy will be OK this lambing season but I want to be around to start the introductions. I'm bringing all of the ewes into the lambing paddock so I can let the pup in when I can be there to make sure he doesn't want to play lamb polo with fresh born lambs.  

I trust Thor mostly but he is a pup that hasn't gotten use to accepting his size and knowing what he can and should not do with it.  He is on perfect behavior when he knows I can see him but there have been many times where he is being silly using the sheep to entertain himself.  I spend large parts of the day doing nothing other than walking with the sheep as they graze and watching/interacting with the dogs.  I don't see that as training but it keeps the pup calm.

We have cameras set up in the ewes area so hopefully we can be around and let the pup into the area when it's time.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> It's called reclaim 3000' of fenceline on our property line with CSX.


Meaning brush cutting? Maybe you need some goats


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Meaning brush cutting? Maybe you need some goats



Goats were in our original plan but I decided I had plenty to do so that changed.  

We could have lambs as early as next Monday and we are giving shots to those that need it Friday.


----------



## Baymule

waiting on LAMB pictures!!


----------



## Latestarter




----------



## Mike CHS

Since we could start seeing lambs on the ground so soon Teresa and I got all of the animals sorted today. We pulled the ram and the three wethers and put the pup in with them. Maisy has been through a lambing season but the pup has not. I would love to trust him but since we lamb in the pasture I'm not wanting to put the temptation out there.  

We will bring the ewes into the catch pen tomorrow for the younger ones to get their vaccinations.  Our friend and helper (Jay) has been chomping at the bit to take his two sheep home but Teresa convinced him it's better to wait and let them lamb here.


----------



## Mike CHS

I had my appointment for my shoulder this afternoon and for the 1st time in I don't remember, I had tears in my eyes from her doing the mobility tests.  They scheduled me for an MRI on the 6th so hopefully they will decide all I need is a steroid shot but we shall see.  Pain was severe enough that my BP was 210/120 so they gave me an injection in my backside a couple of hours ago and I already have less inflammation.  As has been said on here many times - aging is not for the faint of heart.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Sure hope it heals and the MRI finds no damage....
No Mike, it certainly isn't....there are many days that I think about that mule harnessed up and dragging the plow, as I plod along.....


----------



## Baymule

I hope your shoulder is ok and it is nothing serious.


----------



## Latestarter

Sorry Mike... Hope it's just aggravation/inflammation from all the recent fencing. Hope a shot or maybe some pills short term will calm it back down.


----------



## Mike CHS

We worked the sheep through the chute this morning checking hooves and giving CDT shots to those that needed it.  Hooves didn't need any work at all so I guess there are some good things to be said about stone in the paddocks.

We had a neighbor helping and their dog followed them over. The LGDs were in another paddock to keep them out of my way but it didn't work out that way.  I built a jump gate for Maisy about 4 months ago in that fence and Maisy would never go through it so I didn't bother closing it off this morning but of course once she saw that dog that was the first time for her to go through it.  I also made a jump gate on a cattle panel to us to train her and even though she went through it once to get to Thor the first day we had him, she never tried it again so I wrote that off as a failure that needed more work.  Today I went ahead and closed it off then walked Maisy down to the gate for that fence.  When I opened the gate I raised up and promptly found myself flat on my back from touching my forehead to the 13K volts going through the high hot wire.

The Toradol shot I got yesterday made the shoulder pain go away  (or at least I can't feel it if it's there) and blood pressure was back down to normal instead of off the charts high.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> BP was 210/120


 And your heart didn't explode?? 



Mike CHS said:


> When I opened the gate I raised up and promptly found myself flat on my back from touching my forehead to the 13K volts going through the high hot wire.


Ow. I bet you forgot all about your shoulder pain then! Can't imagine how your head felt, bad enough when your arm aches for a few minutes after an accidental touch.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Mike CHS said:


> When I opened the gate I raised up and promptly found myself flat on my back from touching my forehead to the 13K volts going through the high hot wire.


That had to hurt!  I'm terrified of that having just installed electric fencing to convince Cowboy to stay where he belongs!  Yikes!


----------



## Bruce

I suggest you don't touch it @frustratedearthmother


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Good suggestion!  Probably don't even have to tell Cowboy that anymore, lol!     I mean...poor dog!


----------



## Mike CHS

Every once in awhile I will hear the pup yelping from rubbing against the low hot wire.


----------



## Mike CHS

frustratedearthmother said:


> That had to hurt!  I'm terrified of that having just installed electric fencing to convince Cowboy to stay where he belongs!  Yikes!



I'm guessing you will be smarter than me and not touch it again after you accidentally do it once. This makes the 4th time I'm raised up into the wire and I have a hot and ground over the fence so you are sure to get a good zap plus the ground is saturated today.  

Bruce they ran an EKG and didn't seem that concerned and would have taken more steps this morning if the BP had not gotten down to a safer range.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

I'm sure it'll happen at least once....


----------



## greybeard

Wonder what that ekg would have looked like right after you got into the hot wire?


----------



## Latestarter

Well, on the bright side, it wasn't "flat line"...


----------



## Bruce

frustratedearthmother said:


> I'm sure it'll happen at least once....


You can bet on it. I've managed it twice. It is always the "I'm not near it so I don't have to worry" times that you hit it. You forget that if you move you ARE near it. If you are working close to it on purpose you are VERY aware of exactly where the wires are.


----------



## Pastor Dave

Sounds like a good time to throw off the switch to me.


----------



## Bruce

In hindsight, yes! The second time I hit it I was attaching chicken wire to the inside of the cattle panel part of the fence by the barn so the chickens couldn't go through. Not likely to have any predators trying to get over any part of the fence at that time. The hot wire is at 5' and the chicken wire was only 4' high, what could go wrong??


----------



## Pastor Dave




----------



## CntryBoy777

I think that is a tad too much for some electro-therapy and the landing had to jolt that shoulder some....sure Glad ya had the shot......


----------



## Mike CHS

Thanks Fred - we had been out for a couple of hours working the sheep so most of the extremities were frozen.


----------



## Baymule

We have the back yard hot wired, it is for when Paris is in heat. Even when it is off, neither dog will get close to it.


----------



## Mike CHS

No pictures until later today but two of the ewes gave birth last night.  One set of twins and one single - They are in the far paddock so I'll post again when I know more details.


----------



## Baymule

Lambs!!!


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Congrats!


----------



## Latestarter

Awesome! And so the herd/flock begins its expansion once again!


----------



## CntryBoy777

What a grand sight on a chilly morning!!....


----------



## Mike CHS

Latestarter said:


> Awesome! And so the herd/flock begins its expansion once again!



At least for the short term.  Several of any ewe lambs will be replacement lambs and the males will be sold at 90-120 days this season.

We won't be tagging or sexing these guys till a few more hours.  One of the ewes is super skittish right now so we will wait to make sure she bonds with her lamb.  The single lamb was evidently born during the night but the twins were born this morning not long before we went out to check on them.

We did get some pictures though since I did promise after all.


----------



## Mike CHS

I hit the wrong button in my last so here are some more pictures.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Oh how Sweet!!....it doesn't take them long to run, jump, and play.....


----------



## Bruce

Baymule said:


> We have the back yard hot wired, it is for when Paris is in heat. Even when it is off, neither dog will get close to it.


Yeah, dogs are smarter than people, only takes one jolt.


----------



## Mike CHS

We went out and put ear tags on and all three of these lambs are rams .  They were 7.25, 8.0 and the single weighed 14 but I'm guessing he might have been born last night like I originally thought so we'll call him 13.5.  We may leave him intact based on his size and the fact that he has some nice moon spot color.


----------



## Baymule

How do you market your lambs?


----------



## Mike CHS

We are using Facebook (two livestock For Sale pages) and we are in two associations that has a good following.  The 4H folks came to us referred by the Extension office and our processor is going to be the middle man in setting up meat sales.  He has more requests than he has sheep so that looks to work good for us.


----------



## Baymule

Are your sheep registered?


----------



## Mike CHS

Right now just our ram is registered and our spotted ewe but that doesn't affect meat sales or 4H here.  All you need to be is full blooded and most of ours are.  As we sell this spring we are going to replace with registered stock.

Edited to add: Our whole flock will not be registered.  We are shooting for half registered for the breeder market and half commercial for both meat and the commercial breeders market.  Our sheep are all fairly large and that's popular in our part of the state.


----------



## Mike CHS

I think Teresa was feeling a bit of nostalgia about not having all the family around because she made enough snacks for all of them if they were here.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Looks like dinner for 2 to me....ya can munch all the way to bedtime....


----------



## Mike CHS

She made some of the best wings I have ever had.  Everything else was good but I kept room for the wings.


----------



## Bruce

That does look like a lot of food for two. Maybe she is expecting the game to go into overtime after overtime after overtime and wanted to make sure there was enough food to last .... even if she/you aren't watching


----------



## Baymule

We had gobs of food too. Neighbors came over, bringing a gas flat grill and all the fixin's for fajitas. I made chili and had Fritos, cheese and chopped green onions. And because it was asked for, I made eggnog. I am not a football fan, but I love Super Bowl!


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> Right now just our ram is registered and our spotted ewe but that doesn't affect meat sales or 4H here.  All you need to be is full blooded and most of ours are.  As we sell this spring we are going to replace with registered stock.
> 
> Edited to add: Our whole flock will not be registered.  We are shooting for half registered for the breeder market and half commercial for both meat and the commercial breeders market.  Our sheep are all fairly large and that's popular in our part of the state.


I will be aiming for a registered ram and a few registered ewes. Sounds like we have the same goals, half registered and half commercial.


----------



## Mike CHS

It's too bad we aren't closer together. Ringo is almost 5 years old now and we won't be able to use him after this summer. I have a line on another registered ram from another farm here in TN this spring.

I had the dogs out working on some training this morning and went ahead and the sheep came out with us in the back yard. I was out in the cold and Teresa took some pictures from the warmth of the living room.  Just kidding of course since we normally share the workload but I like to do most of the training.

I was doing some light "Stay" training and Maisy has started sticking one paw up (not on me but just holds it up) so I took advantage of it a couple of times by saying "Paw" and now she does it consistently. Almost - the one with her standing on her back legs started with the "Paw" request. We train for a couple of minutes then mingle among the sheep then do a bit more training. They like it and do really well at it.

Maisy has been super with the new babies and I'm leaving her in with them more and more since she is so much more mature this year. Thor gets fairly long periods during the day but he is still young and shows it. The last picture shows that the puppy doesn't look like a puppy anymore.


----------



## Mike CHS

And some "just because" they are sooooo cute in spite of being ram lambs.  Either the first two to lamb were a bit early or Ringo took a break when he got put in for breeding but I expected more lambs by now.  Several are looking ready at any minute though.

The single ram lamb looks like he is putting on a pound a day and has some cool moon spots on him.


----------



## Bruce

Baymule said:


> made eggnog.


Mama Wall's no doubt. With the girls working again, I might have to make another batch.


----------



## Baymule

I wish we lived closer too! Ringo is a really nice ram. Great pictures, it is obvious that Maisy adores her Daddy! I hope you have a lot of twins this lambing.

@Bruce yes it was Mamma Wall's eggnog. Is there any other kind? I am kinda getting known in the neighborhood for my eggnog. Why make it only at Christmas? LOL


----------



## CntryBoy777

Looks like you and Maisy are 2 steppin there Mike....
Thor said no treat?!....Time to go....
The lambs are absolutely Adorable!!....love those fresh innocent faces on them.....just so Sweet!!.....


----------



## Mike CHS

I have an appointment for an MRI this morning but we have to do some sorting of the sheep when we get back.  One of my ewes is a lamb thief of one of the first born twins.  She did have both of them and I was able to get one of them back to it's mom.  I don't want to wait any longer than  I have to or the thief will use all of her colostrum on the lamb that isn't hers.  She should be lambing in the next several days along with the other 8.


----------



## misfitmorgan

I'm skipping ahead in my catchup for a minute to say.

Those pepppers, the really sweet ones.

This company seems to have them a fair bit cheaper
http://www.reimerseeds.com/yum-yum-mix-sweet-peppers.aspx

They are a F1 hybrid cross though so there is a chance the seeds may grow true regardless. Now i am going back to where i left off.....


----------



## Mike CHS

Thank you for the pepper link.  I have used Reimer in the past but it has been awhile.


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm not sure what transpired while we were gone but when I looked out the twins were back on their mom and looking back down the paddock a bit you could see 70 was just getting rid of her afterbirth with her lamb just starting to stand up. 

I guess jail isn't needed yet but we got it ready just in case.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I don't want to wait any longer than I have to or the thief will use all of her colostrum on the lamb that isn't hers. She should be lambing in the next several days along with the other 8.


Figured she could skip the birth part if she already had a lamb??


----------



## Mike CHS

I quit trying to act like I understand their brains.  

This particular lamb is an equal opportunity suck-er.  I think he has tried every teat that gets anywhere near his mouth.  He got on her and she started licking on him like it was her own.


----------



## Mike CHS

I just went out and sexed the latest lamb and it is also a ram lamb.  So far it's 4-ram lambs, 0 ewe lambs


----------



## CntryBoy777

Sounds like the meat sales are doing well for ya....just gotta get some replacement activity going now....


----------



## Mike CHS

Fred - all I want is another 6 or 7 ewes so I'm hoping this trend doesn't continue or I'll be buying some ewes.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Ya may have to make enough on the meat sale side to aid in the expense on the replacement side....
....but I am Hoping for ya wish to materialize for ya...


----------



## Bruce

You can ship me some meat


----------



## CntryBoy777

That's a Great idea @Bruce !!.....I can contribute too....I just need to know how many ice chests to take with me for a visit....


----------



## Mike CHS

There is going to be plenty.  We aren't going to castrate any this year plus Hoss is going to the processor soon as a sale.


----------



## Baymule

Do many of your ewes have twins? I have 2 ewes that consistently have twins. Each had a ewe lamb this time and I am keeping both.


----------



## Mike CHS

We only had 2 out of 10 last season and right now just 1 of the 3 who has lambed.  We need to read up on whether it's the ewes or the ram that tends to twin or if it makes any difference.  Some of the one year olds I would rather have singles but the 2 and 3 year olds that had singles are going to be bred back and sold.

We have 7 of this 1st group still to lamb and then the eight 14 month olds in about a month.


----------



## Mike CHS

We went down to the shop to call in the sheep so we could tag and weigh the newest ram lamb.  Ringo is throwing some big lambs - this one weighs 10.2 pounds and looks like he will have a lot of brown spots. I guess Ringo has some color in his genes but he only has one really small black spot on his ear.


----------



## farmerjan

Your twinning is more the ewes than the rams.  Yes, having twinning in the rams line helps, but the ewes are producing the eggs and there is more than enough semen from the ram during the breeding to settle the eggs.  Do you try to flush the ewes before breeding?  Putting them on new, rich pasture and feeding some supplemental grain will usually help them to ovulate more than one egg.   It's not a sure fire way to do it, but it helps.  we up the grain to ours a month before breeding to get twins.  Don't like twins on first timers, but get 75% twins on the older ewes.


----------



## Mike CHS

Thanks Jan - we did flush last lambing but not this one since they were already so fat on really flush pasture during breeding time.  Our line of Katahdins don't seem to cycle as well when in that condition and our stock is already bigger than average.  We called in one of the biggest breeders in Tennessee to get their opinion and that's what they recommended.


----------



## Bruce

farmerjan said:


> Yes, having twinning in the rams line helps, but the ewes are producing the eggs and there is more than enough semen from the ram during the breeding to settle the eggs.


So twin lambs are "always" fraternal?


----------



## Mike CHS

Our ram was a twin and only 3 out of 18 have lambed so it's early and nothing to worry about either way but I had been wondering what determined sex of the lambs.

Saw a bit of trivia a little while ago.  I was watching an episode of Gunsmoke and after Matt shot a man I wondered how many people he took out in all those years.  Turned out it was lower than I thought (383 in just the series or 407 if you count the TV movies.

It's still raining outside.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Our ram was a twin and only 3 out of 18 have lambed so it's early and nothing to worry about either way but I had been wondering what determined sex of the lambs.
> 
> I believe with mammals it is the male. With chickens it is the female.
> 
> Saw a bit of trivia a little while ago.  I was watching an episode of Gunsmoke and after Matt shot a man I wondered how many people he took out in all those years.  Turned out it was lower than I thought (383 in just the series or 407 if you count the TV movies.
> 
> I was watching the wrong westerns I guess, hardly anyone ever got shot and when they did it was usually a flesh wound.
> 
> It's still raining outside.


Hope you all don't drown down there!


----------



## Mike CHS

I got a call from my Dr this afternoon.  A bunch of words that I didn't understand but there is enough damage to my shoulder that they are making me an appointment with an ortho Doctor.


----------



## CntryBoy777

That doesn't sound good....hope there isn't too much damage and recovery is swift and not lasting.... ...


----------



## Latestarter

Sorry about the shoulder Mike. Hope the ortho doc can get you better with PT vice surgery being required.


----------



## Mike CHS

Thanks Joe - I've had issues with it for a couple of years now so I'm ready to try whatever it takes.  Lately anything much more than a shrug almost brings tears and it's been that way since mid September which is why I used our helper as much as I did.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Mike ya mentioned Hoss yesterday and I've been meaning to ask ya how big he has gotten now and isn't he about a yr old now?


----------



## Bruce

Hopefully you can fix your shoulder with PT and strengthening. If not, talk to @Baymule's DH about shoulder replacement surgery


----------



## Mike CHS

Fred - Hoss hasn't been on a scale in awhile but I'm guessing he is probably 120 to 130 pounds.  He is our #3 lamb which puts him being born right around Christmas.  Ten Ten and Hoss have both been wanting petting lately so they must have heard Teresa and I talking about them.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Hopefully you can fix your shoulder with PT and strengthening. If not, talk to @Baymule's DH about shoulder replacement surgery



I would prefer PT if it would work but we shall see.  Doing nothing isn't an option any longer. I'm probably paying for a whole bunch of years doing the power lifting thing up until my mid 50's when things started to get strained easier.  I have a pretty good workout area but I can't do hardly anything that involves my right shoulder.


----------



## High Desert Cowboy

I hope it’ll just take PT to fix it.  I had shoulder surgery last year after working through the pain for 14 years and it made a world of difference, i feel so much better.  But that was a torn labrum and bicep, if it’s a complete shoulder I can only repeat what my father-in-law said and deal with the pain as long as humanly possible because a replacement is no fun.  Fingers crossed it’s nothing major


----------



## Mike CHS

High Desert Cowboy said:


> I hope it’ll just take PT to fix it.  I had shoulder surgery last year after working through the pain for 14 years and it made a world of difference, i feel so much better.  But that was a torn labrum and bicep, if it’s a complete shoulder I can only repeat what my father-in-law said and deal with the pain as long as humanly possible because a replacement is no fun.  Fingers crossed it’s nothing major



Thanks


----------



## Baymule

My husband's shoulder replacement was no walk in the park, but he sure is glad he finally had that done. Immediately after surgery, not so much.... the PT, yeah, that hurt. His therapist really leaned on his arm, literally, and worked him hard because he knew that we are active and working outside all the time. Before surgery he could not even raise his arm up to shoulder level. Afterward and PT, he could raise his hand straight up over his head.

After years of watching him suffer in pain, I am glad that he had the surgery. Bone headed stupid A$$ should have had it done YEARS ago!


----------



## Mike CHS

I never had a problem until about September.  I spent a couple of years in a wheel chair back in the 80's so I don't wait too long to see about fixing things.


----------



## Bruce

Baymule said:


> Bone headed stupid A$$ should have had it done YEARS ago!


Don't hold back Bay, tell us what you REALLY think


----------



## Baymule

Bruce said:


> Don't hold back Bay, tell us what you REALLY think


I WAS holding back.


----------



## Latestarter

You should see those two in person! Great folks and can be a real hoot!


----------



## Mike CHS

I got my MRI results this morning and spent some time looking up what some of the words meant.  They used a bunch of "minor and moderate" terms in the writeup but it looks like it is mainly tendon issues with a couple of posttraumatic fracture lines that I have no idea what the cause was.  Anyway it looks like other than several tendon tears the rotator cuff is mostly intact.

I was being a worry wart and thinking much worse so I'm happy.  Doc appointment is the 21st.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Well that is really Good news!!....glad it is nothing very serious.....


----------



## Baymule

Does not sound like surgery will be needed.


----------



## Latestarter

They may "require" arthroscopic surgery to repair the tendons... ? Still hope it's a simple fix and no surgery required.


----------



## High Desert Cowboy

That’s good news.  Hopefully more to follow on the 21st


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> They used a bunch of "minor and moderate" terms in the writeup but it looks like it is mainly tendon issues with a couple of posttraumatic fracture lines that I have no idea what the cause was.


Couldn't be from pounding hundreds of T-posts I suppose.


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm sure that didn't help Bruce but it had been bothering me for a long time before the fence started.

I had the gate from our back yard open yesterday to let the sheep up by the house since we had friends over for dinner and they wanted to see lambs.  About dark I was looking out and they were all heading to their bedding area (at least I thought so) but evidently two of them decided to stay in the small (100' X 100') utility pen that used to be a chicken pen. I think this is the first time these two young ewes had ever been out in the open all night but both needed to get wet because of that

I grilled some beef steak as well as lamb chops and steak for their first time try at lamb. All the lamb was eaten and most of the beef is in the fridge.


----------



## CntryBoy777

We have rain standing everywhere here too Mike, it is suppose to rain here all wknd....I thought about going and getting the boat just in case.....
I am seriously considering getting a lamb from ya, so I'll sure be talking to ya.....


----------



## Mike CHS

Just let us know Fred but I'm keeping all of the ewe lambs.

A few minutes ago I looked down at the shop stall and could see my girl Notag cleaning off her single lamb.  We went down to check sex and get a couple of pictures and she has a big ewe lamb.  We will weigh her after they get some bonding time but I'm guessing 10-11 pounds.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Are those still going to Jay? She is so Cute!!....a big little girl.....


----------



## Mike CHS

Jay is buying 34 who had the big ram lamb the other day and our #1 lamb who won't be lambing for another 3-4 weeks.  I'm glad you asked about that since it reminded me I need to find out what he want to do with the ram lamb since we aren't banding any of ours this season.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Sorry Mike....I just remembered he was to get Wild Thing, not Notag. I would be coming to get the lamb home in coolers, so I figured it would be thru the butcher, but sure want to get some....


----------



## Mike CHS

That works if you want one.  I have a good processor up here just down the road.


----------



## Latestarter

Hey Mike, what happened to your chickens? It looks like the "A" frame tractor was laying on it's side? Man can I identify with being out in downpours for the animals and all that mud! Seems with these past few storm systems, we get some rain here but it builds moving east and Fred & you get pounded. I had a 10 minute downpour around 3am here that dropped 1/4"... The major portion of that/this system stayed south of me and I only had that one stray cell far enough north to get me. It was enough to make the goat pen a muddy mess... Still hadn't fully dried out from the last storm that dropped 2". Looks like you are really getting pounded again.





Like Fred said... we're under threat of more rain all weekend. Not much going to be accomplished outside here either.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I just came in from outside and poured 3" out of the gauge so far and it is still raining....


----------



## Bruce

That means HAPPY ducks and MISERABLE goats.


----------



## Mike CHS

Joe - Several of the less productive ones wound up in the freezer and with the big coop in the other pen that Teresa made the A-frame wasn't being used.  I started taking it apart the other day but it hasn't quit raining since then.  It was all screwed together so it comes apart pretty easy.  Our rain gauge was full at 4" so I'm not sure how much we got this time (not that it matters at this point)


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm going to retrofit another gate in the ex-chicken pen that will open into the pasture and we can use that as another utility pen with access from inside and out.


----------



## Latestarter

Oh, that's right, I completely forgot the other chicken coop Teresa made. I have to assume that it's working out well for you and the birds. Maybe you can get Jay to do the gate manufacture for you so you don't have to put additional stress on the bad shoulder? So I believe I recollect that you said this time around you're going to let the butcher lambs grow out longer for more meat. So when are you anticipating that they'll be ready to go? Fall some time?


----------



## Mike CHS

We are going to have to sell all or most of the new meat lambs by 5 months at the latest so they should be 100 lbs before that.  We will creep feed for the 1st month and then go to straight grass for the rest of the time.  Since we aren't banding they will have to be sold before they get to breeding age.


----------



## Mike CHS

We went into Lewisburg and was gone for about an hour.  Looked down to the shop shelter and one of the ewes is cleaning off a set of just born twins.  I'll get the other info later when I go down to feed the dogs.


----------



## Mike CHS

Mike CHS said:


> Just let us know Fred but I'm keeping all of the ewe lambs.
> 
> A few minutes ago I looked down at the shop stall and could see my girl Notag cleaning off her single lamb.  We went down to check sex and get a couple of pictures and she has a big ewe lamb.  We will weigh her after they get some bonding time but I'm guessing 10-11 pounds.



Notags ewe lamb is 10.7 lbs

The twins that were just born belong to our 3 year old 7 with one being a ram lamb and the other a ewe lamb.


----------



## Mike CHS

WARNING
One of the pictures is a bit graphic if that kind of thing bothers you. 

Here are a few pictures of 7's ram and ewe lambs.  Mom wasn't quite finished cleaning them up yet.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Oh how Sweet!!....love the 2nd pic....they are trying to figure it out...and the one in the back is wanting to see too!!.....


----------



## Baymule

Nice lambs! I am not cutting my ram lambs either. I’ll put them in a separate pasture to wean them. The ewe lambs will go in another pasture. 

How many ewes do you have now?


----------



## Mike CHS

We have 18 ewes that are bred and 2 that were younger/smaller that I didn't breed.


----------



## Baymule

10 ewes is my target. I have 4 breeding ewes, 3 that are ready to breed and I am keeping the 2 ewe lambs from this year. That will give me 9 ewes. I have another ewe lamb from this year and she is a single from a ewe that always has singles and her daughter that I kept just had her second single. So the new little ewe lamb will be for sale.


----------



## Mike CHS

I think our base flock will stay around 25.  I'm just trying to stay at a size where I have plenty of grass.  There seemed no end to it when I was the one cutting the grass but the sheep are a whole lot more efficient.  So far the ewe lambs that have been born are keepers and I'm going to sell three of the 2 & 3 year old ewes.

A surprise for us is our ram Ringo is throwing lambs with some color and I'm liking their size.


----------



## Baymule

Maybe you should keep Ringo and get another ram to breed to his daughters. He just sounds too good to give up.


----------



## Latestarter

Good thought Bay! Since you need to have a "ram only" area so you can plan breeding times. Wouldn't hurt probably to have another to share the breeding responsibilities. Then if the new boy does better for you than Ringo, you can always let Ringo go.


----------



## Mike CHS

Ringo will be around for at least another season.  I really like having a ram as big as he is that I don't have to worry about.  I have talked to Tavalin Farms already about getting one of their ram yearlings later this summer.  Ringo is giving me the size I am looking for and the bit of color is a plus.


----------



## Mike CHS

I was out working with Thor and grabbed some random pictures while I was out there.  One is of some of the lambs and their mommas grazing on the levy of our normally dry pond that is over flowing.

The ugly duckling ewe is my favorite girl.  She should be culled as she has terrible confirmation, is a lot smaller than our end goal but she throws beautiful twin lambs and has the personality of a puppy dog as you can see from her standing on my boots. 122 is the one in front and behind her is my other spoiled girl (55) who was the only ewe that needed an assist last lambing season.

The last are my babies.  Thor is going to be a giant and can appear on the ferocious side but seems to love our short training sessions and time in the paddocks.  I found out fairly quick that this pup is a good teacher if I let him be what he was bred to be.  Maisy is my girl but this big boy is special and so different than any  dog I have ever had.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Great Pics Mike!!....the ewe could be thin cause she gives it all to the lambs....Love Thor's tail....almost like a scorpion and waiting to Sting....


----------



## Mike CHS

No pictures this time but I saw a side of my white dogs that I had not seen until today. I take their food out and use the time after eating for a bit of training but being there lets the dogs eat without having to worry about the other dog.  Ringo our ram decided to be stupid today for some reason as he usually gives the dogs a wide berth when they are eating.  But today he made a bee line for Maisy's bowl and Maisy lit into him.  He lunged sideways which unfortunately put him almost on top of Thor's bowl.  Thor doesn't bite the sheep but makes some hellacious noise and wraps those long legs around him.  Of course that made Ringo jump away again but this jump put him on a direct hit for me.  I didn't even see it happen but both dogs shot into the gap between me and Ringo and went at him.  No blood was drawn and it was mostly noise but Ringo took his big behind to the other side of the pasture.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Don't you love it!  Good dogs!  Sure glad they kept Ringo off of a collision course with you - probably wouldn't have done your shoulder any good.

I've had Cowboy get between me and the pigs and he wasn't even kidding!  Pigs weren't out to do harm, but if I yell at them to get away he takes that as his cue to back me up!


----------



## CntryBoy777

I'm seeing more of that response out of Gabbie, but she readily does it more with Joyce than with me. Glad there wasn't any damage to any of the participants....especially you!!....and I know it sure gives ya confidence if a really serious situation was being faced....I'll be sure to act like a whipped pup when I make it over there....


----------



## Baymule

That made me bust out laughing! What a melee! I bet poor Ringo doesn't do that again! LOL LOL LOL!!!


----------



## Mike CHS

I know everyone is getting tired of lamb pictures so I'm only posting a few.

I finally got the latest pictures off of the phone.  The ewe lamb weighed just shy of 8 lbs and the ram lamb was 10.2.  They all have some light brown spots on them and I'm curious if they will fade or not since they are unique.


----------



## Baymule

I had two lambs born with brown heads and they faded away. 

Mike, we NEVER get tired of lamb pictures!


----------



## CntryBoy777

Since I've been here, I have never seen someone ask that another stop posting pics cause they were tired of looking at one's animals....young, old, and all in between.....
If ya get tired of posting them here, just click on over and post em in my journal....I'll never complain....


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> I had two lambs born with brown heads and they faded away.
> Mike, we NEVER get tired of lamb pictures!



What's funny is Ringo has one small black spot about 1/2"in diameter on his ear and that's it.


----------



## Mike CHS

We had another ewe deliver another single ram lamb during the night.  Our cull list is growing.

Maisy and Thor got into while I was down there feeding them and is that a scary sight.  It's mostly noise and no snapping but those big mouths are clamping down on each other.  My instinct is to try to get them to stop but I know that isn't going to happen.  At first I thought it was a resource guarding issue with me being the resource but I see them doing the same thing when they are out by themselves.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I guess the dominance thing is being worked out now...sure hope it is settled without any injuries to you or them. Congratulations on the ram, but know it isn't what ya was really looking for.....


----------



## Mike CHS

I know it's normal but they will go at it with all they have and 30 seconds later are just trotting along together.  When they go up on their back legs together they are taller than I am.


----------



## Mike CHS

The newest lamb ram weighed 11.5 pounds.  We spent some time moving the sheep around and Teresa just took some random shots.  The one I'm giving food to is another picture of my girl 122.  I don't see how she can hold off much longer.

The picture that shows the trailer with the tarps over it is the trailer that got totaled during the tornado last year.  We managed to straighten the frame enough to move it around the farm but it will never see the highway again. It holds exactly 50 bales of alfalfa though so it has been re-purposed.

The sheep see me coming down the hill toward the shop and if I'm not careful they will be inside it as soon as I open the door.

The shot with Teresa is her holding the newest lamb ram and it's mom.  She is actually very flighty but really trusting around us when we handle her lambs.  She has had singles 2 years in a row but I'll give her one more shot since I really like her size and build.  She does throw big lambs even though all singles so far.

The picture with the girls feeding under the tarp is something we added to the back of the shop stall this afternoon. It gives us another space for them to get out of the weather but close enough to the shop for us to be able to work with new lambs.  The shop stall is the place they know treats are waiting so it's easy to get them in.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Great pics!!...I just love the sheep "Welcome Wagon"....
If I had something the goats could get to I'd have the same problem here.....the dancing lambs are just Darling!!...


----------



## Baymule

Are you starting to cull for ewes that twin? I have a mix of both, was so excited to have any lambs at all, that I kept all the ewe lambs. But I am going to move in the same direction as you. 

Our dogs have their fits too, but it is never anything serious.


----------



## Latestarter

Those poor dogs... relegated to the back field and sitting anxiously by the fence staring up at all their charges... people and sheep alike. mI'm sure they're happy that at least ONE momma sheep w/lambs is headed back down in their direction. I just noticed that lone young tree down there. Look as if they've pushed on at least one of those T posts a bit. As always, nice pics!


----------



## Mike CHS

We are culling most of the 2 & 3 year old ewes that didn't twin. We may cull some of the younger ewes based on their size but dependent on the size of their lambs at around 90 days. We could leave things as they are and they pay for themselves but now that we have a better idea what our pasture can carry we want to make the numbers optimum to show some profit.   There is a really good market here for bred ewes even if they are culls so we are going to give those that will be sold a couple of months off after weaning then breed them back.

Joe - they rub their backs on those T-posts around several small trees out there but mostly use the bigger trees now that they know those posts don't give a lot of satisfaction.


----------



## Mike CHS

I just spent some time with Thor roaming around with the sheep.  Maisy is fine with them and all of the ewes have let her sniff and lick the appropriate parts of the lambs. 

Thor is going to need more time supervised.  I was out with him for an hour or so until the rain got heavy enough that I was getting chilled in spite of the relatively nice temps (50).  He still moves a little fast around them and it keeps them bunched up watching him.  The majority of the ewes let him connect with the lambs but a couple did some real aggressive head butting attempts.  His impulse is to attack back rather than submit.  He does submit or at least back away when I'm there but he is still a pup and getting better.


----------



## Mike CHS

We always eat pretty healthy but Teresa has been on a mission to make it even healthier.  Yesterday she made about a gallon  or better of beef broth from a couple of roasts from the steer we butchered last year.  It turned out super rich and clean tasting and today she made another batch of Vietnamese Pho.  That stuff is fantastic and you can't get any around here unless you drive all the way into Nashville.


----------



## Mike CHS

My girl 122 had twins about an hour ago.  We won't sex them until the morning but one looks to be around 8 lbs and the other is at least 10 lbs.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I guess 122 is on the definite "Keeper" list...or, is it the "Keep-Her" list?....


----------



## Mike CHS

Here are a couple of picture of the new lambs and a couple of the week old lambs.  They are putting on well, the ram lamb that was 14 lbs when born is 24 lbs this afternoon.


----------



## CntryBoy777

....


----------



## BoboFarm

Oh my goodness! Too sweet!


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> I guess 122 is on the definite "Keeper" list...or, is it the "Keep-Her" list?....



She would have been on the list even if she had a single.  She is the calm one that you can put any skittish ewe with her and they tame right down.  

Add to that she is the first one that starts moving when I call them down to me and the rest follow.


----------



## Bruce

10 pounds in a WEEK???

#122 is a natural born leader, nice that she twins for you as well.


----------



## Latestarter

Nice that things are going so smoothly for you Mike. All the lambing and kidding threads on here and folks walking on egg shells with worry... Pins and needles of expectation and anticipation... Yours just do what nature intended and you look out the window to find the job already completed. I've heard that sheep milk is much "richer" than goat milk and seeing a 10 pound gain in a week, I'd have to agree that it must be! wow. Is that the big lamb in the pictures there? The one with the small brown spot? That one looks twice the size of the newest lambs...


----------



## Mike CHS

That's the one Joe. He came out looking like he was a week old.  The lambs from Ringo this year are all long bodied and bigger than almost all of the lambs from last year.  We had 2 that was 11 1/2 pounds that were our biggest but the ewes were in a whole lot better condition than they were when we bought them.


----------



## Baymule

You are having a real good lambing! Big healthy lambs and lots of twins. yeah, you really should keep Ringo, get another ram to breed his daughters.


----------



## Latestarter

Really sounds like you've made some great decisions and it's paying off for you. I don't know if your present stock has any line breeding history, but many do line breed and for one generation, it shouldn't be a huge issue and will "double down" on those good traits that Ringo is adding o the lambs. I'd consider keeping him one more year and let him multiply the entire herd one more time before considering him "expendable"... I understand that father daughter is one of the most prevalent lines done. Any rams produced would be freezer bound and the ewe lambs would complete the building of your future herd.


----------



## Mike CHS

We made some good decisions but it was based on some super mentors and even more input from this forum.  I know we could have a bad next season but we chose our stock based on how we can provide for them.

Ringo isn't going anywhere for awhile unless I can find him a retirement home.  

He is like a big puppy dog that loves to have his neck scratched and animal crackers.


----------



## Mike CHS

We got tags on 122's lambs and their weights were 8.2 (ewe lamb) and 9.7 (ram lamb).


----------



## Baymule

Keep the lamb pics coming!


----------



## Mike CHS

We were out with dogs and the sheep this morning.  The lambs aren't frightened of Maisy but the ewes are teaching Thor that he needs to slow down.  We have had 7 of the first group of 10 ewes lamb with hopefully 3 to go.  I'm not really sure that one of those is pregnant or it may have aborted so we shall see.  So far the count is heavy on the ram side with 7 ram lambs and 3 ewe lambs.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> So far the count is heavy on the ram side with 7 ram lambs and 3 ewe lambs.


More dinner I guess.


----------



## Baymule

Beautiful scene-sheep grazing on the grassy hillside. Only 3 ewes? I hope they at least came from twins so you can keep them.


----------



## Mike CHS

Right now we are planning on retaining all ewes into their second lambing.  One of the 3 is a single but her dam twinned last year.


----------



## Mike CHS

Our 'yard' was needing some clean up so I put up some netting and let the sheep on it.  The lambs are growing well and Thor is being a good boy (most of the time).  He has been accepted by most of the lambs and their dams except two.  I've lost track of how many times he has gotten butted but he keeps coming back trying to get the scent of their lambs.

A few pictures just because it is a pretty day with blue sky for a change.


----------



## Latestarter

That last pic looks like a couple of good dogs inbound for some attention.  Glad you've got clear blue above. Just another gray and dreary day here, kinda misty, and of course damp. Looks like your ground cover is greening up nicely and I see red in the bark of the fruit trees. Spring will be here before we know it.


----------



## Bruce

Looks like Maisy might be helping dig planting holes in the second picture.


----------



## Mike CHS

It was probably a mole since they seem to be everywhere.


----------



## Baymule

Nothing better than lawnmowers that you can eat!


----------



## Bruce

Well Bay, at YOUR house, sure. And Mike's and .....


----------



## Baymule

Bruce said:


> Well Bay, at YOUR house, sure. And Mike's and .....


Ain't my fault you gotta use a gas mower!


----------



## Mike CHS

I got most of my early vegetable seeds set up for sprouting.  I'm going to spend most of the day hanging out with the LGDs so I can break a bad habit that Thor has started doing again.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

He must be getting into his rebellious 'teenage' time.  Silly dog - but I bet he'll come around!


----------



## Mike CHS

That's what it is.  He's a smart  boy  but I have to be out there to be able to catch him in the act.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I'm finding out that there is a reason to go thru training steps quite often, but there are certain obstacles to deal with daily at younger ages........I'm sure he will catch on eventually and hope it is sooner for ya than later....


----------



## Mike CHS

I was nearby this morning a couple of times and he backed off. He's high energy and 7 months old so it's to be expected. I know a lot of Akbash folks and almost all of them had the same thing happen about the same age.  Maisy will back off when one of the ewes stamps and looks like they are going to butt.  Thor just steps closer to almost touching noses and just stands there almost like he's daring them to do something.  I have been out most of the time they were with the sheep but he knows what he is doing will get him growled at by me.


----------



## Bruce

He may not appreciate it much if one of those ewes decides to give him a serious hit. Might be what it takes if he doesn't listen to Dad.


----------



## Mike CHS

He takes to training pretty good.  I put them in the boys pen while they did their midday sleep to get ready for the night then adjusted  netting in our yard to a smaller area and brought them in while the most assertive ewes were all in there.  I usually only have to catch him being silly a time or two and my ARGHHH growl makes him quit.  My #20 ewe is my most protective mom of her twins.  Thor is a bit of a bully and actually what he started doing yesterday was to go up almost to touching the ewes nose to nose and then just stare at them till they either bolted or try to head butt him. He is fast enough to avoid the head butt so he rarely gets it bad unless he gets into a flight zone unaware of a ewe being there.  I don't think 20 would back off from a Mountain Lion if she thought her babies were in danger.  I was able to use 20's assertiveness along with my growl and about the 3rd time he got inside her fight or flight zone, he lowered his head and walked away.   He consistently did the same with all of the other ewes with lambs and got lots of praise.

I'm hoping after a few more days of that we might have broken the cycle (at least for now).  It makes for a boring few hours but it almost seems like the ewes know what is going on since they will walk along with me as I tried to set Thor up.


----------



## Bruce

His lawyer will get him off with a charge of entrapment by the law officer. 

Good boy Thor. Has to be hard to figure out "I WANT to do 'this' but I REALLY have to NOT do it". Maisy doesn't give him what for when he gets too close in I guess.


----------



## Mike CHS

Unfortunately Maisy isn't able to 'scold' him anymore.  She is still the more vicious sounding of the two but he has passed her by 10 pounds and has zero fear.


----------



## Bruce

NO respect for his elders!!!


----------



## Latestarter

Was going to post that that was probably the case.


----------



## Baymule

Bruce said:


> He may not appreciate it much if one of those ewes decides to give him a serious hit. Might be what it takes if he doesn't listen to Dad.


Even a head butt from a sheep isn't enough to deter stupid behavior. The ewes have butted Paris and she got PISSED, whirled around and full on attacked them. She has drawn blood on a ewe's ear. I came down hard, scolding and she was crushed. She wasn't doing anything to them, just got too close. I haven't seen her do that in quite awhile, maybe she is giving them more room when they have lambs. Trip can get butted and he barely flinches. He even gets a goofy grin and ignores the ewe.

Mike, Thor is at that stupid stage. One thing for sure a loud AAHHHNNT is one of the best dog/child/horse deterrents I have ever used.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bay that has been my GO-TO training aid since I brought him home.  Works even better on super sensitive herding dogs.


----------



## Bruce

Baymule said:


> Mike, Thor is at that stupid stage. One thing for sure a loud AAHHHNNT is one of the best dog/child/horse deterrents I have ever used.


I thought with children the best one is "NO TV FOR YOU TONIGHT!!!!"


----------



## Baymule




----------



## Mike CHS

I was out feeding the dogs to try and beat the rain and on my way through the sheep to check them out I spotted a ewe cleaning off newborn twins -  one ram and one ewe.  She wasn't done cleaning them off yet so I'll take a picture for our records a bit later.


----------



## Mike CHS

The ewe cooperated and came up to the house gate.  My camera is about ready for the trash bin so I got two out of ten pictures to come out OK.


----------



## Hens and Roos

congrats!


----------



## Baymule

Congrats on healthy twins! Hey! One of them has spots!


----------



## frustratedearthmother

YaY for babies!


----------



## Mike CHS

It's funny and I know it's a coincidence but all of the boys have spots.


----------



## CntryBoy777

That's a pleasent sight to see early in the morning....Congratulations!!.........that is funny about the markings, but makes it easy to Spot from a distance whether it is dinner or not....


----------



## Latestarter

Sweet! Too bad they aren't giving twin ewe lambs... Guess one is better than none...


----------



## CntryBoy777

I was wondering Mike, is that your rye grass that is greening up there or is the orchard grass starting to come back with the temps and moisture?


----------



## Mike CHS

Most of what they are getting now is orchard grass.  I was pleasantly surprised to see they go for young Johnson Grass as soon as it starts to grow.  They are mostly wasting the hay I'm giving but they get some good alfalfa every day.


----------



## Mike CHS

I saw the Ortho Doctor today and he said that the MRI didn't show the whole story and that due to some edemma over the rotator for cuff after such a long time it's likely that it is torn all of the way through.  He's working on setting up an orthoscopic surgery that will go in to see what is the minimum that can be done and best case that is enough.  If it isn't enough he can then go in and put everything back together like it's supposed to be.

Either way it's fixable and I can't continue with what I have been doing so we will see how the insurance plays out.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Uh oh - wish it was better news but it's good to know that it IS fixable.  Hope the orthoscopic surgery is all you need!


----------



## Baymule

Yeah, you don't want to keep putting up with the pain. Get it fixed, do your therapy and you will be better than new! If you are anything like my husband, Teresa will have to clonk you in the head to keep you from going out and doing something you shouldn't!


----------



## Mike CHS

I just showed her your post but I won't give her the computer to answer.    I'll be a good boy.


----------



## Baymule

she needs to get her own computer!


----------



## Mike CHS

We just had a good visit with the UT Extension Sheep Specialist that was super informative.  We are going to have him speak at a sheep association that we are having in April and he wanted to do a farm visit to see how he could integrate his seminar using our facilities.

We learned a lot but were also pleased to see that we have a good foundation going at our farm.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I just showed her your post but I won't give her the computer to answer.


You can't hide in the house forever, you have animal chores to do.


----------



## Mike CHS

Our TN1 ewe that just had twins Wednesday finally came back in so we could get some pictures.  She did the same thing last year - went to the spot the farthest from any activity and spent two days there. She might have come in sooner if I hadn't taken water out to her. We didn't get a good shot of the ewe lamb but did the ram lamb.  Both were 9.2 pounds on day one.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have had some visitors from the city that are in  shock when they see grazing animals all around and right up to the house.    The pictures in the previous post were taken on the lawn as are the two in this post.  Our 'lawn' is situated on a rock shelf that doesn't get muddy and to make it better the sheep like being outside the fence.  I can call them in no matter where they are and they come running.


----------



## Baymule

What better scene for sitting  back yard that the green grass and peaceful sheep? Your city friends get a real treat when they come to visit.


----------



## Mike CHS

It was cloudy but pretty out today.  I have been going out several times a day to let the pup in with the sheep. Maisy is fine but a dozen lambs racing around the pasture is too much temptation so I am only letting Thor roam with me and the sheep.  We had a couple of times that he wanted to go play with the lambs but he responded to my stop.

We have two of the ewes in the first group to lamb with one I'm not sure she is pregnant and the other was the only ewe that had to be assisted last time.  The last eight are getting close with two of the young ewes showing definite signs of lambing soon.  One of those is sold so we are having to weigh when best to move her as she is only going down the road a half mile.


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm trying to get a load of gravel dropped at our place to correct a error in the way I set up the area to be able to back a trailer in for loading.  That spot has been solid even when wet until recently.  I have some sheep sold but no way to load them at the moment so I'll get that done in the next day or so if I can get some gravel dropped off.


----------



## Latestarter

you could always add some more fence to extend the area out to where it's dry...  Just kidding of course. Hope you can get the gravel fairly quickly and cheap.


----------



## Mike CHS

I need a load of gravel to stop some erosion on the driveway anyway.


----------



## Mike CHS

I've been working with Thor out among the sheep a couple of hours this afternoon and he is getting better.  You can see that he still has urges to play with the lambs when they go galloping around at full speed but he's able to restrain it (at least while I'm out there).

I had to get on to him this afternoon when for whatever reason, he thought I had to be protected from the ram and went after him.  I don't like being physical but he got the side of my boot on his behind when he got hold of Ringo's ear and he wouldn't respond to verbal calls.  It may have been resource guarding since their feed was out there but Ringo was nowhere near that but rather coming up to me to see what I might have for him.  He often gets animal crackers and always sniffs my pockets to make sure I don't have any.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I need a load of gravel to stop some erosion on the driveway anyway.


If you have any extra, I can use it 



Mike CHS said:


> He often gets animal crackers and always sniffs my pockets to make sure I don't have any.


And relieve you of any he might find.


----------



## Baymule

Sometimes you have to get their attention to get 'em to listen! LOL Poor Ringo, all he wanted was a cookie.


----------



## Mike CHS

It might be awhile before Thor does that again.  Ringo butted him about the same time I got the other end.  That ram is 250 lbs.


----------



## Baymule




----------



## misfitmorgan

Finally finally caught up!!

Looks like your having a great lambing season so far! There always seems to be more boys then girls, i think its cause we want girls. As far as the spots go, i have noticed over the years that if a goat looks patterned well/cool or a lamb looks different then the others...it is a male 9 times out of 10. Even twins from the same mom, the boy will always have the coat or fleece i would have rather had on a girl. I've noticed it in mixed breed chickens and pigs as well...the males always get the more interesting looks.


----------



## Mike CHS

Thank you.  I guess that interesting look is true for a lot of animals.  How come it doesn't work that way for humans????   

Our other sheep are all white except for a Katahdin escape artist that the previous owners couldn't keep in and her solid black ewe lamb.


----------



## misfitmorgan

Mike CHS said:


> Thank you.  I guess that interesting look is true for a lot of animals.  How come it doesn't work that way for humans????
> 
> Our other sheep are all white except for a Katahdin escape artist that the previous owners couldn't keep in and her solid black ewe lamb.



It does work that way for humans.....just depends on how good their parent stock was and what the "breeder"(aka DH/DW) is looking for was just like with animals 

You would be surprised on what white sheep can pop out. We were shocked last year when our suffolk made a not white fleece ram lamb. After much research i figured out there was a thing called a natural colored suffolk and we apparently have a blue coloring in our line that does not show until the next generation.
http://slacksuffolks.com/images/2010/02-15/2009-state-fair-wether-sire-sale-3.jpg
I favor the blue color though honesty..... Our only ram lamb of last season was a blue and ironically our ram lamb this year is also a blue but the ewe who had the blue last year had a normal color this year. So you could have some recessive spot genes meeting up. I remeber reading the post when you brought the spotted ewe home...im excitedly waiting to see what her lamb will look like.

This is getting lengthy....for the disappearing spots, suffolk can be born not pure white but it grows off with their fleece and they end up all white where they should be.


----------



## Mike CHS

The spotted ewe had solid black lambs with a white spot on their forehead.

We made the loading chute work to load one ewe with her ram lamb and one yearling ewe that is due to lamb in two weeks so we just had our first sales of the spring 2018 season.


----------



## Baymule

The Dorper ram I had put the black head on his lambs, but I had an all white one this time. I am keeping a large, handsome, twin, black headed ram lamb to be my flock ram for at least one season. I was looking for a registered Katahdin ram, but this fella looks so good that I am going to use him.


----------



## Mike CHS

They start showing their lines so early.


----------



## Mike CHS

The most important thing I saw today was my lack of experience in infrastructure design made for a bad design on my catch pen.  I'm going to do a lean-to addition to my sheep holding area so they aren't so crowded.  Calling them in worked today because the lambs were leery and stayed outside.  I can see some trampling happening when we get to the point I'm calling in 50 sheep and wanting to separate just a couple where we now have 40 and it's pushing the limit in that catch area.  Plus the buyer brought in a trailer that was 24 inches off the ground which the ewes did not want to go in.

We were able to easily bring in the ewes that we wanted because they were tame and had no fear of me but I still had to force one into the loading area.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I wouldn't fault yourself so much Mike....there are things that are magnified by the numbers ya are attempting to handle, so some adjustments should be expected. It seems most things I do take many adjustments, because I certainly don't know what I'm doing....but, I sure try....


----------



## Latestarter

If you did everything perfect the first time around, you wouldn't have anything left to do to occupy all your free time...  This way there are always more capital improvements to be made.


----------



## Baymule

I am working out in my head on building a portable loading ramp. I don't know exactly how I will do that, but like most of my projects, I learn as I go. I am thinking wheels on the back and a loop or tongue to drag it with. Dunno yet. But them I can use it for loading hogs, sheep, or whatever I might get into.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Couldn't tell you how many times I have done and re-done things on my place.  Plans change, needs change, and life changes, lol.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> I am working out in my head on building a portable loading ramp.



This is the ramp that goes with our handling system but it isn't cheap.  Of course the rest of it wasn't either.  

https://www.dslivestock.biz/products/lr96-8-portable-loading-ramp/


----------



## misfitmorgan

Honestly i dunno if i would trust that tiny little bar that sets the height adjustment and i dunno how it wouldnt tip over when the sheep got to the top unless you had it hooked to the trailer at the top.


----------



## Mike CHS

I'll have to get some pictures later but we have a kitten that's about 4 months old adopt us.  Teresa was straightening up the hay barn on Sunday and heard it meowing. It's feral but it is getting more confident when we are out feeding it but it's going to take some time to be able to handle it.  We may bait the live trap to take it in to get it spayed/neutered.


----------



## Mike CHS

I have decided that being stuck indoors can get expensive.  I have had the use of our neighbors Kawasaki utility vehicle and it has been so handy I have determined that it is more than a convenience trying to get around my paddocks.  My tractor is 4 wheel drive and although it's fairly small I am making ruts 6-10" deep.


----------



## Mike CHS

I have decided that being stuck indoors can get expensive.  I have had the use of our neighbors Kawasaki utility vehicle and it has been so handy I have determined that it is more than a convenience trying to get around my paddocks.  My tractor is 4 wheel drive and although it's fairly small I am making ruts 6-10" deep.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa did great with her telephone work with dealers.  We looked at enough utility vehicles that we had it narrowed to a Polaris Ranger 570 full size and got a price quote from a dealer in Nashville yesterday.  She spent some time calling around and got the same model with a couple of additional accessories at the dealer in Huntsville, Alabama for $2100 less.


----------



## Latestarter

Expensive, but a tax write off as farm equipment and a depreciable asset. Not to mention how much easier it will make life for you in this monsoon season.


----------



## Mike CHS

Our tax person literally told us we 'needed' to buy some equipment this year so that helped nudge us into it.  The Kawasaki that we were using made the last two weeks in rain and mud a whole lot more enjoyable.


----------



## Bruce

Perhaps you need a hovercraft, no ruts 



Mike CHS said:


> Our tax person literally told us we 'needed' to buy some equipment this year so that helped nudge us into it.


Does s/he sell UVs?


----------



## Mike CHS

My doctor called and said my shoulder surgery is set for the 8th and I'm ready for it to get done.

Maisy and Thor got into it again this morning but since they were pretty close to the lower hot wire, I helped them to fall into it and they broke it up.


----------



## Latestarter

That's the way to do it! Let that hot wire separate them for you! Good luck with the surgery. Hope it's all fixed right then and there.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Sure hope the surgery goes well and the recovery time zips by without any difficulty.....
Nothing like using the environment to your advantage and saving your shoulder wear and tear.
No sense not to spend the $$ for the deduction and be able to enjoy and improve the comfort of doing chores all at the same time.....


----------



## Bruce

A nonchalant push from the side and "Oops, sorry".

Only 1 week! You'll be feeling a whole lot better in no time.


----------



## Baymule

Nobody looks forward to surgery, but it sure is nice after it's done and healed up.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Wishing for the greatest surgical outcome for you.


----------



## misfitmorgan

That's a good deal on the UV i'm sure you will use the heck out of it.

Hope the surgery goes the very best it can and you have a fast recovery.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa has made some progress with the kitten and was able to pick it up this morning and didn't stress it at all.  She is still not comfortable around people but I don't think it has been on it's own for too long.  It wasn't looking starving when we first saw it so it had been fed or learned to hunt early.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Very pretty!


----------



## Bruce

I expect the kitten will come around pretty fast, especially if you both feed it.

"Shepherds Hill Farm
Hair Sheep, chickens, 1 Great Pyrenees, 1 Akbash, 2 herding dogs"

And one black cat


----------



## CntryBoy777

She looks like Callie's mom did.....


----------



## Mike CHS

I don't think she has been on her own for very long since even though she is skittish she is coming around faster than feral cats I've had in the past.

Bruce - I'll add the cat once we make sure she sticks around.  

We are getting on average 24 eggs a day now.  Teresa has been banding the hens as she sees them on the laying nest so all 27 of them are laying some.


----------



## Latestarter

Holy cow Mike... How does Teresa manage that? Is she out stalking the nest boxes? When I had 30 birds, they laid at all hours of the day and most would wait until right after I'd visit.   Grats that they are back to laying for you.


----------



## Mike CHS

Almost all of ours lay either in the afternoon or mornings.  Very rarely will we find one in the morning.


----------



## Mike CHS

It's nice when your neighbors are your friends, even when they move.  Our ex-neighbor Jimmy moved to Huntsville, Alabama to get rid of his commute of over an hour from his place adjoining ours.  He's a fireman for the Air Force base down there.

I have had his Kawasaki for the last few weeks while he was moving and he knows that we are buying a utility vehicle in Huntsville.  He called this afternoon and told us he would pick up his machine after delivering ours to us.  

He also has a bull dozer and is going to bring it up to finish filling in a dry pond in one of our paddocks.  He charges $30 an hour just to cover his fuel costs.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Sure sounds like a Winner to me.....ya ain't gonna beat that price these days and times....don't forget to post a couple of pics of that new machine.....


----------



## Baymule

We have a Kawasaki Mule, diesel, with the backseat and it is handy as a pocket on a shirt. DH loves his mule. Funny enough, he was manager of a Kawasaki  and Yamaha dealership for 15 years before we moved. 

You will enjoy yours, it is so easy to toss tools in the back and go do what you have to do without having to tote everything.


----------



## Mike CHS

We spent part of yesterday helping some neighbors process a hog.   They weren't expecting the temps to go up as fast as they did so the other three families in our valley all pitched in as they turned that entire hog into sausage except for the tenderloin.  The sausage is good but I think I got my sodium allowance for the week on one piece fried up.  I think they said they wound up with 385 pounds all included.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Sounds like the seasoning wasn't very well mixed, or they want it to keep for a Loooong time....


----------



## Mike CHS

It was mixed good and put back through the grinder a second time but there was just too much.

I like sausage but we buy our pork from the processor that does our sheep so we get something other than sausage.


----------



## Baymule

I like a good pork roast. When we butchered our own hog, I took the center cuts of the hams (made 4 cuts on each ham) and smoked the ham hocks-they were sooooooo good in a pot of collard greens! I made bacon, ribs, roast, cut the loin into steaks, and made pan and stuffed sausage. We slaughtered, skinned, gutted, quartered and packed in ice the first of June. I bought a sausage mix, but think I'll play around with making my own seasoning. It seems that sausage seasoning has sugar in it and I don't want the sugar.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa has to shy away from sugar also so we make most of our spice mixes and rubs ourselves.  We buy all of our spice in bulk so we usually have everything on hand.

I cut the lawn for the first time this season and ran the weed eater around all of the garden beds.

The black kitten disappeared sometime yesterday or the night before.  The food we had out was eaten so we put one of our security cameras our where the feed was to see if we had a possum or something.  Turns out it was a feral cat that hung out around our neighbor Jimmy who had just moved.  The new folks have 5 dogs so evidently the cat decided that wasn't a good place to hang out.  Another neighbor on the other side of the hill said she had seen a black kitten that she hasn't seen before playing with her barn cats so Jimmy's feral critter must have ran the kitten off.


----------



## Baymule

I like cats. Our son in law is terribly allergic to them, to the point that we gave our cat away after our DD married him. The other reason why not to have a cat is our dogs hate them, kill them, and Parker eats them.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Callie and Gabbie are still working out the process....there have been some nose to nose passing bys and neither have attacked the other.....Callie is coming out and about more and more....but, are training Gabbie to ignore her.....have heard some hisses, but only a swipe or 2.....Callie is willing to yield....she only weighs 4-5#.....


----------



## Bruce

y'all talking about the goodies you make with your home raise animals makes me wish I could swing by and buy a few packages  

Sorry the black kitten is gone Mike. Sure was a nice looking cat.

My MIL had to get rid of her cat when DW (oldest kid) was young because she was really allergic. Now we have 4 indoor cats. MIL never did get another cat and DW just turned 56.


----------



## Mike CHS

We still have two of the two year old ewes that haven't lambed yet.  Our 55 ewe is finally showing a bag and our 34 ewe still has me wondering if she is even with lamb.  55 was the last one to lamb last year and is the one we had to pull her lamb.  34 had us guessing last year also.  She is our biggest boned girl and a single lamb in her didn't show last year either.  The 8 younger ewes could start lambing as soon as the 21st of this month.


----------



## misfitmorgan

Hopefully they get on with giving those babies already.


----------



## Mike CHS

I have my shoulder surgery Thursday and will be out of commission for heavy work so we got the last of any sizeable trash (including a roll-away bed) brought out of our trashy drainage ditch and hauled off to the dump.  There is still a lot  of small bits and pieces (burn barrel trash) but I have a place to haul it to on our place and can use the front end loader.

On a side note the black kitten is back and we're working on taming her.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> On a side note the black kitten is back and we're working on taming her.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Probably after scoping out the neighborhood it figured it was the safest and friendliest place to be. Still hoping ya have a quick recovery and it subsides the discomfort for ya....


----------



## misfitmorgan

Hopefully all goes well for you. Glad the kitty came back


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


>



Now that we have some close up time with the kitten, it obviously is not feral. Lance has lost his kennel for a couple of days for the kitten.  She feels safe in the kennel and with the door open she will come out to get some petting and go lay back on her towel when she has had enough.


----------



## CntryBoy777

That sure is nice of Prof Lance to loan out his kennel....I guess that means more chair time with dad is warranted....


----------



## Baymule

I hope your recovery from surgery doesn’t drive Teresa too awfully crazy. LOL You’ll be back good as new in no time!


----------



## Mike CHS

We have been together for going on 8 years and have never had a cross word so we should be fine.


----------



## Bruce

Yeah, I can't see Mike turning into a sniveling blob of grumpy neediness just because he has shoulder surgery. She'll more likely go crazy trying to keep him from doing more than he should.


----------



## Latestarter

I thought I had replied to this... it showed that I had, but now it's gone...  I'm pretty sure Bay was referring to the latter situation.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Yeah, I can't see Mike turning into a sniveling blob of grumpy neediness just because he has shoulder surgery. She'll more likely go crazy trying to keep him from doing more than he should.



That is about as close to an 'issue' as we have had.  I spent a whole lot of years single and never learned how to say help.


----------



## Latestarter

Boy... can I identify with that!


----------



## Mike CHS

I had my shoulder operated on last Thursday and supposed to be  as an out patient but they kept me over night since there was some numbers off. 

Now for the healing.  We went down to Huntsville and picked up the ATV and are finding some QA issues that we may need to deal with.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Glad they kept ya to make sure ya came thru okay....sure hope for a speedy healing....
What kind of issues are there with the ATV?


----------



## Mike CHS

We went over it pretty thoroughly after seeing the pin that holds the dump bed laying on the trailer.  A couple of other things where it looks like someone was using an air wrench that didn't know what they were doing so there are stripped screws.  Nothing major but you hate to see parts laying on the ground after being carried on a trailor.


----------



## Bruce

And you surely don't want to find those stripped screws a year from now.

How is the shoulder doing?


----------



## Mike CHS

Hurts like the dickens but better than yesterday.  Good thing we have a recliner.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Hope you feel better soon!


----------



## Baymule

Are you taking therapy or is it set up for you yet? I hope you have a quick recovery and can get back to doing the things you love to do, real soon. Recliners are a life saver! We love ours. I say we have butt drop disease, we drop our butts and our feet fly up. The footrest sure feels good after a day our on the farm!


----------



## Mike CHS

nothing is set up yet other than basic movements to keep everything from growing together. I have a follow up in two weeks.

We have recliners on our couch also which is a good thing since I can use the left side. My right arm right now is useless but works for typing with some assist from the left side.


----------



## Baymule

Haha we bought a recliner sofa when DH had his shoulder replacement surgery for that same reason. Neither one of us like it, but it's ok for company. LOL


----------



## Latestarter

Glad the surgery went well. Time to heal and get it back to normal again. Sorry to hear about issues with the new ATV. That kinda thing shouldn't happen, but does all too often. Not just with big ticket items either. Anything that requires "some assembly" before sale.  When I bought my wheelbarrow, they never spread the cotter keys holding the wheels on. When I got home one wheel was off and no sign of the key or the backing washer. Had to go back to TSC and get replacements for both. They took it off another wheelbarrow to give to meThose keys weren't spread either.


----------



## Mike CHS

I admire you folks that went through full shoulder reconstruction.  Mine was only partial and I was just this morning able to button pants without bringing tears to my eyes and mine was 3 days ago.

Joe -we have those same issues with TSC but they always made it good.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I know it has to be painful and hope one day soon ya can say it was worth it. They keep wanting me to get a knee replacement, but I keep telling them that I'd still have the foot and circulation issues, so there is no need....


----------



## Pastor Dave

Mike, I have a shoulder been giving me a lot of trouble and pain. My doctor told me over 90% of men over 40 have cartilage tear and other ball and socket issues. He asked me if I could raise my arm over my head. I showed him I could, and he told me he wouldn't advise having repairs because most patients he had seen couldn't after having surgery. Now, if I had been dealing with the pain considerably more years, he may have said something different. Idk


----------



## Mike CHS

It's always a toss-up but I didn't have any choice.  Even though it hurts now in recovery I have more movement than I have had for months.  I was at the point that I could care less if I ever raised my arm over my head.  I just wanted to be able to move it in any direction without it driving me to my knees.


----------



## Mike CHS

I just went out to give the flock some alfalfa and see that our #55 ewe had a big ewe lamb in the last hour or so.  We will tag and weigh later on but she looks to be 10 lbs or so.

We have one left to lamb (maybe) in the first group and that puts us at 8 ram lambs and 5 ewe lambs.


----------



## Baymule

Pastor Dave said:


> Mike, I have a shoulder been giving me a lot of trouble and pain. My doctor told me over 90% of men over 40 have cartilage tear and other ball and socket issues. He asked me if I could raise my arm over my head. I showed him I could, and he told me he wouldn't advise having repairs because most patients he had seen couldn't after having surgery. Now, if I had been dealing with the pain considerably more years, he may have said something different. Idk



Maybe you need another doctor. My husband suffered pain and limited use of his right shoulder for years. I finally beat him up enough that he got the replacement surgery. The surgeon told me that while DH was still knocked out, he tried to move DH's arm around, but even still under anesthesia, he couldn't raise DH's arm higher that shoulder level. Enter therapy to the rescue! After extensive therapy, My husband can raise his arm straight up, throw a ball and (against my wifely advice) he chops with a machete. 

DH said that the pain from open heart surgery and knee replacement were nothing compared to the pain from shoulder replacement surgery. He was pretty miserable for awhile, but now he is SO glad he did it. Dave, if you still can do a lot of what you want to, you might put off the repair for awhile. But if you have the surgery, insist on therapy and don't do home health care. Go to a therapy facility where you will get a good work over. It's all about the therapy.


----------



## Baymule

Congrats on the new lamb!


----------



## Mike CHS

I'll add to what Baymule said.  Recovery is painful but at almost 4 days post op, I'm in less pain now that I have been for close to a year.  A huge plus to that is I went to sleep last night around 10:00 and didn't wake up until a quarter to 7.  I haven't had many nights in the last year where I got more than an hour or two solid before moving my arm woke me up with pain.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Congrats on the new lamb.  Hope your shoulder continues to improve for you.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Congratulations on the new eweling!!.....and glad to hear the pain is subsiding for ya to be able to rest.....


----------



## Mike CHS

My camera isn't cooperating and I think the shutter is sticking open since 12 of the 15 pictures I took awhile ago are over exposed (including the newest lamb).  I'll still post the couple I did get. We will be bringing everyone in over the next couple of weeks for shots and weights but the 1st born lambs are growing like weeds.

The other picture is one of our yearling group that will be lambing soon. I'm hoping her coat sheds better over time since I like her lines.

I need to figure out what sheep code makes one of them to have to go pee in most of the pictures I take.


----------



## Bruce

Devonviolet said:


> When it flew near their heads, they ducked.


And now we know WHY it is called ducking"!



Mike CHS said:


> Mine was only partial and I was just this morning able to button pants without bringing tears to my eyes and mine was 3 days ago.


I bet Teresa could have helped with that. All you needed to do was ask.


----------



## Mike CHS

I do have to ask since the arm doesn't always want to go where I need it to. 

She drove us into Nashville for the first time ever today since I normally do all of the driving but can't move the gear shift so she is doing her part and I'm getting to gawk at some pretty scenery that I haven't been able to check out before now.


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> I need to figure out what sheep code makes one of them to have to go pee in most of the pictures I take.



They are just so excited to see you, they pee all over the place. Or you just plain out scare the piss out of them.....LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

Here is the last born  #29 ewe lamb after putting an ear tag on her -  it's a ewe lamb and a big girl.  She was right at 12.5 today so probably a little over 11.5 at birth and is from the ewe that we had to pull a lamb from last season. You can barely tell it but she is going to have dark spots all over her head and back. That's two seasons in a row that this ewe had a single but since she has perfect confirmation and throws big lambs she can stick around.

We still have one more from this bunch to lamb (maybe) then the last eight could start as early as the 21st of this month.  We will call them all in the shelter before the next batch starts to lamb to give vaccinations and check/trim hooves.  My shoulder is a long way from being usable so I've been making good use of our friend and helper Jay (who is holding the lamb).


----------



## CntryBoy777

Oh....she is a big one!!....and so Cute too....


----------



## Latestarter

Nice! And glad you have Jay to carry some of the load while you heal.


----------



## Baymule

That Jay is one fine young man and a great help to you! Beautiful lamb, will her spots show up good in her coat, or just be on her skin where you see them when she gets wet?


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm not sure how or if the spots will show.  The coat on this one is different than any of our others so we shall see.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I do have to ask since the arm doesn't always want to go where I need it to.
> 
> She drove us into Nashville for the first time ever today since I normally do all of the driving but can't move the gear shift so she is doing her part and I'm getting to gawk at some pretty scenery that I haven't been able to check out before now.


You might get used to enjoying the scenery as you pass by. Shall we call you "Miss Daisy"? 

Did Jay get his lambs yet?


----------



## Mike CHS

I'll pass on the Miss Daisy.  

Jay took his sheep home early last week and they seem to be settling in pretty good.  Their pen is adjacent to the road into town and I stopped the other day and said "Hi girls".  The ewe started bawling for me to come get her.


----------



## Mike CHS

Two of our yearling ewes each had a set of twins laying about 20' apart about an hour ago.  We won't mess with them till the morning so no idea what they are yet. 

That's 17 lambs on the ground with 6 more ewes due soon.


----------



## CntryBoy777

They must have heard about your "Cull List" and decided that they had best stay put, so started off with twins.....


----------



## Mike CHS

Our numbers right now are working good.  The rest could be all rams and it wouldn't bother me at this point.  Some of the really solid three year old ewes will be bred back and sold as I don't want to go into winter with more than 30.  Depending on how he grows out we may work the big ram lamb into the rotation but we have a ram lamb on reserve from Tavalin Farms here in Tennessee so who knows.


----------



## Baymule

Three rams wouldn't be a bad idea. Then you could sell "starter flocks" of a ram and 3-5 ewes.


----------



## Mike CHS

Our #7 yearling had a single ewe lamb during the night.  I'm going out to cut the grass on our perimeter lane and will try to take some pictures if I can get my camera to cooperate.

Five more to go.


----------



## Mike CHS

Here a few pictures of the single ewe and one set of twins.  The other ewe and her twins are still off in the far paddock.


----------



## Mike CHS

Both of the twins are right at 10.5 and each has some brown coloring mostly  on their ears.  The single ewe lamb is 11.2

There is another set of twins just born as well as another single.  Momma ewes were getting stressed out so we'll give them some bonding time before messing with them.  At least one of the newest twins is a ram lamb but we'll check them out later.


----------



## Mike CHS

The latest set of twins and the single are all ram lambs.  The twins are the smallest we have so far but they are out of a ewe that we almost didn't breed because of her size.  The twins are 6.2 and 6.6.

The single ram lamb is 11.4 lbs.


----------



## CntryBoy777

It does seem that ya are having a fairly easy lambing season going....every time ya look there are new ones on the ground....they are so Cute....and very snowy White....


----------



## Mike CHS

I really like lambing in the pasture over what we did last year.


----------



## Baymule

You are sure having a great year with the lambs. That is a beautiful bunch of lambs.


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## Wehner Homestead

I’ve read your whole journal finally! It’s been very interesting reading along and I can’t wait to see what the future holds! 

I’ll say a prayer for your recovery from your shoulder surgery. Best wishes on the rest of your lambing. 

I’m interested in seeing what the spotted ewe throws. Didn’t she have two black does last year? I’ve only seen one in the pics. Is she bred too? That would definitely increase your chances for color! 

I love how self-sufficient you and Theresa are when it comes to making your own foods/preserving/seasoning. 

Cheep Cheep was an interesting twist and I hope she makes an appearance again in the spring! 

Interestingly enough, partway through I wondered why you didn’t have a cat. Needless to say I couldn’t help but grin when you mentioned the kitten showing up. I personally like black cats and ignore the superstitions.


----------



## Mike CHS

Wehner Homestead said:


> I’ve read your whole journal finally! It’s been very interesting reading along and I can’t wait to see what the future holds!



That was a lot of reading and I hope it wasn't too painful.  )

The spotted ewe did have twin black lambs but she had been bred to a black ram.  We lost one of them to Barber Pole Worms due to my lack of knowledge.  What color there is this year is coming from our ram Ringo who has color in his lines but his only color is a black spot on one ear.

The black ewe is still too small to let breed and if she doesn't grow she will be a cull soon.  Her mama is bred and is definitely carrying twins and possibly trips.


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## Wehner Homestead

It wasn’t painful at all! I enjoy learning about the family that we all have here!


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## Bruce

How could it be painful? Interesting, informative and "only" 2,900 posts!


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## Wehner Homestead

And I read them all on my phone! Lol. I think it might be a bit easier on a tablet or monitor but I make use of what is at hand.


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## Mike CHS

We are going to be supplying a lot of meat here soon as we have another ram lamb born this morning.  We have two ewes left to lamb this season.


----------



## Mike CHS

I have been having some issue with the Akbash pup for a couple  of weeks now with him going after the ram when he gets near me.  I at first thought it was jealousy because he has gotten into it with Maisy a few times.  I watch his body language and it's pretty predictable when his switch gets thrown.  This morning though when he went after the ram I started to get on to him when Maisy went at the ram also.  That was a first for Maisy but it made the light go on in my little pea brain. It appears that Thor wasn't attacking the ram due to resource guarding me, rather it was because he thought the ram was coming at me.  I didn't realize it until Maisy also went after him so unfortunately Ringo won't get any animal crackers from here on out. He comes trotting towards me looking for a treat so it looks like I was setting Thor up.  He was going after the ram thinking the ram was coming at me.  I'm so glad these dogs patiently wait on their partners to figure things out.


----------



## Baymule

Poor Ringo, he just wants an animal cracker. But good dogs for protecting you. It's good to know that they have your back, not all rams are as nice as Ringo.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Good dogs!  They not only protect the critters - they protect you from the critters!  

Cowboy is like that with the pigs.  He doesn't let them near me...I just have to convince him that sometimes it's ok!


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## CntryBoy777

On one hand it has to feel good to know ya are protected, but on the other it has to be a bit of a letdown being a contributor to that situation....as crafty as ya are tho, I'm sure ya can find a way to still get him some animal crackers....
Joyce asked me the other day if Gabbie kills a rooster is she suppose to scold her.....I told her if the rooster is attacking ya...no....ya praise her....then, she said that 1 of the roos had started attacking her and Gabbie stepped in between them and the roo decided it was time to exit stage left....I asked what Gabbie did then....she said she watched him leave...I told her that is what she is suppose to do, but if he had continued and Gabbie killed it, she would have been protecting you, so ya have to praise her....


----------



## Pastor Dave

This scenario is a dilemma in my mind. I have had the German Shepherds trained for protection. I get the rooster scenario and the dog protecting your wife, Fred. I have not had LGDs, and figured they would have a stronger drive to protect their animals than Mike. It has got to be hard for it to be fed by you and loyal, but expected to put its life down for the livestock. It kinda boggles me. Twenty some odd years ago, my ex-wife and I had to put up the dogs to discipline the kids. No spanking while the dogs were loose, Lol. I understand the dog's mind on tbat one. I suppose your dog, Mike, wouldn't let a stranger approach the sheep? Marvelous animals LGDs.


----------



## Bruce

Perhaps Thor and Maisy can learn to read the ram's intentions and understand if they need to cut him off or just watch.


----------



## Mike CHS

I always take some crackers out so the simplest thing is to make sure the dogs aren't right there.  It's funny though because when Thor moves to fast around me the sheep try to take him out,


----------



## Bruce

Livestock Guardian Dogs and Human Guardian Sheep!

They need to have a summit to discuss their intentions toward you. Perhaps they will find common ground in the fact that you are an ally of both sides


----------



## CntryBoy777

Okay @Pastor Dave , ya have stated before that ya would protect your animals and property along with your family...which would ya be willing to die for first?....or fight to your last breath for?....pretty much the same way it is with a guardian....they protect their property, but they defend their family or pack....


----------



## Mike CHS

All of the tornado activity going on now seems to be hugging the Tennessee/Alabama line is is passing us to the east.


----------



## Wehner Homestead

We are supposed to get freezing rain overnight!


----------



## Mike CHS

Our weather here was just like this last winter.  Winter wanted to stick around.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Wehner Homestead said:


> We are supposed to get freezing rain overnight!


That can sure be a mess to deal with....hope it isn't much, it sends people into a panic here....they always think back to '94, it was widespread and many were without power for many days.


----------



## Mike CHS

I was living in Memphis during that one.  We were without power for almost 30 days.  We had a generator and ran extension cords around the block so folks could have a bit of power for at least a short time.


----------



## CntryBoy777

It took my Dad 13days just to locate a generator....they were sold out all the way to Birmingham. The house I was living in went without power for 38hrs....luckily there were some higher ups from the energy company that lived close by, so that area was one of the first repaired....plus all the lines were under ground.


----------



## Mike CHS

Roller coaster weather.  It's supposed to get down to freezing tonight and as expected my fruit trees are in full bloom.  We got a few pictures this afternoon.  Our ram Ringo must have taken a few long breaks since we still have 3 ewes left to lamb. The picture of the ram at the mineral feeder reminds me that I need lower that dish.  He has good size and was 14 pounds at birth and is pushing 50 pounds right now.

The second picture is the ram lamb that at the edge of the gaggle that was born a couple of days ago.  Like all of the ram lambs they are long and lanky and will be ready for market at a good time for us.  I'm going to list two of the lambs as possible herd sires for a commercial flock.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Wow!!...they sure are growing quickly....the one is almost as large as his momma....what is your anticipation of mnths to market?.....I don't want time or $$ to slip up on me and want to be prepared ahead of time and will PM or call ya to work everything out.....


----------



## Mike CHS

The month old ram lambs are ready for the local market in another month and they will be above 70 pounds if we sell any of them that way. We have one reserved for sale in late summer/early fall since they should be right at 100+ pounds by then.  Other than that it just depends on 'wants' as far as what size is wanted.  They are on milk and grass until we wean them and so far only the ewes are being fed any grain and all are getting some good alfalfa.


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## CntryBoy777

Okay, guess I need to be calling ya then....talk to ya soon...


----------



## Mike CHS

There is no hurry Fred let me know what and how big you want and we can go from there.  We don't butcher any of the young ones for our own use that small. Closer to full grown tastes the same and you get a lot more meat.  The market for lambs is silly right now and probably like goats but I'm not sure.  We can make more $$ selling a 20-40 pound lamb than you can get for one twice or bigger that size but you wind up with very little meat.


----------



## Baymule

I love lamb pictures!


----------



## Mike CHS

Nothing specific today but we finally got a replacement for my old camera so I had to try it out a bit.

I think Ringo and Thor have some kind of love/hate thing going on.  They will square off one minute and a minute later they are snuggled.  The close up of Ringo is his "I'm going to stare at you till I get an animal cracker" look.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Sure looks like the camera is working well for ya....and it could be a male thang between those 2....just like boys....fightin and wrestling one minute and best friends the next...


----------



## Mike CHS

I had my follow-up with my ortho surgeon this morning and he cleared me to start working normally again.  I like his approach to everything since he said I could use my shoulder with no restrictions and that basically if I'm doing something and it hurts, quit it.    He gave me a script for physical therapy twice a week which I will go to if for no other reason, to find out what I should NOT be doing.


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## Wehner Homestead

Physical therapy will also give you exercises to do at home that will help strengthen that shoulder.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I think Ringo and Thor have some kind of love/hate thing going on. They will square off one minute and a minute later they are snuggled. The close up of Ringo is his "I'm going to stare at you till I get an animal cracker" look.


Perhaps they will learn to understand one another. 

Did Ringo stare you down and get his cracker?


----------



## Mike CHS

I got a couple of crackers to him when Thor wasn't looking.


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## Baymule

The therapy will be good for you. It will help you heal faster and better than ever! 

I love Ringo.


----------



## Mike CHS

This morning I bagged and hauled off a pickup load full of trash out of what had seemed like a never ending burn barrel trash ditch.  There is still some minor pockets of debris down in the ditch but every area that is visible has been cleaned up.  There was so much metal and glass that I'm assuming I will never get it clean enough to allow the sheep to walk around there but it's clean enough now that I can fence around it to keep the critters out of it. We have another acre plus adjoining that area that will get fenced soon but I want to start cross fencing in our biggest paddock of 5 acres Monday or Tuesday first to give more flexibility in our rotation now that the grass is growing faster than the sheep can eat it.


----------



## Bruce

So much for being done fencing!!


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## Mike CHS

A just because picture of some of the sheep absorbing some sun.  It's amazing how fast the lambs are growing.


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## Bruce

March ... going out like a lamb.


----------



## farmerjan

Ours is going out like a lion!!!!  Had 6 inches this past Tues. night and Wed.  Heavy wet snow.  Pastures and fields were a real greasy slick mess.  Had several calves born in the mud and sloppy mess.  Now we are in line for ANOTHER snow this weekend.  It is a fairly narrow band coming down out of Minn and N. Dakota, Iowa, Indiana, Ky and is supposed to hit southwest Va during the day on Sat. with snow through the night.  It is only supposed to be 90 - 100 miles wide but the amount of snow will vary by exactly where it hits.  They are looking at nearly a FOOT  in Wytheville and affecting the Martinsville, Va.   Nascar race.  We could get anywhere from a trace to 5 inches should it shift a little north.  Rain around it but we are going to have a little "cold spot" in the middle and get the white stuff.  

We still have some snow on the fields where the sun didn't really get warm enough to melt it yesterday and today after Wednesday's snow.  I am hoping for it to get cold enough tonight to be able to haul a truck full of 5 gal buckets of feed to fill the cans at the barn from my bulk feed bin at the other barn.  Nearly slid halfway down the hill today as it was already getting slick before 10  when I was doing chores to get ready to go to work.

I thought the calendar "OFFICIALLY" said spring...???


----------



## Mike CHS

Our spotted ewe had a single ewe lamb this morning - long legged and probably around 12 pounds.  You can walk up to most lambs and pick them up during their first couple of days but this lamb wasn't easy to catch even almost right out of the womb.  I'm pleased with the new camera - these pictures were zoomed from about 200' away.


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## CntryBoy777

That is some solid color in the flock and just Love the markings!!....Congrats on another amazing lamb!!....


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## Bruce

I see she has already made a friend.


Mike CHS said:


> I'm pleased with the new camera - these pictures were zoomed from about 200' away.






farmerjan said:


> Now we are in line for ANOTHER snow this weekend.


Sure glad I don't live down south where they get a lot of snow  Of course spring, official or not, won't be here for a month yet.


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## Baymule

As always, I love the pictures of your sheep. Such lovely green pastures contrasted with the white and spotty ewes with their lambs.


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## Wehner Homestead

Adorable ewe lamb!  Is she a keeper?


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## Mike CHS

She is a keeper. She is one of our full blooded Katahdins.  Right now it looks like all of the ewes are keepers except for 2 that will be bred back and sold as exposed to keep our numbers where they need to be.


----------



## Mini Horses

Love the white tail tip on that adorable black ewe babe!   her mom is a looker too.   The Katahdins are such nice colors.  If I were doing sheep, they'd be my choice.


----------



## Mike CHS

The 'lawn' adjacent to the paddock needed cutting again and the sheep cooperated - I'm just putting these pictures to show how fast the lambs are growing.  The oldest ones are 5 weeks old and in most pictures you can't tell which ones are the lambs.

All of this growth is on milk and grass so far.  I was only able to get a couple of the oldest to eat some feed this morning and the creep feeder we set up is sitting idle so I need to rethink that design.

You might notice that Thor has been doing some slight modification to the hoop house shelter in the far field.


----------



## Latestarter

Holy crap batman! My goats do that to the tarps on their shelter by using the side of the shelter as a trampoline. Why is Thor doing that? Any idea?


----------



## Mike CHS

I haven't figured that out yet.  I'm just assuming he is the one doing it but have never seen him so there isn't much I can do about it.  I sprayed hot sauce all around it when we re-covered it but of course with all of this rain......


----------



## Latestarter

If baby lambs are anything like baby goats, they're ping pong balls of energy. My day old kids have already started trying to climb and bounce off the side of the shelter...


----------



## Mike CHS

The lambs don't have access to the paddock with the remodeled hoop house but they must run 4 or 5 miles a day just because they can.  They will hit the ewes for milk, lie down for a few minutes and then someone does this silent whistle thing that I can't here and all of the lambs are up in a stampede going nowhere and everywhere in their minds I'm sure.


----------



## Baymule

Thor does work like some home remodelers I've seen........


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## Latestarter

Being one who always got blamed, with no evidence, and no chance at defense, and actually being innocent of that accused, I shirk from blaming without proof... Just me.


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm the same way Joe.  You can't discipline for something that happened who knows when so it hasn't cost him anything.


----------



## Bruce

Time for the game camera setup out there.


----------



## Latestarter

If his dogs are anything like mine (past and present), placing anything in the pasture means offering a new toy for them to chew up and play with... Unless there's some way to mount it high enough to still trigger, without being within reach (and those dogs can JUMP... HIGH), the gamecam will become a very expensive doggie chew toy.


----------



## Mike CHS

Latestarter said:


> the gamecam will become a very expensive doggie chew toy.



I never did find my 18v drill that I'm sure Maisy took but it was never seen again.

Another picture of our law mowers.  I put in enough gates that I can pretty much access all available grass without much trouble.

Teresa is letting the chickens out to free range and they made a beeline to the garden beds.  She is getting 16 or 17 eggs from our 18 hens so they are laying regularly.


 

 

Hopefully our latest freeze didn't get our fruit trees again and they are in full bloom right now.


----------



## Bruce

Latestarter said:


> If his dogs are anything like mine (past and present), placing anything in the pasture means offering a new toy for them to chew up and play with... Unless there's some way to mount it high enough to still trigger, without being within reach (and those dogs can JUMP... HIGH), the gamecam will become a very expensive doggie chew toy.


Oops, I guess he needs to plant a 10' tall post and mount the camera REAL high.


----------



## Baymule

Bruce said:


> Oops, I guess he needs to plant a 10' tall post and mount the camera REAL high.


Those dogs are so smart, they'd grab a ladder, climb it and Maisy would use that drill she has stashed to take down the game cam and rehang it so the dogs could watch what the_ people_ do!


----------



## CntryBoy777

I may be mistaken, but wasn't it Maisy that got a light or camera off a 7' pole last yr when ya was watching for lambing? That is something about the hoop house....hope it isn't Thor, but ya never can tell about those things....I like the front end of your new ATV looks really good....


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Those dogs are so smart, they'd grab a ladder, climb it and Maisy would use that drill she has stashed to take down the game cam and rehang it so the dogs could watch what the_ people_ do!



That one had me laughing.  

It was Maisy that took down the camera but we got to it before she had a chance to hide it.


----------



## Mike CHS

We put an ear tag on the latest ewe lamb today and her weight at 3 days old is 15 1/2 so she would have been  right at 13 1/2 lbs at birth.  She is skittish like her mom used to be so I guess those type of things are in the genes. It took me a couple of months to be able to handle the dam without her seeming to be terrorized.  The lamb is a pretty girl though.


----------



## Bruce

The ewe has definitely settled down if she's letting you hold the lamb. Of my 2017 chickens, Oreo (Exchequer Leghorn) was the one that would run if I came near, just walking through. Now she thinks I am the bringer of goodies and will eat scratch and BOSS from my hand. Bribes work  Of course you don't have anything the lamb wants just yet so it will be a while for her.


----------



## Mike CHS

We got one other picture of the ewe and her lamb that I think is pretty cute because it has both the lamb and my Baby when we were tagging the lamb. Some might remember that this ewe came to us from the same farm that our ram came from a year and a half ago. They needed to sell her to a farm with more secure fencing because they used electric poly rope and it couldn't keep her in.  She would just run through it knowing it wouldn't hurt very long.

There are no low insulators in this pen since it is our dog training pen.  The sheep do get in it to graze but just seeing the hot wire on the other side is evidently enough to keep them off of the wire.


----------



## Bruce

I expect that fence would keep her in hot wire or no. Though I guess if she rubbed on it enough in the right places she might push the T-posts a bit.


----------



## CntryBoy777

That is definitely one large girl!!....and just so ya know for sure....I'm not referring to your Baby....


----------



## Mike CHS

Last year this ewe had twins that were 9.2 & 9.4 so she has the capacity.  When she isn't carrying the extra weight from lambing her normal weight is around 165 pounds.


----------



## Baymule

I love that picture of your Baby, the lamb and the ewe. You should frame that one for hanging in a place that you could look at every day.


----------



## Mike CHS

Thought I would post a Leg of Lamb about ready to come out of the oven.  This is one of the reasons we use mostly numbers instead of names.  For some reason it doesn't bother us to cook some of 6.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Lookin Great to me........must be raining over there if ya cooking inside....


----------



## BoboFarm

6 looks tasty


----------



## Mike CHS

It has been raining off and on all day Fred.
Tasty it was BoboFarm


----------



## Mike CHS

Just before the sun started going down a big gaggle of lambs were playing king of the mountain on top of a big round bale. My apologies for the picture quality since it was 400' away and taken through the living room window.


----------



## Baymule

I about busted a gut laughing about cooking a piece of number 6. That was funny!


----------



## Wehner Homestead

I understand completely! We only name the ones we plan to keep. The kids have named a few steers but those have all gone to 4-Hers so it hasn’t been an issue yet. I mentioned eating a chicken that I was moving today (I think she’s my culprit for eating eggs so she’s separated to see if it still happens or not.) and they looked shocked. I think we need to have a few conversations with them...

That lamb looks very yummy! I really like lamb but haven’t had it in years. I may need to see if I can get my hands on a pair to feed out...


----------



## Mike CHS

It has been raining just about non-stop and Teresa is helping a friend at their kennel so I'm experimenting with a lamb stew recipe called Lamb Korma.  It's a recipe that originated in Indian but I have also seen it when I was in Afghanistan and I'm using the remains of the lamb leg bone cooked yesterday since it still had quite a bit of meat on it.

If it turns out as good as it sounds, I'll post the full recipe in the proper place.


----------



## Wehner Homestead

Sounds interesting!


----------



## Mike CHS

Wehner Homestead said:


> Sounds interesting!



About half way through the prep I decided I wanted something more substantial so it evolved into Arabian Lamb Stew.


----------



## Bruce

Send some up here and I'll test it for you. It probably isn't poisoned but we can't take chances with your health and Teresa's


----------



## Mike CHS

We won't eat it till tomorrow but it turned out super.


----------



## Baymule

Recipe?


----------



## Baymule

Recipe?


----------



## Mike CHS

I did a quick edit of the original recipe that was geared toward pressure cooking the lamb and veggies.  Since I was using left overs you may have to do some liberal interpretation to merge the two methods. 

This is our recipe for using up left overs but you can simply add all ingredients to the pressure cooker (after browning the meat) and cook for 15 minutes for uncooked lamb/mutton

Arabian Lamb Stew Recipe
Ingredients
Leg of lamb left overs or cooked diced lamb 
1 large onion chopped 
1 large potato cut into cubes 
3 garlic cloves minced 
1 tin of tomato paste 
Salt to taste 
Hot water to cover leg bones 
3 whole cardamom or 1 tbs ground
1 tbs cinnamon powder 
1 tbs ground cloves 
1 tbs cumin 

1. Cover left over leg of lam or alternatively pressure cook some smaller shanks 
2. Add the spices to the onion, potato and bell peppers and saute till translucent
3. Add the tomato paste and water, let it come to a simmer till all veggies are tender
4. Pull the meat from the leg bones and add enough broth to the veggies till it's of the desired consistency


----------



## Mike CHS

PSA - just thought I'd let everyone know that electric netting can shock you multiple times before you can release it if it is falling toward you.

Before anyone has to ask.  When I went out to work in the pasture I just used my boot to step on the fence to get in.  I usually disconnect the alligator clip next to the gate and after being in the pasture my routine is to cross the fence and then hook it up.  When I started to go out I noticed that one section was leaning more than it should and since it is 'normally' not hot so I just pulled the pole out of the ground to reset it and that's when it got me. Of course since I was in the process of stretching the fence my was against the bottom of the netting and when it bit me, I let go and it just followed my hands and fell against my leg.


----------



## Bruce

Ouch. Not at big a hit as the hot wire on the permanent fence though, right?


----------



## Wehner Homestead

I can’t like that but appreciate the PSA.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Nothing like some electro-therapy to get your attention and wake ya up a bit in the morning........sure glad ya didn't suffer any damage, but know it didn't feel good to ya....I'm sure ya tingled a bit afterwards.....


----------



## Mike CHS

It isn't nearly as hot as the wire but it gets your attention.  The neighbors up the hill were probably trying to figure out what kind of dance I was doing.


----------



## Latestarter

Hope you didn't hurt that surgically repaired shoulder with all that dancing around in the pasture. Guess you could say it was PT...


----------



## Mike CHS

I was out with the white dogs after feeding and I think I got enough hair out of Thor to build another dog.  Maisy is barely shedding which is surprising. I have to wonder how good would be their communication with their people if they had as much contact as our other two dogs.  I finished up with Thor and started working on some mats around Maisy's ear and had put the brush on the ground.  I was squatting in front of Maisy when Thor started nudging me with his nose and when I looked at him I saw that he had the brush in his mouth telling me he wanted some more of that good scratching.


----------



## Bruce

You sure he wasn't telling you he wanted to brush Maisy?? At least he didn't take off with it.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I happened to be looking thru some things today and came across this and thought of ya...
https://bakerbettie.com/basic-quick-bread-recipe-sweet-or-savory/

I haven't tried it, so I can't tell ya one way or another on it, but it sounded like it could be made in several different ways for flavoring....


----------



## Wehner Homestead

CntryBoy777 said:


> I happened to be looking thru some things today and came across this and thought of ya...
> https://bakerbettie.com/basic-quick-bread-recipe-sweet-or-savory/
> 
> I haven't tried it, so I can't tell ya one way or another on it, but it sounded like it could be made in several different ways for flavoring....



I’ve opened that recipe in another tab and I’ll have to check it out too!


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> It isn't nearly as hot as the wire but it gets your attention.  The neighbors up the hill were probably trying to figure out what kind of dance I was doing.


And your tribal name is Dances With Sheep?


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> I happened to be looking thru some things today and came across this and thought of ya...
> https://bakerbettie.com/basic-quick-bread-recipe-sweet-or-savory/
> 
> I haven't tried it, so I can't tell ya one way or another on it, but it sounded like it could be made in several different ways for flavoring....



I can't believe you remembered that.  Teresa said Thank You very much.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> And your tribal name is Dances With Sheep?




I'm not sure I want to know what they might be thinking.  I spend hours out in the pasture doing what probably appears to be nothing to them when in reality I'm trying to make sure I can catch my 100 pound 'puppy' when he is doing something silly.  I finally think he is getting the idea but it has been painful.


----------



## CntryBoy777

For you or him?.....


----------



## Mike CHS

We got a few pictures yesterday.  Most of the pics I'm posting show the 8 & 7 week old ram lambs since they will be weaned soon.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I spend hours out in the pasture doing what probably appears to be nothing to them when in reality I'm trying to make sure I can catch my 100 pound 'puppy' when he is doing something silly.


He's a smart dog, he's got you figured out.
He knows when you are sleeping,
He knows when you are awake.

He waits for the first one before going out on his "raids"


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa is making a farm sign to put out by the road.  She still wants to put a black outline on the bigger letters but this is pretty much it for now.


----------



## Wehner Homestead

Why are some of the letters in “essential oils” different colors? It looks really good, just curious.


----------



## Mike CHS

I don't ask questions like that normally but in this case I did and she modeled it after the literature on the maker of the oils she handles.


----------



## Wehner Homestead

That makes complete sense now!


----------



## misfitmorgan

Everything looks like it is going well for you guys!! I love that black lamb.

The sign looks very nice too.


----------



## Mike CHS

Our #34 ewe (formerly known as Wild Thang) had a lanky ram lamb about an hour ago so we just have one ewe left to lamb plus the one Jay bought.  He lives with his grandfather who has decided he likes sheep enough that he is setting up another 16 acres for them and is buying 30 sheep from an estate sale.

Jay rolled his grandfather's pickup yesterday evening and fortunately he was wearing a seatbelt for once. He only has some bruising from the seatbelt but one of the two boys with him had to be Life Flighted to the hospital but is stable today. He had (notice the word had) a restricted farm license which meant the only passengers he was allowed to carry were adults but nobody under 19. They weren't 19 so he lost his license until he is 19.

I added a pictures of the white dogs to note all of the progress Thor has made in his hoop house shelter renovation.


----------



## Bruce

He's doing a GREAT job increasing summer time ventilation on those hoop houses!!

Oh Jay, poor decision. I sure hope the kid that was "Life Flighted" will be OK. Losing his license will be a PITA, but the guilt of permanently injuring a friend, I can't imagine it.


----------



## Mike CHS

I got a couple of pictures of the truck that Jay was driving.  The boy that got flown out is in good shape it wound up he has a broken leg.  They originally thought back but turned out not so but any trauma gets a Life Flight to the nearest hospital which is quite a ways off.  Everybody I know around here has the Life Flight insurance.

I was talking to Jay's Grandpa and we agreed that if Jay had not gotten a ticket a few weeks ago he would not have survived.  His ticket was for no seat belt (super expensive here) so he and the other two boys were wearing seat belts when the truck started rolling.

Hard to believe the lack of serious injuries looking at the pictures.


----------



## Wehner Homestead

Yikes! I can’t believe that the worst was one of them having a broken leg! Wow!!


----------



## Hens and Roos

wow, glad to hear that no one was killed...I showed my kids the pictures as they are both beginning drivers!


----------



## promiseacres

so glad they had their belts on...


----------



## Mike CHS

promiseacres said:


> so glad they had their belts on...



Us too.  He was grounded for driving more than not because of his hard headed thing about seat belts.  He had to pay the $250 ticket so he has been using them ever since.  Plus he has been driving with us quite a bit and we aren't easy on him for him having to be told to put it on.  We have become another set of Grands for him.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Mike CHS said:


> Our #34 ewe (formerly known as Wild Thang) had a lanky ram lamb about an hour ago so we just have one ewe left to lamb plus the one Jay bought.  He lives with his grandfather who has decided he likes sheep enough that he is setting up another 16 acres for them and is buying 30 sheep from an estate sale.
> 
> Jay rolled his grandfather's pickup yesterday evening and fortunately he was wearing a seatbelt for once. He only has some bruising from the seatbelt but one of the two boys with him had to be Life Flighted to the hospital but is stable today. He had (notice the word had) a restricted farm license which meant the only passengers he was allowed to carry were adults but nobody under 19. They weren't 19 so he lost his license until he is 19.
> 
> I added a pictures of the white dogs to note all of the progress Thor has made in his hoop house shelter renovation.
> 
> View attachment 46200 View attachment 46201


There is a distinctful smile of pride on that face there....and for some reason while viewing the pic I kept hearing that old song.....I think by the 5th Dimension....Let the Sun Shine In....

That truck is really tore up....they are so Lucky!!.....sure could've been a whole different outcome....Thankful they are okay!!.....
The signs look really Nice!!.....


----------



## Mike CHS

That ewe needs to be culled but that isn't going to happen. She will always be on the wild side but she is about as sweet as she can be or at least she wants to be.  She is one of those that is super protective but I walked up to her lamb and squatted down and she lay down in front of me.  I really like these animals even with all of the pluses and minuses.


----------



## Baymule

Those boys were very very lucky. God takes care of crazy people and fools. It sucks for Jay that he has to wait till 19 for a license, but lesson learned. 

So......Dances With Sheep, have you thought about hiring out Thor as a demolition contractor? He's doing a pretty darn good job!


----------



## Mike CHS

I still have to assume that he is the one doing it so it is a matter of innocent until proven guilty.


----------



## farmerjan

Those kids had a guardian angel watching over them.  Maybe this will get his attention enough now to "grow up" about driving.  They are very lucky to not have been seriously injured or killed.  At least the expensive ticket turned out to be the "ticket" that may have saved all their lives.   I know they are kids and kids do STUPID things.  So glad it turned out to be a lesson they can learn from themselves.  They sure did tear up that truck.  Glad that you are another set of "grands" to him.  Sometimes they listen to "outsiders" better than to family or friends close to them.


----------



## Latestarter

Always great farm pics Mike. Sorry to hear about Jay and his recent issues. He must have been traveling at a pretty good clip to total out an F250 like that. That's some serious, hard core damage done. Surprised you still haven't "caught" the hoop house re-designer yet... Were it me, I'd be pretty aggravated about now.   But I also notice you haven't replaced the shredded tarps yet so at least no further $$ lost to destruction.


----------



## Bruce

DD2's Peruvian BF apparently isn't big on seatbelts. But while he was working here (where they met) and she was driving him places (he had no car), he learned that the car doesn't move until all seatbelts are on. I guess my girls learned that one REAL well and without personal experience as to why. I don't even start my car until I've buckled in. Get in, close door, put on seatbelt, start car, drive.

I suspect Jay will have to pay for a replacement truck somehow as well. I truly hope he and his friends now understand why seatbelts are required. Keep that picture around as a reminder. And maybe find some incidences where people were thrown out of a vehicle in a crash.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce - we really aren't sure that he understands just how lucky they are.


----------



## Bruce

Then he needs to see some really graphic pictures of what happens to people in car crashes. I know, he's a teenager and invincible. Until he isn't. I sure hope he doesn't get cocky about walking away from this.


----------



## goatgurl

boys his age are bullet proof, don't you guys remember that.  and yup, the good Lord takes care of widders, orphans and half wits.  mama always said so.  if the no seat belt ticket got thru to him maybe this will too.  we can only hope it does.


----------



## High Desert Cowboy

Sorry getting caught up now.  Good looking lambs for this year congratulations! Keep those pics comin. And sorry for that poor boy, seatbelts can save lives.  I had a cousin who taught me when I was little it was cool to not wear seat belts.  He was ejected through the front windshield in a wreck a few years back and killed but I still didn’t learn until I rolled a friends Subaru without a seatbelt.  I lucked out and walked away from that wreck with a few scratches and my going to town hat was probably what saved me from major damage when my head broke the sunroof.  Now I always wear one, because while the good lord may look after fools and small children there’s no guarantee he’ll do it twice.


----------



## Bruce

High Desert Cowboy said:


> Now I always wear one, because while the good lord may look after fools and small children there’s no guarantee he’ll do it twice.


Sage advice!


----------



## Mike CHS

We are getting ready to start weaning soon and still have one ewe that has not lambed.  I'm posting a couple of pictures from the driveway at the south end of our place.  Where I'm standing is about 50' away from the CSX railroad tunnel that runs under our driveway.  The other picture with Thor and the boys is at the north end of our place and is the next and last grass that needs to be fenced.  I would just keep using the netting but I want to close off an access point that I don't want open any longer.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Ya know....for someone that was so happy to be about done with fencing, ya sure keep coming up with fencing projects for one reason or another.........I suppose the shoulder is healing nicely if ya already feel up to giving it a good workout....


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm still having to baby the shoulder.  It gets to feeling pretty good and then I go in for physical therapy twice a week.  It still hurts like the dickens but I'm working it enough that I'm getting some of the strength back.


----------



## Bruce

CntryBoy777 said:


> Ya know....for someone that was so happy to be about done with fencing, ya sure keep coming up with fencing projects for one reason or another.........I suppose the shoulder is healing nicely if ya already feel up to giving it a good workout....


Channeling the much younger generations: 
I know, RIGHT?!

Been thinking the same thing. Mike's extensive fencing is all done. Well, maybe just this one more part.


----------



## Mike CHS

I still want to cross-fence the big center paddock but we already have enough for a decent rotation.  We have been doing all of those small things that keep coming up when you are expecting a lot of company.  We are expecting around 40 people on the 21st for a sheep work shop.


----------



## Bruce

Don't forget to count your lovely sheep both before and after


----------



## Baymule




----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> I'm still having to baby the shoulder.  It gets to feeling pretty good and then I go in for physical therapy twice a week.  It still hurts like the dickens but I'm working it enough that I'm getting some of the strength back.



I am glad that your shoulder is healing so that you can get back into your life. Therapy hurts, but a good work out gets you back to doing the things you love to do.


----------



## Mike CHS

Crappy weather and sore shoulder today so we did inside things today.  Teresa has been listing a lot of tools and fence related things that we bought but never used but we were needing to do some downsizing.

I thawed out about a dozen or so lamb chops and made some more Dijon and Wine marinated chops and some more of the Mirin based marinade.  These will be done on the stove top.

The door got left ajar on our big upright freezer but fortunately we were able to catch it before losing a lot of meat.  I cooked up three lbs of small burgers that I like for breakfast on a biscuit and a big pot of chili.


----------



## Baymule

Today was icky here too. I caught up on all the laundry, even got it all put away! LOL Our new upright has an alarm on it and a digital readout on the door. It is in a nook on the porch. I look for that green glow on the door and I know things are ok.


----------



## Mike CHS

This was easily prevented and careless on our part.  We had a bunch of feed bags on the top of the freezer and the last time the door was opened evidently one of the bags kept the freezer door open a little.  No harm done but it was all iced up inside from the air intake and there was quite a few things in the door that had ice crystals (which is why I cooked a huge number of lamb chops today)


----------



## farmerjan

Mike CHS said:


> This was easily prevented and careless on our part.  We had a bunch of feed bags on the top of the freezer and the last time the door was opened evidently one of the bags kept the freezer door open a little.  No harm done but it was all iced up inside from the air intake and there was quite a few things in the door that had ice crystals (which is why I cooked a huge number of lamb chops today)
> 
> We have all done that I think.  Happened here before.  And it is good to have them where you see them often.  All mine are older and I try to check them a couple times a week as I walk by.


----------



## Mike CHS

I had it where Thor wouldn't go after the ram until today.  Ringo has it figured out that he can put his head down and since he's so big he can just push the dogs off of their bowls.  He also knows that the dogs make these vicious sounds when they jump on him but he also knows it's all noise.  I popped his nose to get him to back off then he starts sniffing around my pocket to see if I have any animal crackers which I always do.

I had 23 tons of gravel delivered the other day and got about 75% of it moved this morning with the tractor.


----------



## Bruce

I need both gravel and a tractor to move it!


----------



## Latestarter

Yeah Bruce... you and me both.


----------



## Baymule

I love Ringo!


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> I love Ringo!



I do too.  I finally gave up on stopping Thor once I saw Ringo put his head down and chased Thor all over the pasture and then they switched up and Thor was chasing Ringo.  I guess they have reached some type of agreement.


----------



## Mike CHS

We still have 2 or 3 weeks before it's safe planting weather but my tomato starts were needing to be put in larger containers so that got done today.  I got seed planted in flats for all of my cucumbers, squash and watermelons.

I had my 3rd week of physical therapy start this morning.  I have been going twice a week and have one more week scheduled but I'm not doing anything there that I can't do at home so I think this week will be my last.  Strength is coming back and the pain is a lot less and I only have limitations in certain movements (which I'm working on).


----------



## Bruce




----------



## Mike CHS

I started clearing a bunch of low hanging branches on the property line to make mowing a little less painful.  There are a bunch of small Honey Locust trees that have my arms and hands looking like I was in a battle.  I started out wearing a long sleeved shirt but it got where it was easier to just move slower rather than have to fight to get the thorns out of my sleeves.  This is slow going since it is all hand work for now but this has been on my To-Do list since we bought the place and is also the reason I left a 'lane' outside of the west side fences.


----------



## Bruce

Sounds like you need to borrow some goats for a bit.


----------



## Latestarter

Or a very large flame thrower... or maybe a bulldozer?


----------



## Mike CHS

We had a good day and overall it has been a productive week.  We have been hiring Jay for 2-3 hours every day and the to-do list is getting smaller. Our handling area is on the front of the shop and we had jury rigged some woven wire attached to the shop opening.  It is one of those things that bugged me every time I looked at it.  We had several rolls of woven wire on the porch by the big garage door but Teresa and Jay took all of the material that was there and used pallets to put it all out of the way. Today we framed in the opening and attached a cattle panel to that.  It looks much more professional now and finished.  We won't be using the tilt table for the sheep association workshop so we put up electric netting outside of the head gate and do what we need to do in that section of the chute.

The other day Teresa came up with an idea on how to store my fence post digger and auger to take up less room and it works perfectly.

All of these things were scheduled to be done but since we are having our sheep association workshop in our shop they all got moved upward on the list.


----------



## Baymule

I hate locust trees. They spread seeds and pop up everywhere. 

Your shop is looking really good. Nothing like company to get a fire lit under your butt to get things all cleaned up!


----------



## Bruce

Not just plain old company either, "business" company. Want the professional look for sure.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I feel your pain Mike...I too have some of those danged trees and when I get the chainsaw out they will be the warm up group....just to make sure it is running properly....


----------



## Mike CHS

I has rained non-stop since early this morning so we went to Costco and Sam's in Franklin (just south of Nashville) and we will never do that on a weekend day again.  There was more people in the stores than there is all together in my little town.  Traffic at our place is busy if you see more than 4 or 5 cars on the ten mile trip to Lewisburg but there was a line backed up at Costco just trying to get into the parking lot.  The people rude and inconsiderate which isn't the norm for any other place I have been in Tennessee.


----------



## Bruce

Weekends are definitely not the time to go anywhere people with M-F jobs need to be.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I hear ya Mike, we had to run to Batesville today and vet Gabbie food....we had planned to go yesterday, but there was a visitor that had to adjust our schedule for....I dearly hate the traffic and attitudes that are out and about on the wknds....but, Gabbie is worth every pound, bump, and knock on the steering wheel....along with a few squeezes for good measure....


----------



## greybeard

I keep my PTO auger chained standing up, to a cross tie post, and, until the flood, kept a short 8x8 under the yoke so all I had to do was back right up to it and pin the yoke arms, slip on the pto shaft and pin the center bar. (my 8x8 floated off to the nether world.)
Someday, I'll just weld up a proper stand for it.

However, I believe firmly, that everyone should have to use a set of these for a few months of their life...


----------



## Mike CHS

I have used one of those long ago and tried one here but it's about useless here.  We use a manual post hole digger and rock bar when we just have a few to dig.


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> I have used one of those long ago and tried one here but it's about useless here. We use a manual post hole digger and rock bar when we just have a few to dig.


Useless everywhere unless you have long strong arms and relatively soft but not gummy soil.
Me too on the other kind of manual diggers but I use the bar for roots not rocks. I'm told that I do have rocks here, but they're about 1000+ feet down on the  old (late cretaceous) sea bed.


----------



## Mike CHS

I had an appointment at the Social Security Office this morning and had a very professional and helpful young lady take care of an item that I have been trying to get resolved for almost a year.  So far all Tennesseans I have met (except those in Nashville) are a pleasure to be around and work with.


----------



## Bruce

Seems to be a "bigger city" vs "less populated" thing. Maybe the stress of too many people in one space leads to less than pleasant social interactions.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have been getting RSVPs for our sheep workshop Saturday and so far it looks like there will be over 60 people coming.  Lots of pork shoulder to cook Friday night and a couple of neighbors will be helping to make the sides.  

We have several things donated by the local CO-OPs and TSC in Lewisburg donated a digital two gun safe that retails for $119.


----------



## Bruce

Sounds like it will be a great time. 

How's come the Katahdin sheep people are eating pork? Seems lamb would be much more natural


----------



## Wehner Homestead

I was wondering the same thing!


----------



## Mike CHS

Because good pulled pork rules.  

I can feed 60 people with 4 pork shoulders and there aren't many cuts of sheep that will make that much meat as easily.  I did a whole hind quarter of goat for the last one so we have a variety.


----------



## Baymule

Sounds like a great sheep party! Pork or lamb, it's all good!


----------



## Bruce

I'm sure Mike will send us some if there is any left over.


----------



## Latestarter

Basing that on historical reporting, I doubt there will be any scraps left.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Especially if Thor and Maisy get a taste...can't forget Lance and Sassie either....


----------



## Mike CHS

Our UT agent was out today to talk about the workshop we are doing Saturday and was briefing us on what he was going to discuss including Permits for Black Vultures that you can get through from the state via Farm Bureau if you are a member.  They are proving to be a major problem around us and have been reported to kill several lambs.  I have managed to run them off when I see them roosting in trees by shooting up into the tree.  They are evidently pretty smart and so far have taken the hint.  Evidently what they want you to do is to shoot one (you can shoot up to three) and hang it/them in the area where they are being a nuisance and they will then avoid the area.  I can see that working since I have done that with Crows that are being a pest.

He seems to have a pretty good presentation on parasite control and will do some hands on Famacha training and also scoring our animals on their condition in our handling chute.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Sounds like a really good and informative meeting ahead. We have a couple of kinds of vultures here and both are soaring around here daily, but haven't heard of any issues as of yet. Even Gabbie watches them and runs and barks at them and hawks....of course, the ducks and chickens treat anything large as a hawk.


----------



## Baymule

Those are a problem here too. I don't know if a permit is available to shoot them.


----------



## Mike CHS

I saw Maisy one time laying among a bunch of lambs last season and when one came in for a landing she got some tail feathers. That was the last one we saw for awhile


----------



## Baymule

Maisy is a good dog!


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Those are a problem here too. I don't know if a permit is available to shoot them.



The UT guy said they are part of the migratory bird restriction but since they have become a predator that makes their status different.  I'll get my permit and hopefully make them go away.


----------



## Wehner Homestead

You’ll have to share any other tidbits you learn during the presentation! 

We had black vultures last year. Our cows calved IN the herd, directly around the round bales. Had to be for safety. DH shot at several and rocks were thrown at some when a gun wasn’t handy. I even ran at some just because nothing else was handy. We were between LGDs at the time but haven’t seen any this year. Queenie is a watcher but gets her patrols in too. The human kids still think all vultures are bad and get worked up every time they see one. Never a dull moment!


----------



## greybeard

S................S............S

http://texascryptidhunter.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-killer-vultures-of-bell-county.html


----------



## Baymule

greybeard said:


> S................S............S
> 
> http://texascryptidhunter.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-killer-vultures-of-bell-county.html



Good article.


----------



## Bruce

Seems as though the Migratory Bird Act needs some adjustment in some areas.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Seems as though the Migratory Bird Act needs some adjustment in some areas.



@greybeard pretty much hit it with what most folks do.  We know of a man who got out of the sheep business since he was losing so many lambs.


----------



## Bruce

That is pretty sad. I'm not all black and white on migratory birds and raptors. In areas where the population is too high, they should be allowed to be taken out if they are killing people's livestock. Especially when they are a local population that isn't on a migration run.

Population levels is key. Turkeys were hunted to extinction in Vermont. A few dozen brought in from NY in '68 & '69, no hunting for a long time. Numbers are now in the 50K+ range and there is a hunting season.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce -  The Black Vultures around our place are here all year round.  The following bit is copied off the counties web site:

In Giles County, it’s always time to talk turkey.

The community prides itself as the Turkey Capital of Tennessee, a distinction it is hoping to formalize, and it has the wild bird population and the events to back its case.

In April, during the second week of hunting season, Giles County is the home base for the annual Governor’s One-Shot Turkey Hunt, a five-county event that attracts hunters from all over Tennessee.


----------



## Bruce

Sounds like those black vultures could have a season as well then. At least if they are killing livestock instead of just cleaning up.


----------



## Mike CHS

The meat is on the smoker for tomorrow's get together.  These are all just under 10 pounds so at least now I know if I needed more total product I can get six eight pounders and fill up the smoker.


----------



## CntryBoy777

It is a shame we don't have an ENE wind today....I bet it smells wonderful....


----------



## Baymule

Looks delicious!


----------



## frustratedearthmother

They really do look great!  Hope ya'll have a great time today.


----------



## Mike CHS

frustratedearthmother said:


> They really do look great!  Hope ya'll have a great time today.



I think everyone enjoyed it.  We didn't have as many people show up as expected but we had close to 40 people.  A surprising number of those were new members that just signed up today and several of those were just getting into sheep.

It was a good time to network and we even found a dealer for Sea 90 (supplement).  That stuff sells for around $45 a bag at the nearest dealership and we now have a source for it at $22 a bag.  The folks that use that use it in conjunction with kelp and their sheep are some of the best looking I've ever seen.

The Extension Agent (Matt) gave a briefing on parasite control that everyone seemed to enjoy.  At the end of the workshop, I brought in a few of my ewes in varying states of condition and he gave some hands on in judging age of the sheep, Famacha checking for parasites and finally a hands-on in judging condition.

We then had lunch and most of the folks got seconds (or more) so I take it that was a success also.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Sounds like a good and productive time for all that showed....Yeh, I've never seen one gets 2nds on something that isn't Tasty.....


----------



## Latestarter

That nice big open shop sure came in handy for the gathering. Sounds like it went pretty good for all involved. Congrats on a successful meeting!


----------



## Baymule

Looks like all had a good time. What a nice thing, getting together to learn more about Katahdins. You put on quite the party!


----------



## Mike CHS

Latestarter said:


> That nice big open shop sure came in handy for the gathering. Sounds like it went pretty good for all involved. Congrats on a successful meeting!



We took out all we could and put it in our shed.  A lot of things got stationed out of the way outside but I moved everything back inside as soon as everyone left.  We had originally thought to make a smaller building but after seeing how much flexibility we have with it I'm glad we did what we did.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Looks like all had a good time. What a nice thing, getting together to learn more about Katahdins. You put on quite the party!



Sheep people are good people (as are goat people as I'm finding out).  

The biggest relief I had for today was to call in my girls and they went right into the chute in front of 40 experienced sheep handlers.  I had visions of them fighting like heck and me having to force them in for handling (which my shoulder isn't up to) but they walked right in.


----------



## Baymule

Your sheep wanted you to look good in front of your friends!


----------



## Bruce

The herders didn't get to show off?


----------



## Mike CHS

The bucket is still king 

I was just glad they walked into the chute since my shoulder still isn't up to forcing the issue.


----------



## Mike CHS

We got 3 1/2" of rain in the last 24 hours.  In between showers today I broke out the Broad Fork to see if I could get some of the raised beds loosened a bit to get rid of some of the perennial weeds that have snuck into the beds.  I got three out of the ten beds worked but the Broad Fork was too heavy for my puny shoulder when the wet soil would stick to the tool so I gave up.  I really like that tool since you can get your soil loosened up without turning it over.  I put about a 6" layer of sheep manure on the worst beds back in September and they are now full of earth worms.

I feel bad but I had to have a chat with my elderly neighbor this afternoon.  I have let him use a little over a half acre to garden in so he can play with his big Ford tractor that isn't used for anything else. He plants one row of tomatoes, one row of okra and a couple rows of peas but they get covered with weeds by mid June.  He has made me spend too much time trying to maintain it and he made a huge mess on my side last summer piling metal, wood and who knows what else on my property.  I told him last summer that the trash pile put an end to his gardening but he worked up the garden spot and planted a row of tomatoes and purple hulls a few days ago.  I caught him out again this afternoon and reminded him that I'm fencing in the area in the next week or two and his plants will be inside the paddock.  I really don't like being that way but I have had to spend a lot of time making that area look like I want our place to look like and he has made it too hard.  He has a garden spot on the other side of his place so I won't finish flattening out the ground until he has a chance to transplant his tomatoes.

I guess that was a vent


----------



## Wehner Homestead

Sorry that you had to have a chat with the neighbor. We have one that we seem to avoid. They have some sons I went to school with and don’t see eye to eye on several things. Those boys still lived at home when we moved in. Our house got egged with a trial of beer cans back to their house. Yards signs disappeared. A cat disappeared, presuming shot as target practice. Shots fired AT our house. Their dogs think our property is theirs. (Queenie stopped that!) A “comment” to their uncle that we were going to call the sheriff if there were any more mishaps and the boys getting married and moving on ended all of that. I’m very glad!!


----------



## Mike CHS

Mine is an elderly spoiled person that thought he could do what he wanted and I would let him do it but yours is quite a few levels above that.


----------



## Wehner Homestead

I agree. Why couldn’t we all just be neighbors so we don’t have these issues to deal with??


----------



## Latestarter

I like that idea quite a lot actually...


----------



## CntryBoy777

He sounds like he is originally from Missouri.....one of them that have to be Showed what ya are saying.....


----------



## Bruce

Latestarter said:


> I like that idea quite a lot actually...


Y'all are moving to Vermont?? Great!


----------



## Wehner Homestead

Haha! You are SO funny Bruce!!! 


Pretty sure the happy medium/more central/meets LS’ requirements for a liveable State would be KY...


----------



## greybeard

Wehner Homestead said:


> Our house shot AT


That requires 'reply in kind' or physical response around here. There was once an old mobile home on the front of my property about 150' off the road and one day a few years back, acouple of holliugans came by and the guy in the passenger side unloaded a handgun into the trailer and a roadsign and I happened to be up there. I jumped in my truck & cought them at the little store about a mile up the hill. Window side guy got the beating of his life and I threatened to burn that boy's truck down to the wheels if he ever did it again. Called the constable immediately afterwards and he had some words with them as well.


----------



## Bruce

Wehner Homestead said:


> Pretty sure the happy medium/more central/meets LS’ requirements for a liveable State would be KY...


KY was one of @Latestarter's short list states before he moved to TX.


----------



## Wehner Homestead

Bruce said:


> KY was one of @Latestarter's short list states before he moved to TX.



I recall.


----------



## Pastor Dave

Too many choices. Think I'll just stay right here in the Hoosier state.


----------



## Latestarter

It appears from all that are available (choices), you've made yours.  As long as you'r allowed to make it, and are satisfied with it, life is great!


----------



## greybeard

Bruce said:


> KY was one of @Latestarter's short list states before he moved to TX.


He made the right choice. Here, he wouldn't be needing to get a Hep A vaccination and our college roundball teams aren't in basketball jail.
http://www.wbko.com/content/news/Of...ne-due-to-outbreak-in-Kentucky-480744791.html


----------



## Wehner Homestead




----------



## Mike CHS

Mr. Murphy was around today.  I was going to retrofit a gate between the old chicken pen and our #1 paddock and when I checked my fence supply shelf I didn't have any gate bolts.  I also got tired of having to air up the rear tire on our Cub Cadet and put a new tire on that rim.  In the process of putting the tire back on I broke the bolt that goes into the axle.  I decided it needed a spring service anyway that I don't want to do so called our COOP and they came out and picked it up.  They pick up and return for $15 but the advantage is you go to the head of the line because they need to get it out of the lot since you don't pick it up.

When I was out with the sheep this evening I saw that our holdout #11 ewe is finally bagging up and showing signs of being close to lambing.  I need to plan better since I wanted lambing contained to a 40 day cycle so we could breed some of the ewes back and sell to get our numbers down but my math didn't work out.  I'm not sure what the long break was that our ram Ringo did.


----------



## Wehner Homestead

#11 May be the culprit, not Ringo. That’s the case with Reagan. Doesn’t matter which bull we use. She breeds randomly.


----------



## Mike CHS

That could be.  One of the bred ewes that we sold is still holding out also so we shall see.  I have to change our next breeding plan since some of the nursing ewes are getting pulled down enough with milking that I don't want to breed many of them again this year.


----------



## Latestarter

That kinda sucks Mike... seems all was less than good news today. Lack of hardware followed by broken hardware and compounded by "best laid plans" needing re-laying... Maybe #11 needs sold?


----------



## Pastor Dave

I agree with @Wehner Homestead. I would say he just took his time, but my guess would have to be #11. I believe in general, in life, it seldom has to do with the male holding out. Haha


----------



## Mike CHS

But that was all minor stuff Joe. Seems you get used to a routine and the minor things makes for a day where nothing gets done.   #11 is on the cull list already but not for having a late lambing.  

We have a ready buyer for at least the next year for any sheep that we want to sell so we are going to move out about half the flock in the next month or so.


----------



## Baymule

Isn't that how you do it? Keep all the ewe lambs, build the flock, then whittle it down to size, keeping the best.


----------



## Mike CHS

Our #11 ewe finally decided to release her lamb.  A single so far and she is doing her thing.  We have been fortunate this season that the way we have the fields laid out we can usually see when one goes off by herself.  I was able to get pictures of her delivery starting while she was laying down, when she stood up to use gravity and finally when she started cleaning off her lamb.  The lamb is up and we will check sex in the morning.


----------



## Baymule

Lambs are so wobbly.....for maybe 10 minutes! Boing! Boing! Boing!
Congrats on another lamb!


----------



## Wehner Homestead

Congrats!! Does that mean you are done for this round?


----------



## Mike CHS

Wehner Homestead said:


> Congrats!! Does that mean you are done for this round?



That is the last one for us for now.  I just went out to see how she was doing and the lamb is nursing and the ewe is doing her job.  She is one that is more comfortable around the house so I expect she will stay here for a bit.​


----------



## Mike CHS

It turns out she had another lamb after we assumed she was done so she is nursing twins now.  One ram lamb and one ewe lamb right at 8 pounds each.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Guess she wanted to make sure she was on the keeper list, so she coughed up another, just for insurance....


----------



## Mike CHS

The #1 lamb that Jay took is still holding out.  I saw her this morning and she is starting to bag up.

#11 is the lamb that we thought was stillborn last season since it took her so long to start moving.  She was the only one we had to assist with also.


----------



## Mike CHS

I decided that I want to divide our biggest paddock in half so I'll go out today and mark everything and lay out the material.  I'm just using 6' T-posts on this run and the high tensile Gaucho woven wire so it should be a one day project to start on Monday.

Since I said a  'one day project' it shouldn't take more than 4 days.


----------



## Mike CHS

We tagged and weighed the lambs - The ram lamb (TN39) was 7.5 and the ewe lamb (TN40) was 7.75 long and lanky with more of the Katahdin look than their dam.


----------



## CntryBoy777

They sure are Cute!!....bet they are super fun to watch, too! I always had a desire to have some, but haven't gotten there yet....and it feels like it is passing me by....but, ya never know just how things will turn out....been a busy past couple of days and glad courts are closed right now, so I can catch my breath.....


----------



## Latestarter

When you showed the pic of #11 cleaning her first, I was looking at that profile and thinking to myself there has GOT to be another hidden in there. She was hanging way low... Congrats on 2 more healthy lambs.


----------



## Mike CHS

Latestarter said:


> When you showed the pic of #11 cleaning her first, I was looking at that profile and thinking to myself there has GOT to be another hidden in there. She was hanging way low... Congrats on 2 more healthy lambs.



All of ours that had twins when we were around always had them fairly close together.  Since all of ours are on the heavy side it's hard to tell.


----------



## Mike CHS

We are serving lamb and mutton chops to several of the neighbors tonight.  They have not had the meat so I'm using several different marinades and nothing but salt and pepper for several and nothing but Montreal Steak Seasoning on several more.  One family already has some of our sheep and two others think they want to get some sheep but I suggested they try the meat first before jumping in with both feet.

My favorite marinade is a Basil Marinade.  I use just about the same base but change the herbs for a bit different taste.  I also made a marinade that I got from @Devonviolet that I really like.

Basil Marinade
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Mirin (or white wine but I haven't tried it with wine though
Juice of one Lemon
Basil
Rosemary
Garlic Salt
Black Pepper
Brown Sugar


----------



## Bruce

Hmmm, I think I want to be your neighbor


----------



## Wehner Homestead




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## Mike CHS

Wehner Homestead said:


>



Everyone loved the meal and I have buyers for more sheep.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

That's a darn good way to advertise!   And even better- it worked!


----------



## Baymule

That sounds like a great marketing plan!


----------



## Latestarter

That's awesome Mike! Great marketing strategy!


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm glad I got rid of the urge to try to get my garden in early.  I'm still having to bring the plants in at night since there is a chance of frost (again) tomorrow morning.

We still have a bunch of assorted peppers from last season so I dehydrated around 10 lbs that was already cut up in the freezer.  I'll turn this into pepper powder since that 10 lbs wound up being a little over 4 cups dried and that will make closer to less than two cups ground.


----------



## Mike CHS

This is what you get out of 10 pounds of assorted peppers.


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## RollingAcres

What type of peppers were in the mix?


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> This is what you get out of 10 pounds of assorted peppers.
> 
> View attachment 47599


That's like sorghum syrup..it takes a LOT of cane ( about 6 rows of cane, 100 feet in length thinned to 6 inches apart. ) and a lot of squeezed juice from all that cane ( ~10 gallons) to get 1 gallon of finished syrup.
(Probably same holds true for maple syrup..lots of tree taps to get a gallon)

And, from a 1200 lb steer, you'll end up with about 500 lbs packaged beef.
Live weight X .60=gutted, skinned hanging weight and again X.60 =cut, wrapped meat....more or less.


----------



## Mike CHS

RollingAcres said:


> What type of peppers were in the mix?



It was mostly Red and Green Bell Peppers and some of my Jalapenas.  The Jalapenas are almost too hot to eat but have a super good taste.  Mixing them all together dilutes it some but works good for a kick without having to simmer a recipe for hours.  We do the same with celery and onions.


----------



## RollingAcres

I LOVE jalapenos and I normally pickle them. But I like your idea of grinding them up into powder.


----------



## Bruce

greybeard said:


> Probably same holds true for maple syrup..lots of tree taps to get a gallon


Yep. 40 gallons of sap for 1 gallon of syrup .... and a lot of boiling. Though the bigger operations are now using reverse osmosis to concentrate the sugar and don't have to boil nearly so long.


----------



## Devonviolet

Mike CHS said:


> We tagged and weighed the lambs - The ram lamb (TN39) was 7.5 and the ewe lamb (TN40) was 7.75 long and lanky with more of the Katahdin look than their dam.
> 
> View attachment 47461


Congratulations on #11's beautiful  twin lamb's.  There is nothing like watching young lambs or kids play in the field.


----------



## Mike CHS

As much work as we did on our home renovation we never our main exterior doors never did get past the primer stage and since we have some decent weather we have the time to be able to keep the doors down in the shop while the paint cures.  We have glass on our storm doors and the weather has been mild so we will just do without doors for a bit.  We usually don't lock them anyway unless we are going out of town.

I'm finally getting down to the last big bag of okra from last year's garden and had a taste for Jambalaya.  This is actually Pastalaya that doesn't have the pasta added yet.


----------



## RollingAcres

Looks good! I love jambalaya! Ate a lot of that and gumbo when I lived in Louisiana.


----------



## Baymule

What color are you painting the doors?


----------



## Mike CHS

They are sort of a tan color.  I was skeptical since the trim is whit and the walls are a light blue.  I'll post a picture to show the contrast.


----------



## Mike CHS

The Amish produce auction opened this week.  This early they sell bedding plants and since Mother's
Day is coming up they had several hundred hanging flower pots.  We picked up 5 flats of tomatoes and peppers for an average of $10 a flat plus a half dozen dwarf Patio Tomato plants.  Teresa got 5 of the potted flower pots and a couple English Ivy hanging pots for $3 and $6 respectively.  We also got a 25 pound box of sweet potatoes for $6.

We did this last year and potted up the 6 packs of plants to singles and they quickly paid for themselves.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Geeze, that's awesome - what a great haul!


----------



## Baymule

I wish we had something like that around here.


----------



## Wehner Homestead

X2


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## greybeard

Baymule said:


> I wish we had something like that around here.


We do...kinda. A local Vietnamese lady raises plants and sells everything under the sun from late winter until first frost and her prices and quality beat Houston Garden center's and the local feed store's stuff by a long shot.


----------



## Mike CHS

We quit trying to get a garden in for canning.  Last year we bought things for canning cheaper than we can grow them


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa saw a possum in the chicken pen yesterday morning but by the time she got a gun and got back out there it was gone.  We put the live trap in there last night and managed to catch it but not being sure how many there are around we will put the trap back in again for a few days.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa saw a possum in the chicken pen yesterday morning but by the time she got a gun and got back out there it was gone.  We put the live trap in there last night and managed to catch it but not being sure how many there are around we will put the trap back in again for a few days.


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> Teresa saw a possum in the chicken pen yesterday morning but by the time she got a gun and got back out there it was gone.  We put the live trap in there last night and managed to catch it but not being sure how many there are around we will put the trap back in again for a few days.


Yikes!


----------



## Pastor Dave

Hope you didn't release. Drown it til the bubbles stop. Idk, they are great for taking care of ticks or as scavengers of dead stuff. So, take your pick. Haha


----------



## Mike CHS

It was disposed of Dave.


----------



## Bruce

Dog training? Maisy and Thor need to know that possums around the birds are snacks for them.


----------



## Baymule

We have an armadillo that digs under the outer fence, digs under the horse pasture fence and rumbles around. I figure it is going for grubs and such in the downed, rotted dead trees. Most of the so called horse pasture is a snarl of thicket, with dead trees on the ground from the 2011 drought. We'll get to it someday.....

Anyway, when the armadillo comes calling, it drives Paris nuts. She doesn't have access to the horse pasture, so she barks all night at it. It has been doing this since we moved here. I wish it would dig under the fence into her area. There would be no more armadillo.


----------



## Mike CHS

I think we have an armadillo that works the ground just outside the fence the wethers are in.  I havne't seen it but I'm pretty sure that's what it is.


----------



## CntryBoy777

That is one animal that Gabbie will recognize almost immediately when we take her out....guess they have a distinctive odor....cause she will immediately bristle up and go straight into her harshest bark....oh, and she has developed a really strong pull .....


----------



## Mike CHS

They aren't real bright evidently.  This one has been digging right up to the fence line and I'm not sure when Thor is going to figure out that he can clear that fence.

We are over run with Wood Bees this spring.  I built one trap earlier that is already 3/4 of bees and the bees have only been active for about 3 weeks.  Teresa and I threw together a couple more traps this morning to cover more area.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I have noticed very few bees of any sorts here this year. There are so many blooms and especially the different clovers and usually they are teaming with bee activity....not this year. I've seen a few carpenter bees, but nothing like normal. I guess this past winter has been a tough one for the bees....a lot of hives around here froze in all the drastic changes we experienced.


----------



## Mike CHS

We still have a lot of bee activity but I don't know where they all stay.

here are a couple of 5 minute Carpenter Bee traps:


----------



## Baymule

Armadillos always leave their pock mark, snout sized, digs for grubs, in the dirt. Sometimes you can find tracks with a tail drag mark.

What is the purpose of the wood bee traps and what do you do with them?


----------



## Mike CHS

The bees enter the holes on the sides of the wood and work their way down the main hole until they go into the jar.  They can't figure out how to get back out so die in the jar.  Those things are a major destructive critter around us.  One neighbor has bore holes all around his house.

We hang them around buildings/structures where they are attempting to bore holes.


----------



## Latestarter

I haven't seen or heard a single honey bee this spring... My bradford pear was buzzing last year as was the pasture with the weed flowers and the Chinese yew bushes in bloom. Nothing at all this year. I find it really sad.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have bees around but there isn't a lot for them to have a reason to do a whole lot.  The few plants that I have blooming are just about over run with them.


----------



## Mike CHS

Our lambing season is now officially over since our #1 ewe lamb that Jay bought had a big ram lamb this afternoon.  We could hear her bellowing at our place which is about 1/2 mile away.

We will pull the 2 month old and over lambs Monday so it's going to be noisy around here for a few days.  Those lambs go to market on Friday.


----------



## Baymule

Do you take them to an auction barn?

There seem to be plenty of bees around here. When the collard greens bolted, I just left them. There wasn't much blooming and the bees were all over the blooms. The bees have really worked over the clover too.


----------



## Mike CHS

There is an auction barn about an hour from us but this one guarantees market rate so if lambs aren't sold on the floor he buys them.


----------



## Mike CHS

There is an auction barn about an hour from us but this one guarantees market rate so if lambs aren't sold on the floor he buys them.


----------



## Mike CHS

The neighborhood telegraph got the word out that we had bedding plants for sale so several of the neighbors bought their garden starts at our place and didn't have to drive into Lewisburg. All of the hanging flower baskets went also but we are going to the auction again on Wednesday.


----------



## Mike CHS

I got a decent picture of Thor this morning when I was out taking some pictures for something else.  His size is really deceiving as in a picture since he is considerably bigger than Maisy now.


----------



## Bruce

Must be the short hair that makes him look small. Need Maisy to come closer for comparison.


----------



## Mike CHS

Since it was raining all day we went to see the latest Avengers movie at the Martin Methodist College theatre.  This was a first for us and I don't recall ever sitting in seats so uncomfortable but it was minutes away instead of almost an hour to the next theatre.  The movie was okay but they spent an awful lot of time and effort unsuccessfully trying to turn an entertaining movie into an Epic one.  Also, I really don't like seeing the end of a movie and having to ask how the heck did it end.


----------



## Mike CHS

Since it was raining all day we went to see the latest Avengers movie at the Martin Methodist College theatre.  This was a first for us and I don't recall ever sitting in seats so uncomfortable but it was minutes away instead of almost an hour to the next theatre.  The movie was okay but they spent an awful lot of time and effort unsuccessfully trying to turn an entertaining movie into an Epic one.  Also, I really don't like seeing the end of a movie and having to ask how the heck did it end.


----------



## Mike CHS

I recently had a couple of squirrels move into the area adjacent to my garden beds and they have decided to dig plant material out about as fast as I can put them in so I dug out the Gamo pellet gun.  My little .410 makes my old eyes aim better but our new neighbors are from Nashville and not yet used to us yet.


----------



## Southern by choice

Mike CHS said:


> We have been together for going on 8 years and have never had a cross word so we should be fine.


Awww newlyweds! So sweet!

Slowly trying to catch up and see how everyone's lambing & kidding season is going.
Really nice flock you have there. Very healthy looking animals. 

Did it make you sad when the sheep you sold saw you and cried out? 
Nice lamb crop!  

Yikes on the shoulder replacement. Recovery is long but living in pain is longer. Glad you had it done. I wish I could get mine done. 

Everything looks so beautiful on your farm. Dogs are the best though!


----------



## Mike CHS

Southern by choice said:


> Did it make you sad when the sheep you sold saw you and cried out?
> Nice lamb crop!



They treat her good so I'm happy she's in a good place.  They called me yesterday because she had gotten cut on something and couldn't catch her.  I went over and walked into their shelter and she came right in and stood there while I checked her out.


----------



## Mike CHS

I got two of my raised beds that I worked on with the Broad Fork the other day planted this afternoon.  The onions in one of them looks like they are starting to put on some size.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

What a beautiful view!


----------



## Mike CHS

Thanks.  If I ever tire of it it's time for me to get put away.


----------



## Baymule

You two worked all your life, now it's time for y'all to do what you love to do. Wake up on your farm, enjoy the beauty all around you and work your A$$ off!!


----------



## Mike CHS

Today is going to be a full work day if my shoulder is up to it.  We are bringing all of the sheep in to do hooves for those that need it and to worm those that need that.  Today is weaning day for all of the males that are two months are older since they all go to market on Friday so it is going to be noisy around here for a few days.  It is also the day to decide which ewes go and which ones stay.  We have 3 in mind that we might send to market also but that will depend on their condition when we get hands on this morning.  Nursing has taken them down enough that even if we wanted to breed them back it would be 3 months or more before they would be in the shape they need to be in to be safely bred.


----------



## Mike CHS

About half way through the sheep, Teresa asked me "Are you sure this is how you want to spend your retirement instead of traveling around?"    We finished up right at 3:00 this afternoon after starting right at 0930 but that includes setup time and running the netting to get them back to the paddock we want the ewes in.  The ram lambs are all sorted and the noise level is going down a little bit but I'm sure the neighbors down the road are wondering what kind of torture we were doing to the critters.

I only sliced open one finger and only got kicked once but it was by our biggest ewe 33 and she got me right on the side of an elbow.

I'm attaching some pictures of our setup.   It's overkill for someone on our scale but I have never regretted spending the $, especially after working 42 sheep.  I do all the trimming and table work so even with an injured shoulder, I have no problem working on them.  That is Teresa with Jay giving checking condition and doing their Famacha score.

The one with the spotted girl in the table is the one that kicked me at the bottom of the table plus she was trying to turn over so I had to coax her back the right way.


----------



## Baymule

I love your setup and admire it on the internet. Overkill? Hardly, I call that smart. It will allow you to keep doing what you are doing long after you would have to come off the road and sell your motor home RV. Traveling around, who needs it?


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> I love your setup and admire it on the internet. Overkill? Hardly, I call that smart. It will allow you to keep doing what you are doing long after you would have to come off the road and sell your motor home RV. Traveling around, who needs it?



I have what I have wanted for as long as I can remember and it just gets better.


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> I have what I have wanted for as long as I can remember and it just gets better.


Amen to that! We are living the life and have never been happier!


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> It's overkill for someone on our scale but I have never regretted spending the $, especially after working 42 sheep.



It's hard to put a $$$$ price (or value) on working facilities or even pens.
One thing's for sure, try doing it without them (snubbing to a tree or big post) for a couple of years, and you'll find out those rodeos aren't all they're cracked up to be, and the $$$$ spent on handling equipment isn't bad spent at all.


----------



## greybeard

As I've said many times as well, the $$ spent on anything, needs to be contrasted against the years you'll have it and use it..and of course, how long before it has to be replaced, and one should even take into consideration how often it will be used or needed. 

$$ isn't the killer in agriculture...time is. In many different ways.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have worked some of them in the field but it is never fun. I can work the ram without restraints but he just likes being messed with.   It doesn't take but a few seconds to get them in the chute and it's painless from then on out.  We use the equipment quite often and bought the panels after deciding we needed the ability to have the mobility.


----------



## Mike CHS

I moved some of the feed troughs over to the ewe paddock that is next to the ram lamb paddock to get them back into some decent condition.  Most are doing very well but a few got dragged down with nursing and they will be culled.  We also have 3 that had terrible hooves and they will be sold also.

I wish I had a picture but I took Lance down with me to put food in the troughs thinking the sheep would stay back until he moved and I had the feed out.  Nope.  The ewes saw the bucket and they saw me putting it out and they did not see the dog.  In fact the poor dog got a lesson in how a 150 pound ewe that wants food is not going to be stopped by a 50 pound dog.

My sheep would not make good dog trial sheep.


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> I moved some of the feed troughs over to the ewe paddock that is next to the ram lamb paddock to get them back into some decent condition.  Most are doing very well but a few got dragged down with nursing and they will be culled.  We also have 3 that had terrible hooves and they will be sold also.
> 
> I wish I had a picture but I took Lance down with me to put food in the troughs thinking the sheep would stay back until he moved and I had the feed out.  Nope.  The ewes saw the bucket... and they saw me putting it out and they did not see the dog.  In fact the poor dog got a lesson in how a 150 pound ewe that wants food is not going to be stopped by a 50 pound dog.
> 
> My sheep would not make good dog trial sheep.


Years ago, I learned a valuable lesson somewhat related to the above.
Never go walking to the pond thru a populated cow pasture with a big bucket of minnows in your hand.......it did not end well.


----------



## Mike CHS

When I last checked out my stock trailer I saw some checking on 3 of the 4 tires that wasn't there the last time I used it.  There is no telling how old the tires are but since we are hauling a load of sheep to market Friday, I took it in and had all 4 replaced.  One was still in good shape with lots of tread so I'll keep it as a spare.

There has been a lot of discussion about the expense of a trailer that may not get used often.  Locally I can rent a stock trailer for $29 a day from two different places and I had called both to reserve one 3 weeks ago only to find them booked up until next week. The biggest sale this time of year is Friday in Manchester with a buyer that caters to the Islamic Holy month of Ramadan.  The last two years the price per pound was almost 50 cents higher than any other week of the year and this sale was the reason we didn't castrate our ram lambs this year.  Doesn't sound like much but we are taking right at 1200 pounds of lamb so it does add up for a small holder like us.  It wouldn't have been critical if we had missed it but I would have if I had depended on a rental trailer.  I'll also be hauling 4 ewes that we are culling in a couple of weeks and I'm buying 4 ewes a couple of weeks after that.  It's hard to plan those kind of things if you have to depend on someone else's rental equipment.


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## Mike CHS

We loaded up 15 sheep first thing this morning and got to the Livestock Market a little after 9:00.  The sale wasn't scheduled to start until 3:00 this afternoon but I didn't want my sheep sitting in a trailer with the temps getting into the 90's.  We had wanted to see how the auction was handled but come 3:00 there was still a couple of hundred sheep and goats outside that needed to be unloaded so we came on home.  We will see how we made out after they send the checks out next week.  There was 5 that scored as prime and 5 as choice so we felt pretty good. The grader said that if we had fed the 5 that were on the small side another week or two they would have graded better but then there would have to be another 3 hour round trip to make.  For the few dollars difference we did the right thing .


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## Mike CHS

You will have to look close to see what this picture is about but it brought a tear to our eyes. At the sale today we walked into the barn and the younger feeder lambs are in the first stall. You could just make out a little girl probably about 6 years old saying her Goodbyes to a bottle lamb that she had helped raise. Tears were just streaming down her cheeks and the lamb was laying by her side just enjoying her petting. We went around to talk to her and she said it had been her bottle baby.  We made sure to not get any detail in the picture since we don't know her or her parents but you can see her blonde hair showing her sitting in the filthy stall. Her lamb was at her left side so it doesn't show in the picture but I think everyone can use their imagination.


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## frustratedearthmother

Bless her heart...that's a hard day for a little girl to endure.  I wanna give her a big ol' .


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## CntryBoy777

That would be a tough pill to swallow at such a young age....it is difficult for a grown-up to handle....


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## Mike CHS

We met her parents a bit later and this is her second year doing this.  They have taught her what it takes but let her love on them till she knows and accepts that they are out of her control.


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## Wehner Homestead

I can’t even imagine! My kiddos hate parting with any animal...one of their bottle babies would be a nightmare. DD1 was in the quarantine pen with Blossom tonight and the goat is as tall as she is but was super gentle with her. I don’t think she will ever leave if she lives through this.


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## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> You will have to look close to see what this picture is about but it brought a tear to our eyes. At the sale today we walked into the barn and the younger feeder lambs are in the first stall. You could just make out a little girl probably about 6 years old saying her Goodbyes to a bottle lamb that she had helped raise. Tears were just streaming down her cheeks and the lamb was laying by her side just enjoying her petting. We went around to talk to her and she said it had been her bottle baby.  We made sure to not get any detail in the picture since we don't know her or her parents but you can see her blonde hair showing her sitting in the filthy stall. Her lamb was at her left side so it doesn't show in the picture but I think everyone can use their imagination.
> 
> View attachment 48097


I've seen it go both ways at cattle sale barns.. Seen them on the catwalk crying and seen them standing in chairs on the front row of the bidding area, arms waving,  hollering back for people to bid higher. 

That $27 / day for a stock trailer rental is CHEAP!
The last 5 1/2'X16' bumper pull I looked into renting was $75-$85/day everywhere.


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## Baymule

I love our trailer. It's not fancy, but I don't know what we'd do without it. We also have a flatbed and we borrowed a 8 yard dump trailer 3 years ago, they we still have. The owner of the dump trailer is happy for us to keep it, as it is behind a fence and our Great Pyrenees guard everything. He buys the tags for it every year and gives them to us. He hasn't used it in 3 years, but we sure have!

Mike, what do lambs sell for per pound in your area? I just listed 3 lambs on Craigslist, 4  months old, a guy is coming this morning to buy all 3.  I listed them for $135 each, taking $350 for all 3. Normally I raise them up, take to slaughter and sell the meat for $10 a pound, which is lucrative, but I didn't want to fool with them this year. I had 6 lambs this year, keeping 3.


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## Mike CHS

3 months old are selling for a flat $200 here and we haul to the butcher for them to take it from there. The auction has been $2.08 - $2.60 live weight.  There are a fairly large number of folks selling custom cuts here and they appear to be doing OK but I don't see them moving a lot of product.  Yearling stock is gaining favor since so many of us are starting to move mature stock and folks are seeing there is no difference in the taste and the cuts are larger.


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## farmerjan

I have a question about weaning the lambs off on Monday then selling on Friday?  Do you not feel that they drop a fair amount of weight in those 5 days?  We find that we "wean"  on the trailer so to speak and the lambs don't lose much weight from home to the scales..... if we are going to wean them at home we do so with at least 3 weeks off the ewes so they are calmed down and eating and regaining that initial weight lost to stress.  
The same with our calves.  We usually will take the steer calves directly off the cows on Friday morning to the sale.  They are used to coming into the barn or the catch pen with their mommas, and are eating grain and such.  But they will drop 25 to 50 lbs in that first week of being taken off the cow.  The lambs obviously don't drop that much weight, but they do drop a few lbs and that is lost money.

If we are weaning them and not ready to sell, they are usually off the cows for at least 3-4 weeks.  Due to the physical difficulties at one pasture, we used to take the calves off on Sat or Sun when we pregnancy checked, turned the cows back out that were preg.,  then took the calves to the other barn and held them until we sold that following Friday.  We did some spot weighing one year and the calves were at least 25-35 lbs, or more, lighter, on Friday.  So now we move the cows and calves all off this place, to the barn,  where we do the preg checks, and then keep the calves with the cows until we sell what we plan to.  Then wean the rest off and keep them there at the barn for 2-4 weeks while the cows are moved away to other pastures.  Losing even 25 lbs @ $1.50 lb is $37.50 and is quite a bit.  Losing 5 lbs of lamb @ $2.00 lb would be $10  per lamb.  Maybe you don't see that much "shrink" as we call it in the cattle.

We have been pulling the calves off and selling them as weaned now, more often than we used to, trying to watch the markets for little upswings and having some more flexibility in selling. 
We are like you and try to sell lambs in conjunction with the different  holidays throughout the year.   We usually have some to go for the holiday in Aug/Sept...maybe Rosh Hashana?  We have a friend that has meat goats and he keeps us up on when he is selling kids for what holiday.


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## Mike CHS

We didn't compare all of the weights but the two that were 44 pounds on Monday were 44 pounds yesterday.  The bigger 85 pound ram lambs were 83 pounds on Monday.  We see less stress on the ewes since we let them stay in adjoining paddocks till the lambs are put in the stall the night before we load.  The extra feed they get seems to make up the difference for the loss of milk.  We creep feed very little till the week before we are going to wean.  They don't do the pound a day gains like they did on milk plus we were more interested in getting them off the ewes since the ewes were losing condition faster than the lambs were gaining.

Our next small group of lambs will be ready to go in November and December and are targeted toward a good number of Hispanic Holidays.  The majority of our ewes won't be bred again until starting in late October except for 4-6 that kept their condition and they will be put back with a ram starting next month and sold once we're sure they took.


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## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> There was 5 that scored as prime and 5 as choice so we felt pretty good.


You should  I recall that when my dad and step-mother were doing sheep they had goals like you do and managed the flock to make them. Wanted all ewes to twin, get to prime score at the auction. It takes a lot of work. I bet you already know that


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## Mike CHS

We have been lucky in that we have made friends who have also been great mentors which makes the mistakes we have made easier to fix.   We don't always do the most efficient thing but our only goal is to make sure our ewes are the best they can be.


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## Mike CHS

Maisy's winter coat has finally started to let go and I'm not sure what was the delay.  I got rid of Thor's winter coat in the field but it only took a couple of days.  I really love the way the Akbash shed.  It all comes out in clumps and is literally gone in a couple of brushing sessions. We brought them up to the shop to groom Maisy where there is always a nice breeze and we have shade.  We needed to give them their heart worm pills anyway and they needed some leash time.  Maisy even got up on the golf cart for the ride to the shop.  She has completely lost her fear of vehicles but I have been calling her into the truck and up on the cart for super short runs so now she actually likes it.  She goes in to the vet tomorrow for her shots which is a first for her.  We got them on the scales while at the shop and Thor has lost a bit of weight since it has gotten hot but he is eating a lot less also.  He is 88 pounds now and Maisy is holding at 80 pounds but I'm sure there is a couple of pounds of hair there to come off yet.


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## Baymule

I like to groom Paris right before I go in for a shower. GP hair is like cat hair. Fine, wispy underfur that floats in the air. It covers me until I look like the dog. It finds it's way in my mouth. I try to keep my mouth closed, but that is a super human feat and I fail at it. I talk to Paris and she fills my mouth with fur.  What is really annoying is the ONE fine filament of wispy nothingness that hangs on my eyelash, scoping out the best way to piss me off before leaping into my eyeball space.   Paris will only take just so much of all that lavish love  and attention, then she's had enough, jumps up and is gone. To be continued....... It takes days, sometimes weeks to get her cleaned up.


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## Mike CHS

Bay - That had both of us rolling.  I was shaking off Maisy hair even after I showered with no idea where it came from.


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## Baymule

I peel off my clothes right next to the washing machine, head straight to the shower.


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## Latestarter

Toli hair is just as bad... But aside from the neck area (Pyr influence), which is super long and thick (Think bite prevention), I can grab clumps and pull it out. The shedding comb fills up before I can even finish each pass. I also try to only comb when there is a decent breeze. Mel's hair is also lighter than air and flies everywhere. Good work on the sheep Mike. 5 Prime and 5 Choice is pretty good! The way you're progressing, they should all be Prime in no time.


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## Mike CHS

I thought this a long time ago but people that don't interact with their LGDs need a slap up the side of their heads.  We have had Maisy for a year and a half now and it has taken us that long to get her comfortable enough to not get stressed out going somewhere in the truck.  We have taken 100's of short rides on the golf cart and got in the truck with the door open no telling how many times so we don't have to force her in.  I think Thor has been a big part of her trusting people and even though she won't go to anyone in the fields (which we like) she is no longer leery of people when she is on leash as long as we make it clear we are alright with them.  She hoped out of the truck at the vets office and walked in like she belonged there.  She got her shot without a problem and even went up to a couple of techs for some petting.   When someone approaches her she will look up like she's asking if they are OK but her trust in us is an awesome reward from an awesome partner Great Pyrenees.


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## Latestarter

love my dog! (s)?


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## Baymule

Good girl Maisy! Amazing what time, patience and love can do. Y'all done good with her training. What a major improvement.


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## Mike CHS

We are buying 3 ewe lambs born in late January from a small farm in the Chattanooga area.  They have some really nice sheep that we are happy to add to our bunch. The three we are getting have some awesome genetics and were all born in late January (triplets but not siblings).

I need to talk to them and find out how they get their sheep to pose for pictures.


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## Latestarter

Nice looking girls. Have you found out how you made out at the auction yet?


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## Mike CHS

No - they cut and mail checks on Tuesdays.  We are guessing that those 12 lambs will bring about the same as the three ewe lambs are costing.  

Most of ours look as good but they don't have that piece of paper you need to get premium.


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## Wehner Homestead

As far as posing them, they probably just wait them out. That’s what we do to get good pics of our calves...


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## Baymule

Lovely girls! That piece of paper is important. LOL


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## Mike CHS

Teresa's Mazda had a recall repair this morning to replace the passenger side dash so we decided to make a day out of and try a new to us restaurant in Franklin and to do a Costco run.

We found a nice little Thai place that had some of the best tasting food of that kind since we left Charleston.


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## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> and got in the truck with the door open no telling how many times



Were you crawling in the window before that?


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## Mike CHS

Sometimes it seemed like it.


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## Baymule

There is a Thai restaurant in Tyler, across from Discount Tire. When we get the tires rotated and balanced, we walk across the parking lot and have lunch. The portions are so big that we get a take home box and have the rest for supper. We love Thai food!


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## Bruce

Baymule said:


> We love Thai food!


Every time I read a line like that I am reminded of the ignorant team on The Amazing Race some seasons back. They were heading to Taiwan. One of them said "I LOVE Thai food!"


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## Wehner Homestead

Bruce said:


> Every time I read a line like that I am reminded of the ignorant team on The Amazing Race some seasons back. They were heading to Taiwan. One of them said "I LOVE Thai food!"



So I knew that Thai food and Taiwan don’t go together but had one of those memory moments and couldn’t tell you why they aren’t related. Google fixed that right up. I was like “duh!” Lol


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## Mike CHS

What was nice about this place is that it is as good and possibly better than the same meal in Charleston at what had been our favorite place.  The Thai restaurant there is called Basil's and is on King Street in the old historic part of Charleston. That meal for two there would have been around $75.  The meal we had today was $23.


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## Wehner Homestead

Even better!!


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## Bruce

OK all this Thai food talk!! I guess we have to go to the Thai place in town, it is small but recommended. I've never eaten Thai food so I don't even know what would be on the menu. Of course we would have to go without DD2, she doesn't like food she hasn't had before. I'm not sure how she managed to decide she likes sushi or takoyaki - made for her by her host parents when she was in Japan for a semester. Guess she felt obligated to try it.


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## Wehner Homestead

Bruce said:


> OK all this Thai food talk!! I guess we have to go to the Thai place in town, it is small but recommended. I've never eaten Thai food so I don't even know what would be on the menu. Of course we would have to go without DD2, she doesn't like food she hasn't had before. I'm not sure how she managed to decide she likes sushi or takoyaki - made for her by her host parents when she was in Japan for a semester. Guess she felt obligated to try it.



I can’t believe she went to Japan for a semester without thinking the traditional cuisine there is ideal! Lol


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## Bruce

She already knew she liked sushi (skip the wasabi). She got really tired of toast though. Apparently that is what they served for breakfast about 99% of the days she was there.


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## Wehner Homestead

Very interesting!


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## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> OK all this Thai food talk!! I guess we have to go to the Thai place in town, it is small but recommended. I've never eaten Thai food so I don't even know what would be on the menu. Of course we would have to go without DD2, she doesn't like food she hasn't had before. I'm not sure how she managed to decide she likes sushi or takoyaki - made for her by her host parents when she was in Japan for a semester. Guess she felt obligated to try it.



You need to try it.  That has been my favorite food for a long time.


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## Latestarter

Dang Bruce... How do you deal with the female situation you live with? Between the three of them, I'd have to be admitted somewhere.   I'd be one of those guys who go to the store... and just keep going...   Maybe I am better off as a loner...


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## greybeard

I don't remember a lot about m Thai, Taiwanese or S. Korean culinary experiences except for a couple of things. In Korat Thailand, I went to an indoor movie theater and right before the main attraction and (lengthy) introduction and National anthem, everyone went to the snack bar..no popcorn or US type candy. The favorite it seemed was dried octopus in little saran wrap bags. I tried a bite from my date's bag. Pretty chewy, very salty, (I assume to encourage soft drink sales) and a very unpleasant odor, which permeated the whole theater. (I cannot adequately  describe the odor on this family oriented board).

The open air markets of both Taipei and Korat right after sundown presented sights, sounds and odors that last a lifetime and not at all unpleasant.  
The ones in Pusan Korea and the P.I. likewise, but for opposite reasons. In both, there was foul smelling 'water' running along the curbs and in small ditches that smelled a lot like sewage and one had to be careful to step over the ditches where they crossed the pavement. In Pusan, there were skinned, beheaded  meaty things hanging up everywhere that looked a lot like little humans...... and pretty sure much of the chopped, cubed, chunked meat I saw in big pans would have been someone's LGD in this country. 
I did try a burger in Taipei that I was told afterwards was partially monkey meat. It was kinda dry and left a tallowy film in the roof of my mouth, but was good otherwise. (I had been out of the US for nearly a year and wanted to enjoy a hamburger again)


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## Wehner Homestead

Very interesting. I enjoy hearing about experiences. Personally, I have no interest in traveling/visiting Asia. (I realize that you were stationed there.) I’m one of those that feels there’s plenty to see/experience in the US. I’ll just stay here. Would like to visit Canada again though and if I traveled across an ocean, wouldn’t mind see some of Europe. That’s the extent though.


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## RollingAcres

Bruce said:


> Every time I read a line like that I am reminded of the ignorant team on The Amazing Race some seasons back. They were heading to Taiwan. One of them said "I LOVE Thai food!"


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## Mike CHS

The grass is growing so fast it is finally getting ahead of the sheep.  I cut and closed off our 2 1/2 acre paddock and I'll do the same to half of our 6 acre paddock since our friend and neighbor said he would cut square bales of hay on it when he gears up to do square bales for his.  We only used 50 bales of the 100 that we put up last year and it was all cut on the area I'm letting grow.

I almost let my tomato plants get away from me so we got T-posts in the ground today for their support.


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## greybeard

Not wanting to go see Europe, unless they find somewhere else to put France and Germany.
IMO, the whole of Germany should have been handed over to Jo Stalin at the end of WW2. Would have saved us all a lot of trouble and $$ and he would have known what to do with them.

I liked Asia well enough that going back was one of the reasons I joined the Navy after getting done with my 4 yr hitch in the Marines, as well as one of the reasons I re-enlisted in the Navy at the end of my initial 2 yr term.

I didn't really care much for Japan or Hong Kong, but all the rest I enjoyed immensely and would (and may)go back again.

Canada? ehh, I have no interest in going there either, nor back to Old Mexico.


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## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> The grass is growing so fast it is finally getting ahead of the sheep.  I cut and closed off our 2 1/2 acre paddock and I'll do the same to half of our 6 acre paddock since our friend and neighbor said he would cut square bales of hay on it when he gears up to do square bales for his.  We only used 50 bales of the 100 that we put up last year and it was all cut on the area I'm letting grow.
> 
> I almost let my tomato plants get away from me so we got T-posts in the ground today for their support.
> 
> View attachment 48325


I keep mine locked up like wild wildebeests..in cages I made about 5 years ago from a 5' tall roll of concrete reinforcement net wire. Roll out a piece about 56" long, ....it wants to hold the round shape anyway from being in a roll, so all I had to do was tie the 2 ends together with hog rings and have a round 5' tall x 18" diameter cage.


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## RollingAcres

Your garden is looking good Mike! Mine are not in the ground yet.


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## Mike CHS

Thanks @RollingAcres  Mine has only been in the ground about 10 days so we aren't too far ahead of you.


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## Mike CHS

I've used the cages.  These are all determinate and I prefer staking them to be able to get at the weeds.  We get a lot of visitors and the garden beds are the first thing you see when you pull up to our house so I keep them neater than some might.


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## Mike CHS

For any that are interested we got the break out of how the sale went.  The two big boys went for $1.67 a pound so we now see that we want the lambs from now on to be at least 3 months old if possible and prime shape since you make more per animal even if the per pound price is higher.

The others varied from $1.93 for the 50 pounder and up to $2.10 but the average per head was $1.82  Considering we didn't creep feed and all gains were on milk and grass it was a decent day for us.


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## Baymule

How many lambs did you take? That is a decent day at the sale barn! The new ewes y'all bought are some nice girls. When will you pick them up?


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## Mike CHS

We took 14 lambs that day.

We are looking at one day next week since it's supposed to not be as hot as this week.  They are a bit west of Chattanooga so it's a couple of hours away.


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## Bruce

OK, I'm confused (so what else is new). Why did the "big boys" go for less than all the others? Were they the ones that were not prime?


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## Baymule

You sure don't want those babies getting stressed and hot!


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## Mike CHS

The best prices (per pound) goes for the 30-60 pound lambs but they bring considerably less money because of the low weights.  You still make more $ overall with the bigger ones since they weigh so much more even with a lower price per pound since the price difference per pound is minimal.  The 85 lb lambs went for $142 each, the 35 lb lambs went for $74 each.  Which is why I said we will shoot for at least 3 months old and 80 lbs or more.  The 66 lb lambs went for $118 each but they were only 8 weeks old with no input for any of them.

No matter what we would like to shoot for we would still take all of those that we did this time because I don't want to dedicate another paddock to lambs we won't be keeping so it was decided to accept whatever they brought in and get them gone.

Teresa did the math for the last few sales we did off the farm plus the auction sale and our original purchase of the 10 ewes plus Ringo and the spotted registered ewe plus maintenance costs (feed and hay) has paid for itself which is all we are striving for.  We never expect to make a lot doing this but we love it and the livestock are footing their own bill.


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## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> For any that are interested we got the break out of how the sale went.  The two big boys went for $1.67 a pound so we now see that we want the lambs from now on to be at least 3 months old if possible and prime shape since you make more per animal even if the per pound price is higher.
> 
> The others varied from $1.93 for the 50 pounder and up to $2.10 but the average per head was $1.82  Considering we didn't creep feed and all gains were on milk and grass it was a decent day for us.


Did you mean 'even if the price per pound is lower?

If you had to creep feed to get to the higher weights would it significantly cut into your margin?


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## Mike CHS

I did mean if the price per pound is lower.

We had it set up to creep feed but the lambs don't cooperate.  They gain almost a pound a day without or with so it's a matter of they can only eat so much. We had feed available but they never went to it. Last season we went through quite a bit of feed but we had them on a dry lot.  We are satisfied that we had optimum growth with the way the lambs were spread out.


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## greybeard

No matter what species,it's hard to find that 'sweet spot', that buyers pay the most for/lb, without having more $ inputs in the product you're selling. And that spot sometimes changes month to month, and certainly season to season.  Sometimes they all want 3-4wts in calves, others they are looking for 5 weights and pay more per lb for that wt, but heavier ones, sold at a little lower price per lb can make up the difference by mashing the scales down IF it hasn't cost us anything more in $$ to get them to a higher weight. 
It also depends which particular order buyers are at the barn that day. Some have orders for 3wts, some for 4 wts, some for 5 wts and if the buyer for your weight class happens to be at a different barn that day, you miss out on the premium.

If you can get to know the order buyers at the local sales a little, they can let you know what they are looking for in advance, especially if your production methods are resulting in great carcasses graded up the scale above the rest of the stock present.

It works both ways. Just as a seller may look for and hope a certain buyer is there that day, buyers also look for and hope a specific seller has his product there that day too.

There are other ways to maximize your margin such as selling on contract direct to the buyers but you will probably have to do some homework on that and increase your stocking rate and production some.


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## Mike CHS

We have a decent outlet selling through our butcher if we had more to sell and lambs are going for a flat $200 up to 80 pounds then they go up based on actual live weight.  He charges the buyer for his processing fee.

The acreage limitations of our place pretty much dictate when the bulk of the ram lambs have to go since we are leaving the ram lambs intact.

I did read that there was 1085 head of sheep at that last sale.


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## greybeard

I was thinking you had about 40-50 acres and the pics I've seen looked like plenty of good forage? No?


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## Mike CHS

We have just 19 acres.  Our capacity going through winter is no more than 30 head using our own hay and forage and no problem getting their lambs through to weaning but after that they are too hard on the paddocks.  We have to get our numbers down by late May in order to get at least one cutting of hay on our big paddock.  We are breeding our excess ewes that are in good condition to sell as bred to get those numbers down.


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## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> We have to get our numbers down by late May in order to get at least one cutting of hay on our big paddock.


Ah yes. I forgot you had hay fields. That always puts a different picture on available forage. 

I used to have hay cut here, but got away from it in 2010 for the same reason your stocking/carrying rate is a bit lower. It's a double edged knife when hay gets high, but it was beginning to get hard to find someone to cut/bale and I didn't want to buy the equipment to do it myself.
Way back when (late 60s-early 90s), we sq baled but made up my mind over a decade ago, that I had handled my last sq bale of hay and have never regretted it, tho there is lots of $$$$$ to be made selling sq bales to small farmers that just need a few bales/week for goats and horses. They're paying $15-17/bale retail for a couple 3 bales/ week because they have no place to store it, when they could have bought it by the lowboy trailer load in the field for $4-$7/bale for the same hay.


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## Mike CHS

I have been buying my alfalfa in the field for $4.50 last fall but we only used 20 of the 50 bales we bought.  We can graze fairly intensively and rotate every several days and that cuts back on the hay we need to bale.  I haven't HAD to cut hay since we started but we are just about a week or two away from a drought from July through August so you almost have to have it on hand.  We dry lot some of the ewes that don't maintain the best condition and it's easier to control parasites with them on a dry lot. 

I would definitely do things differently if my friend didn't bale the hay for us.  It only takes him a couple of hours to cut what we need along with my help.  We trade help on quite a few things.


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## farmerjan

It's great that you and the neighbor can help each other.  Here everyone pretty much work other jobs, so then everyone is pushing to get their stuff done... we do some custom cutting and baling for one guy. We inherited the job from our friend that passed away from cancer and we helped him the last year and then have rented his place since.  We also bought most of his equipment, set up on payments at a very low interest rate by him when he got bad, in order to make sure his wife would have a regular income.  There was alot of equipment, and it is a good size farm 125 acres for her half, and 125 acres  for the other brothers'  half; who passed away the year after and we rent the whole place.  But there aren't many around that are close enough and we are a pretty big operation so a little help between neighbors takes on a whole different perspective.  We do have another friend that is close to my son's age and they do trade back and forth, but he also farms land his grandmother has and has a lawn mowing business and a large fertilizer speader truck.

GB is right, it is hard to always hit the "sweet spot" with size and such.  And since you do not castrate as we don't, you do have to consider when they have to come off the ewes.  They do grow faster if left intact. 
Our bull calves also do grow better when left as bulls.  We will castrate them in the 3-400 lb range, when we don't do them as small calves going to pastures that we can't get them in as easily;  as steers USUALLY bring more... Our sweet spot here is usually in the 425 to 550 weight on the calves, but a lower price per pound on bigger animals is not always so bad.  We do have one buyer we talk to regularly, and we have been holding some back and weaning and selling that way.  As far as the lambs, we do sell according to the holidays, but we do have a few places to move weaned lambs to, so that we can get them away from the ewes, and then put a little more weight on them if it isn't near a holiday.  
It is great if you are getting the heavier weights on mostly pasture with them not wanting the creep feed.  Good grass does real good to put weight on them and it sounds like you have got your operation pretty fine tuned for the amount of grass/pasture you have and needing some for hay.


----------



## Mike CHS

Thanks Jan.  We have had some good mentors on pasture management and we are still adjusting our numbers to keep the pasture healthy.


----------



## Mike CHS

Our Farmers Market starts tomorrow for our county so we are getting a large number of our bedding plants ready to go to sale.  We have both veggies and flowers that all are looking great.


----------



## Bruce

Our farmer's market started today. Bought a gallon of maple syrup. $35.


----------



## CntryBoy777

No wonder we made do with Log Cabin........that's a bit pricey....I'd surely have to lick the plate when I was thru, so none would go to waste....


----------



## Baymule

Bruce said:


> Our farmer's market started today. Bought a gallon of maple syrup. $35.


That is a good price. When I look online, it is twice the price. Or we can buy a little 12.5 ounce bottle at Walmart for $7.98. Needless to say, we don't have it very often.


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## Bruce

The smaller the bottle, the more it costs per oz. LL Bean sells a quart for $30. There are advantages to living in the state that makes more maple syrup per year than any other. And second only to the Province of Quebec (which makes 10X Vermont's output I think).



CntryBoy777 said:


> No wonder we made do with Log Cabin....


I grew up with Log Cabin. Back then I think they could call it maple syrup. Now there are laws to protect the real stuff so the corn syrup with a bit of maple flavor (sometimes actual maple syrup) is called "breakfast syrup".  I thought LC was maple syrup until I moved to Vermont and had the real deal. One of the "guilty pleasures" now. I won't touch the fake stuff for love nor money. I also only buy real butter though I grew up on Imperial margarine. Other than those 2 things, I do check pricing and look to save money on "unimportant" food.


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## Mike CHS

We only have access to the maple syrup in the stores but we use a lot making my BBQ sauces.  The taste is hard to beat also which is a plus.


----------



## Bruce

Yep, there is pure maple syrup and there is  
Actually there are grades of maple syrup. The darkest and "strongest" commonly found is now called "Robust", DW's preference. That used to be "C". The old names from lightest to darkest were Fancy, A, B, C.  Now they are ALL "Grade A" which is stupid if you ask me. For breakfast I prefer the Fancy, AKA "Golden color, delicate taste". But for cooking, "Dark color, Robust taste" adds more flavor.


----------



## Mike CHS

We learned quite a bit at the Farmers Market today.  For one I was about two weeks late on all of the plants I had started but we sold enough to pay for the supplies and a little bit of profit. I already have all of my garden plants in which was included in this bunch so that's about $150 worth of plants that I had instead of buying.

We did make some new friends and potential barters down the road which is mainly what we wanted anyway.

I'll put what we have left in the garden beds and start a bunch of clones from the suckers on the tomatoes that are getting too big that we can sell as fall tomatoes in July since nobody has them around here at that time so they won't be wasted.


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## CntryBoy777

Sometimes it is good to relax a bit and chit-chat with others of the community....ya can always learn and find out how others do things....


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## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> Sometimes it is good to relax a bit and chit-chat with others of the community....ya can always learn and find out how others do things....



That is what we did plus we made some good contacts for later.


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## greybeard

Wife brought back some maple syrup when she visited her sister in Vt a few years ago. It wasn't bad at all but not something I would care for on a daily basis. I prefer the stronger taste of cane syrup.  I'll sometimes use molasses, but not second boiled or the blackstrap (which is residue from the 3rd boiling of the cane juice)




 
(I do not care for corn syrup at all except maybe dark Karo for pecan pies.)
The stuff they serve at Waffle House and IHOP is not syrup.
I grew up on Blackburn Made Syrup for everything, but IMO, their syrup went downhill when they started adding/using corn syrup as a filler.


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## farmerjan

Here in Va, Highland County is known as "Little Switzerland" as the climate and elevation is conducive to the sugar maple.  They have the Maple Festival, 60th year this last march.  There are at least 5 "maple camps" that collect and process the maple sap into syrup.  Our maple syrup runs about $47 to  $55 a gallon.  I grew up on Log cabin also except when we had gone to Vt to visit family and then brought some real home.  Now I wouldn't touch the fake stuff unless I am out and don't have anything else.


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## Baymule

Last fall we went to the Syrup Festival in Henderson, Texas. They celebrate making syrup from sugar cane. They had a mule driven crusher mill and a big pan with a wood fire under it to boil the juice down to syrup. We bought 2 cans. I love that stuff. I have many childhood memories of going to my grand parents and feasting on my grandmother's biscuits and sorghum syrup. They bought it locally every fall. 

@greybeard use that syrup in your pecan pie!


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## Mike CHS

We had to run Teresa in to Urgent Care this afternoon.  Nothing really serious but we wanted to make sure since it involved one of her eyes.  We had several things going on at the same time and she got in a hurry showing a customer how to set up a milking stand that we were selling.  When she opened it up, the stanchion comes up automatically (and pretty fast if you aren't careful) and she cut her eye slightly and the metal slammed into the lower part of her forehead and the top of her left eye which is probably going to be a black eye in the morning.  There doesn't seem to be any major damage but we wanted to get a referral from TRICARE for the eye doctor which meant going to an MD first.


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## CntryBoy777

Oh my goodness!!....poor lady....sure hope everything turns out well for her.........an ice pack should help the eye to keep from swelling too much.


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## Mike CHS

She started with ice right away and a lot of the swelling is down already.


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## farmerjan

Sorry to hear that.  I hope it didn't scare away the prospective buyers....


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## Mike CHS

It all worked out Jan


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## greybeard

Baymule said:


> Last fall we went to the Syrup Festival in Henderson, Texas. They celebrate making syrup from sugar cane. They had a mule driven crusher mill and a big pan with a wood fire under it to boil the juice down to syrup. We bought 2 cans. I love that stuff. I have many childhood memories of going to my grand parents and feasting on my grandmother's biscuits and sorghum syrup. They bought it locally every fall.
> 
> @greybeard use that syrup in your pecan pie!


I've seen it done at my grandfather's place, from start to finish. Cutting the can, stripping off the excess leaves, getting the mill ready and the mule harnessed to it.  Cooked off in long pans with baffles in them to move the juice from side to side slowly as it makes it way down the pan to the end. Skimming the residue off was a constant part of it.
Some people add sulfur to their ribbon cane syrup to retard it from sugaring up...getting too thick to pour..I prefer it not be in there.

You 'can' buy sugar cane juice by the 55 gal plastic drum from one of the cane mills in Louisiana.  It's in Iberia Parish, about 30 miles south of Lafayette. You have to bring your own container. (this may have changed in recent years) 
You can also buy sugar cane itself from the farmers right in the field, which is a lot cheaper than buying it from a farmer's market one stalk at a time.
It needs to be pressed and cooked down within 48 hrs at the most, otherwise, it will begin to sour quickly.


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## Baymule

That was a close one with Teresa's eye. You sure don't mess around with an eye injury. I'm glad she wasn't seriously hurt. I bet she has a whopper of a headache. 

@greybeard what wonderful childhood memories of your grandfather cooking off syrup. I bet it tasted good too. I loved my grandmother's biscuits sopped in that syrup.


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## CntryBoy777

Ya oughta get a kick out of this then....


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## greybeard

You know it's almost harvest time in the cane fields when you see the sky full of smoke. They set fire to the fields to burn off the excess leaves. I've seen it done both ways..with the cane still standing while other times, they cut the cane down into long windrows and burn it that way.





Within a day or 2, the roads are full of slow moving cane buggies on their way to the mills...you also know it's harvest time because of all the smoke (steam) belching from the tall stacks at the mills and the sweet smell in the air. .



 

They haul it either straight to a mill or to a gathering point where it's loaded into bigger containers pulled by trucks to the mill. At the mill, the cane is first chopped into shorter pieces, then ground into even small chunks and then pressed. The dried stuff is called Bagasse and is just fiber, that most mills burn as fuel.


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## Wehner Homestead

Hope Teresa’s eye is okay! Definitely not something to take a chance with!


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## RollingAcres

Poor Teresa! I hope her eye is okay.


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## Mike CHS

We have been finding broken eggs in one of our coops and thought we had another possum and we also had a couple of hens getting out and finally found a spot where they had worked an area under a gate large enough for them to get out.  This morning I heard them fussing and happened to see an armadillo trying to work past the fence post I had put on the ground.  By the time I got my shotgun and got back out there he was at the limit of the range but I did manage to get a shot in.  I hit him but never was able to find him when I went looking.


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## RollingAcres

greybeard said:


> You know it's almost harvest time in the cane fields when you see the sky full of smoke. They set fire to the fields to burn off the excess leaves. I've seen it done both ways..with the cane still standing while other times, they cut the cane down into long windrows and burn it that way.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Within a day or 2, the roads are full of slow moving cane buggies on their way to the mills...you also know it's harvest time because of all the smoke (steam) belching from the tall stacks at the mills and the sweet smell in the air. .
> View attachment 48462
> 
> They haul it either straight to a mill or to a gathering point where it's loaded into bigger containers pulled by trucks to the mill. At the mill, the cane is first chopped into shorter pieces, then ground into even small chunks and then pressed. The dried stuff is called Bagasse and is just fiber, that most mills burn as fuel.


Wow that's quite interesting. I've never had cane syrup before.


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## Wehner Homestead

At IN State Fair, there’s a working historical display. It’s really neat. They have a barn built in that manner that houses animals appropriate for that time, volunteers dress in period dress, there’s a cane press with a draft horse turning it, a steam engine running a saw, etc.


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## Bruce

greybeard said:


> It wasn't bad at all but not something I would care for on a daily basis.


Me either. I can't do maple candy, too sweet. We only do "needs maple syrup" food a couple of times a month. I generally only make "hot breakfast" on the days DW doesn't work, which means Sunday. And most of the time it is omelettes. Of course in the winter when eggs are scarce, one batch of waffles feeds 4 with only 1 egg. Omelettes take 8 eggs.



farmerjan said:


> Now I wouldn't touch the fake stuff unless I am out and don't have anything else.


No reason to lower your standards! Eat something that doesn't need syrup. Or factory farmed eggs. Oops, running out of options! Regardless, if I have to choose, there is ZERO percent chance I would eat something with fake maple syrup. I can do fruit syrups though. Corned beef hash is often an option.


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## Latestarter

Sorry Teresa injured herself. Hope it all comes out OK.


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## Mike CHS

I love home made corned beef hash but I'm not sure I'll ever eat another egg.  Teresa gave me an egg about a month ago while I was making some French Toast because I usually break an extra egg over the toast when it's just about finished.  Evidently she has a broody hen who had been setting on this egg for a number of days and my taste for eggs disappeared and hasn't come back.  I'm usually not squeamish about many things but that egg made an impression like some of those views of things that can't be made to go away.


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## Latestarter

Gosh, that sucks Mike... Sorry. I really enjoy my eggs and the yolk is the best. I wouldn't have liked to see that either.


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## frustratedearthmother

That is just barf inducing!   Reminds me of the time I picked up a rotten egg...it exploded in my face...got in my eyes and my mouth.  I didn't eat an egg for a very, very long time.


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## greybeard

Balute!!


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## Wehner Homestead

I didn’t comment on the partially developed egg right away...I don’t think I’d eat eggs any time soon either! Ugh!!!


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## Mike CHS

I don't often post pictures of our lunches very often but Teresa made this monster of a Pork Tenderloin Sandwich Wrap that made me do a double take when I looked over to see what she was having.


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## Hens and Roos

that looks yummy!

Hope Teresa's eye is starting to feel better...ouch!


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## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> Evidently she has a broody hen who had been setting on this egg for a number of days and my taste for eggs disappeared and hasn't come back.



Yuck!!!


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## CntryBoy777

Needless to say it was egg-free.........I know I shouldn't have said that, but just couldn't pass it up. Something we were raised to do with any fresh egg is to crack it into a small dish 1st, just to avoid those situations.....


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## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Teresa made this monster of a Pork Tenderloin Sandwich Wrap that made me do a double take when I looked over to see what she was having.


And she didn't make one for you??

 I wouldn't have your balut experience since I have no rooster but I collect eggs daily, at least at the end of the day and often any time I go down to the barn. Nothing would be incubating for even a half a day.


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## Mike CHS

Hens and Roos said:


> that looks yummy!
> 
> Hope Teresa's eye is starting to feel better...ouch!




It was egg free Fred. 

We went to the eye doctor this afternoon and she got a clean bill of health.  It's healing really fast.


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## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> We went to the eye doctor this afternoon and she got a clean bill of health. It's healing really fast.


Great to hear!


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## Mike CHS

I was just out feeding the white dogs and the flies are having a feast on one of Thor's ears.  I read a little and have an ointment to put on but all of the repellents don't have a lot of good reviews plus I'm not finding a dual purpose ointment that also repels.


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## CntryBoy777

The flies are pretty bad here too, but I've never heard of anything that truly repels them....natural or chemically....I do know those ducks sure did go after them....sure do miss em too.....


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## Mike CHS

It looks like Tractor Supply has an ointment that you put on the sore area that is pyrethrin based.


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## Mike CHS

We had a major disappointment today.  Our young helper came really close to ruining his life before it gets started good.  He was with Teresa today helping out a friend at a dog boarding facility and as they were leaving, he went back into the house to get his water bottle.  They came home and he then went out to do some weed eating for hire for us and not long after we got a phone call from one of the owners asking if anyone had seen his Smith & Wesson 911 while they were at the house.   We got a bad feeling about our first gut feeling and went out to check out the young mans car and found the weapon under the front seat. His Grandparents are still livid and the only reason the police were not called was that everyone knows all involved but we aren't sure what the long term is going to be since I think this is the last straw for Grandparents trying to salvage a young man and even though he has become a large part of our family we no longer have any trust in him.


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## Wehner Homestead

Yikes! That’s rough! You, Teresa, and his grandparents have gone above and beyond. Sometimes it just isn’t enough.


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## CntryBoy777

That is so, so sad.........I will admit to being a fan of the young man and thought many times of how all of that was such a great sittuation for him to be a part of....and that I wish when I was his age, I would've had that opportunity. Just glad it was caught before it really cost anyone dearly....and all are aware of the truth without physical harm......


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## Hens and Roos

sorry to hear


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## Latestarter

That's a real shame... doing something stupid once can be forgiven, but when it becomes a repetitive thing... Just flat sucks. Only so much you can do and especially when it's not even your responsibility. Everyone loses because of his actions.


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## Baymule

That boy just derailed his train. He destroyed any trust that you had in him. That's sad.


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## frustratedearthmother

Oh noooo - that really is sad and disturbing to hear.


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## greybeard

Not  good thing and theft of a firearm is a federal felony to boot. 
Some people just aren't salvageable until they are ready to be salvaged, a few, never are.


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## Mike CHS

We aren't giving up on him 'yet' but he is going to have to work his way back into our good graces and it will probably never be the same.  I was on the same road he is on when I was his age so I can relate but I think I knew enough to understand consequences aren't always a slap on the wrist.


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## RollingAcres

Oh man, what a shame! Really hope he will start learning and realizing that he's lucky to get a second, third chance or how many chances you and his grandparents have given him.


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## Bruce

Ah Mike  Does he even have a clue as to the size of the bullet he dodged with everyone choosing NOT to call the police? I don't know how close to the edge such a person needs to get before they figure out the drop is non survivable. I was a goody two shoes, the only time I spent with the cops was a ride along in HS.

Sure glad the owner discovered the S&W missing really fast. If it had been a week there could be others with access. Cops would have been called for sure and they would have likely found it.


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## Mike CHS

Bruce - he has been talked to by all of us and most of it wasn't kind or punches pulled.  He had Teresa in tears and I think that bothered him more than any chewing out anyone else did.


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## Bruce

Good! Did he give any reason why he stole the gun?


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## Mike CHS

He did usual "I don't know why I took it" and also said that on the way home he wanted to take it back but was afraid he would get caught but it also got to him that he was going to be caught no matter what.  He is  one kid that needs meds to stay focused and literally lives in the current minute.


----------



## Mike CHS

Summer got here and it doesn't look like there is any reason to wait on a cooler day to go down to Alabama to pick up the ewe lambs.  I had all new tires put on my stock trailer a few weeks ago and somehow in the process of getting tires arranged, my spare rim didn't make it back to the trailer.  I have the spare tire but no rim so I went up to a trailer store not far away and got a rim and had the spare tire mounted. It's not in the best of shape but it's good enough to get me off the road if need be.  I'll replace it next week when things get back to normal.   Murphy's Law says that if you haul a trailer to Alabama and back without a spare, you WILL have a flat and I can see some lamb being cooked on the side of the road inside a black trailer.


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## CntryBoy777

Always best to have and not need, than to need and not have is my way of thinking.....


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## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> I can see some lamb being cooked on the side of the road inside a black trailer.



Just make sure that you have a cooler of drinks and maybe some chips so you can enjoy your side of the road BBQ.


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## Mike CHS

We are leaving around 4 in the morning so we should be back home before it gets too hot.

I didn't notice till today that our trailer is like the one that @Latestarter used so I guess we won't be hauling any pigs in this trailer as is.


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## Baymule

When pigs fly.............


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## Latestarter

Just a word of caution... I've heard that sheep can fly too!


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## Wehner Homestead

Y’all are really tickling my funny bone this morning!!


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## Bruce

Yeah sheep can jump better than pigs! Have a good trip Mike.


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## Mike CHS

Our 4 new arrivals are out in their paddock and don't seem to be stressed at all.  Fortunately there has been a nice cloud cover all day and it was still in the high 70's when we pulled in to home. They had managed to get into a bucket of protein yesterday so they all have loose stools.  I'm glad we know these folks since I pulled a real boneheaded thing this morning.  I am the one that counted out the money to pay for the sheep and this envelope normally only contains a number of $100 bills.  I didn't have my glasses on and the room was mostly dark but I counted out 10 bills "assuming" they were $100's.  I didn't know that Teresa had swapped a couple of bills with $20 bills so I wasn't aware I had $200 instead of the $1000 I was expecting to see in my wallet to pay them the balance of what we owed.

You might also remember that I said the other day we were getting 3 ewe lambs from them and somehow a 4th one wound up in the trailer.

The lambs managed to get into a tub of protein mix yesterday so they all have loose stools.


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## CntryBoy777

I know that Feelin.............
They sure look really Good....and love the spots they have....


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## Mike CHS

That one with the most spots was fast becoming a pet so she has a name - Pepper


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## Wehner Homestead

Mike CHS said:


> That one with the most spots was fast becoming a pet so she has a name - Pepper



I didn’t think you named them! Lol


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## Mike CHS

I don't normally but this one already had a name.   The only ones we have named are two the the three wethers keeping our ram company and one of them goes to the butcher on Wednesday.


----------



## Wehner Homestead

Just teasing you more than anything.


----------



## Mike CHS

A quick update on our young man and the consequences of the stolen hand gun.  We don't know all of the details but his Grandpa wasn't kidding when he said they had enough of his antics.  His car is no longer his and his hunting weapons are also gone.  There are a few other changes but what we got was in a quick text from his Mamaw.


----------



## Wehner Homestead

Wow! He has to have consequences though!


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## CntryBoy777

That is such a tough situation and the family has to hold to accepting responsibility as a condition....but, if it doesn't get his attention, then it will cost him dearly....


----------



## Mike CHS

Fred - I think they got mad finally because he was acting like all was good since nothing major happened.  Grandpa took all of the action after they went down to the lake for the weekend.  I think they decided that he avoided official jail but he is (finally) in jail at home.


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## Bruce

Sounds like he just hasn't gotten the picture, still invincible.  I hope he figures it out before he gets dead or 20 years in jail.

Good deal on the sheep: buy 3 get 1 free, PLUS an 80% discount


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## Mike CHS

We need rain and it looks like we will be getting some soon.  I took the last of the ram lambs out of the main herd today and put him in the boys pen.  He is a couple of days shy of two months but he reaches up to his dams shoulder and he is pulling her condition down and she is one we want to breed back if we can get her back in shape.  The ram lamb is right at 65 pounds so his growth has been good for a two month old.  The dam is one of our biggest ewes and it looks like this boy will have it also.  We still have the one month old twins in with the main herd and we'll leave them there until we swap paddocks and move the main herd where the boys are now.  They will get their second round of shots and check hooves again.  Any that need their hooves worked since the last time a month ago will be put in the cull pen.  We are only keeping 3 of our original 10 past this summer.  The ewes that regain super condition will be bred and sold and those that are slow gaining will go to the auction.

Teresa and I spent a lot of time comparing notes from the last time we had them in to see who was making good gains and who isn't.

Also, I'm attaching a better photo of the just weaned ewe lambs we brought home yesterday.  They have gotten into the routine and come in for feed when Teresa shakes the bucket. They like women and are unsure of me so we have to work on that since I do most of the handling.


----------



## Mike CHS

My favorite cousin posted a picture on Facebook of me that I didn't even know still existed.  I was 19 years old and we were going into the Med for a ten month deployment.


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> He did usual "I don't know why I took it" and also said that on the way home he wanted to take it back but was afraid he would get caught but it also got to him that he was going to be caught no matter what. He is one kid that needs meds to stay focused and literally lives in the current minute.


Mike, my father, many years ago (when I was barely a teen) were going into a cafe here, and he told me "Take that coat & cover that rifle up in the back seat son..People will steal a gun when they would never steal anything else".
I think there is something to that too...


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> My favorite cousin posted a picture on Facebook of me that I didn't even know still existed.  I was 19 years old and we were going into the Med for a ten month deployment.
> View attachment 48699


Black shoe Navy Mike?.. Before you had the bird on your sleeve?

1970-1971 a few very tough months apart, and as my sister once said, it showed.. it was the best of times/it was the worst of times....


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## Mike CHS

GB - Brown shoe and that picture was my first duty station on Independence in 1969.  I went straight to AC school that was in Brunswick Georgia at that time right after Boot Camp so my experiences were all in ATC  and never too bad.


----------



## Mike CHS

I thought I would tell you how easily I get sidetracked.  Teresa set out some ground beef to use to throw something together for supper.  I was cutting grass and it started to do a light rain so I figured I would come in an make a big pot of chili or pasta sauce.  As I was cutting up the onions I was looking in the freezer for some of the red bell peppers from our last years garden and saw a big gallon bag of okra.

That morphed the chili or pasta sauce into a big pot of Jambalaya.  

And since I used Cajun sausage I still need to figure out what to do with the ground beef.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Just put it in the fridge til tomorrow....that'll give time for something to come to mind....


----------



## Mike CHS

Since we have weaned the majority of our lambs we are starting to take a close look at who will be sold for meat and who is still good enough to be bred again and sold.  We are still learning but we have had firm short term and long term goals since we started with sheep.  Every one of our yearling ewes look better than our original ten that we brought home in November of 2016 and those that we bred look like our full blooded Katahdins and have the size that we want to maintain.  As expected, most of our culls (7 ewes) are from the original 10.  I'm not sure how people can remember names when their numbers start getting up there so we save the memory and use pictures to capture numbers and dates so we can compare their condition over the next month.  I call them up to our back yard to feed twice a day and will take pictures every few days to see how the ewes are recovering from 2-3 months of nursing.  I let myself get too attached to some that will be culled but it is what it is.  My favorite wether is going to the processor tomorrow so he has been getting pampered the last couple of weeks.  I'm not posting all of the pictures we are using for reference but thought I would post our thought process about culling or keeping.



 

02 is a Jan 2017 yearling ewe is pretty typical of most of the yearlings and she is holding her condition really well through the season.  She has been on grass only since her lambs were weaned until this week.



 

07 is one of our original ewes.  She is one of the most pet like but she has to be kept on feed to maintain her weight so she is going to be culled.  I'm going to list her on Facebook as a pet and offer to breed her back but I'll at least try to give her another home before going to auction.


----------



## mystang89

Some hard decisions but at least you realize they can't all be kept. It's something I'm still trying to get my family to understand.


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## Baymule

You have an outstanding flock. Beautiful sheep.....well cared for. The culling part is hard. I kept some ewe lambs that were singles and to no surprise, they also have single lambs. Duh.


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## Mike CHS

@mystang89 Fortunately we have only ourselves for those decisions but I have to do my share of fretting about them.    The processor just kind of shakes his head as I walk my critters off the trailer and tell them goodbye.

Bay we are shooting for twins or trips but we have some that had twins last year but just had huge lambs this year so it's pretty much a wash on those.  Those big singles are bringing a paying the way for some of those 'prime' small lambs.  Our #11 ewe was a bit smaller than what we like and had small twins so she was being considered as a cull.  In the last month though both she and her babies have gone into growth over-drive like they knew it.


----------



## Baymule

She heard you talking........


----------



## Mike CHS

Farm Bureau every once in awhile sends out their farm life magazine.  It has some good articles but then I saw a recipe that is absolutely decadent.  We rarely eat sweets but this one is on our go-to list now of recipes to try as soon as our blackberries start putting on.  I never heard of one but the recipe is for a blackberry cake with a blackberry icing.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Mike CHS said:


> I never heard of one but the recipe is for a blackberry cake with a blackberry icing.


Sounds Delish!


----------



## Wehner Homestead

I hate culling! It’s a lot easier if it’s beca there’s an injury and the suffering needs to end or the animal is aggressive. The ones that have personality but don’t produce well just don’t always have a place. We have two cows in that latter section going this year. They will be replaced with two heifersborn here from our best producing line. Sometimes it has to be a business decision. The kids hate when anything leaves the farm. Still trying to get them to understand. DH and I say goodbye to almost everything that leaves here!


----------



## Mike CHS

All of our sheep can be handled without fear and come up to get scratched but it is a business even if it is a small business.  We are fortunate in that we only need for our girls to pay for them selves and any profit is nice but not needed. We originally wanted sheep to work our dogs (who never get to work now) so go figure.


----------



## Mike CHS

I posted awhile back that I feed the main flock in a section of our back yard that is enclosed with electric netting.  I feed in the morning and then again between 3:30 and 4:00 in the afternoon.  The first picture is my view out of our living room window at about 3:15.  It doesn't matter where they were 5 minutes ago and I haven't seen who is the leader now but they will come trotting up and just lay down.  They know I won't let them in till the troughs are turned over and wiped out if needed and feed put in the trough.

The second picture is of an awesomely bright sunset we had tonight.  Their was a light rainbow that I tried to capture but it was drowned out by the bright sun light.

The last picture didn't capture what we wanted to.  We were coming up on Lake Guntersville and there is some really steep (13 degree) grades and as we topped one of the hills it looked like the road stopped and you were going to run onto a grass strip power company line right of way going up the next hill.  By the time Teresa got the phone set up we were passed the point where it was an optical illusion but it's still a cool picture.


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> In the last month though both she and her babies have gone into growth over-drive like



Not unusual. Somehow, culls seem to know.... and often do 'something' to get off the ax list. It hardly ever works with me..a temporary reprieve at best...easy to get on the list, almost impossible to get off it..


----------



## Mike CHS

I don't know anything about cattle but in this case the yearling ewe was barely big enough to go to the ram but she was on the young side.  Once they get bred they devote all of their resources to their lambs growth and it isn't unusual for them to have a growth spurt after the lambs are on the ground.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Boy!!....that sure brings back some "memories" rolling 18 down and up....it was real Fun!!....


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> I don't know anything about cattle but in this case the yearling ewe was barely big enough to go to the ram but she was on the young side.  Once they get bred they devote all of their resources to their lambs growth and it isn't unusual for them to have a growth spurt after the lambs are on the ground.


Pretty much the same with momma cows, and especially with heifers. Growth of the fetus can drag 'em down some and once born, most of the input all goes to making milk. They recover condition pretty quick on good grass tho. The ones that don't,  take the trailer ride.

I do tend to feed bred heifers a bit more, but learned my lesson years ago not to feed em too much..or too often...calf gets big in the womb and the heifer has more trouble having it. (after two 100lb calves from 2 different heifers the same season, from a bull that had never made a calf over 70lbs, I realized it my fault, not the heifers. I had to pull them both, a hard pull with a calf jack both times and lost one of them)


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## mystang89

You have a great looking herd! I love sunsets and sunrises. One of the most beautiful stores sites in the world to me. Thanks for the pictures.


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## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> The last picture didn't capture what we wanted to. We were coming up on Lake Guntersville and there is some really steep (13 degree) grades and as we topped one of the hills it looked like the road stopped and you were going to run onto a grass strip power company line right of way going up the next hill.


That would be a cool picture. Next time!
It is sort of the opposite of a road we take on the way home when coming from the south. There is this sign


So you know there is a road going straight while the main road turns 90°.

But then you see this

Yeah, if you are paying attention you can see the back of the stop sign. There is no visual sign that there is a road going straight, just big arrows showing the road goes left. I tell people to just trust me, there IS a road there.


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## Mike CHS

I wonder how many people go flying up that road and wind up on the side road?


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## Bruce

Don't know but at least there IS a road if they miss the curve. Both roads have been there since way before you and I were born.


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## Mike CHS

It is hot enough outside that I did chores early this morning and said to myself that today is a good day to get caught up on some indoors things.  We found a source for some custom feed that is even closer than our past feed source.  He preps the food from 15-18% protein based on the ages of the lambs being fed.

We had been feeding a feed mix that the adults love but the lambs wouldn't touch it till they were 3-4 weeks old which meant that our attempts at creep feeding was a waste of time. It was very nutritious but was more powdery than I care for.  The lambs ate the food last year but they were in a dry lot and learned from their dams to eat the feed.  They still put on a little over 1/2 a pound a day on dams milk but you don't get the solid weight gain needed to get the premium $. What we are shooting for is 90 pound lamb or over at 90 days old.

I did go into town and pick up a couple of food grade drums since in order to buy this feed there is a 500 pound minimum and the drums will keep rodents out.


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## Baymule

We're doing that hug the AC in the middle of the day too. It's hot, dry, humid and we come in soaking wet, dirty and heat drained. 

Glad you found a better source of feed for the lambs. We use metal trash cans for feed to keep rodents out.


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## greybeard

Culling time here too. This morning.




About to go in the ring




View attachment 48992



 

hauled 8 altogether.
4 bull calves, 2 open cows, and 2 bred cows. One bred 8 months according to the palp report but I don't think that is accurate.
I won't know till I get the invoice and check how they did.


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## Baymule

Did you take them to the Livingston sale barn?


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## Mike CHS

We are hoping to be able to go the Midwest Sheep Show and Sale toward the end of June but it seems all of the available helpers during that time frame are going to be otherwise occupied.  The show is in Sedalia, MO which isn't far from Teresa's siblings so we were hoping to see the show and visit family at the same time. It's a tax write-off but Teresa might be going by herself if we can't find someone to help with animals.


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## CntryBoy777

Well, I'd volunteer, but with courts and all going on, I don't want to commit to something like that....especially with so many canines that are unfamiliar with me....they might not take too kindly to me sitting in "Poppa's" chair.........sure hope ya find someone closer by to help ya out there.....


----------



## greybeard

Baymule said:


> Did you take them to the Livingston sale barn?


Yes.
But Only because they are closest. Usually better prices and a more modern facility at Navasota, but with the heat as high as it's been, I didn't want to haul that far since tarp is mostly missing off that gooseneck trailer.  The shrink going to Livingston is bad enough as it is.


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## Mike CHS

I wouldn't ask Fred.  We don't expect many of these things to be easy to arrange.


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## farmerjan

We hauled 18 calves last friday.  Several holstein and holstein crosses that were on the nurse cows.  They weighed in the 3 to 4  wts and averaged $.80 which is about right.  The 450 lb steers brought $1.44; the 2 that hit 500  $1.59; and some 350 wts brought about $1.47.  Couple of not so good ones in the 1.20's and was glad to see them gone.  Got 10 cull cows to go but prices here are not great on them.  At least 8 will go this week.  All are open, 2 were not rebred due to age, as in no teeth and we just sold the calves;  2 had dead calves back in the cold crappy weather and are old,  1 is pushing 4 and has been confirmed preg twice and slipped the calves, one is a total high headed, fruit cake, nut case, 2 others were confirmed preg  and due to calve this spring and either slipped them or had dead calves we couldn't find as they were just rechecked and called open.  2 raised calves, were checked preg but now have shown a heat.  They may go back with the bull as we now have grass coming out our ears. 
No moisture, cold, until last month.  Then warming up way too fast, but with frost inbetween 80's,  and now it won't stop raining.  So we have more grass than we anticipated, as well as culling more cows than we planned, so may just give those last 2 a rebreed.  There is a bred cow sale on Wed that we are going to go to....may buy a few more if prices are right, to replace some that have been culled.  We have culled alot this year, many due to age and purposely not rebreeding.  We just put 6 at a pasture that have calves and they will not get bred back,  They have nubs or no teeth at all. They will raise the calves and can be sold if it gets dry, or held til late fall and sold when it is time to ship other cattle.  If we like any of the heifers, they can be weaned and kept, but that  will be determined later.


----------



## greybeard

farmerjan said:


> The 450 lb steers brought $1.44; the 2 that hit 500 $1.59; and some 350 wts brought about $1.47.


Good prices!!
3 &  4 wts here were bringing more than the heavier ones, the few minutes I sat and watched.  From my notes, $1.38 was the average in about 30 minutes of sales. 
I didn't include a big group of corriente and LH ropers they ran thru.
I didn't stay for mine.

Saw 2 bulls go thru I thought were interesting. A 2 1/2 yr old papered, trich tested and performance tested Brangus that only brought $1.45/lb and the owner 'no sale' him....don't blame him, and then a BIG Braford bull that was 1760lbs brought $.95/lb. 
Both looked really good, but I think the Braford had some age on him. 
Smokies and red steers were bringing about the same as the blacks, just a few cents difference. 
One nice looking mare was the only equine..no bids at all on her.


----------



## Mike CHS

I was cutting our biggest paddock today to get rid of the woody tall grass and had the bejeebers scared out of me.  We have this huge Hackberry tree in the middle of the paddock and has a lot of low branches that is about the same height as the canopy on my tractor.  I went under some really low branches and a few seconds after I cleared the tree this big snake came falling off the canopy and hit the back fender on the way to the ground.  I just about left the tractor as fast as the snake did.

We broke the axle on our golf cart a couple of weeks ago.  We got the replacement a few days later but we had other projects in the works.  Here is a picture of my Baby taking care of business.


----------



## mystang89

I'd have had a heart attack!


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## CntryBoy777

Did ya care to see what kind it was?....I had one jump out at me cutting the other day....sure got my attention....it was a 6-7' gray rat snake.....


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## Mike CHS

He was moving pretty fast and the grass was tall where it was.  It was either a rat snake or King snake but it all happened too fast to get many details.


----------



## farmerjan

Just a note, sold 8 of the cull cows tuesday and they brought in the mid 50's to mid 60's.  Average weights were 900's, 1050's and 1150's.  A few of the smaller cows did in the 50's, the bigger more fleshy ones did in the upper 50's low 60's.  About what we expected, better than a month ago when they were barely $.50.

I know a snake coming out of a tree would have scared me and I am not all that bothered by snakes.  I have been known to catch and move and release some of the black snakes around here since they are great as "mouse control",  but they can get into the chickens and get the eggs.  I used to "raise"  the common garter snake when a kid up north for school projects.  But out of a tree..


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## Baymule

The tree threw a snake at you!  The unexpectedness of having a snake taking a spin on my tractor would have me letting the snake have it too! 

I like Teresa. She can do anything! Boys and their toys and Girls and their tools to_ fix_ the toys!


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## High Desert Cowboy

Benefit of utah, our snakes arent much for climbing trees.  Also we never have to guess if its poisonous as our only venomous snakes are rattlers.  Still, i can totally undersrand jumping away as fast as possible, though the mental image is pretty funny!


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## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> I like Teresa. She can do anything! Boys and their toys and Girls and their tools to_ fix_ the toys!



We are a good combination.  I have lost track of how many times I have gotten impatient with something and would be inclined to throw it away but Teresa would spend the time and figure out how to fix it.

We think her dad wanted a boy and taught her all of the things that girls aren't usually taught.  I do most of the building but she does most of the mechanical/electrical.


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## CntryBoy777

It is all about being a team and confronting issues together....Joyce and I do the same thing....tho, I've never had any assistance with any small or large tools....they all have my finger prints on them....


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## Bruce

And when you aren't careful about putting them down, Gabbie teeth marks.


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## CntryBoy777

She does put things that take your attention off of her in the garbage...given half a chance....I have to leave her in the house with Joyce, because I can't see thru her head and that long snout of hers.....and she is bound and determined to checkout every turn of the bolt, nut, or screw.....


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm posting a few pictures to show how the lambs are growing.  Ringo is getting long in the tooth but he sure makes some fast growing, long legged babies.  We got the wether that we took in last week for processing and he is delicious.  He was right at 120 pounds and we wound up with a little over 50 pounds of meat.  We have been getting a carcass at about 75% of the on the hoof weight and the finished weight has been a little over 50% of that.


----------



## CntryBoy777

They do look really well and seem to be developing fairly fast....I've always liked the looks of Ringo, and was wondering how long ya have plans of continuing using him before bringing on another?.....has him and Thor worked out their mutual respect yet?.....


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## Baymule

If you sell Ringo, I call first dibs!


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## Mike CHS

I still get on to Thor when I catch him running any sheep but as often as I see him chasing them, Ringo is chasing Thor.  They are together all of the time though so I guess it's good.

We will keep him for at least another cycle with about 2/3 of the ewes.  We were going to  bring them all in and separate the culls but I did something to my shoulder yesterday so I don't feel like man handling them for a couple more days.  I am going to try and find a trade for him with another small place like ours since he is so gentle.  He isn't even timid around strangers and has never challenged anyone.  He originally came out of the Virginia Tech ram lamb testing and they get a lot of hands on.  We are his third farm and he has been this gentle since he was a lamb.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> If you sell Ringo, I call first dibs!



I would love to find another with his personality.  I have 2 wethers and one ram lamb (almost 3 months old) that is in with him.  The ram lamb is picking up his behavior and doesn't even budge when I put hands on to him.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have some cheap Saturday entertainment.  We made the rounds of the Amish farms since they have produce ready before any of our gardens start producing and will head down to the Alabama line to pick up our feed order.


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## Mike CHS

We had been planning on going to Missouri at the end of June for two reasons, 1. to see T's siblings and 2. to attend the big sheep show at Sedalia but the schedule changed when the breeders got back into good condition faster than we thought.  Our breeding schedule makes it more difficult to find someone to help so we elected for Teresa to go on  without me but I did suggest she take one of our neighbor friends to keep her company.  We have plenty of temp help under most situations but there will be a lot of sheep sorting working back into another breeding period and I have to be here for that.


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## Baymule

How far are y’all from Florence Alabama? That’s where DH is from. We’re going probably in September or October so he can go see old friends.


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## Mike CHS

It's a little over an hour and a half if I remember right but I haven't been that way in a long time.


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## Mike CHS

We went into Lewisburg to a local chain called Mildred's for dinner. We cook better than most restaurants around here but it's easy to get into a rut where you don't treat yourselves very often so we make it a point to go out on a regular basis and especially check out new places when we go into Nashville on our monthly runs.  Mildred's has a seafood buffet that is actually pretty decent considering you can't get REAL GOOD seafood outside of Nashville.  But even that is disappointing after living in Charleston, SC for 25+ years. But considering the price of around $26 for both us it is a decent spread that includes whole catfish, fish fillets, mussels, crab cakes, shrimp and the usual fixin's.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Mike CHS said:


> But considering the price of around $26 for both us it is a decent spread that includes whole catfish, fish fillets, mussels, crab cakes, shrimp and the usual fixin's.


The hankering I've been having for seafood - just got worse!  Sounds good!


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## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> How far are y’all from Florence Alabama? That’s where DH is from. We’re going probably in September or October so he can go see old friends.


 
Let's keep it open and if there is some way to get together if you guys have any flex in your visit schedule we would really like that.


----------



## Bruce

I don't think catfish counts as seafood.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> I don't think catfish counts as seafood.




They consider any water area sea as far as food goes here.  )


----------



## Wehner Homestead

Seafood!! Whitefish, shrimp, crab, scallops, gator, mahi mahi, swordfish  I think I need seafood too!! Lol


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> Let's keep it open and if there is some way to get together if you guys have any flex in your visit schedule we would really like that.


That sounds good to me! We would like that too.


----------



## Latestarter

Speaking of seafood, I Emailed a lobster pound up in Maine yesterday evening. My daughter is flying down here on the 23rd and I'm hoping they can package up some lobsters and steamers for her to check with her luggage.   Not sure but think that will be cheaper than shipping. Just hope the baggage doesn't get "lost" in transit. Love grilled swordfish...


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## Baymule

We went to a seafood buffet that everyone bragged on......It was fried chicken tenders and fried catfish.  Catfish may certainly be SEEfood, but it sure ain't SEAfood.  We won't go back.


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## Baymule

This is why I have gentle sheep. A mean ram won’t work here. She is enamored with the Sheep. She starts yelling Baa Baa Baa before she even gets here and heads straight to the Sheep lot. While most of them move out of her way, I have 2 ewes that love attention and will stand for her to love on them.


----------



## Wehner Homestead

Too cute! I love her lil boots!


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## Mike CHS

Wehner Homestead said:


> Too cute! I love her lil boots!



That's about all of the reason you need to have sheep.  

I'm curious to see how our Wild Things ram lamb will grow out.  So far he isn't the least bit pushy and hopefully he will pick up on Ringo's attitude.  I pulled him off his dam about 7-10 days earlier than normal but he was already picking up his dam when nursing and you could tell she was ready to be done.  I have never seen a ram as laid back as Ringo but the farm we bought him from had several rams and they were all like that.


----------



## Baymule

Ram attitude is one of the reasons I have gotten off the Dorper breed and want to go with registered Katahdins. I have heard from several people that their rams are fairly easy to manage. But Ringo is at the head of the class. I hope Wild Thing’s ram lamb takes after Ringo.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> They consider any water area sea as far as food goes here.  )


Quite "generous" with their definitions.


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## greybeard

Bruce said:


> Quite "generous" with their definitions.


No worse than calling white soy, rice, or almond liquid 'milk' or plant based textured 'beyond' stuff "meat'.


----------



## Bruce

Yeah, I've not seen a way to milk soy, rice, coconuts or almonds. Maybe they should have to call it a "milk-like product".


----------



## RollingAcres

Baymule said:


> This is why I have gentle sheep. A mean ram won’t work here. She is enamored with the Sheep. She starts yelling Baa Baa Baa before she even gets here and heads straight to the Sheep lot. While most of them move out of her way, I have 2 ewes that love attention and will stand for her to love on them.
> 
> View attachment 49240


She is so adorable!


----------



## RollingAcres

Bruce said:


> I don't think catfish counts as seafood.


It's SEEfood Bruce.



Latestarter said:


> Just hope the baggage doesn't get "lost" in transit


Sure hope not!


----------



## Baymule

RollingAcres said:


> She is so adorable!


Thank you! She loves all the animals and wants to be outside with them. She especially loves the sheep and will climb to the top of a cow panel, trying to get in the pen with them.


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm starting to wonder how our pasture is going to do.  We had about 1/2" yesterday but that's the first in about two weeks.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Our grass is starting to slow down growth with the soil drying out, but better chances of showers the next couple of days. There is still deep moisture, but surface is drying....the crops are stunted that is growing in the fields around us.


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> I'm starting to wonder how our pasture is going to do.  We had about 1/2" yesterday but that's the first in about two weeks.


It's not too bad yet..'officially'but the old adage here is "we're never more than 2 weeks away from drought". 
The problem with the drought monitor and other 'official maps' is they consider the  short term drought conditions ("S" designation)  as 'less than 6 months duration". Might be true regarding raw data collection, but In the real world, 5 months and 29 days can be devastating.

http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/


----------



## Bruce

That's for sure. Even a month with no rain will kill off a lot of vegetation.


----------



## Baymule

We had 1/8 2 days ago and before that, we had 1/8 on May 3.


----------



## farmerjan

I have never lived in an "arid" climate.  I cannot imagine what it would be like to be "2 weeks away from a drought" as you put it GB.  When we go more than 10 days without rain, or snow, or moisture in some form, it is significant here.  I think that we average 3-4 inches a month for the year, something like 35-40 inches a year on average.  Now, with the latest ridiculous weather patterns, we have seen some really crazy swings.  Just north of me, say 50-75 miles, in the northern part of the Shenandoah Valley, there are farmers that have not been able to get on their fields and I know of a couple that have not even planted the first kernel of corn.  Normally it is in the ground late April-early May.  And the ones that do double cropping will take off something like rye or barley and get it planted by mid June.  The latest rainfall for the year up there to the first of June is like 27 inches when the normal is like 15.   It's been crazy.  We started out dry and not hardly any snow all winter, now we are way over and can barely find 5 days to get anything dry enough to make hay.

They are calling for a few scattered showers this eve but it is sunny so far;  then sun through Sunday but temps are going to climb into the 90's by late week.  Been a nice 60-75 the last few days. We will be cutting hay either this afternoon or tomorrow.


----------



## greybeard

I don't currently live in an arid area.
"_Cleveland, Texas, gets *54 inches* of rain per year. The US average is 39._"

Rainfall this year in my part of East Tx hs been good but spotty. Some places have gotten plenty, others have gotten hardly any..mine being the latter but 40 miles in either direction they have gotten x2 as much as I have.
It's not how much we get...it's when. We get most of our rain in winter and early spring, which doesn't do any good in summer...July-Oct, 
tropical storms being the outlier. 

I have lived in an arid area, and hope to again soon. My kind of country:


----------



## Mike CHS

Our rainfall is 56" a year but like many places, it is mostly in winter and early spring.  

I know you love that kind of country GB but I will take a pass.  

Teresa is canning chicken broth this morning and that has to be way up at the top of the list for return on investment.  We get chicken thighs at the IGA for $.99 a pound and use a $4 package of thighs with 10 quarts of water.  We use a lot of chicken broth in our cooking.

We are getting ready to go out and move the rams and wether and give Ringo his CDT.  We will put them and the dogs in one of the side pens for a day while we work on the main herd doing hooves, worming if needed and CDT for the few left that still need it.  We still need to separate our last set of twins but they aren't old enough to wean yet.  I'm not sure how many will breed in the next month or so since it turned so hot so fast.


----------



## Latestarter

Having just looked at the radar, it appears you have more rain coming Mike. Slow moving line from the NW. Nothing in my area at all.


----------



## High Desert Cowboy

We would gladly take some rain over here.  It’s so dry my neighbor just had his first cut in 3 years that didn’t get rained on.  Here’s hoping for July


----------



## Mike CHS

We have been getting some rain but there have been several rain showers that we can see from the house but they just skirted our place.  I was planning on cutting the pasture down to about a foot but I don't want to put the cutter on the tractor only to have it start raining.  Kubota did some master engineering (NOT) with their PTO cable that if it gets wet it won't work right after a bit so I try to keep part of the tractor under shelter and out of the weather.


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> We have been getting some rain but there have been several rain showers that we can see from the house but they just skirted our place.


I call that "livin under a hole in the sky". Happens frequently here, but sometimes too, the whole sky compresses itself right over my place....


----------



## Mike CHS

This one is a nice steady but light rain.  It is light enough that the sheep aren't going to shelter but heavy enoughto do us some good.


----------



## Mike CHS

We wound up with a little over 1" of steady rain that had very little run-off.  Other than do Ringo's hooves and his CDT there wasn't a whole lot going on around here today.

Way back when we first started our journal I posted a picture of the original layout. Where the pan rack is now was the vinyl door that opened into the bathroom.  I closed that off and added a door that opened into the pantry so we could keep more personal goings on personal.  




 

We wound up with 8 quarts of nice broth and the chicken that we used will all be used for soups so that is a pretty good return for very little effort.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Looks good!


----------



## Bruce

Much better door location Mike.



greybeard said:


> It's not how much we get...it's when. We get most of our rain in winter and early spring, which doesn't do any good in summer...July-Oct


So basically you can't grow anything in the summer like we can't in the winter! Unless you have a well that can handle irrigation.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Much better door location Mike.
> So basically you can't grow anything in the summer like we can't in the winter! Unless you have a well that can handle irrigation.



Our pasture does well most of the time but it's all native grass that I don't try to change.  We wouldn't be able to garden if we didn't have the well that we use for that.

A little trivia about how we found our little farm.  I was getting the Atlas out of the car for Teresa's upcoming trip and when I opened it I found one of the maps that we used when looking for property (yes we use GPS but still like having a map around).  We basically drew a circle approximately 8 hours out from our home in Charleston.  The other map is missing but it went up into upstate SC, a bit of North Carolina and more of Tennessee and Georgia.  We would pick a couple of towns and then start searching outward from them.  We made it a point to make at least one trip a month just to identify areas that we liked and quickly eliminated the majority of our initial search area. It only took a few trips to narrow our search area down to parts of Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee but the first trip we took to where we eventually found our place eliminated everything else.

We didn't keep track of how many trips we made but we were looking for over 2 years when we found our home.


----------



## Pastor Dave

Reminds me of my Dad in the early 80's. He had his maps out of TN and we looked at Eastern TN, but ended up on the Western end.


----------



## Mike CHS

We are both from Missouri but that was never in consideration because of distance and besides that most of it is flat.    West Tennessee would have been on the search area but there again Middle Tennessee was the limit (again because of distance).  We wanted to keep it close enough to be able to work on weekends without killing ourselves trying to get here and back.


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> We wound up with a little over 1" of steady rain that had very little run-off.  Other than do Ringo's hooves and his CDT there wasn't a whole lot going on around here today.
> 
> Way back when we first started our journal I posted a picture of the original layout. Where the pan rack is now was the vinyl door that opened into the bathroom.  I closed that off and added a door that opened into the pantry so we could keep more personal goings on personal.
> 
> View attachment 49345
> 
> We wound up with 8 quarts of nice broth and the chicken that we used will all be used for soups so that is a pretty good return for very little effort.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I think that area is really nice and beautiful country too....all the way out to Cookeville....well, when I went there a couple of semesters back in the mid 70s....but, have climbed them hills quite often in a truck....


----------



## Pastor Dave

I like Indiana. You got the dunes or lake effect and timber land to the North. Flat open plains in the middle (where I'm from). And it gets hilly with timber in the South. I prefer Southern Indiana. 

I browse at small farms and homesteads generally in low to mid $200,000's. I did find one recently with move in ready 3 bed, 2 bath on 3 acres with 2 car detached garage, a small wooden barn for storage or equipment and a small 3 sided shed fenced in to the barn. It has timber on all sides of the property. Nice little place asking $139,000. Good price for IN. Jill believes we couldn't handle payments on $200+ parcels.


----------



## Mike CHS

Property here with acreage is getting more scarce and more costly fairly quick but we are under an hour to Franklin (major business area outside of Nashville). We bought our almost 19 acres for just under $35,000 but according to the tax roles at the time the house had zero value and we gutted it down to the studs including the ceiling in about 75% of it.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Back in '84 Dad paid $12,000 for the 20acres here...of course that was without the house and pond, but the value of property here hasn't increased very much in that span of time, it is still less than $1,000/acre for parcels above 5-10acres.


----------



## Mike CHS

You can still get the steeper hill properties for under $1,000 an acre but land that is usable as pasture or row crops it's getting closer to $2500 an acre and up.  Under 10 acres and usable can be as high as $5,000 or higher depending on how close to the towns.


----------



## Mike CHS

After I got the garden beds watered this afternoon the sky opened up and we got a bit over 1/2" in one of those isolated storm cells that have been missing us.

We canned our first batch of Sweet Banana Peppers this afternoon and we should be getting some ripe tomatoes in a couple of weeks.  Peaches on our later blooming tree are starting to get some size on them so we didn't lose all of the fruit to the late freeze this year.  The small patch of sweet corn is knee high and the melons and okra are setting blooms.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

The veggie and the beds look great....but so does the surrounding scenery!


----------



## Baymule

Your place is beautiful. All your hard work is showing!

Land here is stupid high. The school district is one that everyone wants their kids in and people are willing to pay the price. Land goes from $8,000 to $12,000 for unimproved land.


----------



## Mike CHS

That is why we eliminated South Carolina from our search criteria right away. Land prices were super high in spite of being high crime rate areas and boring scenery to boot.


----------



## Latestarter

It is kinda funny how that works sometimes... I mean I understand all that location, location, location stuff, but when the location clearly aint "all that", I marvel at what some folks expect to sell for... and even more so at those willing to pay what's asked.


----------



## Mike CHS

Joe - we found out long after we had our place that one of the neighbors wanted to buy it but they were planning on doing a low ball offer after it had been on the market for awhile.  What they didn't know is that we came to see the property and bought it the day the bank lowered the asking price from the original pre-default price of $119K to what we paid for it.  The listing never reflected the price drop so nobody was aware it had been sold until we started showing up on weekends.


----------



## greybeard

Latestarter said:


> It is kinda funny how that works sometimes... I mean I understand all that location, location, location stuff, but when the location clearly aint "all that", I marvel at what some folks expect to sell for... and even more so at those willing to pay what's asked.



Visuals can be very deceiving, depending when one looks at any piece of property. Right now, I can walk anywhere on this 124 acres and never get muddy or wet, but that place has flooded badly just a few months ago, and of course all this place was under 2-8 feet of water last Fall and the 24 acres in ? was under water 4 times total in 2017.  

All a seller and his/her agent is required to divulge is that it is in a flood plain and does flood. It's on the potential buyer to perform due diligence beyond that. 
It would put me in an ethical  tight spot if one were to come to me and ask the simple question "How often and how bad does that property flood?" 
(I would feel badly, but would have to answer honestly.)

This property has been in the family since 1964 so I know how to deal with most high water ( a Harvey type flood notwithstanding).  I now look at the Harvey flood as a tool to work from. I now know how to fix my East/West running fences so they won't lean again, and will probably start on that little project as soon as the current rain period is done. 

Joe, your own area that has the dry creek that sometimes turns into a torrent..you will need to do some things there.  As well as the tee posts, you will, on the inside of the wire, need to plant the the same diameter posts that you use on corners. 6" minimum diameter, planted deeply, preferably cemented in. Why? It's not just thesmall diameter of tee posts that allows them to lean. As water runs by anything (bridge pilings, homes, light poles) vibrations set in. The vibration is noticeable in the wire, which is transmitted to the tee posts and as the post vibrate, water gets down around the posts. The vibrating posts makes the soil/water mix soften to mud and the thin posts give way--lean. Larger posts offer more resistance to the vibration and will hold the wire in place much much better than tee posts alone.  If it's not in the way of your mowing, you can also use a floating brace on those bigger posts as an added measure. (I won't brace mine, even tho I do not mow, but will plant them 4' deep into the consolidated clay that naturally resists water incursion)


----------



## Mike CHS

GB I may need to do something like you suggested to Joe if I fence in the last 1 acre section of our place.  I have a storm drain ditch that goes from dry to about 3-4' of white water with some of the really heavy rains.  The water moves fast enough that it will wash out stones that are 3-5 pounds in weight.

We have been keeping the garden beds in good shape and should have a bumper crop of bell peppers soon.  The tomatoes are really putting on and we should be able to start canning some soon also.  I have about 4 hours of weed eating a week and let it get behind enough that I had to do almost 3 hours worth today to get it caught back up.  That was mostly what we had Jay doing every week but taking it back over my shoulder is getting back in shape a lot faster than it was.  I want to be caught up when Teresa heads out Sunday for the sale in Sedalia since I'll be picking up her chores next week also.

We have the Blade Runner remake playing right now and an hour in I'm still not sure I know that it's worth watching but my Teresa seems to be enjoying it so that's good enough.


----------



## Baymule

Our neighbor Robert has a weed eater on wheels that you can just push. MUCH easier than holding one. We borrow it from time to time to whack down weeds. Since we don't have a lawn, we get to skip a lot of that sort of stuff. LOL

Glad that your shoulder is healing up and doing better!


----------



## Mike CHS

Most of my weed eating is on steep slopes outside the fence so it's by hand or Roundup and so far I haven't completely given in to Roundup.  

I do use it in the sprayer on the driveway but that's almost 2000' long and I'm not doing that by hand.


----------



## Mike CHS

I forgot to mention that I again was not aware of what was around me when I was trimming grass along a fence that has hot wire above the gate.  Yep - I was on a roll getting it done and soaking wet with sweat and managed to again hit the ground wire and hot wire with my forehead.  It's amazing how fast that wire can set you on your butt.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Yikes!  I've done it once - and same place - right across the forehead.  Feels like getting hit in the head with a hammer.  But, I've got to say that I wasn't depressed afterwards.  Electric shock therapy apparently works, lol.


----------



## Mike CHS

frustratedearthmother said:


> Yikes!  I've done it once - and same place - right across the forehead.  Feels like getting hit in the head with a hammer.  But, I've got to say that I wasn't depressed afterwards.  Electric shock therapy apparently works, lol.



You might have something there.  I was getting ready to quit for the day but after the shock I went ahead and did almost another hours cutting.


----------



## Latestarter

Damn Mike... and FEM... Seems like it's a case of familiarity... You know it's there and yet you still get nailed. Like the table you always stub your toes on at night when trying to navigate in the dark. But now, maybe you have something to fall back on when you're behind the eight ball and really need to get something accomplished in a short period of time... Just go down and walk head first into the hot wire! Genius!  Hope it didn't leave a mark...


----------



## Mini Horses

Mike CHS said:


> I was on a roll getting it done and soaking wet with sweat and managed to again hit the ground wire and hot wire with my forehead. It's amazing how fast that wire can set you on your butt.




 Sorry -- it's shocking, to say the least!   Been there several times myself.  Wakes you right up, after the body shakes stop.


----------



## CntryBoy777

That is sure my concern about using the wire....especially as clumsy as I am anyway.....


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> Most of my weed eating is on steep slopes outside the fence so it's by hand or Roundup and so far I haven't completely given in to Roundup.
> 
> I do use it in the sprayer on the driveway but that's almost 2000' long and I'm not doing that by hand.



Something like that, I use the glyphosate/diquat/Imazpar mix. Several different brands sell it cheaper than the Roundup-365max. It kills off existing vegetation and has pre-emergent herbicides to keep new vegetation from coming up for "up to 12 months".

(my experience is it doesn't always work for a full year but it does lots better than regular glyco/roundup.)

Beats the heck out of weedeating. Just don't use it anywhere you may be planning on planting something in the coming months...


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I forgot to mention that I again was not aware of what was around me when I was trimming grass along a fence that has hot wire above the gate.  Yep - I was on a roll getting it done and soaking wet with sweat and managed to again hit the ground wire and hot wire with my forehead.  It's amazing how fast that wire can set you on your butt.


Geez Mike, I bet that hurt for quite a time.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Geez Mike, I bet that hurt for quite a time.



It did but since I have decided I'm not as smart as the dogs and sheep and keep hitting the wire, I'm going to start turning off the electric when I'm doing the grass.


----------



## Bruce

Good idea! I do pay close attention when running along the north fence (the one with multiple strands. So far, so good but I suspect it is only a matter of time and I should learn from your pain.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I like that idea.....maybe some zone switches, so only partial loss while ya are working on that area.....


----------



## greybeard

The problem is your fence energizer is simply too small. Not enough rated output.


Let me see if I can draw it out for you.


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> It did but since I have decided I'm not as smart as the dogs and sheep and keep hitting the wire, I'm going to start turning off the electric when I'm doing the grass.


Somehow I misses your post on getting zap by the electric fence, yikes!
Well sooner or later you'll learn, if the dogs and sheep can do it, i have confidence that you'll learn it too Mike!


----------



## Mike CHS

I shouldn't gripe about the lack of rain for at least a few weeks.  We have had over 3" since yesterday afternoon and most of that was today.

Our Blackberries are super sweet again this year.  This is their 3rd year and they are getting larger each year.


----------



## RollingAcres

Wow nice blackberries!


----------



## CntryBoy777

Your berries look really good....ours didn't fair as well this year with the wacky weather we have had.....we have had some showers, but not very much in the gauge.....


----------



## Hens and Roos

we have a small patch of blackberries, they were from my parents patch.  We pick about mid July here and so far have had plenty of rain!


----------



## Bruce

greybeard said:


> The problem is your fence energizer is simply too small. Not enough rated output.


----------



## Mike CHS

I was watching the live feed on the Stud Ram Sale in Sedalia that is going on this week.  There are some pretty sheep there but if it's like last year the prices are going to verge on silly  One of the highest prices for a ram last year was right at $8,000.  Most of the breeders we know are in the 50-200 animal range so they won't be getting any of that blood line.  

Teresa said she is enjoying the show/sale and has gotten in some good visiting time with her family.


----------



## RollingAcres

Glad Teresa is enjoying her time with her family.


----------



## Baymule

I bet it would be fun to sit in on a show and sale like that. But at those prices, the fun stops!   Glad Teresa is having a good time.


----------



## Mike CHS

It looks like they saw enough today.  They are heading down to Branson tomorrow and will spend the night there at one of the casinos.  When I was a kid Branson was a sleepy little hill town that we used to go to for squirrel hunting.


----------



## Mike CHS

I have a very expensive smoker that does ribs perfectly and with no effort but it takes 5 hours.  When I got done feeding everyone this evening I remembered I had a rack of Baby Back ribs in the fridge that I meant to put on earlier but since I had forgotten, I fired up the Weber.  These weren't as tender as the slow smoke on the Traeger but they were every bit as tasty with some of my Sweet and Tangy Sauce brushed on.


----------



## CntryBoy777

That looks Superb!!.....


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> That looks Superb!!.....



They were


----------



## RollingAcres

Looks delicious!


----------



## Baymule

Yum! Ribs! They look delicious.


----------



## Bruce

I REALLY want to move into your workshop. If I'm helpful, maybe you'll feed me!

Branson, MO?? Doesn't it have a music history?


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> I REALLY want to move into your workshop. If I'm helpful, maybe you'll feed me!
> 
> Branson, MO?? Doesn't it have a music history?



It has an interesting history and is still a small town.  It started when Roy Clark opened his theater in the early 80's and it just grew from there.  Now a lot of the major country singers have their own clubs there sort of like a mini Nashville.


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> It looks like they saw enough today.  They are heading down to Branson tomorrow and will spend the night there at one of the casinos.  When I was a kid Branson was a sleepy little hill town that we used to go to for squirrel hunting.



I'me very glad that Luckenbach didn't go that far down the rabbit hole. 
Famous and/or infamous (depending whether one is from the Nashville scene or not) it has an official  population of about 6 which swells to several hundreds on weekends especially Saturday night. 2-3 buildings. A general store/USPS, a house and a non-air conditioned dance hall next to  the gen store with big board windows that prop upwards in summer. 
Here's the whole town with the dancehall on the left and store/USPS on the right.. you never know who will drop in.




 
all in all tho, I preferred Gruene Hall before it attained some kind of cult status and turned into the new wave hippie/urban cowboy trap it is today..it started downhill beginning in the early 70s.


----------



## Mike CHS

We had a 20% chance of rain when I listened to the weather report last night.  I was out weed eating when the wind increased to 30-40 and then the sky opened up.  Probably a good thing since I won't get distracted getting the house vacuumed free of dog hair before Teresa gets home.  There is some heavy hail forecast so the vehicles are under the shelter at the shop.

https://www.accuweather.com/en/us/cornersville-tn/37047/weather-radar/2125278


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## CntryBoy777

Well, one good thing about the vacuum....it is inside in the AC and it doesn't create particles in the air, but catches them....just be sure to empty it if ya have that much dog hair to dispose of.....


----------



## Mike CHS

These two seem to shed year round so the vacuum gets run a couple of times a day usually.  They are the reason we only have laminate flooring in our house.  Zero carpet.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Gabbie keeps the filters cleaned on our vacuum....there is so much of her hair that the filters have to be cleaned everytime the canister is dumped....


----------



## Baymule

While I miss Polly, our Aussie that died last year, I don't miss the hair. It was fine and floated on the air like cat hair. Parker, our black Lab/Great Dane sheds too, but at least it falls on the floor and doesn't float, landing on lampshades and such. 

And right now, Trip in all his hairy Glory is sprawled out in the floor...….


----------



## Mike CHS

We had winds in excess of 40 mph yesterday and when I went out to the garden to check for damage, I was pleasantly surprised there wasn't any.   I had worked the corn bed a few days earlier so they were anchored pretty good.  All the peppers and tomatoes were already tied to stakes and they held up good also.  We went ahead and thinned the peppers this morning since they were getting top heavy and we wound up with a gallon freezer bag full of chopped peppers.  I also picked a bucket of sweet banana peppers so we are going to make some relish this morning.


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> We had winds in excess of 40 mph yesterday and when I went out to the garden to check for damage, I was pleasantly surprised there wasn't any.


Glad to hear that!


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa's sister was telling her how good was the seasoned flour they use and sent a 5 pound bag home with her.  We don't eat a lot of fried food but she cooked up a batch of fried chicken and made some milk gravy to go over smashed potatoes.  This was some of the best fried chicken I ever had so I guess we will keep that flour on hand from now on.  They get it shipped to them so they buy it a case at a time to share with their family and I guess we will too now.  The label is Western Star Seasoned Flour.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Is it regular flour with seasoning added in, or a special kind of flour with seasoning?.......what is the seasoning that is in it? It sounds like it would be worth the try.....


----------



## RollingAcres

I love a good fried chicken! That seasoned flour sounds pretty good.


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> Is it regular flour with seasoning added in, or a special kind of flour with seasoning?.......what is the seasoning that is in it? It sounds like it would be worth the try.....



All that's listed on the ingredients is: spices.  

We didn't use any other seasoning and the gravy had enough of whatever is in it to not need anything on the potatoes.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> We had winds in excess of 40 mph yesterday


Should have taken the dogs out downwind of the house and brushed them good!


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Should have taken the dogs out downwind of the house and brushed them good!



We got 3" of horizontal rain while that wind was going on so the outside stuff got put on the back burner.  

The inner coat on Maisy finally let go completely and when I got done brushing her it looked like I had skinned a GP on the driveway.


----------



## Baymule

Paris has matts in the ruffed fur on her hind legs. I'm going to have to get out the scissors. That means that she is going to look like a pack of rabid hamsters with broken teeth attacked her.


----------



## Bruce

Get out the carders and spin Maisy's fur. Maybe you could make some nice sweaters or gloves.



Baymule said:


> Paris has matts in the ruffed fur on her hind legs. I'm going to have to get out the scissors. That means that she is going to look like a pack of rabid hamsters with broken teeth attacked her.


Then she and Laddie will be twins! Maybe not EXACTLY twins, since Laddie has a longer neck.


----------



## Mike CHS

I just put the Baby Back Ribs on the smoker.  I wanted something that could cook while I am out catching up on the grass and these fit the bill.  I got a pork shoulder out yesterday to cook at the same time but it didn't thaw out in time.


----------



## Bruce

Bet that shoulder would cook through OK even if it starts less than thawed.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Bet that shoulder would cook through OK even if it starts less than thawed.



It's hot enough outside I would have changed my mind anyway since I wouldn't have been able to put the shoulder on till the ribs were almost through cooking.  I do Baby Backs pretty hot and fast rather than low and slow.  

The smallest of the 3 racks are done and taste delicious and I filled up the space with skewered fresh tomatoes and pineapple.


----------



## Devonviolet

Baymule said:


> Paris has matts in the ruffed fur on her hind legs. I'm going to have to get out the scissors. That means that she is going to look like a pack of rabid hamsters with broken teeth attacked her.


We brushed and clipped Violet and Deo a while back. Violet had a few small matts below her ears. But, sweet Deo has the big matts on his rump.  DH brushes and loves on him, while I use the hoof trimming shears (tips have been rounded) to cut about 1/2” above the skin, to avoid cutting him.  He isn’t crazy about it, so after a while he would leave the stump he had his front paws on.  After a while I would call him back for some lovin’, and DH would start brushing him again, so I could cut matts.  I got quite a bit done, but not all of it.  Afterward, the goat yard looked like it snowed.  

Once they both had enough, they both went over to the corner, where the goat shed meets the fence and laid down.  They were finished!    Even the offer of lovin’ wasn’t enough to get them over to the stumps for some grooming.


----------



## Devonviolet

Those ribs look yummy @MikeCHS!  We’ve used up all our rib racks.


----------



## Mike CHS

Devonviolet said:


> Those ribs look yummy @MikeCHS!  We’ve used up all our rib racks.



Thank you - We don'e have any of our own left either but Kroger had them on sale for $1.70 a pound which is hard to beat for Baby Backs.  I can cook 8 or 9 for the same amount of pellets as 1 so we usually cook a bunch of whatever we are cooking and freeze them in vacuum bags.


----------



## Devonviolet

Mike CHS said:


> we usually cook a bunch of whatever we are cooking and freeze them in vacuum bags.


That’s a good idea!  I like to do that too!  I’m all about conserving energy!!!


----------



## RollingAcres

Wow those ribs look super delicious!


----------



## goatgurl

look sooo good


----------



## Mike CHS

We harvested our first bunch of grapes tonight from 2 year old vines.  I need to do some reading since the grapes are small and bitter.  The bed they are in is fairly heavy clay that we amended but still not the best in the world.

Our tomato crop is a disappointment.  They taste great but they aren't what we thought we had planted which leads me to think there is an Amish conspiracy to make sure you buy plenty of their tomatoes at the auction. 

That was said jokingly but what happened is we bought a flat of Beefsteak Tomatoes from the auction and intended for that to be our main canning bed.  I started a dozen heirloom tomatoes that I put in another bed that are doing well.  The "Beefsteak" is putting on a lot of fruit but they are small, and more like a large cherry tomato.  I have started another dozen plants using suckers from the heirlooms but that will put us canning at the end of summer instead of the middle.  They sell tomatoes by the bushel cheap enough that I might give in to the heat and say no large beds of tomatoes till next year.


----------



## Bruce

COULD be an honest labeling mistake. I bought 2 six packs of broccoli, one that would be ready several weeks before the other so we wouldn't have 12 plants all knocking out heads at the same time. I planted the later ones in the back. Guess which ones are forming heads.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> COULD be an honest labeling mistake. I bought 2 six packs of broccoli, one that would be ready several weeks before the other so we wouldn't have 12 plants all knocking out heads at the same time. I planted the later ones in the back. Guess which ones are forming heads.



That's why I said it was jokingly said.  They are some super good people and work their behinds off.  Last year we were buying 1 day old bags of corn for $8 for 60 ears of sweet corn. Their 'picked daily' is only $12 for some of the best corn you ever had.


----------



## greybeard




----------



## Mike CHS

That is a good way to end the night with a laugh GB


----------



## Bruce

$0.20/ear for "picked this morning" is quite the good price!


----------



## Mike CHS

We forgot to put the chickens up last night and lost two of them to something.  Our tame Egg Delivery (ED) hen was not anywhere to be found but I did find a pile of her feathers.  One of the Buff Orpingtons was missing her head and that's the second time that has happened.


----------



## Hens and Roos

sorry to hear that


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> We forgot to put the chickens up last night and lost two of them to something.  Our tame Egg Delivery (ED) hen was not anywhere to be found but I did find a pile of her feathers.  One of the Buff Orpingtons was missing her head and that's the second time that has happened.



The dogs can't get to the chicken area?? I would think they would be going nuts if something was raiding the birds.


----------



## Mike CHS

The dogs can't go in that pen.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

So sorry that happened!  What do you think it was that got them?


----------



## Mike CHS

From everything I've read I'm thinking an owl.  There are some big ones back there and with the one hen gone, that makes me think even more that it's an owl.  The Buff was twice as big as the other so it could have had problems getting in the air.  We have baited a live trap several times recently but didn't catch anything.  That was just in case their was a racoon out there.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Kinda hard to set a livetrap for an owl!  Many years ago I had a bunch of bantams that roosted on a fence right under a security light.  They liked to eat the bugs that were attracted to the light I suppose.  One night I had gotten up in the wee morning hours and just so happened to look out the window.  Perfect timing - a big ol' owl swooped right down and snatched a bird right off of the fence.  If it hadn't been under the light I would never have seen it and never figured out what it was.  Birds were locked up after that!


----------



## Mike CHS

We had sat the trap out in case it's a coon since we haven't seen anything.  We are putting the game cameras out again tonight to see if we can spot something.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Hope you find out what the varmint is and....umm....it never comes back!


----------



## Baymule

That stinks about the hens. I have forgotten to close up mine before too, but I had dogs that could watch over the coop. I bet you both make real sure that the coop is closed up from now on.


----------



## Mike CHS

Now we're having issues with squirrels helping themselves to peaches off our trees.  Since they aren't ripe yet, the critters are pulling them off the vine and sampling to see if they like it. They don't and toss them on the ground.

The first year we had our place I got rid of all of the squirrels during the hunting season and we haven't had any move in until this year.  I'll have to go out and ask them to move to another location.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Squirrel stew!


----------



## CntryBoy777

We have some really large great-horned owls here....there are about 3 nests in the neighborhood....it has been a time getting Gabbie to back off them when they are close to the house and calling.....she is getting more accustomed to them tho. Sure hate to hear about the the losses.....especially for the delivery girl......


----------



## Baymule

Squirrel. Dredge in flour and spices, lightly fry in hot oil. Add water, chopped onion, and cover. Simmer until tender. Serve over rice.


----------



## greybeard

Baymule said:


> Squirrel. Dredge in flour and spices, lightly fry in hot oil. Add water, chopped onion, and cover. Simmer until tender. Serve over rice.


Sounds too much like eatin a giant rat.........


----------



## goatgurl

they are tree rats in my humble opinion. that fancy tail doesn't fool me one bit.  squirrel dumplings are tasty too.  left to their own devices you won't have a peach left on your trees.  I REALLY dislike tree rats!


----------



## Mike CHS

They seem to have moved on.  There are quite a few up at the neighbors but they are asking them to move on also.


----------



## greybeard

goatgurl said:


> they are tree rats in my humble opinion. that fancy tail doesn't fool me one bit.  squirrel dumplings are tasty too.  left to their own devices you won't have a peach left on your trees.  I REALLY dislike tree rats!


Here, it's pears. Ate every pear off the 2 trees near the front on the property last few years, tho they had help from raccoons and maybe possums.


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> Now we're having issues with squirrels helping themselves to peaches off our trees. Since they aren't ripe yet, the critters are pulling them off the vine and sampling to see if they like it. They don't and toss them on the ground.


Them little buggers!


----------



## Mike CHS

We baited the live trap last night with cooked chicken, tuna and some chunks of apple.  We're thinking it might be a racoon out there since the chicken and tuna was gone but the trap not sprung.  I have read that racoons avoid springing a trap by reaching in from the side of the trap.  We are setting up the game camera but aren't seeing anything.

Teresa put up a bunch of Zucchini Pickles this morning so if the squash vine borers show up anytime soon we already have what we wanted out of the plants.


----------



## Mike CHS

Quick funny - Teresa and I were in the check out line at TSC and she said shoulder hurt.  I said it was probably from all the hoein' that we had been doing.  She looked at the man standing behind me who was doing his best to not crack up.  He said I'm sorry and I know it's garden season but that just hit me wrong and I couldn't suppress the laugh.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

That's hilarious!  Did she turn three shades of red???


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> Quick funny - Teresa and I were in the check out line at TSC and she said shoulder hurt.  I said it was probably from all the hoein' that we had been doing.  She looked at the man standing behind me who was doing his best to not crack up.  He said I'm sorry and I know it's garden season but that just hit me wrong and I couldn't suppress the laugh.


----------



## Jennifer Hinkle

Mike CHS said:


> We forgot to put the chickens up last night and lost two of them to something.  Our tame Egg Delivery (ED) hen was not anywhere to be found but I did find a pile of her feathers.  One of the Buff Orpingtons was missing her head and that's the second time that has happened.


We have 6 chickens, used to have 8. They refuse to go up at night. One morning we found just a wing in the yard with a few feathers. Not sure what happened to them. We let our chickens free range which cuts down on the ticks in the yard and anything else they can catch.


----------



## Mike CHS

frustratedearthmother said:


> That's hilarious!  Did she turn three shades of red???



She didn't but the man did.


----------



## Mike CHS

Jennifer - ours have a pen that is a little over an acre but we close them up at night.


----------



## Bruce

I guess I am lucky, the birds always go in the coop by themselves at night, no sleeping out. But yeah I do have to remember to lock them up. 

What sort of live trap do you have? I think the wire spacing on the Havahart I have is too close for a coon to reach in and pull the bait out. Which is fine by me because if it can reach through from the outside, it can reach OUT from the INSIDE! I prefer the angry animal be well contained.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have the Havahart traps. We set it again but we need to get some pictues on the game camera to get an idea of whatever it is coming out at whatever time.  Once we do that I'll go out and wait on it at night.


----------



## Mike CHS

We went to the Amish auction to pick up a bunch of sweet corn but the corn was on tables that would be the last thing to sell.  That would have meant a couple of hours getting to the corn so we left and went around to some of the Amish farms.  The prices are usually better but they don't always have what you are looking for. We did find corn at one of the farms that we frequent regularly and got 10 dozen ears for $1.75 a dozen and picked this morning.

We have melons in our garden but they won't be ready for a couple of weeks so we also got some huge Jubilee Watermelons and monster cantaloupes for $1 each.  I sometimes wonder why I have a garden for the prices they charge.


----------



## Rammy

Mike CHS said:


> It's hot enough outside I would have changed my mind anyway since I wouldn't have been able to put the shoulder on till the ribs were almost through cooking.  I do Baby Backs pretty hot and fast rather than low and slow.
> 
> The smallest of the 3 racks are done and taste delicious and I filled up the space with skewered fresh tomatoes and pineapple.
> 
> View attachment 49862


----------



## Rammy

greybeard said:


>



Thats one of my favorite movies.


----------



## Rammy

Mike CHS said:


> We have the Havahart traps. We set it again but we need to get some pictues on the game camera to get an idea of whatever it is coming out at whatever time.  Once we do that I'll go out and wait on it at night.




I used BBQ once. Caught a raccoon getting into my chicken feed. Made a nice hat.


----------



## Baymule

Those Amish auctions sound like a lot of fun and some really good deals.


----------



## Mike CHS

A lot of people buy in bulk at the auction and resell at Farmers Market plus a lot of restaurant folks buy there also.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I sometimes wonder why I have a garden for the prices they charge.


Obviously one can have a garden because they like to be out playing in the dirt. But those prices do make it sound like you should be growing things they do not. I tried corn, miserable failure and there is a guy at the Farmer's Market that has great corn. Not near as cheap as what you are being charged though. So what do they NOT grow that you would want?


----------



## greybeard

Bruce said:


> So what do they NOT grow that you would want?


oil wells?


----------



## Bruce

yeah those are a wee bit hard to grow, especially if there isn't any oil to pump.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> So what do they NOT grow that you would want?



We will probably always (at least as long as we can) have a garden but we have scaled it down to less than half of what it had been.  I have let the area around the fruit trees go back to grass that was all planted last year.  We will keep growing okra since that is one thing that isn't the best of quality at the auction or the farms, no idea why.  We will keep growing enough for daily use since it's so convenient but most of our canning/freezing will come off of their farms.


----------



## CntryBoy777

The good thing about it is ya have a bunch to do with and once the process is done it can be cleaned up and left alone for a while.....instead of doing smaller bunches more often....of course ya have to have the freezer or shelf space for it.....


----------



## Ridgetop

If you have the space to store it, canning is the best way to go since the freezer gets filled fast.  If you are trying to can enough to keep you all year, you need plenty of shelf space and a basement or root cellar.  Also about 2000 jars - anyone want to drive to California and get some jars?  I have about 1000 still stored.  LOL


----------



## Baymule

Ridgetop said:


> If you have the space to store it, canning is the best way to go since the freezer gets filled fast.  If you are trying to can enough to keep you all year, you need plenty of shelf space and a basement or root cellar.  Also about 2000 jars - anyone want to drive to California and get some jars?  I have about 1000 still stored.  LOL


I sure wish you were closer! I'd gladly take those jars! But you would have to throw in the basement and that might be a little hard to do......


----------



## Mike CHS

Ridgetop - When we renovated our house we put storage space at the top of the priority list.  We have a 10'X10' space with wall to wall shelves in the shop dedicated to food storage. We turned most of a laundry room into a panty with wall to wall shelves on 2 walls and we have two 22 cubic foot freezers to take the excess the two refrigerators can't handle.  All of the bulky food processing gadgets get stored on the enclosed porch that we added.

Fred - that's what we did last year - we bought a couple of bushels of cucumbers, corn, assorted peppers and tomatoes and did all of our canning for the next season in a couple of days. One of the neighbors also bought a bunch and we turned an area outside into an outdoor kitchen under the canopy and used the big camp stove to keep the heat outside.


----------



## Mike CHS

We thought about doing some Hot Wings for a late lunch for some friends but changed our minds and made some Hot Legs instead.  I didn't think about taking a picture until several were already eaten.

Teresa is doing something electrical out with the chickens and needed some parts so before we went into town we put a chuck roast from our last years steer on the smoker.  It will be lunch tomorrow but we both had to sneak a couple of bites and it is awesome.  The chuck roast was cooked like you would in an oven rather than smoked so cook time was just under 3 hours.  If anything it could have been pulled 15 or 20 minutes sooner but we were out longer than planned going to the peach orchard.


----------



## Rammy

Mike CHS said:


> We thought about doing some Hot Wings for a late lunch for some friends but changed our minds and made some Hot Legs instead.  I didn't think about taking a picture until several were already eaten.
> 
> Teresa is doing something electrical out with the chickens and needed some parts so before we went into town we put a chuck roast from our last years steer on the smoker.  It will be lunch tomorrow but we both had to sneak a couple of bites and it is awesome.  The chuck roast was cooked like you would in an oven rather than smoked so cook time was just under 3 hours.  If anything it could have been pulled 15 or 20 minutes sooner but we were out longer than planned going to the peach orchard.
> 
> View attachment 50071 View attachment 50072





Y'all need to stop posting these yummy pictures at dinnertime!   Hard not to drool!


----------



## Baymule

Man, that looks so yummy!!


----------



## Ridgetop

Isn't there a BYH rule about not posting pix that make other people hungry and sad?


----------



## Mini Horses

Mike CHS said:


> A lot of people buy in bulk at the auction and resell at Farmers Market



Same here.   We have a produce auction on Thursday nights and they drive about 50 miles from Va Beach, Newport News, etc. to buy and resell that weekend.   Those in town people love it and pay dearly!   

Some days you can get great deals, past week wasn't one.    Primarily there were a lot of shindigs set up for this weekend to celebrate the mid week 4th of July.  So, busy at the auction.  They had some melons & corn to drool over!  I didn't get any of them...went too high.  Next week will be slower.  Last year I got things it wouldn't pay me to grow.

So, I love the "hoein" story!   Yep, I was laughing at that one.


----------



## Mike CHS

For some reason a bunch of Poison Ivy that I thought had been eradicated, all of a sudden made a comeback in the chickens pen.  I did put on some Ivy Block this time before starting with the weed eater and took a shower as soon as I finished so hopefully I don't pay for not wearing long clothing in the heat.

One of our Barred Rocks has been trying to set on the nest for the last couple of weeks so we decided to let her sit and see how she does.

I have been calling the sheep in with a little bit of feed so I can get plenty of "hands on" time to see who I want to get rid of and who we want to breed.  We have 3 that will be sold to the auction house as culls and 9 that we are going to breed and sell as commercial ewes.  Except for the 3 culls they look as good or better in most cases than any sheep around here.


----------



## Bruce

Rammy said:


> Y'all need to stop posting these yummy pictures at dinnertime!   Hard not to drool!


What @Rammy said!
(and it isn't even dinner time here!)


----------



## Mike CHS

This is a "just because" picture just because I haven't posted any sheep pictures in awhile.  The ewes are all getting back into super condition which makes me happy since they are literally only getting a hand full of feed each to just keep them coming.  The remaining 4 lambs that are still nursing (or trying to) will get pulled so their dams can get a break.  Their is one 9 week old ram lamb still in the main herd and he definitely gets pulled this week.  There have been so many small things needing done that we had to start a 'to-do' list to get the priority things finished and not so many almost done things hanging.  

The other picture is on the corner down from our home in South Carolina which is a fairly common scene in and around Charleston. The gator is at the top of the picture.  We had a 140 acre lake at the rear of our subdivision that had some really big gators.  We had very few neighbors that let dogs or cats run loose or they often didn't come home.


----------



## Rammy

Bruce said:


> What @Rammy said!
> (and it isn't even dinner time here!)


----------



## Rammy

Mike CHS said:


> This is a "just because" picture just because I haven't posted any sheep pictures in awhile.  The ewes are all getting back into super condition which makes me happy since they are literally only getting a hand full of feed each to just keep them coming.  The remaining 4 lambs that are still nursing (or trying to) will get pulled so their dams can get a break.  Their is one 9 week old ram lamb still in the main herd and he definitely gets pulled this week.  There have been so many small things needing done that we had to start a 'to-do' list to get the priority things finished and not so many almost done things hanging.
> 
> The other picture is on the corner down from our home in South Carolina which is a fairly common scene in and around Charleston. The gator is at the top of the picture.  We had a 140 acre lake at the rear of our subdivision that had some really big gators.  We had very few neighbors that let dogs or cats run loose or they often didn't come home.
> View attachment 50114 View attachment 50115




Is there any way to get the gators removed? I would be a little uneasy having something like that in my pond or lake that could hurt someone or someones pet. 
Beautiful property. Your sheep look great.


----------



## Mike CHS

Rammy said:


> Is there any way to get the gators removed?



We don't live there any longer but I always liked that picture.  They only remove them if they become a nuisance plus it would be a waste of time in that location fairly close to a river that is full of them.  That whole part of the state was swamp at one time.

This picture isn't very good since it was copied from a news site but this house was around the corner from our place.  Check out the front door bell area.


----------



## Rammy

Mike CHS said:


> We don't live there any longer but I always liked that picture.  They only remove them if they become a nuisance plus it would be a waste of time in that location fairly close to a river that is full of them.  That whole part of the state was swamp at one time.
> 
> This picture isn't very good since it was copied from a news site but this house was around the corner from our place.  Check out the front door bell area.
> 
> View attachment 50118View attachment 50118



Ive seen that picture! Its also been on several tv shows saying the gator was ringing the doorbell.  I would mess my pants if I opened the door and saw that on my porch!  Also why I will never live i  Florida! Very scary.


----------



## Bruce

Ding-dong!!
Fuller Brush Gator calling.


----------



## Mike CHS

I had another picture of a bigger gator in a a pool in the same subdivision but can't find it.


----------



## Rammy

Bruce said:


> Ding-dong!!
> Fuller Brush Gator calling.


----------



## greybeard

Dock hadn't been built more than 1 week, and water had just begun to come back up when I walked down to the dock and found this fella.



 



 
Pictures also show just how bad the historic 2011 drought was here.


----------



## Mike CHS

They are sneaky critters.  I was standing on the bank of one of the bigger ponds fishing and I noticed some air bubbles hitting the surface about 3' off the shore.  Being pretty sure it was a gator I slowly started to get up to back away and when I did, my shoe slipped in some mud and I lost my balance.  The sudden move on my part startled the gator a couple feet away and it did a back flip and headed to deeper water.  This one was probably close to 8' long.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Mike CHS said:


> he sudden move on my part startled the gator a couple feet away and it did a back flip and headed to deeper water. This one was probably close to 8' long.


Yikes!  Too close for comfort!


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa came out and took a bunch of pictures while I was doing my feeding 'chores'.  It's hard to call that chores in all seriousness.

I'm posting a couple of pictures showing a couple of the ewe lambs all between 4 & 5 months old.  The old girl I'm petting is one of the older gals that has a home here as long as she is healthy and living happy.


----------



## Bruce

I wasn't aware that there were gators in East Texas!


----------



## Mike CHS

I was resizing the pictures from this morning and saw one I didn't see earlier.  It's Notag nursing her ewe lamb that is as big as she is.  We don't wean most of our ewes if their condition stays good and Notag is one of those.  We are pulling the lamb this week though if for no other reason the 'lamb' has to pick up her dam to be able to latch on to a teat.  We only do one lambing a year so the sheep stay in condition fairly easy without much supplementation.

The ewe standing in front of me is spoiled.  Even when I put out feed, she will come over for some petting instead of eating.


----------



## greybeard

Bruce said:


> I wasn't aware that there were gators in East Texas!


Oh yes, and they always have been here in East Texas, West Louisiana and all Gulf Coast states. Take away the state lines on any map of the south and southeast, and it is easy to see why they would be here, and they range as far North as the Carolina's and maybe beyond. 

I might find a photo of it later, but several decades ago, there was a large one in that same pond, that had traveled in as a juvenile, grown for a few years on fish, wood duck and blue herons, & my father used to feed raw chicken to it, tied to a long cane pole. He had it 'trained'. Walk out to the pond's edge late in the evening, hit the pole end in the water a few times and the gator would swim right up for supper. If he had someone visiting, Dad would tease it some, by backing up the bank, until the gator was completely on land so his friends could see it how big it was.
Not sure exactly what happened except Dad said he became afraid of it and it ended up dead with a small hole in it's head, then  carted around 1/2 the county in the back of his car trunk to show off. This, was at a time when they were still considered endangered, and he could have faced stiff penalties for that if he had been caught. Even today, you are supposed to have a State permit to catch or kill them and then only during a set hunting season unless one is a danger to humans, pets or livestock.  
The first one that showed up here in 2006, I contacted Tx Parks and Wildlife and they came and 'relocated' it.........I suspect into their own freezer. I wasn't home when they came.they just left a note on the door. "Mr Y____, we relocated your gator today".
It is not unusual for alligators to inhabit small ponds as juveniles, especially the males. There are a lot of big males and females in the river, and as the little males approach breeding age, they find themselves out muscled by the big bull gators, so they most often find a small quiet place with a good food source in which to spend a year or two or 3 and grow big enough to fight, then they return to the river to claim some females for their own.

I have also seen several less than 1' long in the same pond, usually after a flood event.  They, like the beavers,  just end up in there when the water recedes. I have more than once, hooked one on a top water lure while fishing at dusk. (I also caught a bat while casting a hulapopper right at dark...that critter was a mess to get off that treble hook too, but it was kinda fun to feel him fight my rod.......up in the air.)


----------



## Baymule

Mike those are some real pretty ewes. What is your pet ewe named? They do creep into that soft place in your heart, don't they?


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Mike those are some real pretty ewes. What is your pet ewe named? They do creep into that soft place in your heart, don't they?



She doesn't have a name but she is our #5 and responds to Baby.  She was from a ewe that we almost didn't breed since our minimum weight for breeding is 90 pounds and her dam hit it exactly.  She is small but still growing but had beautiful twins that are large.  Numbers work for us as well as names and for those we don't spend much time with they are easier to track.  We still have 35 in various places and that will get thinned down some soon since we need to get down to 25 or 30.  We still have 4 males that will be on the next sale trailer and have a couple of folks interested in a 3 month old that is already 90 pounds.  Not too shabby for commercial.


----------



## Baymule

Like I said, really NICE ewes and lambs! Are you using another ram besides Ringo?


----------



## Mike CHS

Ringo has one more go at 19 of the ewes for this year in August or later.  We won't breed this years ewes until January or later with another ram that we are working on getting. I can't make myself do the lambing 3 times in 2 years since I've seen how short their life span is.  Once a year is enough for them to pay for themselves and a bit of profit which is all we want.


----------



## Mike CHS

I decided to make a soup out of the leftover roast that I smoked the other day.  It is mighty tasty and also works with lamb and goat leftovers.  Doesn't have to be leftovers  

Leftover Smoked Beef and Barley Soup

I only had about 1/2 pound of leftover smoked chuck roast but you can add liquid depending on how much meat and barley you want to use.  The base recipe is also a good start for a batch of chili by just adding the usual chili spices and leave out the barley.  You can also make the base recipe and add Cajun spice and okra to make a pot of Jambalaya.

Ingredients

1 cup chopped onion 

1 cup chopped celery (I was out of fresh celery but had some dehydrated that I used)

1 cup chopped carrots 

2 tbsp butter 

2 cups smoked beef finely chopped 

2 - 4 cups water (depending how soupy you like your soup)

beef broth or bouillon cubes  

1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes 

1½ cup dry pearl barley 

salt to taste (I added very little salt since the rub on the meat added as much seasoning as I thought it needed.

1 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions

In a large soup pot, cook onions, celery and carrots with the butter. Once the onions and celery are tender, about 6-8 minutes, stir in the beef.

Cook, stirring often, for another 5 minutes.

Add the water, beef broth and diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil and stir in the remaining ingredients.

Let the soup cook at a low rolling boil for 30-45 minutes. The barley should be fully cooked and the beef should be tender.


----------



## Bruce

PLEASE can I move into your shop??


----------



## RollingAcres

Bruce said:


> PLEASE can I move into your shop??


Why his shop? Why not his barn or his house?


----------



## Mike CHS

RollingAcres said:


> Why his shop? Why not his barn or his house?



Because he has seen my toys.


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm not going to gripe about the heat but it sure is hard to stay hydrated when you're out in it all day.   All of the rain has the grass on the perimeter fence growing like crazy.  I ran the weed eater all around the perimeter fence yesterday and put the sprayer on the tractor this morning and started hitting the driveway and fence with   herbicide.  It started to look like a storm was building up so I quit at the halfway point so that way if it does rain today I only have to redo half instead of all of it.

Teresa and I spent some time on the garden beds and got another 4 gallon bucket of tomatoes and another half bucket of Concord Grapes.  She made some grape jam the other day and it is super good.  The tomatoes are giving us enough that we will have most of our canning needs done fairly soon.  We have another big batch of peppers about ready so it's about time to start making our pepper relish.  We and all of the neighbor love it and it also makes nice little personal gifts.

Cucumbers got tied up again but they are getting crowded by tomatoes that are definitely not the determinates that the seed pouch said they were.


----------



## greybeard

Most herbicides mixed from concentrates only need a 1.5-2 hr 'dry' time to become rainfast. 
If you are using something like RTU Roundup, it should be rainfast after 30 minutes unless the humidity is exceptionally  high.


----------



## Mike CHS

We had enough dry time today but to tell the truth after 5 hours in the sun I was ready to make a trash run and pick tomatoes.


----------



## Bruce

RollingAcres said:


> Why his shop? Why not his barn or his house?


I wouldn't want to impose on Mike, Teresa or the animals



Mike CHS said:


> Because he has seen my toys.


Yep, Mike has nice toys. Of course if I were to move in, he might have to make space for my RouterBoss and 19" open arm drum sander.


----------



## Mike CHS

We put up 14 pints of tomatoes this morning and I'm now chopping up the veggies to make 10-12 pints of Pepper, corn and onion relish.

Mostly I'm just giving myself a day not spent out in the sun all day.  We went to an estate auction this morning but there was very little there that we were interested in so we didn't stay.

I saw a bit on TV yesterday about a Frico recipe that I thought looked pretty cool and did some for lunch today. It was OK and I now know what Frico is but I doubt I'll do it again.  

I put the Frico (I'm not sure I'm using that word correctly) over some Fajita style chicken and veggies.  In case you are wondering the Frico is cheddar cheese that is cooked and the egg is steamed on top of it.  Interesting concept but not worth the time for me.


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> In case you are wondering the Frico is cheddar cheese that is cooked and the egg is steamed on top of it. Interesting concept but not worth the time for me.


But they look good


----------



## Mike CHS

We have a few days of milder weather next week so we will be working the full herd of ewes.  We still have one ram lamb in with them (two months old) who needs to get weaned and separated.  Our 'routine' has been pretty routine for the last weeks for which I am very grateful.

We have two of the Barred Rocks sharing a single nest but no idea how many eggs they are sitting on.  One or both of them kept stealing eggs to sit on so a couple of weeks ago we decided to go ahead and let them sit.


----------



## Latestarter

I just sit here and drool all over my keyboard staring at all the delicacies Mike shows displayed in/on his grill(s). How is that shoulder doing now Mike? I caught up but haven't or didn't really see an update/report. I hope it's pretty much back to "all fixed" by this point. I'm still anticipating a drive over to meet you and to buy a freezer supply of lamb/sheep/mutton from you come ~September. Are we still on for that?


----------



## Mike CHS

The shoulder is probably 80% and getting better.  I'm finally starting to regain some of my strength.

We're good anytime you want.  I'll have to go ahead and set a date for the processor and get it done since he's about as big as he's going to get.  Closer to September he stays booked up so I'll go ahead and make a date.


----------



## Mike CHS

We picked about a bushel of peaches off one our 3 year old trees this afternoon.  There's still about a bushel to be picked but they will be picked and thrown out.  We started processing them to can them and every single peach had a small worm on the inside next to the seed.  I've been fighting with squirrels to keep them off and it turns out it didn't matter.  I guess there will be more chemical used next year.


----------



## Hens and Roos

bummer about your peaches, we tried planting a peach tree but it only survived a year or so.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> There's still about a bushel to be picked but they will be picked and thrown out. We started processing them to can them and every single peach had a small worm on the inside next to the seed.


You can't just cut out one small part and use the rest?


----------



## Mike CHS

Nope - My little pea brain will see a worm in every bite so there isn't any point in saving anything.  It's like when I cracked an almost developed egg and it was several months before I wanted egg again.  And I grew up on a farm but I've always been that way.


----------



## Baymule

Boo on peach worms.


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> We have two of the Barred Rocks sharing a single nest but no idea how many eggs they are sitting on. One or both of them kept stealing eggs to sit on so a couple of weeks ago we decided to go ahead and let them sit.


Make sure Teresa doesn't accidentally collect those eggs for you to cook. We don't want a repeat episode of your egg incident. 
Are you back to eating eggs yet? Just curious.


----------



## Mike CHS

RollingAcres said:


> Make sure Teresa doesn't accidentally collect those eggs for you to cook. We don't want a repeat episode of your egg incident.
> Are you back to eating eggs yet? Just curious.



I started again a week or so ago.


----------



## Bruce

Mind over matter Mike!!


----------



## Mike CHS

Graphic Warning for the Texans - this Chili has beans in it.  

Today was a fairly lengthy lawn mowing day so I came in around 1:00 and started a pot of pulled pork chili to have for supper with some corn bread.


----------



## Bruce

Yum.


----------



## Baymule

Beans in chili?? That is sacrilegious   Thanks for the warning, I scrolled past the picture real fast!


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Beans!  Get a rope...


----------



## Mike CHS

Something tried chewing a little sliding door off of the chicken coop last night and I'm guessing it's a raccoon that we aren't having much luck luring into the live trap.

We are about ready to pull our Zucchini.  We have frozen some cooked, canned some as relish, pickles, sliced with mixed veggies and today we're going to put up some Spicy Corn and Zucchini Salsa.


----------



## Bruce

Time to let Thor sleep outside the coop.


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> Graphic Warning for the Texans - this Chili has beans in it.
> 
> Today was a fairly lengthy lawn mowing day so I came in around 1:00 and started a pot of pulled pork chili to have for supper with some corn bread.
> 
> View attachment 50338


Oh man I missed dinner at your place yesterday?! 
It sure looks yummy! And I'll eat chili with or without beans.


----------



## Mike CHS

We got another 6 pounds of Concorde Grapes this afternoon and that just about finishes them off.  The birds got a share but surprisingly didn't take many.  We wasn't sure we could grow the Concords here since nobody around has them but they did well.


----------



## Bruce

RollingAcres said:


> It sure looks yummy! And I'll eat chili with or without beans.


Yeah we northerners are a bit less discriminating.


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## Baymule

Concord grape juice is my favorite. I should plant some! Your grapes look delicious.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa said she has enough now to make a half dozen jars of jelly.  The last batch she made tasted like candy even though she doesn't use sugar.

We put up enough tomatoes today that we already have enough for the season when added to the stores already done.  The heat has most of the determinant tomatoes not putting on any new fruit so I'm going to pull those to make room for the 4 tomato plants I cloned last month.  They are rooted good already and ready to go into the ground for our fall tomatoes.  I need to clean out the shelters so there should be enough sheep manure to add to the bed and work it in first.


----------



## Baymule

I was in the garden this morning with the water hose at 6:30. I watered everything good, hopefully it will survive the 100+ degree weather we are having.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> I was in the garden this morning with the water hose at 6:30. I watered everything good, hopefully it will survive the 100+ degree weather we are having.



We decided this year to not try and beat the heat but adjust to it.  I planted over 20 tomato plants so we got more than enough to can and I can baby a few to keep them going through the heat and plant a few more to have fresh tomatoes this fall.  I got tire of fighting with squash vine borers so I also planted enough squash to put up what we need and then pull the plants.


----------



## greybeard

You can try planting squash later in the year. Squash vine borers have only one or generations/year, their larvae stage lasts only 30 days and they are usually back underground & into the pupua stage by the end of July, or middle of August.


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## Mike CHS

We plant Winter Squash in the remaining beds for other than a few tomato plants, we are done planting for this year.  We can get most things we might want from the Amish farms for fresh produce.


----------



## mystang89

So jealous of your grapes. At my first house we had two grape Vines that produced like crazy. Here, I have 3 and this is their second year. Nothing so far. Can't wait till they come around like yours.


----------



## Mike CHS

I went out to let the chickens out and as I came around the corner I saw that I have a skunk in the live trap.  I got him out of there by putting a tarp over it and brought the camera in to clear it.  As I was clearing the images, I saw why I haven't caught that raccoon.  I guess I haven't seen one up close but kind of like the movie Jaws, I need to get a bigger trap.


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## Baymule

You probably have a big boar coon gracing you with his presence. He sure will be mad when you catch him!


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## greybeard

"I just don't like it Grady..They get smarter....that's what they do. He's diggin a trap for us, or somethin.............."
As mr coon dances off in to the night...


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## Mike CHS

Thanks for the laugh GB


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## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> You probably have a big boar coon gracing you with his presence. He sure will be mad when you catch him!



I'm not sure the trap I got is strong enough but I can get a strong mesh one if this one doesn't hold him.


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## Mike CHS

I saved a picture from the mp4 file.  He doesn't look as big in this as he did standing tall but the container in the background is a 25 gallon container.


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## CntryBoy777

Ya may have to whittle ya a toothpick from it....


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I'm not sure the trap I got is strong enough but I can get a strong mesh one if this one doesn't hold him.


If you trap him once and he breaks out, I doubt you'll get a second chance to trap him. If that is a 25 gallon can, you got yourself a big coon.


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## Baymule

CntryBoy777 said:


> Ya may have to whittle ya a toothpick from it....


 I bet most people don't get what you said.


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## Bruce

Including me!! So clue me in, how does one whittle a toothpick from a raccoon?


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## CntryBoy777

Oh my!!.....ya poor, deprieved individual!!.....in the coon hunting world a coon toothpick is a big status symbol.....there is an appendage on a male coon that has a bone in it....the slang of which rhymes with pick.....one of the very few animals that has one located there.....the bone is removed and sharpened to a point on one end and it is known as a coon d**k toothpick......kinda like a trophy of a big male coon........I really am not a big coon hunter per se, but I have seen a few of these being used, tho never had one for myself....


----------



## frustratedearthmother

(but ewwwwwwww!)


----------



## Mike CHS

Your ewwwwww made my day.


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## greybeard

Usually see them in hatbands or on a lady's necklace or as ear decor. 
For me, a  status symbol is a Lamborghini not a piece of animal bone.
It's called a baculum and is not rare at all among mammals...far more have them than not. 
The only mammal species without *baculum* are the humans,horses, donkeys, rhinoceros, marsupials, rabbits, cetaceans (whales and dolphins), elephants and hyenas.


 The males having a baculus include but are not limited to : Fox, coyotes, wolves, raccoon, all bear, all other canines, all felines, most non-human primates, walrus, seals, all rodents, hedgehogs, otters, weasels, skunks, ferrets and squirrels.

 I've seen displays in a museum somewhere, of baculum from several dozen different North American species.


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## Bruce

Thank you for the education @CntryBoy777.


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## Latestarter

yup, sharing that country knowledge with us non country folk...


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## Mike CHS

I thought that was one of those TMI type topics but it was funny anyway.
Teresa needed some new shoes so we drove up to Columbia where there is some decent shopping.  Our only shopping locally is a couple of mom & pops and of course Walmart but we prefer the drive to go to a shoe store.

While we were there we had lunch at a Hibachi - Mongolian BBQ type restaurant and had one of the best lunches we had in a long time.  Calamari and sushi were also as good as it gets.


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## Baymule

I had a couple of those coon baculum toothpicks......dunno what happened to them and no, I never picked my teeth with them. They did have an interesting curve on the business end of them. Probably TMI......


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## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> While we were there we had lunch at a Hibachi - Mongolian BBQ type restaurant and had one of the best lunches we had in a long time.  Calamari and sushi were also as good as it gets.


They have calamari and sushi at a Mongolian BBQ place?


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## Mike CHS

They do at most Hibachi type places I've been to. I never figured why they called it BBQ to start with since they don't do BBQ (at least not as I know it).


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## Mike CHS

The oversized raccoon is still on the loose but two young ones are no longer going to bother the chickens. They usually only raise 2 or 3  in a year so hopefully we are thinning down this group.  Fortunately it is hunting season in Tennessee on private property.


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## Bruce

Isn't it always hunting season on most predators?

Calamari and sushi just seem like odd things to have given how far Mongolia is from any ocean. Clearly not traditional food.


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## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Isn't it always hunting season on most predators?
> 
> Calamari and sushi just seem like odd things to have given how far Mongolia is from any ocean. Clearly not traditional food.



Most of the times I've seen Mongolian grill it was at a Japanese restaurant (which this one is).

Farms routinely take predators and it's accepted and legal but if it wasn't hunting season I wouldn't be posting about taking possums and raccoons on a public forum (legal or not)


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## Bruce

OK, I had to look it up on Wikipedia
"*Mongolian barbecue* (Chinese: 蒙古烤肉; pinyin: _Měnggǔ kǎoròu_) is a stir fried dish that was developed in Taiwanese restaurants beginning in the early 1950s.[1] Meat and vegetables are cooked on large, round, solid iron griddles at temperatures of up to 300 °C (572 °F). Despite its name, the cuisine is not Mongolian, and is only loosely related to barbecue."

Wonder why it is called Mongolian when it has ZERO connection to Mongolia. But that explains whey they have seafood.


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## Mike CHS

I had to look it up also.  

It seems to be more of the 'style' of prepping the food more than anything else.  At the place we went yesterday they give you a decent size bowl where you pick out what you want to have cooked (several types of meat and seafood) and quite a few different vegetables.  You then pick your spices and make your sauce from a dozen choices and tell the cook whether you want rice or noodles, and if noodles what type.

Back in Charleston it was similar except you told them your choices and they pulled the items.


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## Mike CHS

We canned some Hot and Sweet Pepper Relish this morning.  I seriously underestimated the ingredients and expected to wind up with 12-15 pint jars and actually wound up with 7 packed jars.  We still have 5 gallon bags of chopped peppers in the freezer so we will still make a couple more batches with different spices.


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## Mini Horses

Well -- less work.   And you now have a chance to make different selections for different uses.  

N I I I C E job on the coons.  Little eventually get big.  Maybe less work next year.   NOW -- if you can get the big one, it may help the population slow a bit more.


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## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> The oversized raccoon is still on the loose but two young ones are no longer going to bother the chickens. They usually only raise 2 or 3  in a year so hopefully we are thinning down this group.  Fortunately it is hunting season in Tennessee on private property.


Good job on the coons. Now only if @Bruce can catch his woodchuck...


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## Mike CHS

We had a couple of friends over for some spatchcock chicken from the grill.  They like it with the sauce cooked on so that's what they got.  I also cooked them some lamb chops after I pulled the chicken since they had never had it and they ate all of that too. 

I pulled the zucchini when it was done and put it in the oven on warm with mozzarella cheese on some and cheddar on others.


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## frustratedearthmother

Yum!!  Looks delish - as usual!


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## CntryBoy777

I sure haven't seen anything on Mike's grill that I wouldn't try.....we have a 12# picnic thawing in the fridge....gonna get it on the grill this next week.....


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## goatgurl

me neither, he always manages to make me hungry.  guess i'll go see what I can find in the fridge


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## Mike CHS

goatgurl said:


> me neither, he always manages to make me hungry.  guess i'll go see what I can find in the fridge



I can't help it. We aren't doing any unusual sheep stuff but I like to post pictures.  

Ringo is charging the fence though and the ewes are backing up to it so I'm working sheep for the next few days to get him back in with the ewes that will be bred and the few small ones moved to another paddock with the ewe lambs we bought last month.  Just an observation but the registered ewe lambs that we bought are about 15% smaller than our commercial lambs that are the same age. Our commercial lambs are almost big enough to breed but not the others for several months.  It is definitely the Dorper influence.


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## Baymule

Can't you register the commercial lambs as half Katahdin? I was looking around on the Katahdin Assoc website and they issue papers for half Katahdins from 1 registered parent.


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## Mike CHS

You can register them as 50% but it doesn't make a lot of difference from a dollar perspective.  We are finding the market for commercial to be at about the same price point for healthy breeders.


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## Baymule

I would have thought that registered breeding stock would command a higher price.


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## Bruce

The Mongolian BBQ sounds quite good.

Mike never posts pictures of something I would want to eat. Nope, never 
(I'll keep lying to myself if it is OK with y'all)


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## Mike CHS

They do bring a higher price but you have to cull hard to get the quality ones that folks that want registered stock want to spend the money on. A lot of people register every lamb that is born and they wind up selling them for the same price as a good commercial ewe.  I sold three of my lambs to one of the bigger breeders around because his commercial side is lacking in size.   I know of three farms that sold 3 out of 4 of their lambs via local sales as commercial and didn't register them.  I get $350 consistently for a nice solid commercial breeder but there is a limited market for registered ewe lambs that might bring $400-$500.  I can sell at 3 months if they are anywhere near 90 lbs where most registered stock has to be held longer   since there is a fairly small market for them.  Even then there is a lock on how many head I can take through winter whether registered or not.  Since we only breed only once a year we have let our finest girls get back in great condition and bred them back and sold them bred for $400.  The small holders like us can't compete in the same ring as the big boys and there are plenty of them and growing.  We do have a niche with a mix of registered and GOOD commercial stock that deals mostly with small farms like our.   A friend of our is big enough that he exports close to a thousand head a year to Mexico.  He has some beautiful registered stock but his numbers of those are under 200 head.

I know of a bunch of farms in our Association that will sell registered lambs that I would consider commercial for $350-400 and the really nice ones like the four I just bought will get $500 each if there are buyers.  Of the 60 farms that I know personally most have fairly small flocks but max out their acreages when it's lambing season.  I can carry up to 70 lambs when it's prime grass season but that goes down to 30 over winter so we have to make a profit where there is one. We will never be in the black considering what it cost to set up our place but this past year plus did show a profit although small and they have paid for themselves.

Didn't mean to write a book.


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## Mike CHS

We moved and separated the sheep this morning and the to-do list is pretty extensive for the next few days.  Teresa has been helping a friend at her business 3 days a week because she had surgery on her hand and needs the help so we are getting a bit behind in our routine.  We're keeping 9 ewe lambs as breeders so that will put us at our winter numbers.  They are prime condition and could be bred for fall lambing but we are going to keep them for fall breeding to lamb in the spring.  We have 27 ewes in the larger paddock but 9 of those are going to be on supplemental feed as well as good pasture for the next couple of weeks.  They will be pulled at the same time we put the ram in with the remaining ewes.  I'll post a couple of pictures later on once we everything/everyone settled.


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## Mike CHS

I have a trailer tire loosing air so since I'm ready to take a break anyway I'll run it in to the CO-OP and have it fixed.  They fix it free since that is where I bought them.

Here is a picture of the boys.  The ram lamb facing Ringo is 90 days old today and weighs 98 pounds.

The smaller ram lamb behind the other ram lamb is 10 weeks old and is just over 80 pounds so they will be advertised for meat or possibly a commercial herd sire since they have some nice jeans and nice size.


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## Mike CHS

I'm attaching some pictures of the 9 ewe lambs that we will be breeding starting in
September for spring lambs.  They are February - April births and I'm super pleased with their look. She is the only one that didn't shed clean but hopefully she will do better next spring.


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## CntryBoy777

Were ya able to get some "rub" places set-up?....just some fence between two post will work.....just came to mind that ya had said something about trying it....so, was just wondering.........the ewes look just Great!!....by the way.....


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## Mike CHS

They have several rubbing spots they can use.  I ever put some cattle panels out in the fields attached to T-posts.  Her dam didn't shed good the first year but did the second.  She was originally in the list of culls until I was able to put hands on her and that took her right off the list.  That girl is made for breeding.


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## farmerjan

Mike CHS said:


> I have a trailer tire loosing air so since I'm ready to take a break anyway I'll run it in to the CO-OP and have it fixed.  They fix it free since that is where I bought them.
> 
> Here is a picture of the boys.  The ram lamb facing Ringo is 90 days old today and weighs 98 pounds.
> 
> The smaller ram lamb behind the other ram lamb is 10 weeks old and is just over 80 pounds so they will be advertised for meat or possibly a commercial herd sire since they have some nice jeans and nice size.
> 
> View attachment 50613


"Jeans" as in blue  or jeans as in genes?????? Sorry, couldn't resist that one   to myself!!!!


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## farmerjan

Different strains will put more "wool" on them.  If they were ever crossed with a wooled or even part wooled sheep, that can last for "GENERATIONS".  We find it in the Dall sheep also.  It sometimes will even seem to skip and then there you are, one that doesn't shed well due to some way back hidden "gene"...


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## Mike CHS

There was a wool breed or two in the development of the Katahdin breed but they all seem to shed well in their second season.  Our original 10 ewes were part Dorper and Katahdin and the Dorper doesn't shed as well as the other.  The current crop of lambs have very little Dorper left.


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## Baymule

You have some darn fine ewes. The lambs are huge and grow off well. I know that has taken hard work, congrats! Thanks for the explanation on registered vs commercial.


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## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> they will be advertised for meat or possibly a commercial herd sire since they have some nice jeans and nice size.





farmerjan said:


> "Jeans" as in blue or jeans as in genes?????? Sorry, couldn't resist that one  to myself!!!!


Hahaha! Maybe he really meant "jeans" as in blue jeans. He did say that they will be advertised, so maybe he was trying to "fashion" them up a bit


----------



## Mike CHS

That's what I get for typing while watching Game of Thrones at the same time.  The brain is only partially engaged.


----------



## Bruce

farmerjan said:


> "Jeans" as in blue  or jeans as in genes?????? Sorry, couldn't resist that one   to myself!!!!


I figured they sell better if they come with a free pair of nice jeans


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## Baymule

Bruce said:


> I figured they sell better if they come with a free pair of nice jeans


For the buyer or the sheep? Mike has fashionable sheep? Or snazzy dressed buyers? I am cornfused.


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## farmerjan

They are very nice looking sheep and the growth you are getting with the lambs is exceptional.  I am very impressed with them.  We like the Dalls for the horns, and have 3 different strains.  One has nice heads, one has extreme size/frame and one is very resistant to foot rot.  We have been doing some crossing to try to get the nice head, good size and foot rot resistant all in one animal..... The foot rot resistance is the biggest thing we are really trying to improve.  The ones with the very nice heads/horns are so suseptable to foot rot,  my son has thought about just  getting rid of them but their heads are soooooo nice and the horns have spreads that are record setting size.  But they just can't walk.....RRRRGGGGGHHHHH.  They also are more likely to get wormy and the ones with the decent size have average heads, but are much hardier.  They do not have any of the kind of growth that you are getting.  
You really do have very nice looking and preforming sheep.


----------



## Bruce

Baymule said:


> I am cornfused.


And corny!


----------



## Mike CHS

The two hens that were sitting on about 20 eggs abandoned the nest after two chicks were born.  That may be normal since this is the first time we let hens sit on a nest. We put the remaining eggs in the incubator but I'm not sure what might hatch if any.  Both of the chicks are Black Sex-links.  The hen and chicks were bedded down outside when we went out to lock everyone in so we will put them in an unused coop tomorrow.


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## Baymule

It is so cute to watch hens with chicks. Congrats on the hatch, even if it is only two, it's two more than you had and you get to watch momma hens in action.


----------



## goatgurl

wow, your broodies are slackin'.  it's a shame they abandoned ship, ahhh nest to soon.  just watch, both chicks will be roosters.  
your sheeple are sure looking good, kiddo.  I think you're doing something right


----------



## RollingAcres

Congrats on the chicks! They are cute!


----------



## farmerjan

A trick to try;  when they abandoned the nest, you could have put one hen with the 2 chicks, out of sight and sound and put the other hen back on the nest. If there are no temptations, usually a hen will go back to setting on the eggs. Have done it often.  But if you have the incubator, that is a more surefire thing if they are close.  Hope you get more.  You could put the new chicks under the "other" hen, at night, if she has a pen of her own and if you put several under together, she will probably take them.


----------



## Mike CHS

My shoulder is a bit sore from driving T-posts yesterday so we're wimping out and taking it easy.  We did harvest corn, peppers and watermelons from our garden bed.  The sheep are loving the waste that was left after cleaning up the ears. 

Teresa needs a new laptop so we thought about going up to Franklin until we remembered it's a tax free weekend prior to school so we put that idea away.


----------



## CntryBoy777

It is the same here....well, yesterday and today....avoiding going to town for any shopping.....stopped by a small grocery store to get salt to brine this picnic with...........after all that work your shoulder deserved a rest.....that corn can work ya pretty good, especially if ya was shucking as ya went.....


----------



## Bruce

No tax isn't worth a little inconvenience?


----------



## Baymule

Bruce said:


> No tax isn't worth a little inconvenience?


At 8.25% the answer is no. Ever been in the middle of a bunch of tax-free crazed women all after the same things?


----------



## Baymule

I shuck corn on the tail gate of the truck. I get a board, meat cleaver or heavy knife and a wagon. I chop both ends, rip shucks and silks in one swipe, drop shucks in the wagon and put corn in a wash pan. Quick, easy and done. Pull the wagon to either sheep, hogs, or horses.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> At 8.25% the answer is no. Ever been in the middle of a bunch of tax-free crazed women all after the same things?



Correct, no is the answer to that one.  Franklin is the newest part of the Nashville suburbs that has become the main shopping/business hub for all of the area south of the city.  It's a zoo on normal days and a super zoo on normal weekends but this weekend will be silly.  We normally won't even got to Sam's or Costco unless we can get in early on a weekend but preferably during the week.

We processed our corn on the bed of the Polaris and just take it out to the sheep when we take water out to the far paddock.


----------



## Baymule

The horses got the last batch.


----------



## Mike CHS

We were driving into Lewisburg yesterday and we came to a stop light behind a stock trailer with some sheep in costume. It was 90+ degrees out so I wouldn't think it was to keep them warm but it was different.


----------



## Baymule

Maybe they were groomed and headed to a show? Sure didn't want them to get all messed up before they got there!


----------



## farmerjan

It is very common to put a "coat" of sorts on sheep, especially wooled breeds to keep them clean after washing for a show. Plus they get shavings into the wool against the skin and it is hard to brush/comb out. They seem to be magnets for dirt, and manure, when they are clean and ready to show....think a little kid in his Sunday go to meetin' clothes and a big mud puddle outside on the way to get in the car.....


----------



## mystang89

Where were the sheep? All I saw were zebras.


----------



## RollingAcres




----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> We were driving into Lewisburg yesterday and we came to a stop light behind a stock trailer with some sheep in costume. It was 90+ degrees out so I wouldn't think it was to keep them warm but it was different.
> 
> View attachment 50775


Those sheep in costume definitely can't compare to your sheep that have nice "jeans"!


----------



## Mike CHS

I was going to put the main flock into a sacrificial dry lot area tomorrow since we haven't had any rain in 3 weeks and the graze is suffering so I was going to put them on hay and grass that I cut.  About an hour ago it started a nice steady rain so that has been delayed for a bit.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Yay rain!!   Sometimes you get what you need....


----------



## Latestarter

We were forecast to have 2-3 days of 50+% chance of rain. I had high hopes. We did get rain, two days in a row, just enough sprinkles to dampen the ground a bit. Didn't even register in the rain gauge. I've been holding off mowing, even though it needs it, since it's so dry. No more moisture forecast any time soon, so tomorrow, guess I'll be mowing. Glad you've gotten some rain there


----------



## Bruce

Same here @Latestarter. Not mowing and all the areas I usually mow are FULL of Queen Anne's Lace. Go figure, it LOVES dry conditions.


----------



## Mike CHS

I have mowed all of our paddocks but I'm just knocking off the grasses that are seeding that I don't want.  About 8" high.  It doesn't seem to matter what they have available they eat the low vegetation.


----------



## Latestarter

My goats are kinda like that as well... I have a couple that graze/browse for a while then seem to concentrate on eating the seed heads off the tall grasses. Other than that, they seem to prefer the low to ground stuff and tree leaves/bark. I trimmed some 6-8' tree seedlings out of the front hedge tonight and threw it all into their pen. They were like a bunch of crack addicts fighting over a single "fix"... Even though I threw in like 6-8 branches/plants. Today started out quite comfy really with low humidity, temps barely got into the 90s and there was a nice breeze all day. Got the back, front, side yards all mowed as well as the driveway and the street swale and a small portion of the front pasture near the yard gate. Would have done more, but right after starting the danged belt jumped off, so had to do some disassembly to re mount it. Done it enough times now that I got it done in about 1/2 hour 

Tomorrow is also supposed to be right around 90 again so I'll start on the pastures. Have to get the front one done but I think I'll let the goats out to browse early while waiting for everything to dry out from dew. Then try to get the entire back done tomorrow. Since I only have a mower vice a hog, the highest I can cut is 4" and the grass is so wirey that those that get cut are eating up the blades and most/many are just bending over rather than getting cut. I would need blades with a radius longer than the grass stems to cut them the first time over them. Really need a legit tractor.

The other day (Sat) I was out pricing different feed for the goats and the feed store I stopped at was also an excavation company so I asked for an estimate to fill/level and prepare a site for a barn back behind the house. He said he'd get back to me Monday with feed info and to come take a look, but I never received a call.  Disappointing. Guess I'll try another excavating company.


----------



## farmerjan

We are bush hogging also and we set the bush hog as high as it will go.  Want to get the seed heads and the tall crummy weeds that always grow fast and allow more light to get to the grasses.  Plus don't want to get too close to the ground or mow too short, so there is still some shade for the plant roots, and so it doesn't burn them up.  The shredded up stuff will act as some "mulch" for the ground but won't be too thick and will add organic matter back into the soil.  If you mow it real short, and don't get any rain, it'll just burn up the plants and kill the grass.  We don't seem to be able to get to the pastures as soon as we want to get the weeds before they set seed though;  usually still in the hay fields for first cutting. 

On another note, had to get a new "back wheel" for the bush hog ...now realize we have big equipment for the bigger places to not take forever to do the mowing... it's a 15' batwing bush hog ... So I went and picked one up at a dealer about 20 miles away.  Took it to my son and with tools we got the old rim off and the new one on.  He looked up and saw 2 real good sized bucks going up through the pasture...about a 6+ pointer and the other at least an 8 or 10 point buck.
  We were just talking a few minutes, and I turned around and saw another cow come up out of a swale that is several feet lower than the ground near the fence line and trees ... only to realize it wasn't another cow... I said OH MY GOD, Michael, look at that.   He thought it was a big buck until I said, "HOLY S@#T it's a BEAR" ....  and there goes a real good sized BLACK BEAR just trotting across the field.  The cows were looking at it but not overly upset and a couple of calves were trotting after it with their tails and heads up like they wanted to play with it.  We figure it was 250 lbs or so.  Definitely not a cub or last years cub.

This is at 11 a.m. in the middle of the day!!!!!
Last year he saw a smaller black bear trying to roll around one of the rolls of hay when he went to go move them off the field and had to drive up near it and yell at it to leave the roll of hay alone.  It acted like he was interrupting his (the bears) playtime!!!  And it did totally tear one roll apart in the next couple of days before he got them all moved.  Bet it is the same bear "all grown up" this year.

I was too shocked to even think about a picture, but then realized after that my camera was in the car and I had brought his truck with the tools he needed.  He could have taken a pic with his phone, but we never thought of it.


----------



## Latestarter

mowers and deer and bear, OH MY! I love seeing wildlife and I'd have been pretty danged excited too at the sight of a bear as well as a couple of nice bucks. They must be pretty hungry to be out and about mid day...


----------



## farmerjan

The deer have been out EVERYWHERE here in the middle of the day.  Does with fawns, groups of just does, seen lots of young bucks in velvet.  There are so many.  I don't think it is hunger as there is grass and browse galore to eat.  We have really got more than enough grass and all in the pastures.  The deer don't seem to be in any hurry, don't seem to mind all the human activity.  General consensus is there are just so many deer this year.  Most all fawns are in "2's" as in twins....will see 3 or 4 does and 6 or more fawns in a group.  The bear was quite "well fleshed" and the blackberry and wineberry crops have been very plentiful so far.  Looks to be a lot of apples but peaches are a little scarce in places.  With all the early rain I think we will have a pretty good nut crop on the oaks and such.  I really think we just have a lot more animals that there are just that much more visible.  The cows sure weren't upset so they are not feeling threatened.


----------



## Mini Horses

We have a lot of deer here and plenty of turkey!  Big flocks of them.

You guys need rain???  Well I've gotten over 14" in the last 10-12 days and I am kinda over it.   Some very heavy of late.  With scattered showers on the "off" days.   Grass stays wet...mow close?  how about not at all?    Dairy goats are not impressed with water to walk through and tall grass that is WET.  I would sure share.

So, some great looking lambs you have there, Mike.   I'd sure buy one -- even without the "jeans"     A cute bandana would do.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I have mowed all of our paddocks but I'm just knocking off the grasses that are seeding that I don't want.  About 8" high.  It doesn't seem to matter what they have available they eat the low vegetation.


My 2 alpacas are the same. They'll graze on the same places that are short with a little new stuff growing rather than the taller stuff, even when the taller stuff is only 5 or 6".


----------



## Mike CHS

We opened up a paddock that we had been holding in reserve in case it did stay dry for an extended period and we are starting another rotation on that one.  We built a couple of mineral/salt feeders and attached them to gates so they can serve more than one paddock.

I had planted a couple of trees in that one plus there is a decent size tree already there that the sheep rubbing was going to girdle it.  We went out and built fences around them to keep them off of the trees but can still take advantage of the shade.


----------



## Bruce

I guess you need "Sheep scrapers" attached to the tree trunks. Kinda like the nubby things they make to stick on a wall corner for cats.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> I guess you need "Sheep scrapers" attached to the tree trunks. Kinda like the nubby things they make to stick on a wall corner for cats.



We had big protective tubes around them but they have outgrown them.  Besides that, the tubes seemed to be a fahr ant magnet for them to build their nests.


----------



## Mike CHS

Going through some pictures and came across a good "Just Because" one of my babies.


----------



## Bruce

Isn't it nice that the fahr aints collect in the tubes so they are easy to kill!


----------



## goatgurl

@Bruce you need to come down so we introduce you to fahr ants.  they are a lot of things but easy to kill isn't one of them.  they are mean sum britches.
@farmerjan cool on the deer but not so cool on the bear.  I had a sow bear with 3 cubs go down the creek bed below my house a few years ago and I really worried about them coming back for a snack.  we have a lot of deer around here this year too.  @Mike CHS I love the just because picture, such a pretty boy.


----------



## Bruce

goatgurl said:


> they are a lot of things but easy to kill isn't one of them. they are mean sum britches.


That's why I thought it was nice they collected in the pipe. Pour some kerosene down there, let them soak a bit and toss in a match. There would be some collateral damage to the tree of course but hey, ya gotta do what ya gotta do!


----------



## Mike CHS

I got a chuckle out of that one but I'll keep using chemicals.


----------



## greybeard

Setting the solvent (kerosene or diesel or gasoline or jp-7, or avgas or lox-kerosene mixture or liq hydrogen or nitro methane....whatever you happen to have handy) on fire is too quick. Let the fumes settle and they will go down into the nest and kill every ant plus all their larvae.


----------



## Bruce

Oh, less damage to the tree! Though less fun for the pyromaniacs.


----------



## Mike CHS

When we were out putting up some new mineral feeders yesterday we took a few pictures of the ewe lambs that we are retaining.  The two month gap between the main lambing and the two that dragged their feet really shows.  We aren't keeping him but the last set of twins was a ram and ewe lambs both small compared to the rest of the herd.  The ram lamb is 70 days old and weighed in at 67 pounds yesterday so he is bigger than he looks. He has Ringo's personality too which makes me want to keep him but I know better.  

The ewe lambs are all bigger than the previous generation and are all at or above 120 pounds now.  The black lamb is from our spotted lamb and she is the biggest of them all.  Her mother is obese and squat but the ewe lamb has her size but Ringo's height.


----------



## Bruce

Fine looking animals Mike. And wonderful that your breeding and cull selection is improving the herd.


----------



## Mike CHS

Thanks Bruce.  I'm pretty satisfied.


----------



## RollingAcres

Nice looking lambs!


----------



## Mike CHS

The grass outside the fence finally dried enough from our 4 1/2" rain the other day so I was able to get it mowed.  We made a run down to Ardmore, Alabama and picked up 1000 pounds of feed.  It will take take a fairly long while to use that much since we will quit feeding once the girls are all back in excellent condition.  They are all getting there except for three which have been added to the cull list. Those three are some of our best looking sheep (as far as size) but it takes a lot of input to get them there and they all 3 had singles two times in a row.  We are going to bring all of them in this afternoon to decide on the last few that need to go. We have one that should be culled since she doesn't meet our size requirements but she made pretty (although smallish) lambs and she will come over to get petted rather than eat grain.  Her lambs follow her lead and are some of our tamest sheep.

Teresa is going over the sheep's numbers and since all of the rest of the ewes are in great sheep we decided that any ewe that had singles two cycles in a row will be the ones that go up for sale.  I'll run ads for the best as commercial ewes but the rest go to the auction.


----------



## Bruce

Clear progress on the herd Mike. My dad did the same thing, kept those with good form that twined and when the breeding flock could support it, sell off the ewes that always gave singles.


----------



## Baymule

You have some VERY nice sheep! I love the Just Because picture, I have a weakness for Blue Merle Aussies. Funny how the Catahoula pup we have now is also a blue merle. things just sorta worked out that way.


----------



## Mike CHS

We processed an almost full 8 quart pan full of chopped cucumbers, onions and peppers. We were using one of those Chop Wizards that we have been using for years and we found they do have a shelf life.  One corner of the hard plastic container had broken at some point and the pieces were among the pan full of veggies that were going to be relish but instead got pitched out.

At that point we headed in to the 4H Chicken show and sale.  We did get 4 very nice Black Sex-Links.  There was five in the sale but a friends son had bought 5 Barred Rocks and wanted a Sex-Link so we swapped for one.


----------



## greybeard

Shoulda listened to Ron.........the one & only, easy to use, a snap to clean, World Famous (as seen on TV) Ronco Veg-O-Matic.


----------



## Mike CHS

I think we have every gadget know to man but not that one.  I like the ones we have but I guess every piece of plastic has a stress limit.  The one that broke has literally been slammed down on veggies of various kind probably 10's of thousands of times.  We weren't really wanting to heat the kitchen up anyway.


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> We processed an almost full 8 quart pan full of chopped cucumbers, onions and peppers. We were using one of those Chop Wizards that we have been using for years and we found they do have a shelf life.  One corner of the hard plastic container had broken at some point and the pieces were among the pan full of veggies that were going to be relish but instead got pitched out.



Nice! I currently have lots of green peppers. I need to get them cut up and freeze them.


----------



## greybeard

Actually, that was a tongue in cheek reply. Those veg-o-matics were pretty much a running joke for years...kinda like the Ronco pocket fisherman.


----------



## Mike CHS

I ran Teresa out of the living room. There was a slice of leftover pizza that seemed like a filling breakfast.  She was fine with it until I opened a can of anchovies to put all over that one slice of pizza.

It's going to be a long day.  We have to load up one sheep to take to the processor and then we are going to worm both groups of sheep.  Fecals showed some Barber Pole worms in two of the girls so we are going to hit them all today.  I know the ideal way is to isolate but we don't have the acreage to do so.  I'm hoping the group of lambs will come in but I have my doubts since they haven't been handled as much as the older group.


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> I ran Teresa out of the living room. There was a slice of leftover pizza that seemed like a filling breakfast. She was fine with it until I opened a can of anchovies to put all over that one slice of pizza.


Poor Teresa!


----------



## Mike CHS

I wimped out and ran out of steam a little while ago so we put the girls back in their pen and let the boys and dogs out of jail and everyone is back to normal.  We will do the lamb herd on Thursday since I ran out of steam today.  Man handling those girls doesn't get easier with age and I couldn't figure out why I wore out so fast when it dawned on me that we had always had a helper with the sheep until this time.  Our smallest ewe was 112 lbs but she is a cull while the rest ranged from 135 - 170.  The spotted ewe is the obese one.  We got the breeder group scored and only had to worm the 3 that we had ran fecal samples on.  We have 6 that we are either going to take to market or outright sell.


----------



## greybeard




----------



## Mike CHS

I don't remember the last time I saw Ernest but I had that many pieces on a single slice.


----------



## greybeard

The actor that played Ernest P Worell died in 2000. Jim Varney was born in Ky which is where he got the accent.
Interestingly enough, he married, then divorced, and then got remarried to a woman named Jane...............Varney.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I always liked him....and that sure did give me a good long laugh....thanks GB I sure needed it too..........I've never been a fan of them nasty little things.....


----------



## Mike CHS

When Teresa and I were early in our dating, one of the first meals I cooked for her was Pasta Puttanesca.  I literally did that because she had earlier told me that she couldn't stand the smell or taste of anchovies.  I showed her the ingredients after she had her second helping and guess what was on it?


----------



## greybeard

Lamb?


----------



## Mike CHS

Anchovies but I think you knew that.  

GB -- I promise to never try to serve you any type of sheep meat.


----------



## Bruce

Even the small amount of anchovies in commercial Puttanesca sauce is noticeable. Must be she had a cold that day and couldn't smell or taste.



Mike CHS said:


> GB -- I promise to never try to serve you any type of sheep meat.


 I'll eat his share!!!


----------



## RollingAcres

I've had anchovies before but not in the form that we get in the store here(soak in oil). They were dried anchovies. My parents used to make fish stock with them.


----------



## Mike CHS

We keep some of the dried ones on hand also.  I like the larger ones but don't care for the taste of the small ones.  I've made soup using them but blanch the small ones to lighten up the taste a bit.  I'm getting lazy as I age and anymore I'll use Fish Sauce instead.


----------



## Mike CHS

We got signed up today for the Tennessee Master Small Ruminant Producers Certification Course at UT next month.  It is supposed to be a good seminar plus if we ever get to the point that we want to use the TN Agriculture Enhancement Program, it's required.


----------



## RollingAcres

Sounds like a good seminar


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> We keep some of the dried ones on hand also.  I like the larger ones but don't care for the taste of the small ones.  I've made soup using them but blanch the small ones to lighten up the taste a bit.  I'm getting lazy as I age and anymore I'll use Fish Sauce instead.


My parents used the small ones in veggie stir-fry to add more flavor.
There's this spicy dish called "Sambal Ikan Bilis", which is Sambal Anchovies...oh so good! You fried the anchovies until crispy. Then cooked them up with some onions and sambal. Ok now I want some...


----------



## Pastor Dave

I like to open a can of salmon/mackerel and make patties


----------



## farmerjan

Sounds like a good course.  You get to interact with others, maybe meet someone new, and if you only learn one thing, it is worth it.  Besides, it's like a day "off" and out of the "same ole' same ole' "  routine.  Have fun.


----------



## CntryBoy777

It does sound interesting and could open up some new ideas to add to your marketing techniques without having to rely on the "trial and error" method.....


----------



## greybeard

Pastor Dave said:


> I like to open a can of salmon/mackerel and make patties


A can of salmon used to be relatively inexpensive and we had it often as I was growing up. Now, a can of salmon is pretty high and the cheaper by 1/2 mackerel has taken it's place for patties.  
I haven't had either fixed that way in a long time tho.


----------



## Pastor Dave

Myself and the wife can do a meal with a couple patties left over. The boys don't like fish much. I usually go with mackerel unless the salmon is on sale.


----------



## Mike CHS

Tomorrow is going to be a full day.  We are getting delivery of our winter hay about 7:30 in the morning. We have pallets in the area and tarps to cover the round bales plus we have what we need in square bales already stored.  We have about half the alfalfa we need for lambing but will pick up the remainder of what we need when they bale in a couple of weeks.  We need to work the 13 ewe lambs tomorrow to check for parasites and do hooves (plus 3 need shots). One might be a cull depending on her weight.  They are in a paddock about 500' from the handling area so we will put up netting to make a lane between the two. The male sheep are in the paddock but they will go to the jail pen in the morning so we can move the ewe lambs.  They are getting used to being around me but they haven't been out of their paddock and moved to another so Lance is on Standby.  He hasn't worked any flighty sheep in awhile and these girls are flighty so he might get a workout.  They will be ready to breed starting in late September.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Yep, sounds like a full slate to me.....I know that Prof Lance will be sitting on Ready just waiting for the opportunity....don't forget to stretch that shoulder in the morning.....


----------



## Mike CHS

It's actually getting sort of back to normal Fred.  I was handling all of the big girls the other day in the chute and didn't pay for it too much. The only soreness sustained recently was when we were loading the sheep the other day to take to the butcher and he tried to dive under the trailer door. I had to dive on top of him to pull him back in.


----------



## Mini Horses

At least you CAN still dive after him!  



Pastor Dave said:


> The boys don't like fish much.



I'm with them, Pastor Dave.   Not my taste.  BUT the lamb I can do.


----------



## Latestarter

Like my future dinner knew what was coming? Glad he didn't get you more hurt. I'm sure Lance will absolutely LOVE the opportunity to work the sheep. I used to enjoy salmon burgers when a kid. Haven't had them since then. Not a real big fan of salmon anymore and mackerel is just too bony and greasy for me. But offer me a big old swordfish steak grilled with some lemon and I'll be all over that!


----------



## Mike CHS

Salmon was one of those things where you could stretch out a tin of foul tasting fish to feed a whole family. We didn't have a lot when I was growing up but we always had a meal even if it was some canned salmon or a ketchup sandwich.    We had it so much when I was a kid that I will walk out of a place trying to serve it now.  

@Latestarter that boy was determined that he wasn't getting into that trailer.  I got him calmed down when we got him to the destination.


----------



## Latestarter

LMAO... calmed down? like permanently!


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Mike CHS said:


> a ketchup sandwich.


Oh wow - I read that and was transported back about a … lot of years!


----------



## greybeard

frustratedearthmother said:


> Oh wow - I read that and was transported back about a … lot of years!


We used to have ketchup sandwiches too, except we couldn't afford the kecthup so left it off.


----------



## mystang89

Pastor Dave said:


> I like to open a can of salmon/mackerel and make patties



I started making tuna patties last week or so. They are actually pretty good too


----------



## Latestarter

When we (I) were (was) a kid, my mom made baked tuna casserole... once... Good God that was awful!  Have never had it since and have no intention of ever having it.


----------



## farmerjan

Cannot do salmon.  Tried it every way imaginable and when I worked at waitressing, was able to try it many different ways in banquet dept..... nope.  I like some other seafood, not alot of fish but the "white ones", don't like the real oily ones. But we ate alot of tuna fish when I was a kid plus PBJ with homemade grape jelly from the grapes us kids picked from wild vines in Ct and brought home for mom to make into jelly.  Still like PBJ and tuna today.


----------



## Baymule

I like tuna fish sandwiches.....I need to make up a batch of tuna salad, with my crunchy sweet pickles and chopped boiled eggs.   I like salmon patties too. I always make hot water cornbread too.


----------



## Mike CHS

We did get our supply of hay delivered and covered with tarps.  We had a bunch of pallets so the round bales are up off of the ground.  We started about 7:00 this morning getting chores done before the hay arrived and by the time we got everything set up and the hay moved and covered it was 4:00.  I'm used to quitting about 2:30 so I guess I need to put in for overtime today.  

One of the two chicks disappeared several days ago and we didn't know what had gotten to it till I saw a cat just inside the chicken pen this afternoon. I doubt it will bother any more chicks.

We have a broody Buff Orpington sitting on 5 eggs that we made sure she started sitting on at the same time so hopefully we will have a better chance of hatching more than the last batch.

This may be normal but we had two Barred Rocks sitting on the nest that hatched the two chicks.  They both are with the one remaining chick all of the time and will jockey for position at night to sit on the chick.  So it is basically two hens raising a single chick.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Sure sorry to hear about the chick and glad the culprit is no longer an issue. As far as the OT goes there are a couple of ways at looking at it....since it is winter feed and there are less daylight hours in winter....ya are just getting ahead of the cold weather and stretching the workload ahead of time....also, I always thought that execs were salaried and not eligible for OT.....


----------



## Bruce

Yeah, no OT but huge salaries and guaranteed bonuses at the end of the year. Can't do that work unless you make 500X the worker bee. Oh and let's not forget the free stock options.


----------



## Mike CHS

I have some lamb liver soaking in milk that I'm doing for supper tonight and thought some might like the recipe as it works great with beef liver also.

*Liver and Onions*
The three things that you want to make sure you do are: 1) soak in milk, 2)turn liver as little as possible and 3) don't overcook!"

*Ingredients:*
2 pounds sliced liver
1 1/2 cups milk, or as needed
1/4 cup butter, divided
2 large Vidalia onions, sliced into rings
2 cups all-purpose flour, or as needed
salt and pepper
garlic powder
onion powder
paprika

*Directions:*

1. Gently rinse liver slices under cold water, and place in a medium bowl. Pour in enough milk to cover. Let stand while preparing onions. (I like to soak up to an hour or two - whatever you have time for.) This step is SO important in taking any bitter taste of the liver out.

2. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Separate onion rings, and saute them in butter until soft. Remove onions, and melt remaining butter in the skillet. Season the flour with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and paprika then put it in a shallow dish or on a plate. Drain milk from liver, and coat slices in the flour mixture.

3. When the butter has melted, turn the heat up to medium-high, and place the coated liver slices in the pan. Cook until nice and brown on the bottom. Turn, and cook on the other side until browned. Add onions, and reduce heat to medium. Cook a bit longer to taste. We prefer the liver to just barely retain a pinkness on the inside when you cut to check.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I've never had it soaked in milk before, but sure have ate a bunch of it.....I've always liked it unless it was overcooked and was like shoe leather....I was taught 4minutes on the first side and 3 on the other side and remove....it has always worked for me that way. Joyce doesn't like it in the gravy, but I do...so, I dump some of the onions in the gravy and add the meat back to the gravy for just 2 minutes....never had sheep liver though......


----------



## Baymule

I love fried chicken livers, can't stand calves liver. I've been keeping the heart, kidneys and livers for the dogs. I haven't tried lamb liver, I guess I should try it. The way you cook it sounds good.


----------



## Mike CHS

Lamb liver is about as good as it gets and it's really mild.


----------



## Baymule

I'll have to keep the next one.


----------



## Mike CHS

My Dr told me I had to stay clean and not sweaty for a couple of days which is going to be a good trick.  I had an abscess on my back that has been there for years with no change but in the last couple of months has been getting bigger.  Teresa lanced it and drained it about a month ago but in the last week or so it has gotten considerable larger so I went to see my doctor this morning.  She lanced it all of the way across and dug out all of the infection and gave me a shot of antibiotics and a prescription for a weeks dose of them.  It got packed to keep it open for a few days thus the stay clean direction.  I guess I'll feed real early and fairly late when the temps are milder.  That little procedure had me sweating as soon as the scalpel penetrated.


----------



## Mike CHS

I meant to post this the other day but for the sheep folks that do Codon testing.  We started using Genalysis Labs so we don't have to draw blood in the typical way.  They use a card system that allows you to draw a very small amount of blood from a sheeps ear with a syringe and place the sample on one of their cards to mail into them.  If you get the card in the mail on Monday, they usually email you the results by Friday.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Those are painful...and hope ya can keep it clean for the most part....I have assisted in a couple of those procedures when I worked in the ER back in the mid 70s.


----------



## Mike CHS

She packed it to keep it open for a couple of days.  I expected her to get on to me for trying to fix it ourselves but when I told her how big it was she said she didn't blame me.  When Teresa lanced it the abscess was the size of a golf ball.  Much smaller today but it had some infection in it.


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> . I had an abscess on my back that has been there for years with no change but in the last couple of months has been getting bigger. Teresa lanced it and drained it about a month ago but in the last week or so it has gotten considerable larger so I went to see my doctor this morning. She lanced it all of the way across and dug out all of the infection and gave me a shot of antibiotics and a prescription for a weeks dose of them.



I had one on my upper back for about 15 years. A "fatty cyst" was what the first doctor called it when it first appeared. It stayed the same less-than-golf ball size for several years, then began to grow.
By 2016, when it had finally gotten so big it began to cause problems with my neck, I had it removed in day surgery, it weighed 7 lbs--or they may have said 11 lbs. I don't remember now.


----------



## Mike CHS

Mine was nowhere near that size but it felt like she was digging around in there with a shovel.


----------



## Bruce

greybeard said:


> By 2016, when it had finally gotten so big it began to cause problems with my neck, I had it removed in day surgery, it weighed 7 lbs--or they may have said 11 lbs. I don't remember now.


 Man you tough things out a bit long don't you think??



CntryBoy777 said:


> Those are painful...and hope ya can keep it clean for the most part....I have assisted in a couple of those procedures when I worked in the ER back in the mid 70s.


I'm going to start a list of jobs you DIDN'T do in the past!



Mike CHS said:


> Much smaller today but it had some infection in it.


Maybe Teresa shouldn't have used the rusty Stanley knife to lance it 
Glad you got it gone. DD1 just had a small cyst taken off her back.


----------



## greybeard

Bruce said:


> Man you tough things out a bit long don't you think??



It first appeared in 1996 or '97..I forget now.
Didn't bother me at all. Back there, I  couldn't see it or feel it.
(kinda like a car I once owned. 6 month old loaded Mercury Marquis that had somehow been gently rolled over on it's top....bought it at auction for $500. Looked like hammered dog pooh on the outside, brand new everywhere else, including the hood and top of the fenders. While driving it, you couldn't tell visually that it had a scratch on it, and it ran and drove perfectly. Got lots of odd looks at red lights tho. With a 5.8, it would pass everything but a gas station.
I never was much on aesthetics or cute.


----------



## Baymule

Can't go outside and get sweaty? It rained (drizzled) here yesterday, steam bath today. If I couldn't get sweaty I would have to move my recliner under the AC vent. LOL LOL

Hope you recover quickly!


----------



## Latestarter

New show on TV called Dr. Pimple Popper... You can see her on YouTube as well. Pretty graphic but entertaining and interesting procedures.


----------



## greybeard

Latestarter said:


> New show on TV called Dr. Pimple Popper... You can see her on YouTube as well. Pretty graphic but entertaining and interesting procedures.


America, 2018. This, is indicative of just how far society and media has degraded.


----------



## Latestarter

I find it completely opposite "degraded" as it's more informative and actual medical procedures showing people actually getting medical help. Now, if you want to point out degraded, how about the 3 dozen "cop/crime drama/murder mystery/ambulance chaser/"reality" court room shows or the multiple scripted "reality" series involving all manner of BS offered as "real life" but offered as "entertainment"... It's a no wonder our kids (and some adults) can't tell what's real and what isn't.

My first wife asked me for a divorce because our life wasn't "real" like the TV shows she was addicted to and watched from waking till bed time. I did all the cooking, all the cleaning, helped the kids with homework and took care of them. She was a $hitty wife and mother. She did however improve 100% after the divorce was final... She was no longer a $hitty wife. I got sole custody of three very young kids while on active duty in the Navy. She wanted her "freedom" from all responsibility. That's reality.

ETA: Sorry Mike, thought this was on my thread. will delete the above if you wish. Let me know.


----------



## Mike CHS

As always Joe, we are open to everything.


----------



## Baymule

Highjacking always leads us in interesting directions!


----------



## Bruce

greybeard said:


> Didn't bother me at all. Back there, I couldn't see it or feel it.


You didn't notice SEVEN POUNDS hanging off the back of your neck?


----------



## greybeard

It's not like it suddenly appeared there overnite Bruce. 
I did however, notice it right away when it was gone.  

(I was at the beach once near my brother's place in E. Galveston county and had my wife paint an areola and nipple on it with some of her makeup. It got lots of looks.  If ya got it,flaunt it.)

I really should have had it removed long ago, but just never could find the down time to have it done.  
I believe, the official name for it was Lipoma.


----------



## greybeard

Latestarter said:


> how about the 3 dozen "cop/crime drama/murder mystery/ambulance chaser/"reality" court room shows or the multiple scripted "reality" series involving all manner of BS offered as "real life" but offered as "entertainment"...



I don't watch any of them, and very rarely watch any TV at all. 
I think the last show I actually liked was  _House_


----------



## Latestarter

greybeard said:


> (I was at the beach once near my brother's place in E. Galveston county and had my wife paint an areola and nipple on it with some of her makeup. It got lots of looks. If ya got it,flaunt it.)


 Would have loved to see folks reactions to that. Must admit GB, you do have a great sense of humor!



greybeard said:


> I believe, the official name for it was Lipoma.


Lipomas are one of the issues they've shown on Dr. Pimple Popper and seems they often develop on the neck area. I'll bet you felt a lot better after having it removed.


----------



## Mike CHS

I have been a good boy and let that abscess heal for a couple of days like the doctor said and we took off the bandage and packing so it could start to heal.  It seems to be clear of nasty stuff and now just has some minor bleeding due to the size of the incision.  

We got our earlier stack of alfalfa moved since we are going to pick up the rest out of the field. It's actually easier to get on the trailer and $2 cheaper a bale.


----------



## RollingAcres

Catching up on your journal. Glad to hear that you are healing well.


----------



## RollingAcres

greybeard said:


> I think the last show I actually liked was _House_


I love Dr House!


----------



## Mike CHS

We went and picked up our alfalfa and I had forgotten how heavy those big square bales are.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I'm sure glad I don't have to deal with them.....the little bales wear me out.....quickly.....


----------



## greybeard

RollingAcres said:


> I love Dr House!


I really liked the bluntness and cynicism of that non-touchy/feelie character. Except for his addiction, he is my kinda guy and my kind of Dr.


----------



## RollingAcres

greybeard said:


> I really liked the bluntness and cynicism of that non-touchy/feelie character. Except for his addiction, he is my kinda guy and my kind of Dr.


Same here. I wish it's still on.


----------



## Mike CHS

We picked up the sheep we took in last week and it turned out pretty.  I'm going to start having all of our future freezer sheep processed the same way.  We told them we wanted the maximum number of steaks and chops.  The steaks may be if anything a bit too thick but they sure are pretty.  Cutting this way eliminates having legs of lamb that you need 10 people over to eat it and instead got many steaks and chops instead.  The steaks cut out of the neck are cool looking but I've never tasted it prepped that way.


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> Cutting this way eliminates having legs of lamb that you need 10 people over to eat it


I'm sure we could help you eat that leg of lamb. 
I decided to buy a lamb chop for my DS last week. I grilled the sirloin steak for DH and I and the lamb chop for DS. He pretty much devoured it lol. I did "steal" a couple of pieces off his plate to try.


----------



## Mike CHS

We eat more sheep than anything else.  We still have quite a bit of beef from the one we split with our neighbor but we have fed them enough sheep that they want to swap equal value sheep for beef.

We are losing some eggs and it's during the day time.  Twice now we have found bits of shell but in most cases we haven't found anything other than bits of yolk.  We're thinking snake so we have put the game cameras out again.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Snakes will swallow whole....it sounds more like birds pecking or rodents to me....may be pole cat....


----------



## farmerjan

Have these hens been laying for awhile?  Late in laying cycle, close to going into a molt, the hens are getting "laid out" and egg shells tend to get thinner even with plenty of calcium/oyster shells.  More easily broken by a toenail going through the shell in a softer spot.  Also, the hens tend to become more likely to want to eat eggs late in cycle too... who knows why.  
But it could very well be rodents....


----------



## Baymule

Your maximum steaks cuts sounds interesting. Could you post pictures? I have mine cut into chops, ribs, leg of lamb and burger.


----------



## Latestarter

Mike CHS said:


> We picked up the sheep we took in last week and it turned out pretty.  I'm going to start having all of our future freezer sheep processed the same way.  We told them we wanted the maximum number of steaks and chops.  The steaks may be if anything a bit too thick but they sure are pretty.  Cutting this way eliminates having legs of lamb that you need 10 people over to eat it and instead got many steaks and chops instead.  The steaks cut out of the neck are cool looking but I've never tasted it prepped that way.


  Just curious, is this the one you had done for me?


----------



## Mike CHS

Jan - These hens are all just a bit over a year and a half but we have cameras out again so hopefully we can see something soon.

Bay - I'll get some pictures in the next few days.  We didn't get any leg of lamb and asked for as much stew meat as possible.  I didn't count but there is still 10 or more pounds of ground.  They turn as much meat as they can into stew meat and grind the meat that is left over after that.


----------



## Latestarter

Mike CHS said:


> We didn't get any leg of lamb and asked for as much stew meat as possible.


  Guess that answers my Q too.


----------



## Mike CHS

You will like this Joe.  I might swap out some of our recent chops for one of those neck steaks to see how they taste.   If you would prefer leg of lamb I can swap out some of another but I thought you wanted mostly steaks and chops.  We have several legs in the freezer if you do.


----------



## Baymule

Shepherds Pie with lamb is DEE-LICIOUS Joe! Lamb stew meat, browned, a frozen package of mixed veggies (quick steamed in microwave) Put in a casserole dish, top with mashed taters and back at 350 for 45 minutes. Take it out, top with grated cheese and bake for another 15 minutes. It is easy and quick to put together and it is soooooo good!


----------



## Mike CHS

Here is a few pictures of the meat we just brought home.  The butcher said he enjoyed processing this one since he was able to pretty much duplicate how he processes beef.  The shoulder roast in the one picture is about 2" thick and could almost be cooked as a steak with a reverse sear.  The chops he cut around 3/4-1" but the one I'm interested in is the steaks cut from the neck. They are more marbled than is normal for a sheep so they ought to be really tasty.  They said the only difference in getting the steaks from the neck is they spend a bit more time skinning to make sure they can get the maximum amount of meat from it.  I didn't have them debone anything to make sure we got the max amount of meat.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Sure looks good to me!!..........interesting about the neck cuts....I'm looking forward to your "review" on how it turns out......


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Cutting this way eliminates having legs of lamb that you need 10 people over to eat it


Invite me and the max total people you'll need is 9 



farmerjan said:


> Late in laying cycle, close to going into a molt, the hens are getting "laid out" and egg shells tend to get thinner even with plenty of calcium/oyster shells. More easily broken by a toenail going through the shell in a softer spot. Also, the hens tend to become more likely to want to eat eggs late in cycle too... who knows why.


This is not something I've seen in my flock.



Mike CHS said:


> Here is a few pictures of the meat we just brought home.


I'm green with envy Joe!


----------



## Baymule

Those look real nice. I have 9 bred ewes, think I’ll have the first one we take to slaughter done this way.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Those look real nice. I have 9 bred ewes, think I’ll have the first one we take to slaughter done this way.



It's more practical for a small household like us.  We will still need occasional Leg Of Lamb since the church buys them for some of their fellowship events but we have two in the freezer that are 10 pounds plus.


----------



## Mike CHS

Latestarter said:


> Just curious, is this the one you had done for me?



That is the one. If you want different cuts we can arrange that since I have 3 in the freezer(s) counting this one.


----------



## Mike CHS

I haven't posted any pictures of my two favorites in awhile so I took the camera out while I was doing my evening time with them.  I had built a platform for Maisy's bowl since she doesn't like to eat from a bowl when it is on the ground but she decided to compromise and lay down while eating.  

Maisy is my angel but Thor is turning into a good boy.  He has a love/hate thing going on with the ram but it's all noise from both of them so I stay out of it (usually).  Thor was a year old in July so he is getting close to being a mature one but a ways to go still.  I got an email from an old friend that lives in the city and sees our posts on Facebook.  He was wondering how I could stand having animals so close to the house?  Our paddocks are as close to our house on two sides as is shown in these pictures.  I don't know what I would do if we had more acreage since if I look out the windows and can't see my critters, I jump on the Polaris and go look.


----------



## Bruce

White doggies! Is that Thor's favorite spot or does it just look like he's worn a spot in the grass?


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> White doggies! Is that Thor's favorite spot or does it just look like he's worn a spot in the grass?




That worn spot is slab rock but it stays cool for him that time of day.  That's our evening spot - I don't feed till around 6:00 so they aren't panting when trying to eat.  That's also when Maisy lets me use the grooming brush on her while she's laying down.  It takes her about a half hour to eat if I'm brushing her but it gives me time to get the mats out.


----------



## Latestarter

That looks awesome Mike; the dogs, the yard, the house, the lamb meat, just everything! I'm fine with it butchered the way it is. If you'd like to try one (or two) of those neck steaks between you and your wife, please feel free to do so. You can sub in some stew or ground lamb to replace from your stock. I'm thinking Saturday the 8th of Sept to come visit if that works for you and @Rammy as I believe she said she has Saturdays off. Hope she can make it for a visit at the same time.

I couldn't imagine having my goats out of visual range. I'm generally by a window (even at night) and routinely look out to see where they are and what they're doing. If I can't see them, I go outside to make sure all is well.


----------



## Mike CHS

That is one of 4 days out of 365 that we have a problem with.    Teresa is flying to Charleston to see family and bring back one of the Grandsons.  She leaves the 5th and I will be picking her up at the Nashville airport mid afternoon on the 8th.


----------



## Rammy

Me, too. I have to meet and pick up a freinds furry baby to babysit the next day. I would have to drive home that night to get home in time to meet them.
Maybe the next weekend?


----------



## Mike CHS

We are good if it works for Joe.


----------



## Latestarter

OK then, so Saturday the 15th of September? That works for me (as far as I know right now).   Looked at google maps and it's looking like 530+ miles and 8+ hours drive for me, so I expect I'll be getting there late afternoon... say 3-4pm. Won't be able to stay more than a few hours then back on the road to return. Awesome!   Looking forward to meeting!


----------



## Latestarter

OK, so I know there are all sorts of other issues regarding @CntryBoy777 but maybe? perhaps?  Fred can make the trip that day and visit with us as well? Hope you don't mind me turning my visit into a BYH gathering at your place/expense Mike...   What do you think Fred? Could you and Joyce make a day trip? I know you have a whole lot going on with your life situation there...


----------



## CntryBoy777

Well, I can always "pencil" it in and see what happens twixt now and then.....just be aware that there is a decent possibility that I may have to cancel at any given time.....


----------



## Mike CHS

We will stay flexible Fred. The 15th works for us but that is going to be a killer trip.


----------



## Latestarter

Not so bad... have done much longer in total time OTR... I kinda set my limit at 20 hours now. Not as young as I ustawas...   By the time I get back home, I'll be ready and hopefully able to sleep  If things get bad, I'll hit a rest area and catch a few hours nap time


----------



## Baymule

Sounds like a good time! It will be so nice for y'all to meet each other.


----------



## Bruce

Joe, you can swing by and pick up Fred and Joyce, not too far out of your way and maybe the "rest area" can be the trailer at Fred's place


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> I haven't posted any pictures of my two favorites in awhile so I took the camera out while I was doing my evening time with them.  I had built a platform for Maisy's bowl since she doesn't like to eat from a bowl when it is on the ground but she decided to compromise and lay down while eating.
> 
> Maisy is my angel but Thor is turning into a good boy.  He has a love/hate thing going on with the ram but it's all noise from both of them so I stay out of it (usually).  Thor was a year old in July so he is getting close to being a mature one but a ways to go still.  I got an email from an old friend that lives in the city and sees our posts on Facebook.  He was wondering how I could stand having animals so close to the house?  Our paddocks are as close to our house on two sides as is shown in these pictures.  I don't know what I would do if we had more acreage since if I look out the windows and can't see my critters, I jump on the Polaris and go look.
> 
> View attachment 51400 View attachment 51401


They are beautiful!


----------



## Mike CHS

It has been pouring down off and on till a little while ago so we decided to spend the time down by the shop and did some of what seems to be never ending grooming on Maisy.  Even though he doesn't need it, Thor has to get some also or he pouts.

We brought the two ram lambs that are left so Teresa can run Fecals on them.  One of them was from our pair of smallest twins and he isn't gaining like he should be so we will see.  I'm going to run a Facebook ad for the oldest as a commercial ram primarily because his attitude is a carbon copy of Ringo's.  He is laid back, moves slow and isn't the least bit pushy.  That may be because of the way Ringo is around people.

We will fatten both of them up so if the biggest doesn't get a job with a commercial flock they will both be going to market along with a wether.


----------



## RollingAcres

I see Maisy "photobombed" the first pic.


----------



## Mike CHS

RollingAcres said:


> I see Maisy "photobombed" the first pic.



I think Maisy was trying to draw attention to my "safety" shoes that I had on.


----------



## RollingAcres

Umm are those steel toe shoes? And were you wearing PPE?


----------



## greybeard

I don't think I ever saw that kind of manly footwear..exactly what do you call it?


----------



## Latestarter

"breathable"...


----------



## Mike CHS

I've heard them referred to as aerated     But they are comfortable which is all I care about.


----------



## greybeard

Hmmm. Somehow, I don't think they have a Tony Lama label in them. 
Kinda reminds me of some shower shoes I once had in SE Asia.


----------



## Mike CHS

I didn't think you were serious - the brand is Crocs and that is one style of several


----------



## greybeard

I'm just not much on haute couture or the latest 5th Ave fashion world I suppose. 
I have seen something similar to those tho. The grand kids had them on when we all went down to the beach a few years ago so they wouldn't get cut by fish bones.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa and I pride ourselves on having a broad assortment of ways to cook our meats and it is always good if not excellent.  In my memory I only have cooked one dish that was truly bad.  I cooked a version of lamb two days ago that looked scrumptious but we only managed to eat a couple of bites.  My baby didn't say anything at first but when she went and got the mint sauce (that we haven't used since we quit eating wool lamb) I knew it was time to break out a hot dog and pitch the lamb ribs.  The sauce on the meat is a chutney like mixture that will never be made in our house again.


----------



## Wehner Homestead

Yikes!


----------



## RollingAcres

Sorry the sauce spoiled your cooking...


----------



## frustratedearthmother

I think we all have an "uh-oh" story! Sorry this one was a fail...


----------



## Mike CHS

frustratedearthmother said:


> I think we all have an "uh-oh" story! Sorry this one was a fail...



What made this one worse is a friend had come by just before we started to eat and we sent half a rack home with him. Teresa got on the phone and said to him "If you haven't eaten the meat yet, DON'T".


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Oh noooo - a witness!!


----------



## RollingAcres

We are witnesses too because he told us!


----------



## CntryBoy777

There sure have been quite a bit of "trial and error" in the history of my cooking....I have learned there are a few things that just don't go well together.....


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> There sure have been quite a bit of "trial and error" in the history of my cooking....I have learned there are a few things that just don't go well together.....



This was supposed to be a Middle East taste which I now know that I don't like.  I threw the recipe away but it was something like Lamb with wine and Honey Sauce.  It might have been the cinnamon it called for which I started to not use it.


----------



## Mike CHS

We are seriously working our culls this week trying to get our numbers down to go through the winter.  We have been working on it for almost a month but just now got the list of to-do's sorted out so we can control who moves where.  We are culling 6 of our original 10 - most for size/confirmation or age and two of the yearling ewes are being culled due to bad parasite resistance.  Those two are the only two of our yearlings that had to be wormed for Barber Pole.  Both of our two herds go through the chute this week and possibly as many as 14 go to the sale next week.  We have 40 head right now and have three that are sold and will be picked up this afternoon.


----------



## greybeard

Chutney is an acquired taste. 
Some is sour, some sweet, some bitter. 

Pretty popular in Asia, North Africa and India, and because of it, Great Britain. 
(Chuteny is often the odor you smell at the desk of some motels in today's America, wafting out from the back of the building........)


----------



## Mike CHS

We have a buyer coming for three sheep this afternoon so we spent some time tweaking our handling chute.  When we set that up down there it was meant to be a temporary solution to loading.  We have used it quite a few times and it works well enough that we have decided to leave it there.  If for no other reason, it's one of the few flat spots we have available.  We went through today and replaced all of the temp ties with hog rings and trimmed off some cattle panels to replace woven wire in a couple of spots.

As we were coming in I remembered to get a picture of our single chick with her dual parenting hen mothers.


----------



## Mike CHS

Many may know what the pictures are of but in case some don't, if you see a Hornworm on your tomato plants that looks like the pictures, those are the eggs of a Braconid Wasp on the back of the destructive Hornworm that will eat the Hornworm from the inside out.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Great pic and great information!


----------



## Bruce

Lucky you to have those wasps for the nasty hornworms you don't spot! I pulled about 8 that size off the tomatoes last week. They grow fast. The chickens got them for a snack. I haven't seen others so maybe there was just one Sphinx moth traveling through. 



Mike CHS said:


> In my memory I only have cooked one dish that was truly bad.


FINALLY Mike posts food that doesn't make me want to go down there and beg at the table!


----------



## CntryBoy777

Those horn worms make some really good fish bait....can be a bit messy getting it threaded on tho.....they also eat tobacco plants.....


----------



## RollingAcres

Hate those hornworms! Luckily I didn't see any this year. In the past I've pulled them and fed them to the chickens as well. Never tried using them as fish bait tho.


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> Many may know what the pictures are of but in case some don't, if you see a Hornworm on your tomato plants that looks like the pictures, those are the eggs of a Braconid Wasp on the back of the destructive Hornworm that will eat the Hornworm from the inside out.
> 
> View attachment 51487


Not exactly. Not eggs, and they don't hatch out there and what comes out doesn't enter the worm. It's the other way around tho the belief that they are eggs, is a fairly common misconception often handed down from previous 'old folks' and probably from decades back. You will never see a Braconid wasp egg 99% of the time, unless you squash a horn caterpillar within a day or 2 of the wasp laying it's egg and peel the caterpillar's skin back carefully.

The Braconid wasps (there are several different wasps that do the same thing to different caterpillars) use an ovipositor to lay their little tiny wedge shaped eggs under the skin of the caterpillar.  The eggs will hatch under the skin into very very small larvae, spend some time (a few days to a couple of weeks) eating the slimy green crap that is inside the worm, growing but never harming any of the caterpillar's vital organs.

The problem with relying solely on the wasps to get rid of the caterpillars is that they only prevent the caterpillar from completing it's own life cycle, and by the time the Braconid larvae have killed it or even stopped it from eating leaf matter, the caterpillar has usually already done an immense amount of damage to foliage. The larvae have to let the caterpillar live and continue to eat until right before they break out.

When you see the white things on a horn worm, you are seeing the mature wasp larvae that have chewed a hole in the skin of the worm and have come out of a horn worm and are now spinning or have spun up a cocoon.



_Description: These wasps are common parasitoids of hornworm caterpillars that are often seen in home gardens. Adult females inject their eggs into hornworm caterpillars. The eggs soon hatch into grub-like larvae that feed a week or two on tissues inside the hornworm hosts. Their small size allows many larvae to be accommodated by each caterpillar. When they are done feeding, the larvae chew small holes in the skin of their host and squeeze through so they can spin silk cocoons and pupate attached to the outside of their still-living host. These cocoons are often mistaken for eggs. After this point the caterpillar feeds very little, and can be viewed as a nursery for these beneficial parasitoid wasps. Within about a week, the adult wasps emerge, and a day or two after that the caterpillar host dies._

There are other caterpillars that have the same thing happen to them. Here's a video of one:










Instead of looking for the horn worm on tomato plants, I look at the base of the plant on the ground.  Little black or dark brown pills (hornworm feces) are the telltale sign you have the caterpillars. Only then, do I start looking for the worms or spraying/dusting for them.


----------



## Bruce

How very bizarre. Looks like we need to be vigilant and hunt those hornworms down when they are small.


----------



## RollingAcres

Bruce said:


> How very bizarre. Looks like we need to be vigilant and hunt those hornworms down when they are small.


The are very hard to find when they are small. That's why you do it the way @greybeard described above, look for the worm poop. I've learned that a couple of years ago those black stuff was worm poop.


----------



## Baymule

I have birds in my garden that look for them. I haven't had hornworm damage in several years.


----------



## Bruce

I know to look for the poop. Hadn't been out to the garden for days (busy digging the pond) and when I did they were HUGE! Not hard to see there was a problem, lots of leafless stem on the 2 plants. Haven't had them in the past here. The birds must have missed a moth.


----------



## Mike CHS

We use cotton burr compost as a mulch which is black so it's hard to see any eggs.


----------



## greybeard

The poop will also be very evident on the leaves. It gets caught in the area at the bottom of the leaf where the stem ends. When fresh, it's a little segmented barrel shape and usually the same color as their skin & guts, then only turns dark once it dries out.


----------



## Mike CHS

The herding dogs haven't been getting a lot of herding so they haven't been getting enough exercise other than when I take them with me to walk to the mail box which is at the end of our 1500' driveway.  We decided to start taking the Ranger up to pick up the mail and they could make a whole lot faster pace than our walking.  The pictures are of them running up the drive in front of us.  When we get about 50' from the road we put them in a "stay" because our drive is adjacent to a rise and although there is little traffic out here it can be fast moving and they aren't road smart.  The Aussie is a little informal in her stay but Lance goes into his herding "down".  Coming back we make them stay till we get a hear start and then release them.  The will come flying by to beat us home.


----------



## Southern by choice

First- may I say I love your crocs!   So phooey on everyone else!   Can't wear them here as the thorns etc from the woods go right through 'em.  Had to get the hard soled sloggers but they get hot. Sadly with all the rain here we are still wearing our winter Mucks! Yes. They are HOT!

You all look so high tech now! Amazing job you all have done.  
The dogs look great!


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm really glad you dropped in and yes I do like my Crocs.    I teach my sheep to not step on my feet sort of but when we are in the chute I do wear steal toes.


----------



## Bruce

What, you and Teresa don't want to run down the driveway with the dogs?


----------



## Pastor Dave

I have Crocs just like Mike's. I have an Adidas slip on "shoe" /sandal like the kids wear with black socks that I wear inside the house to avoid stubbing toes or stepping on Legos. I wear the Crocs for quick trips outside to avoid messing up the Adidas. And, the Crocs can get hosed off inside and out. My rabbits seldom ever stomp on my feet. Haha


----------



## RollingAcres

Pastor Dave said:


> My rabbits seldom ever stomp on my feet. Haha


----------



## RollingAcres

Love those dogs pic!


----------



## CntryBoy777

Everything is sure looking good there!!....have ya gotten your rye grass seed yet?.....I will be getting some and sowing it within 2 wks, this inch and a half of rain will be enough to get it started.....


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm hoping to get it in the next few weeks but I need to cut all the fields first.


----------



## Baymule

With no rain, I can’t even plan on rye grass yet. Or clover. Boo. I’ll probably plant in late September. The dogs are so pretty, I have a weak spot for Aussies. Love them! I bet they enjoy their run!


----------



## greybeard

way too early here for ryegrass seeding. Too much chance it germinates, then doesn't get any more rain for several weeks and it turns brown and dies.
Germinating the seed is the easy part-a wet dew for 2-3 mornings will do that.....getting a stand with a little root system actually established is the hard part.


----------



## Mike CHS

We are taking a lunch break from working sheep.  So far we have two of our yearling in the cull pen that we hadn't planned on culling.  My post about the dogs not being able to herd for awhile was written to soon.  Wild Thang and one other ewe was bound and determined not to come in to the shelter since they knew something was going on.  Lance changed their minds and they are all awaiting us to finish.  At least it's a relatively cool day for working on them.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Mr. @Mike CHS,

    I hate to interrupt the flow of conversation on your thread, but I just wanted to thank you for the story you shared about the angel tattoo and how that came to be.  (For those of you who have not read it, see https://www.backyardherds.com/threa...ripes-and-grumbles.33505/page-512#post-564753 ).  I am quite thankful for you that it worked out so well that you were exonerated, and I am thankful to you for sharing that with everyone.  It helps all of us to understand one another better when we can read such stories.  While I won't say if I am currently reading your journal or not, it is on my reading list, so watch out! 

Senile Texas Aggie


----------



## Mike CHS

@Senile_Texas_Aggie - mine is as much if not more so boring than others.  

As far as that event in my life it was a rough year but the command felt it was to my benefit to put it in the past so after they tried to put me in jail, they gave me a meritorious promotion which accelerated the rest of my career in the Navy and beyond.


----------



## Mike CHS

We got the mature herd worked on, separated and those the 8 of 17 that are staying have been put in with Ringo so he's a happy camper. The ewes that are being sold are in the pictures. Over half are the oldest ones (4 years old) and almost as many yearlings.  Several of them are super tame and I think Teresa was surprised when I put them on the list.

Teresa and I were both tired so we went to a local restaurant for supper.


----------



## goatgurl

your culls are looking pretty darn good there mike.  I didn't see a one that I wouldn't mind having at my house.  2 of my ewe's were standing outside choco the buck goats pen this afternoon making googoo eyes at him.  I guess its about time to bring the ram home from str#1's house and get things started for breeding season.  hope you and joyce both enjoyed supper, no cooking, no cleaning.  whats not to love


----------



## Mike CHS

Thanks - they actually look as good or better than most around but we can only carry so many and we have good enough stock that we can be choosy.    The only two that weren't great were the last two to wean and they have only had their lambs off of them for a month.


----------



## Bruce

Always nice when your culls are good enough to be "herd improvers" in someone else's herd.



Senile_Texas_Aggie said:


> While I won't say if I am currently reading your journal or not, it is on my reading list, so watch out!


It is YOU, my friend, who better watch out. Mike has posted quite a few pictures of  food!


----------



## Mike CHS

We originally had 10 ewes we were going to sell but one of them talked me into keeping her around so I put her back in with the breeders.  Ringo has gotten out of shape in the last 5 months since he spent half the day sleeping in the yard under a tree after his first day with the girls.

The 9 ewes have arrived at their new home in Ardmore, Alabama.  I saw the place and they will do right by them.


----------



## Baymule

That was a nice group of ewes. I bet Ringo is happy now with all his ladies. LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

We are having a rest day today and doing a number of things that aren't physical.  I stripped all of the pepper plants and should get a couple more gallon bags of chopped peppers so we have enough to last till next summer.  Anything else that comes on now will be left to turn red and we will pick all of them and roast them before we get a frost.

I pulled all of the squash and melon plants and will prep that bed for some broccoli and cauliflower plants.  That bed is going to be turned into a hoop house garden bed as soon as I pull up the okra plants.  We eat a lot of cajun food and usually go through 6 or 7 gallon bags of okra over the winter.  The okra is maxing out now and I'm getting a gallon bag every three to five days so we are getting enough to freeze as well as give to the neighbors.  We didn't plant any purple hull peas this year so we are swapping okra for peas with one of the neighbors. 

The garden square footage this year is a fraction of what we have used in the past but production has been the best ever.  We have twice as many canned tomatoes, squash, pickles and relish of various kind than we could possibly eat between now and next year.  We have one large chest freezer that is dedicated to frozen vegetables out of the garden and it won't hold very much more.  What is even better we have two neighbors that are unable to garden any longer and we along with other neighbors have been able to provide much of what they wanted to process.  The only disappointment this season has been the melons. We have had plenty of tasty melons but they never got as big as you would expect.


----------



## Donna R. Raybon

Genetics as well as management plays a role in temperament!  Katharine rams do seem to be much less human aggressive than wooly breeds.  I think the fellow who created the breed culled hard to get more docile rams.


----------



## Mike CHS

There are exceptions but the few Katahdin rams that I have seen with people aggression are on farms where they take a hands off approach.  Our mentors from quite a few years ago started working with rams almost from the day they are born. They weren't treated as pets but they were shown that they didn't have a choice in the matter.  It makes life so much easier to be able to walk up to my ram and raise a leg to check or trim his hooves right there in the field.


----------



## Baymule

It is wonderful that the neighbors are sharing their produce with the two that aren't able to have a garden anymore. 
good neighbors are a blessing.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> It is wonderful that the neighbors are sharing their produce with the two that aren't able to have a garden anymore.
> good neighbors are a blessing.



I have made friends everywhere I have lived but this location has more of a community feel than I have experienced before.


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> I have made friends everywhere I have lived but this location has more of a community feel than I have experienced before.


Same here. We thank God every day for us being here.


----------



## RollingAcres

Baymule said:


> It is wonderful that the neighbors are sharing their produce with the two that aren't able to have a garden anymore.
> good neighbors are a blessing.


X2!


----------



## Mike CHS

We loaded up the last wether and the 3 month old ram lamb and took them to the auction this morning.  This sale barn is in Columbia and is fairly close so we brought the trailer home and went to O'Charley's for lunch before going back to watch the sale.  We were able to talk to the grader at the barn and he spent a lot of time showing us what they look for and how to get the best prices on the various categories of sheep and even goats although we don't have any.  There was a little over 500 head at this sale.

Our 5 month old ram has a spot as a commercial herd sire for one of the neighbors and I'm glad to see him have a bit more of a future than the other two.  This is the last of the sales unless we decide to cull some of the 12 lamb ewes which I don't expect any but we will see.

Our numbers are down to what we want to take through winter and once we grade the ewe lambs we can merge the two herds back into one so we can get back to a better pasture rotation. It's harder to do when you have rams in multiple paddocks.


----------



## Mike CHS

One thing I forgot to post about -  I usually work the chute but Teresa got in there this morning and could have gotten hurt so we won't do that again. The boy that got wild is a wether but he was still 150 pounds of muscle that was determined he could jump over that almost 5' gate and tried more than once. He hurt his head and wound up with a swollen eye that I treated but we will be more careful from now on.

Another thing I thought was great about this stock yard was how they started the sale.  The manager walked out and gave his brief about what they had going and then stopped so he could say the Blessing.  He covered most of the major events going on in the world and amazingly, everyone in the bleachers had heads bowing and nobody protesting.  I later wondered about how many places that would not be tolerated.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Really glad that Teresa wasn't injured....sorry the sheep was, but he did it to himself....just hope it didn't affect the price too much for him....sounds like ya had a pretty good day....


----------



## Baymule

There are auction barns around here, but they mostly do cattle, one in Elkhart that is a horse auction and one in Sulphur Springs that is for dairy cattle. San Angelo is the spot for sheep and goat sales, but that's a LOOOOONG ways off. How fortunate you are to have a auction barn so close. I like the prayer before starting the sale.


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> Really glad that Teresa wasn't injured....sorry the sheep was, but he did it to himself....just hope it didn't affect the price too much for him....sounds like ya had a pretty good day....




He actually brought a pretty good price for his age and this time of year.  We have a unique situation this year in that we actually brought more $ in than we spent.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> There are auction barns around here, but they mostly do cattle, one in Elkhart that is a horse auction and one in Sulphur Springs that is for dairy cattle. San Angelo is the spot for sheep and goat sales, but that's a LOOOOONG ways off. How fortunate you are to have a auction barn so close. I like the prayer before starting the sale.



Sheep and goats are getting more popular in Tennessee than is reported and I'm not sure why.  We have several markets available. Columbia is only 20 miles away.  Manchester is the highest dollar and is 55 miles and then we have the Nashville markets which are 60 miles away.


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> He actually brought a pretty good price for his age and this time of year.  We have a unique situation this year in that we actually brought more $ in than we spent.



What does that feel like?? I wouldn't know...….


----------



## Mike CHS

We feel fortunate.


----------



## Mike CHS

We moved the 12 ewe lambs into the shop paddock so we can check them out and put those that we will breeding in with Ringo and his ladies. You work sheep for several years and when you think you have a decent idea about how they are going to react you create a situation where you make it harder to move them to where you want.  I have been taking feed out to the lamb herd to feed them in the same spot where they have their water.  It never dawned on me that that routine was going to make them harder to move.  They come when called but it's to the spot where they are used to getting fed.  I moved their troughs to the intended paddock this morning and called them over to the feed and they just looked at me and headed out in the opposite direction to graze.  We have this paddock cordoned off with netting so we can control where they go so we can more easily follow them around to get some samples to run fecals.

Anyway, Lance needed some more herding time so the ewe lambs are where they need to be but lesson learned.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Until we started dealing with more and different animals I never really noticed just how "routine oriented" they really are....now we joke and carry on about them....tho, I think the goats and ducks are a bit more geared for it than cats and chickens.....Gabbie only has 1 routine....Go!!....she is non-stop until bedtime.....


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> Sheep and goats are getting more popular in Tennessee than is reported and I'm not sure why.


Because of the same reasons the cattle, beef, swine, poultry and goat numbers aren't 100% accurate either. Most hobby farmers don't meet the threshold requirements of receiving and filling out the US Ag Census, and most don't report any kind of Ag financials on their income taxes either, so there is no process available for them to be 'counted'.
To be considered a 'farm or ranch' by USDA/NASS, (National Agricultural Statistics Service) the property and person owning or operating it must sell a minimum of $1000 of product during the year. Having a pickup truck, a few chickens and a pet goat guarded by an LGD and a big ol "_EL RANCHO GRANDE_" sign over the driveway of their 6 acre spread don't meet the minimum requirements.

Currently, the hobby numbers are being extrapolated by the amounts of retail lamb and goat meat being bought, and the market reports of the sale barns and slaughter houses, but again, when a hobby farm doesn't report in any form or fashion that they sold a goat or sheep for meat, the numbers are inaccurate.

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/nahms/downloads/Demographics2014.pdf

In addition, what we see driving down the roads, or interacting with like minded friends is not a very accurate way of guaging any increase or decrease of any kind of demographic either.

But, look at the map of your state, compared to the states surrounding it...
(map is for livestock and poultry only--doesn't include crops of any kind)


----------



## Mike CHS

I put Maisy back in with the older girls and Ringo this afternoon.  When I went out to feed her this afternoon she didn't budge from her perch overlooking the girls.  When I called she didn't even turn her head to acknowledge it.  I'm pretty sure that she remembers the last time I was in that same location and when I called her in I put her out of that paddock and away from her herd so this time she wasn't budging.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Possession is nine tenths of the law...right?....


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> Possession is nine tenths of the law...right?....



She never bonded with the ewe lambs like she did the older girls.  She looked over the lambs but she never went out and followed them around like she does the older girls.  All day today, if the herd moved, she was right with them so we will go back to our old feeding spot that is in with her girls since she will be staying with them for the time being.  There will only be one herd after this week.


----------



## Baymule

LGDs behavior patterns...… aren't they great? Maisy didn't want to be taken away from her girls. She loves them and wants to stay with them. You bad Doggie Daddy!  Gotta love them.

Since my sheep barn and lot is not connected to any of the pastures, I shake a can of feed, call loudly, open gate and pour out feed. Then I open their gate, they RUN to where I put out their feed. Evening-rinse repeat-backwards.


----------



## Mike CHS

I can get the older girls to go anywhere with or without a bucket just by calling but I have kept the younger ones in a close paddock because we were hearing more coyote noise in the outer pens.  They will all be joined and with the dogs soon as we run fecals.


----------



## Baymule

How is Thor doing?


----------



## Mike CHS

Thor and I had a session a couple of weeks ago and he has been good since then.  I won't post my method but it worked.  He was getting out of control with his love hate thing with Ringo and I didn't want that to spread to the rest of the herd so I stopped it.  I love the boy and want him to do good,


----------



## Baymule

Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.


----------



## greybeard

Baymule said:


> There are auction barns around here, but they mostly do cattle, one in Elkhart that is a horse auction and one in Sulphur Springs that is for dairy cattle. San Angelo is the spot for sheep and goat sales, but that's a LOOOOONG ways off. How fortunate you are to have a auction barn so close. I like the prayer before starting the sale.



SS Livestock auction is not just for dairy. 
The regular stocker sale was always every Monday, and the Dairy sale was Thursday but the dairy has changed to only one sale each month--1st Thursday of  the month..
They also do the NorthEast Texas Beef Improvement Organization sale (netbio) sale about every other month. Here's the results of their last sale in July...next NETBIO sale will be Sept 19. 

https://www.sslivestockauctions.com/netbio-salessheet.html

https://www.sslivestockauctions.com/netbio.html
Both Livingston, and Navasota routinely run sheep and goats thru the ring but the closest place for your neck of the woods is probably Mill County Livestock in Goldwaite or the  Tuesday morning sale at Waco. (goats and sheep starts at 9am with the cattle sale later that day) 
Goldwaite website:
https://www.millscountycommissioncompany.com/

mkt report:


----------



## RollingAcres

Look, who's pic is scrolling on the BYH homepage


----------



## Mike CHS

One of the few times he sat quietly.


----------



## Mike CHS

The Black Vultures are in attack mode again this year.  I'm not sure what drives their prey drive but I renewed my Depredation Permit to take out the three that I'm allowed.  Last year after I took one out in their roosting tree I never saw them back there again.


----------



## Mike CHS

We worked the 12 ewe lambs this morning while it was still cool.  We got weights and pulled fecal sample to run on 4 that aren't in as good condition as the others.  Two are right at our minimum weight for breeding so we are going to give them a couple more weeks before putting them in with the ram.

We are going to our Katahdin Association meeting and consignment sale on Saturday.  We aren't really planning on buying anything but we're taking the trailer just in case.


----------



## RollingAcres

Better to have the trailer and not need it than needing it but not have it.


----------



## Mike CHS

There is supposed to be some nice ram lambs to replace our old man ram so if they don't get silly with the bidding we wouldn't mind bringing one home.  There are folks coming from 5 states so there should be a good turn-out.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Based on past history and the "between the lines"....


----------



## Wehner Homestead

CntryBoy777 said:


> Based on past history and the "between the lines"....




X2!!!


----------



## Mike CHS

Wehner Homestead said:


> X2!!!



We are only taking the trailer in case somebody needs help hauling something home.


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> We are only taking the trailer in case somebody needs help hauling something home.



MmmHmmm


----------



## Latestarter

Hey, that's what trailers are for and it's really nice of you to allow yours the opportunity to be put to good use! That's my take on it


----------



## farmerjan

We almost always take the trailer if we are going to a "breeding animal sale".  Like you said, if we don't buy anything, we have often hauled something home for someone else and it helps with the fuel costs.  Most anyone who needs to have something hauled is more than willing to offer to pay something rather than go back and get their own trailer, or to "pay a hauler".  Many times we have been able to haul a bull for someone else,  when we have bought one, separated from ours and it works out.  Have had a few hauled home for us when we haven't taken the trailer but it is worth the little extra in fuel to take it and not need it.  Besides, we figure if we take the trailer we are LESS likely to need it than if we don't, cuz' everytime we don't take it,  sure as shootin we buy something!!!!


----------



## greybeard

I hate pulling dead weight or a trailer full of air If I had the choice, I'd rather pull an overloaded trailer than an empty one and  often don't take a trailer, for the very reason you do take one. 
Saves..............me............MONEY!
It's easy enough to find someone to do the hauling IF something runs thru that I just can't live without.


----------



## Mike CHS

We hauled home 3 ewe lambs and one ram lamb that a neighbor bought.  They run them along with their cattle but they have enjoyed having sheep since they bought some from us last year.  We bought a registered ewe lamb that came out of Georgia.  I bought a ram lamb but sold it before we left there.  I really didn't want it but it was a beautiful boy that was selling toward the end and I think folks were running out of money and he didn't make the reserve price so I bid it figuring I could sell it fairly easy.  A man that was one of the first in Kentucky to have Katahdins in came over and asked if we really wanted that ram because if we didn't he would buy it.  He was out of the room when the ram came out so didn't know it had already been on the floor until near the end.

Attached are a couple of pictures of the ewe lamb.  I'm going to keep her with the other lambs for a couple of weeks then put them all in with Ringo.

She is easy to pick out seeing as she is the only one with a recent bath.


----------



## CntryBoy777

She is really nice....looks like she'll fit right in.....


----------



## frustratedearthmother

She's so pretty!


----------



## Mike CHS

frustratedearthmother said:


> She's so pretty!



We wanted her for her personality as much as pedigree.   All the sheep were ran into the show ring obviously stressed out and lunging to get out.  This one walked in and just walked calmly around the ring and stayed that way till she was let out.  She has been handled a lot and it shows but I like that calming influence.


----------



## Donna R. Raybon

Nice!  Next spring should see you with lots of pretty lambs.  I miss my Katahdins!


----------



## Mike CHS

This ewe lamb will be the last addition for this year (at least from off the farm) and will be lambing again in December and January.  We have our ewe numbers down to 21 which is where we need to be right now.  We had 42 earlier this year.


----------



## Baymule

Your new ewe lamb is a very pretty girl! It is going to be hard to replace Ringo. Haha, you bought a nice ram lamb and sold it. I could be wrong, but I don't think that is the method that results in a new breeding ram for the farm!


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Your new ewe lamb is a very pretty girl! It is going to be hard to replace Ringo. Haha, you bought a nice ram lamb and sold it. I could be wrong, but I don't think that is the method that results in a new breeding ram for the farm!



I have reached the point where I can call the ram and he comes.  I can tell him to back off and he does. I offer an animal cracker and he swoons. What more can you ask.


----------



## Baymule

Just let me know when you are ready to let him go.


----------



## Mike CHS

Ringo has your name on his dance card.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> He actually brought a pretty good price for his age and this time of year.  We have a unique situation this year in that we actually brought more $ in than we spent.


Careful there Mike, it might turn into a profitable BUSINESS!



Mike CHS said:


> We are only taking the trailer in case somebody needs help hauling something home.


A little late I know but ..... "somebody" = Teresa or Mike  Congrats on the new ewe.


----------



## Latestarter

Grats on the new clean ewe. @Baymule perhaps I should throw the cage in the bed of the truck on the 15th when I go to visit Mike? I won't charge ya much to transport Ringo back with me  But I might ask you folks to come to my place to get him. Won't want to drive right away after that trip. Of course I'll feed ya while you're here too.


----------



## Mike CHS

He still has some business to take care of Joe.  

Not to mention I don't see any way to put him in a cage at his size. As big as we are, he is bigger.


----------



## Baymule

Thanks for the offer Joe, but Ringo just got put with the ladies and isn’t ready to go—not yet! LOL


----------



## mystang89

Mike CHS said:


> seeing as she is the only one with a recent bath



How do you give your sheep baths?


----------



## Mike CHS

mystang89 said:


> How do you give your sheep baths?



We don't do it often but when they need cleaning we just turn them into the chute and break out the water hose.  They even act like they like it on hot days but they are used to it.


----------



## mystang89

Mike CHS said:


> We don't do it often but when they need cleaning we just turn them into the chute and break out the water hose.  They even act like they like it on hot days but they are used to it.



That actually gets the poop off the wool and makes them them white again?! That's all I have to do?


----------



## Mike CHS

We don't use soap on them but just water and a dog brush or curry comb to get poop off since they will carry it for months if they don't get out in the weather (which ours don't).  Folks that show their animals use a whitening shampoo like Valley Vet carries but we don't.  I know some of the bigger sheep farms here in Tennessee give their stock regular cleaning but they sell ram lambs starting at $700 so it pays for them.

edit:  I just noticed you asked about getting it off the wool - I don't know how you work it on wool.


----------



## Wehner Homestead

I showed wool sheep for 4-H and we only had them from April to July for a few years. After sheared, we washed them with ivory dish soap. I still go back to washing Sheep when I smell ivory. We tied ours with a halter on and bathed them with the garden hose. The first time was a bit of a rodeo...


----------



## Mike CHS

Most of ours will stand still with a halter but it's usually easier just to crowd them in and they do that routine where they ignore you and act like you can't see them.  

I thought about dish soap but was afraid of causing them a ton of itching since we don't always get them to stand still long enough to get a good rinse.


----------



## Latestarter

Ahhh well, bad timing, missed opportunity Bay & Mike...


----------



## Mike CHS

During the sale we went to on Saturday, they had a Junior Showmanship class for some of the members children.  We are trying to encourage more 4H enthusiasm and it seems to be working.  The picture that is attached is the son of one of the bigger sheep farms around but they are also a super help to all of the small holders that are members.  This ram was a handful for any adult that tried to lead him around but for reasons only known to the ram, that boy can lead him anywhere and you can even watch the ram kind of side step to keep from stepping on the boys feet.


----------



## Bruce

Baymule said:


> Thanks for the offer Joe, but Ringo just got put with the ladies and isn’t ready to go—not yet! LOL


OK then, bring your ewes to @Latestarter and he can take them to Ringo, bring them back bred. Don't forget to tie some money on their collars for the stud fee.


----------



## Baymule

Bruce said:


> OK then, bring your ewes to @Latestarter and he can take them to Ringo, bring them back bred. Don't forget to tie some money on their collars for the stud fee.


Can't do that either as they are currently bred.


----------



## Baymule

That is one big beautiful ram! And the littlest cowboy can handle him while the big men can't. That is  hilarious!


----------



## farmerjan

Years ago I saw a 1,000 + pound show heifer being lead, and following a little 7 year old girl like a puppy and to listen when she told her to "set up"  and actually set her feet.  Sure the little girl had to get them in the right position, but the heifer would actually stop and stretch out.  The little girl couldn't begin to hold the heifer's head up like they liked, so she would just stand next to her quietly and lift her arm and the heifer would lift her head up and strike a pose. You could see her talking to that heifer and you swore that she knew exactly what that little girl was telling and asking her.  Thank goodness it was a heifer and the little girl could keep her as it would have broken everyone's heart if it had been a steer that was destined for the freezer....  They kept her for a brood cow and I am sure she is now long gone to cow heaven but it was so cute.  The dad went in the ring with her but stayed back as soon as it was obvious that this heifer would do whatever the little girl wanted.  Sometimes an animal just bonds with the person that is taking care of and showing it.


----------



## Bruce

Baymule said:


> Can't do that either as they are currently bred.


Very poor planning on your part Bay


----------



## Latestarter

That must have been something to see Jan... Animals can be utterly amazing sometimes. Well really Bruce, since they're already bred, she really doesn't "need" that awesome ram right this minute... She can wait and maybe I'll head back out Mike's way again and she can take advantage then...

You know, was gonna say "or Mike might head this way for a visit" which brought me to thinking... who would watch the farm for them? That led to a thought of wondering what happened to that neighbor kid who had a penchant for getting into trouble? How is he doing Mike? Hopefully all straightened out and moving forward?


----------



## Mike CHS

He has been keeping out of trouble but that's because of the tighter rein.  He still comes over when we're sheep handling but that's about it.  Him and his Grandparents were at the sale and it was his sheep that I hauled home for him (almost $1000 of his own money).


----------



## Wehner Homestead

He stays on a good path!


----------



## Bruce

X2!!


----------



## goatgurl

so, ok I am catching up on reading your journal and I get to the part about taking the trailer to the sale to bring animals home for others and i'm thinking, oh sure, wonder what he's gonna buy.  no way he's gonna come home with an empty trailer.  yup, she is quite the lovely young lady.  congrats, she is going to make a great addition i'm thinking.  is that handsome ram in the picture her sire?  they sure marked the same.
  glad your young protégé is staying out of trouble.  hope he has learned a lesson from all his escapades.  if earning and spending wisely that kind money is any indication maybe he is finally growing up a little.


----------



## Mike CHS

The ram isn't related but he may have some of the same ancestry since that farm is one of the biggest around.


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> She is easy to pick out seeing as she is the only one with a recent bath.



But you didn't wash her feet.


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike, since I don't know anything about sheep and sheep keeping, I'm going to ask:


Do you have to shear them?
How often do you shear them?


----------



## Mike CHS

We have Katahdins and some Katahdin/Dorper cross which are hair sheep (no wool).  They shed pretty clean but you can see on some of our pictures that some don't shed perfectly.  They are usually better at it by the time they get into their second year.


----------



## RollingAcres

Ohhh ok. Thank you for answering.


----------



## Wehner Homestead

@RollingAcres wool breeds need sheared yearly in the spring.


----------



## RollingAcres

Thank you @Wehner Homestead .
Just in case you are wondering, I am NOT getting any sheep (yet).


----------



## Latestarter

Love the qualification at the end... "yet"  <---That's the killer!


----------



## RollingAcres




----------



## Mike CHS

One of our Buff Orpingtons has been sitting on eggs and when we checked a little while ago they are starting to hatch. We saw several and there seems to be so many under her that she is in constant movement to keep them all under her.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Ooooo!!...they are some cute little things!!....just makes ya feel good seeing new life......


----------



## Mike CHS

She has been a good mama hen so far.  This time we kept pulling her eggs till we thought she had enough and then put them all back so she could hatch more than one or two like the last one.  We just gave away some layers because we had too many.


----------



## Southern by choice

That just makes a person happy. Isn't it wonderful to see little chicks newly hatched. 
Even when we were inundated and had 60-100 chicks coming out of the woods with their mommas and we would go... UGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGH they still brought a smile.
I sure do miss my poultry raising. 
I love how right away they are pecking at the ground, scurrying about... how they get tired, how there is always one that ventures just a little farther than the rest.
What a joy.

Made my day Mike. Thanks.


----------



## Mike CHS

You are welcome.

Mama Hen is letting some get out from under her but I think it's because she is running out of room under her.  Funny thing tonight - we must have gotten one of the eggs she was sitting on mixed with those we brought in the house.  Teresa was cleaning one off when she started heard the egg she was cleaning start to chirp.    She took it back outside to the hen so we will see how that one turns out.


----------



## Mini Horses

I love chicks and mama hens!    Congrats.


----------



## Baymule

Awwww......she is such a good momma! Hens and chicks are so cute! That is a good hatch!


----------



## Latestarter

That's really nice Mike. Replenishment of stock with no $ spent to purchase. Hope they are mostly pullets for you.


----------



## RollingAcres

Cute chicks! She's a good momma.


----------



## Mike CHS

Some pictures just make you go AWWWWWWW

The pictures say it all and this is the first time out of dozens that I was able to get the camera out before they moved on.  I first saw these two interacting like this a couple of months ago. Ringo will do the same thing when he wants petted.  He isn't pushing or rubbing but rather he just lays his head against you hoping to get some attention.


----------



## Mini Horses

Used to have a cat and a stallion that felt that same way!  They just loved each other...same, pet me, rub me, awww.  The cat slept in his stall.


----------



## CntryBoy777

That is just Awesome!!...........I enjoyed watching the ducks and goats interact, too....


----------



## RollingAcres

Awwww


----------



## mystang89

Great pics! I'm glad they stayed still long enough to get that.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Funny thing tonight - we must have gotten one of the eggs she was sitting on mixed with those we brought in the house. Teresa was cleaning one off when she started heard the egg she was cleaning start to chirp.


Ruh Roh, nearly had "Balut, the sequel"!!


----------



## Mike CHS

I would have been done with eggs at that point


----------



## Bruce

Yeah since you were almost done with them the last time!


----------



## Southern by choice

Was wondering about your LGD's the other day. 
Great pics.


----------



## Baymule

Aww, I love to see that. That is so sweet to watch, glad that you got pictures! We watched out the window last week as Trip went to each ewe, they were laying down ruminating, sniffing each one, then he laid down next to one.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Aww, I love to see that. That is so sweet to watch, glad that you got pictures! We watched out the window last week as Trip went to each ewe, they were laying down ruminating, sniffing each one, then he laid down next to one.



Ringo has spoiled me as far as rams go.  I posted this picture on BYH about a month after we brought him home but he is in the same mode as he was with Maisy.  He just lays his head on you and waits for scratches but like any sheep he doesn't like it when people move fast.  

In case you can't tell, I like this boy.


----------



## Baymule

I do too! I love Ringo!  That's my boy!


----------



## RollingAcres

Both you and Ringo are spoiled!


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa flew to Charleston a couple of days ago to get one of the Grandsons to fly back here on Saturday.  You get so used to being around someone 24/7 that when they aren't there everything seems to be out of balance.  I did get caught up on my weed trimming though.


----------



## Bruce

Keep busy Mike, she will be home soon! 
Think of something you like to eat that she doesn't, then make/buy/go out and feast!


----------



## Baymule

I get that. After years of working, seeing each other in the evenings and one day on the weekend, now we go everywhere  and do everything together. In March our son in law asked BJ to take a trip with him. They went to 8 states and covered 3,000 miles and had the time of their lives in a week. It was quiet here so I went outside and built the Pig Palace. LOL


----------



## Bruce

BJ is lucky he didn't come home to a new flock of some sort of critter!


----------



## Mike CHS

I don't think he would have had a problem either way


----------



## Baymule

He's so used to my brand of crazy, nothing fazes him anymore.


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> Teresa flew to Charleston a couple of days ago to get one of the Grandsons to fly back here on Saturday.  You get so used to being around someone 24/7 that when they aren't there everything seems to be out of balance.  I did get caught up on my weed trimming though.



It's ok Mike, she will be back very soon.
In the mean time, since no one's around, you can finally watch some "chick flicks" on the Hallmark channel.


----------



## Mike CHS

We introduced the grandson to the farm critters this afternoon and he's having a blast. He got to mess with the chickens and saw the Buff with her new chicks that she just brought out.  I have a couple of ewe lambs that are super tame so he got to hand feed a couple of them and Ringo came up out of the field to get his animal crackers and wasn't phased at all about this new human.  And last but not least he got to meet Thor and Maisy.  Maisy wasn't so sure of this little person but she got over it and let him pet her.  I wasn't real comfortable with Thor at first since his body language was hard to read but he loosened up and I think he finally figured out the newcomer was another human and not some short predator.


----------



## Baymule

Awww...… he is going to have the time of his life, and so are y'all! How old is he?


----------



## RollingAcres

That's wonderful!


----------



## CntryBoy777

Well, it sounds like I can leave the raw meat home...this saturday.....I thought I might need it as a distraction, in order for me to make it from the truck to the house or woodshop......


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Awww...… he is going to have the time of his life, and so are y'all! How old is he?



He's 7 going on 30 but he is having a good time.  I don't think he's used to having to behave as much as he is this week but he has taken it good.  

Fred - are you going to be coming also?


----------



## CntryBoy777

Mike CHS said:


> Fred - are you going to be coming also?


As far as I know...right now, up to the minute that I'm posting this....I am planning on being there....if anything comes up I will surely call ya and give ya warning.....really hoping to make it a great day.....may even have to slip an animal cracker to Ringo too.....


----------



## Mike CHS

I have to ask if you are taking the same route?  

I hope it works out.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Mike CHS said:


> I have to ask if you are taking the same route?


The answer to that question would be....yes...and no....I'm gonna meet Joe on his trek and ride in with him.....probably meet up in Bolivar......


----------



## Baymule

Is y'all's BYH party this weekend? Hope hurricane Flo doesn't put a damper on the festivities. It is supposed to go inland a short way and stall, dumping rain, up to 3 feet in some areas.


----------



## Mike CHS

If the track stays the same it's mostly the Carolinas that are going to get the worst of it.  The big front that has been over us the last couple of days should knock it northward.

The grandson and I just had a piece of butterfinger icing cake that the neighbors made for us.  The husband asked his wife if she would make him one and asked her to make us one to show their appreciation for all of their grass that I cut for them.  It's one of those recipes that I told Teresa is: Too Sweet, Too rich and Too heavy but man was it Good.


----------



## Mike CHS

If the track stays the same it's mostly the Carolinas that are going to get the worst of it.  The big front that has been over us the last couple of days should knock it northward.

The grandson and I just had a piece of butterfinger icing cake that the neighbors made for us.  The husband asked his wife if she would make him one and asked her to make us one to show their appreciation for all of their grass that I cut for them.  It's one of those recipes that I told Teresa is: Too Sweet, Too rich and Too heavy but man was it Good.


----------



## Baymule

Sometimes you just need a over the top sweet treat. Glad that the hurricane rains won't be a problem for you.


----------



## Bruce

Doesn't look like Flo will get close to Mike, just graze the NE corner of TN. SC, NC, VA and WV are going to see her though.


----------



## Mike CHS

The Grandson is becoming a country boy.  Yesterday he helped pull a bunch of chicken wire that was attached to woven wire for the old chicken pen and he did good.  This morning he asked what were we going to do for chores today.  At the top of the list is to scoop up all of the sheep manure in the several places where it seems to accumulate and move it to the raised garden beds.  It doesn't seem to affect him at all since we told him the other day what all those pellets were that he was walking on.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Sounds like ya have the makings of a really good helper there in training.....


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> Sounds like ya have the makings of a really good helper there in training.....


He has actually been better this time than I've ever seen him but his parents aren't here.  He has been perfectly responsive since the other night when I called him for dinner and he told me "just a minute" so he could finish his video game.  I said 'now' and he didn't respond at all so he lost his game and has been good ever since.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Ya know....there is a fine line ya have to walk there....between a "mean old fart" and being a really "cool Grandad".....


----------



## RollingAcres

Wait, I thought Grandparents are supposed to be the ones who spoil their grandkids and let them do whatever they want.

But I'm glad that your grandson gets to learn about farm life and do some farm chores. It's good for kids to learn that stuff and know that getting dirty isn't going to hurt them.


----------



## Baymule

Good for you! With the latest generation becoming hand-held-device-zombies, it is refreshing that you took it away and made him join in actual life. A little bit is fine, but letting kids stay on it non stop or letting it interfere with family time is shameful.


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> Ya know....there is a fine line ya have to walk there....between a "mean old fart" and being a really "cool Grandad".....



I don't have a lot of rules.  Kids can pout and be grouchy all they want as long as I don't see or hear them being that way.  Teresa and I both ask for something rather than demand it so if the youngun' says "I want" whatever, it isn't going to happen.  

He is a smart boy and figured out it's pretty easy to please Grandpa and you get to do a whole lot more new thing when you are good.  He is better behaved and smiling more this week than we have ever seen with the boy.

I cut grass most of the day but Teresa and the Grand cleaned out all of the dead limbs in the chicken pen along with picking up the manure for the garden beds.

@RollingAcres - this young man is already spoiled so spoiling him more doesn't do a thing for the boy long term.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I understand and agree with ya....I think the grandsons act a bit different here when they come now....cause if they don't, they know I'll refuse to take them fishing....


----------



## Bruce

When does he get to drive the tractor?


----------



## Mike CHS

I let him up to steer the tractor on the flats today but I was cutting the old grass in the pastures all day so he can't go there.  He has steered the Ranger several times going out to feed.  His favorite is feeding the ewe lambs since most of them will eat out of the bucket and they don't mind touch.

I was up talking to the neighbors this afternoon and they have several Pit Bull type of rescues that are old but super sweet and of course I got their scent all over my legs.  I got home and went out to feed the dogs and for the first time, Thor growled at me.  He smelled my leg and then ran around growling trying to figure out where that scent was coming from.


----------



## Mini Horses

Mike CHS said:


> Thor growled at me. He smelled my leg and then ran around growling trying to figure out where that scent was coming from.



Good Boy!  Alert to such things.


----------



## goatgurl

enjoy this time with that grandson mike.  some years back my granddaughter lived with me and went to school.  her parents made sure she had a cell phone but the rule at my house was no phone after 10:30 at night.  caught her texting at 2 in the morning and the phone became mine for 3 days before I gave it back.   very next night caught her talking to a girlfriend at 3 something in the morning so from that day on she had to give me her phone at 10:30 and didn't get it back until breakfast the next morning.  I didn't win any popularity contests for a while.  great pictures of ringo and thor.  and yup, when I come home with strange dog smells on my clothes the big dogs almost snuffle my britches off.


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> Thor growled at me. He smelled my leg and then ran around growling trying to figure out where that scent was coming from.



He thought maybe there was a little dog hiding behind you 

Mine had never growled at me before when I came home with other dog smell but like @goatgurl said


goatgurl said:


> almost snuffle my britches off


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> He smelled my leg and then ran around growling trying to figure out where that scent was coming from.


Hopefully he doesn't bite at ghosts!



goatgurl said:


> I didn't win any popularity contests for a while.


I bet, but she turned out better for your tough love.


----------



## Mike CHS

The 8 senior ewes are showing signs of carrying lamb(s) except the spotted ewe who was so fat to start with she might be a little less fat now but shows signs of carrying.  She may be a cull depending on how her yearling from this year and last year turn out with parasite load.   Her and her lambs are the only sheep we have had to treat for Barber Pole worms. If we had 100% more land and kept our sheep numbers the same we could rotate around them but that isn't going to happen.

The majority of this years ewe lambs are almost ready to go in with the others and probably should pretty soon before they get any fatter.  I really like the ewe lamb that we picked up at the auction a few weeks ago.  She is calm and likes to be handled but holds her ground with the bossier ewes.


----------



## goatgurl

I had a doe for several years that barber pole worms was always a problem.   one of her kids was susceptible and one wasn't.  kept the one that wasn't, her kids had good resistance.  and you should like the new ewe, she is a fine looking lady. the fact that she's easy to work with is just a plus.  I put the ram in with all the ewes a couple of weeks ago.  first of feb babies at my house I guess.  
by the way you are gonna owe Teresa big time when this weekend is over.  just sayin'


----------



## Mike CHS

goatgurl said:


> by the way you are gonna owe Teresa big time when this weekend is over.  just sayin'



I always owe my girl but in my own defense I have to say I carry my load.


----------



## goatgurl

yes you do but don't I remember you saying that Teresa would be doing most of the cooking?  guess that puts you guys on dish duty, huh


----------



## Latestarter

<---will wash dishes for food.


----------



## Mike CHS

goatgurl said:


> yes you do but don't I remember you saying that Teresa would be doing most of the cooking?  guess that puts you guys on dish duty, huh



I decided at the last minute to smoke a leg of lamb.  It is in a dry brine right now


----------



## goatgurl

so ok, I guess that lets you off the hook.  and it sounds really good.  youall have fun tomorrow.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I'm game for doing the dishes....or, bring paper to eat on and throw away so nothing to wash....will even scrape the grill and empty the grease trap, if need be....I may be a visitor, but hardly a stranger....so, I'm ready to join a "team/herd" effort tomorrow.....


----------



## Mike CHS

The work load is easy and all we want is some good fellowship to our BYH folk.   

And to add to that, there are no strangers to our place.  Especially not you folks.


----------



## CntryBoy777

We haven't even gotten there yet and I can tell ya the visit was way too short....


----------



## Mike CHS

I know that Joe is just hitting the road but you folks be careful!


----------



## Baymule

Y'all stay safe and have a good time!


----------



## RollingAcres

Y'all have fun and be safe!


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I decided at the last minute to smoke a leg of lamb.  It is in a dry brine right now


 



Latestarter said:


> <---will wash dishes for food.


Or eat and run, has LONG drive home


----------



## Mike CHS

This one is for Bruce.  I just pulled the meat off the smoker and it can sit covered till time to pull the meat.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

That looks delish!!


----------



## RollingAcres

Oh my looks delicious!!!


----------



## Pastor Dave

Is this supposed to be a pitch a tent or find a place in the barn pitch in and visit? Seems a long drive to make 2x in one day!


----------



## Mike CHS

Pastor Dave said:


> Is this supposed to be a pitch a tent or find a place in the barn pitch in and visit? Seems a long drive to make 2x in one day!



I don't envy the drive back to Texas but we had a good visit and they are on the way home.  I didn't get any pictures but @Rammy did and I think @CntryBoy777 did get a couple.  @Rammy brought her sweet little dog and when we went out to see the senior ewes, I think Thor thought that we had bought him a treat.  @Latestarter decided he did like okra the way Teresa cooked it.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> This one is for Bruce.  I just pulled the meat off the smoker and it can sit covered till time to pull the meat.
> 
> View attachment 52155


----------



## goatgurl

oh mike, ya done yur self proud.  that lamb looks wonderful.   glad youall had a good visit.


----------



## Mike CHS

I still feel bad for all the miles folks had to put on to get together but it was rewarding and just confirmed that everyone is how they seem to be which is a great thing in these days of the internet.  

I like to think that some good friendships were confirmed and just got better.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Just checking in to let ya know that I made it home about an hour ago....just in time to take Gabbie out.....I will catch up and post pics tomorrow....everything was absolutely wonderful, from the "to die for" food to the being rushed thru because of pushing time.....heck, everybody devoured their food and was out the door....I was just starting on 2nds, so I picked up another piece of that leg to eat on the way to the golfcart....yep.....it was "fingerlicking Great".....


----------



## Latestarter

Bruce said:


> Or eat and run, has LONG drive home



Ouch  Called that one Bruce... After eating we went out for a cart cruise around to the back of the pasture and when we got back, it was coming up on 6pm... I had offered to help clean up before the tour but Teresa said no and when we got back to the house after chatting for a bit, I basically had to hustle Fred along so we could get back on the road. I had a bit longer drive than he, and really had to get going. Mike, please apologize to Teresa for me... I should have stayed a bit longer and helped  I'm sure Fred would have appreciated the extra visitation time as well...   Had to basically hog tie him to get him back in the car to go 

And Fred, Thank you for everything as well!

It's good to have great folks to call friend.


----------



## Rammy

Mike CHS said:


> I don't envy the drive back to Texas but we had a good visit and they are on the way home.  I didn't get any pictures but @Rammy did and I think @CntryBoy777 did get a couple.  @Rammy brought her sweet little dog and when we went out to see the senior ewes, I think Thor thought that we had bought him a treat.  @Latestarter decided he did like okra the way Teresa cooked it.




Yeah, Thor saw Lucy and said, Oh, Boy! A chew toy! He really had his hair up when he saw her. Great guardian dog. Its good to know he knows how to do his job.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Mike and Miss Teresa,

I think it was mighty good of you two to invite and host those 3 BYHers.  I know Miss @Rammy had been needing a lift in spirit, and the other two could use the visit, too.  I didn't even participate and I am glad for them.  Thanks, again, you two.

Senile Texas Aggie


----------



## Pastor Dave

Next time Mike, make it a weekend and for folks that want to get up early for some churchin', I will do a tent Service. 

Leave Sunday afternoon or evening for home. I know, I make a good activities and social director.


----------



## Mike CHS

Pastor Dave said:


> Next time Mike, make it a weekend and for folks that want to get up early for some churchin', I will do a tent Service.
> 
> Leave Sunday afternoon or evening for home. I know, I make a good activities and social director.



The only problem is one that most of us have and that is livestock and dogs and taking care of their needs.  We did do a couple of events when we had someone that we thought we could trust but that assist went away.


----------



## Wehner Homestead

I know the feeling! Between milking and DD2’s medical issues, we can’t range far for long.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> The only problem is one that most of us have and that is livestock and dogs and taking care of their needs.  We did do a couple of events when we had someone that we thought we could trust but that assist went away.


I could assign the DD's to watch people's animals, they do that for someone in our town. Oh wait, then they wouldn't be here to watch OUR animals.

Nevermind.


----------



## Pastor Dave

Yah, you're right. That refreshes my memory because I would be in a similar boat. And, making it more difficult on myself to get away because gonna add laying hens next Spring.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa and I have been cracking up over the grandsons. We broke out one of the albums with the "before" pictures of the house.  They have been using a lot of terms, like That's Disgusting and similar descriptive terms and especially so when we showed them the pictures of the room they have been sleeping in.


----------



## Bruce

Some people can see the diamond in the rock, others can't!


----------



## Baymule

Sounds like a great time. How much fun to meet and spend time, even a short time together. @Pastor Dave don't worry about the rabbits and chickens, I've had both-you just leave plenty of feed and water and you can get away for 2 days and 1 night pretty easy. Just feed and water when you get home.


----------



## Latestarter

What Bay said... chickens are probably the easiest to leave for a few days cause you use a self loading, bulk type feeder and nipple type waterer and they are good to go for several days to a week. The eggs will still be there to collect when you get back and the only problem with them will be if there's a rooster and they are fertile... In that case, the oldest may have time to start developing if a hen goes broody while you're gone (unless you have an egg eater amongst the hens)  When you collect up the eggs after your trip, you just scramble them all up and cook them then feed them back to the chickens or use as food for the dogs/cats. Or boil them and give them to your pigs. Give them to neighbors you really don't like (Probably not an option being a pastor and all that...). Or just discard them in the compost or trash.


----------



## Rammy

Thats what I do when I go out of town. I fill up a couple waterers, fill up thier 3g hanging feeder and a wall mounted trough I made, and they are good to go. I usually get a neighbor to come get the eggs, but lately just get them when I come back. Mom used to do it but since her shoulder surgery and having cow poop everywhere, shes afraid she will slip and fall. 
Thankfully, no broodies or egg eaters. If you have or can get rollout nest boxes, that will eliminate the chance of a hen eating the eggs, or getting damaged because they got stepped on, cracked when they fell ontop of another egg, or somebody got curious. If you get one or more hens, tho, that become egg eaters, find out who they are and get rid of them. Thats a very hard habit to break and can entice more to do it. I had that happen and had to get rid of alot of hens. Its too bad you cant find someone you trust to care for your animals while your away. Good help is hard to find.


----------



## Latestarter

Well, another thought Dave... You do have a "following" or "flock" of your own to tend to... I would imagine you know of folks who could use a little free food (eggs) to supplement. Maybe one of those families would be willing/able to tend to your animals while you were away in return for the eggs they collect?


----------



## misfitmorgan

Very glad to hear your visit went well and everyone made it home safe! 

Our rams have only just started making advances on the ewes


----------



## Mike CHS

The senior ewes are visibly with lamb so Ringo is getting frustrated because his noise isn't pointing him to any new work.  We had to bring the 13 ewe lambs into the shelter so we could move the netting and get ready to move them in with Ringo.  We pulled fecals from two that don't look quite as thrifty as the rest so we want to check parasite load before moving them.  One of them is the black lamb that we have had to treat twice this year already.  If she has a heavy load this time she is on her way to Columbia.  

I sprayed one of the main fields today with liquid fertilizer.  I sprayed that same field with a bleach & water mix a few days ago.  Our Extension Agent sent us a study that came out of Purdue that indicated mowing down to around 6" followed by spraying with a bleach solution, followed by spraying with nitrogen fertilizer can really reduce Barber Pole larvae in the fields.  I had the items on hand so I figured it couldn't hurt.

Teresa's son has been helping around the farm and came in today and said "I don't know how you guys do this and stay caught up".


----------



## Mike CHS

Tom and the boys headed out after they had dinner and they should arrive in Charleston around 3 in the morning.  The boys seemed to have had a great time.  They stopped at the top of the driveway to grab a picture of Gram and the boys.


----------



## CntryBoy777

It was sure nice to meet them and wish them safe travel too....


----------



## Mike CHS

They also enjoyed meeting everyone Fred.  They really had a good time with a bit of farm life.


----------



## farmerjan

I have never heard of the bleach spraying.  Very interesting.  What is the dilution factor?  Would it be more beneficial to do it  at a certain time of year?  What kind of liquid fertilizer did you use after that?  Was it just for fertilizing or would it counter act the effects of the bleach solution on the grass?  Any info on that would be most welcome Mike.  Thanks.


----------



## farmerjan

Looks like the grandkids and the grandparents had a good time and that the kids will go home talking about all this "stuff" they never had a chance to do before.  It is great that you are giving them that extra in life.  Congrats.  And I wish I could have come south for the meeting but who knows, once I get more "retired" I may just be able to take a trip here & there.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa can't target the original article but we will keep looking.  It wasn't strong enough to do the graze a lot of harm but the bleach solution was to weaken the larvae and the nitrogen was to counter the bleach affect as well as be a second hit on the larvae.  In my case the grass needed fertilizer also.  I used 3 gallons to a 40 gallon spray tank although the article called for 10% bleach. I wasn't willing to sacrifice that big of a field.  This particular field was a pure blanket of ragweed, milkweed and thistle until a couple of years ago.  It was the only one where I had to use multiple hits with 2-4-D among others for a couple of years to get something else growing.


----------



## Mike CHS

farmerjan said:


> And I wish I could have come south for the meeting but who knows, once I get more "retired" I may just be able to take a trip here & there.



The young man said that he wasn't sure that the life we chose was not what he would call retirement but it seemed to keep us busy.


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> The senior ewes are visibly with lamb so Ringo is getting frustrated because his noise isn't pointing him to any new work.  We had to bring the 13 ewe lambs into the shelter so we could move the netting and get ready to move them in with Ringo.  We pulled fecals from two that don't look quite as thrifty as the rest so we want to check parasite load before moving them.  One of them is the black lamb that we have had to treat twice this year already.  If she has a heavy load this time she is on her way to Columbia.
> 
> I sprayed one of the main fields today with liquid fertilizer.  I sprayed that same field with a bleach & water mix a few days ago.  Our Extension Agent sent us a study that came out of Purdue that indicated mowing down to around 6" followed by spraying with a bleach solution, followed by spraying with nitrogen fertilizer can really reduce Barber Pole larvae in the fields.  I had the items on hand so I figured it couldn't hurt.
> 
> Teresa's son has been helping around the farm and came in today and said "I don't know how you guys do this and stay caught up".


A bleach solution (10%) should get a 99% kill rate if followed by nitrogen.  Nitrogen fertilize alone will get around a 96% kill.
Like almost everything else, both are very short lived in their effects on soil/grass parasites.

_Laboratory studies we conducted at North Carolina State University showed that 96.6% L3 barber pole larvae were not moving or dead when immersed in solutions of liquid nitrogen fertilizer (containing 32.7% urea and 42.2% ammonium nitrate (21.1% ammonium and 21.1% nitrate), corresponding to field applications of 30 lb of nitrogen per acre. Another laboratory study showed that a 10% solution of household bleach (5.25% sodium hypochlorite) resulted in 99.1% of L3 larvae not moving or dead. Higher solutions of household bleach caused lysis (disintegration) of the larvae._
https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/decrea...ures-is-liquid-nitrogen-fertilizer-a-viable-a

https://www.tuskegee.edu/Content/Uploads/Tuskegee/files/CAENS/Caprine/alternative methods-min.pdf


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> "I don't know how you guys do this and stay caught up".


Um, maybe you don't always stay caught up!



Mike CHS said:


> The young man said that he wasn't sure that the life we chose was not what he would call retirement but it seemed to keep us busy.


That's for sure! No sitting around in a Barcalounger for you two.


----------



## Mike CHS

greybeard said:


> A bleach solution (10%) should get a 99% kill rate if followed by nitrogen.  Nitrogen fertilize alone will get around a 96% kill.
> Like almost everything else, both are very short lived in their effects on soil/grass parasites.
> 
> _Laboratory studies we conducted at North Carolina State University showed that 96.6% L3 barber pole larvae were not moving or dead when immersed in solutions of liquid nitrogen fertilizer (containing 32.7% urea and 42.2% ammonium nitrate (21.1% ammonium and 21.1% nitrate), corresponding to field applications of 30 lb of nitrogen per acre. Another laboratory study showed that a 10% solution of household bleach (5.25% sodium hypochlorite) resulted in 99.1% of L3 larvae not moving or dead. Higher solutions of household bleach caused lysis (disintegration) of the larvae._
> https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/decrea...ures-is-liquid-nitrogen-fertilizer-a-viable-a
> 
> https://www.tuskegee.edu/Content/Uploads/Tuskegee/files/CAENS/Caprine/alternative methods-min.pdf



Thank you again -Those were the articles we were reading but we couldn't round them up again.


----------



## farmerjan

Thank you for the links.


----------



## misfitmorgan

Glad your visit wen well with the grandkids, who knows maybe they will want livestock when they get older.


----------



## Mike CHS

Starting the 15th of September is the normal planting time for rye grass in this part of Tennessee. I prepped the two paddocks that I'm going to seed starting tomorrow.  It seemed everyone waited for rain last year and many (including us) missed the prime time to get the seed on the ground.


----------



## Mini Horses

Mike, how are you seeding?  drill?   or?

Our extension service had/has a drill seeder that could be signed out by farmers to use for limited time.   Charged by the meter on the device as to how much land covered to seed (?).  

Would love to use it now but, no trailer to handle.  Plus, it is most likely too large for my tractor. LOL   A neighbor was doing several of his hay fields and did mine one year -- my seed and I pd for my use.   Nice!



farmerjan said:


> once I get more "retired



Yeah, MORE retired....that's my goal, too.     Doesn't mean we don't work, just that we work more on things that WE want to do and generally for ourselves &/or friends.


----------



## Mike CHS

@Mini Horses I am broadcasting the seed.  I have the grass cut down to around 4-5" and my spreader can carry 100 pounds of seed at a time.  After spreading the seed I'll run a landscape rake to get some of the seed in ground contact and then drag it with a weighted fence panel to get more seed down to the ground.  That worked pretty good for us on the one field we did last year where the grass wasn't real thick.

All that and then  and hope for rain.


----------



## Mini Horses

OK -- that's a method.     Tried to broadcast one year and noticed what seemed like 1,000 birds sitting on a power line running  close by.  Yep, they swooped in!  

But I do have a weighted fence I use to drag and that might get it down enough.   I would actually hook it behind while spreading.


----------



## Bruce

Mini Horses said:


> Tried to broadcast one year and noticed what seemed like 1,000 birds sitting on a power line running close by. Yep, they swooped in!


You mean like when I seeded a small patch of my yard that had been covered with wood? Except the birds that swooped in looked just like my chickens. Had to put up a cheesy bit of chicken wire to keep them out until the grass came up.



Mike CHS said:


> All that and then  and hope for rain.


I hope you have better luck with that than I have!


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> I hope you have better luck with that than I have!



We didn't have any rain for a couple of weeks after I seeded last year but we are at an elevation that low clouds are on the ground most nights so it's like a constant light rain.

I'll let Thor in while I'm doing it and he chases everything.  I think that boy must run several miles a day.


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> @Mini Horses I am broadcasting the seed.  I have the grass cut down to around 4-5" and my spreader can carry 100 pounds of seed at a time.  After spreading the seed I'll run a landscape rake to get some of the seed in ground contact and then drag it with a weighted fence panel to get more seed down to the ground.  That worked pretty good for us on the one field we did last year where the grass wasn't real thick.
> 
> All that and then  and hope for rain.


A roller or or corrugated compactor will improve your yield by increasing the # of ryegrass seeds in contact with the soil.


----------



## Mike CHS

If I had a compactor or a roller I would use them but since I don't I'll use what I have.


----------



## Baymule

What about a harrow? Would that help?


----------



## Mike CHS

@Baymule - that's basically what I'm doing with the panel.

It looks like we are going to be culling one of our black lambs. We did fecals on all of the ewe lambs bout a month ago and wormed the three that had some (but not bad) worm load.  We have since ran a fecal on the black ewe lamb twice after trying both Cydectin and Prohibit.  Ran a fecal again this morning and she is still carrying a fairly heavy load so went to our vet and picked up some Valbazen and will give her a double dose for the next three days to see what that does.  We have retested two and took one fecal sample to have the vet confirm our readings (which he did) so it's just this girl that has some impaired immune issues.  We will test again in a week or so to see what her load is but either way she is on her way off the farm.  We took another sample that Teresa had worked up and did not find anything which the vet confirmed also so we are on the right track.

I really like this vet.  He was busy but still took the time to sit and talk with us about how we are doing the samples and made a couple of suggestions to make it easier.  He says that he loves to spend the time helping folks that are trying to help themselves.


----------



## Baymule

A good vet is a blessing. Ours is a young guy that bought out an existing practice when the previous vet retired. He isn't all that on sheep, but he is willing to learn and has compassion for the animals he treats.

You are doing the right thing. If a sheep is going to always be a little off, not as healthy as the others and be more susceptible to worms, why would you want to breed that into your flock? It can be hard to make the cuts, but it is the smart thing to do.


----------



## Bruce

Sorry you may have to lose her but you are doing the right thing, nothing like weakening a herd by keeping low resistance animals.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I saw a lot of energy in Thor's face while his mouth was watering for a tidbit of Lucy....

  ....there isn't any need to allow those parasites just grow and multiply to infect others....smart decision.....I haven't sown mine yet, but hoping to get to it this next week....with this heat here, it may get delayed again....


----------



## Mike CHS

I don't know how many like okra but we eat it at least once and depending on how much we are picking, often twice a week so we save recipes as we come across a winner.  I didn't not where this one came from so I can't give credit but it is simple and is always a hit, even for many that say they don't care for okra.  We already have more in the freezer than we can eat between now and next summer so I keep adding to my  recipe file since we have found this is one thing the chickens are not crazy about.

I only start about a dozen plants but selective pruning through the summer has the plants constantly adding new growth and fruit.  I picked almost a basket full this morning out of our okra bed and the main branches are pushing 7' tall.

*Roasted Okra*
Ingredients

1 pound okra, rinsed and dried
1/2 Tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons thyme (I use powder rather than fresh)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
ground pepper, to taste
pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
Instructions

Preheat oven to 450°.
Trim the okra then cut the okra in half, lengthwise.
Place okra in a large bowl. Add oil and spices and stir to coat the okra halves.
Place okra on a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes, shaking or stirring the okra at least twice during the roasting time. You’ll know the okra is ready when it’s lightly browned and tender.
Serve hot


----------



## CntryBoy777

That does sound good!!....I've eaten a ton in my life from boiled to fried....that was exceptional that we had there last saturday....btw.........will have to give this a try, too!!


----------



## RollingAcres

I like okra. Never had roasted okra tho so I will have to give this recipe a try too!


----------



## Rammy

My Mom likes okra, so I may print out the recipe to give her. If its not too much trouble, could Teresa have you post her recipe for those tasty taters y'all made? I remember the olive oil and garlic, but dont remember the rest. I wanted to make some the other day but couldnt remember all the ingrediants. Those were really good!


----------



## RollingAcres

Rammy said:


> My Mom likes okra, so I may print out the recipe to give her. If its not too much trouble, could Teresa have you post her recipe for those tasty taters y'all made? I remember the olive oil and garlic, but dont remember the rest. I wanted to make some the other day but couldnt remember all the ingrediants. Those were really good!



Did you take pics of those delicious taters?


----------



## Mike CHS

I think you guys will like those roasted and the same way works on the grill.  The fried okra we had is a Paula Dean recipe.

The potatoes are simple also (like most things we do) - Cut the potatoes up, place in a bowl and add some minced garlic, salt and pepper then shake to make sure they are all covered with the spice/oil mixture.

Spread out in a single layer on a pan and bake at 375 till done or crank it up to 425 once they are done to add some crispy.

I like to add a little garlic powder, paprika and cayenne when it is just us but since we didn't know the tastes of y'all that were visiting we keep it neutral.  

I don't think the taters were photogenic so don't know if they got in any of the pictures.


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> Cut the potatoes up, place in a bowl and add some minced garlic, salt and pepper





Mike CHS said:


> I like to add a little garlic powder, paprika and cayenne



Sounds like the ones we make here. I do mine in cubes DH does his in wedges.


----------



## Mike CHS

We make them in cubes for company but I prefer wedges for myself so your DH has the better taste.


----------



## Rammy

RollingAcres said:


> Did you take pics of those delicious taters?


I was too busy eating them!


----------



## Rammy

Mike CHS said:


> I think you guys will like those roasted and the same way works on the grill.  The fried okra we had is a Paula Dean recipe.
> 
> The potatoes are simple also (like most things we do) - Cut the potatoes up, place in a bowl and add some minced garlic, salt and pepper then shake to make sure they are all covered with the spice/oil mixture.
> 
> Spread out in a single layer on a pan and bake at 375 till done or crank it up to 425 once they are done to add some crispy.
> 
> I like to add a little garlic powder, paprika and cayenne when it is just us but since we didn't know the tastes of y'all that were visiting we keep it neutral.
> 
> I don't think the taters were photogenic so don't know if they got in any of the pictures.



Ahh,  yes, the salt and pepper...........duh............told you I have OPS...........yummy.............I know what Im making with dinner tonight!


----------



## Pastor Dave

I had okra at school a lot the coupla years spent in TN as a kid. I don't see it grown up here in IN much. I prefer it breaded and fried, but it is good stewed in diced tomatoes and onions with black pepper, garlic powder and salt. It would be fine using minced garlic too. I topped it with some parmesan cheese.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Roasted okra is good with a little paprika and cumin also.  Love it!!


----------



## Mike CHS

We went down to Ardmore, Alabama this afternoon to pick up a bushel or so of apples to make a big batch of our apple sauce.  When we were coming back through town I saw that a convenience store that had been closed for a year or more had a big sign that said PHO in big letters and below that it said FULL VIETNAMESE MENU.

I have said it before but one of the few things we miss about Charleston is the variety of food available and the multitude of outstanding Vietnamese and Thai restaurants (which are my favorites).

The place was ran by a sweet, relatively young Vietnamese couple and the food was among some of the best I have ever had.  They sat and talked to us about their menu and told us the story about how they got to this really country town.     I don't know whether they will be successful in a little farm town like Ardmore since it doesn't fall under southern cooking but we will give them our share of business and tell everyone that we know about them.


----------



## Bruce

Talk them up to everyone you know Mike! Though some people just won't try anything that is much different that what they have eaten all their lives. Not sure how to get them to try said food. I've not had Vietnamese but I like Thai and Nepalese and Moroccan and ....., never had any of those things growing up.


----------



## Mike CHS

We are Bruce and if you like Thai you will also like Vietnamese. They are similar but far from the same.  We have already told several friends and I made a mention of them on my Facebook page. I also wrote the first review for them on their page.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I've never had any of those foods....not opposed to trying, as long as I know what is in it.........back in the mid to late 90s I took a Vietnamese guy fishing and taught him how to use the rod and reel that he had and put him on some fish....largemouth bass.....he was speaking and laughing so loud and rocking the boat....he was one Happy camper....
We both caught over 20 each and he got one that went about 4lbs.....he apologized for speaking Vietnamese, but he was so happy he couldn't stop to try and say it in English....I told him that it was just fine....afterwards I took him to his car and dropped him off and gave him all the fish.....we argued, but I insisted so he did....when he shook my hand he had a tear in his eye.....he sure did make my day, that day....I sure hate having lost contact with him....


----------



## Mike CHS

I have made quite a few Vietnamese friends over the years and I have always found them to be the most genuine of any that you would meet.  My barber back in Charleston in the late 90's was a helo pilot in Vietnam that was one of the last to make it to the carriers.  He had some stories to tell.


----------



## Baymule

Ardmore isn't far from where my husband is from. His family lived in Killen, Alabama until he was 10 years old, then moved to Florence, where he saw electricity and running water for the first time.


----------



## Bruce

Hope it didn't scar him for life


----------



## Baymule

Bruce said:


> Hope it didn't scar him for life


Huh? What would scar him for life? His family was VERY poor. His father walked from Killen to TVA in Florence every day for months, asking to go to work and they finally hired him. Then they moved to Florence. It was another time, hard to comprehend now, when even the poor have so much in comparison.


----------



## Bruce

The shock of easy living with running water AND electricity at the same time! Almost enough to stop one's heart. 

I think this place probably got electricity in the 50's based on the type of wire and some original light fixtures. I believe the drilled well was done in '79. There was a dug well close to the back of the house that the construction guys discovered when digging to replace the stone foundation under the north building. There was a pipe so presumably they had pressure water from that. 


 
Sadly it was so close to the back of the house, they had to fill it in. REALLY wish it had been 10' farther out. Someone did a remarkable job of building that, hated to see it destroyed. 

But the guy who lives next door grew up here, he said they sometimes had to go out to the concrete cistern in the field to get water ... in the winter. Bet they were REAL happy when the drilled well went in. I'm guessing he was < 10 at the time.


----------



## Pastor Dave

We really do live in a young country, don't we? My Dad remembers the hand pump in the kitchen sink getting replaced with modern plumbing as well as the bathroom built on and outhouse replaced. They got their first tv too that year, all in 1950! Exciting year.

In my lifetime, we upgraded styles of tvs, added video games, microwaves, switched from a bathtub to a shower, computers, cell phones, internet, cable and satelite, now fiber optics, and the list goes on...


----------



## Mike CHS

We were not poor but the area we lived in was just starting to get the latest conveniences in the mid 60's.  New construction houses had all of the 'normal' things that would be expected.  The family I lived with while I was in High School owned a pool hall and bar but that store had an out house until 1968.


----------



## RollingAcres

My parents house was quite "modern" but I do remember having to use the out house at my grandparent's house, and used a well (the one where you put a pail in the well and get water by pulling the pail up with a rope kind of well).


----------



## Bruce

Pastor Dave said:


> They got their first tv too that year, all in 1950! Exciting year.


That was REALLY early for TV! DW's family didn't have a TV (saw no reason I guess) until the moon landing in '69 when DW was 7. Her Dad made it from a kit.


----------



## Mike CHS

I got the rye grass seed broadcast and raked yesterday and also seeded some Fescue broadcast and raked in another paddock so we're hoping we will get some of that rain that seems to be skirting right around us.

We are still getting a fair amount of tomatoes and the sweet peppers are still putting on fruit that we will leave on the vine until just before we get our first frost.  We are getting a pound or two of okra every few day that we are slicing and then freezing in vacuum bags.  We have almost twice as much as we need so we will probably break some out soon and can some okra and tomatoes.

I had one big branch of okra that I left on for my seed for next season.

We had comfort food tonight.  Teresa made some fried port tenderloin sandwiches with a side of home french fried potatoes and sweet potatoes.


----------



## Rammy

Looks tasty!


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Oh yum!


----------



## Wehner Homestead

I’ve never had okra but I saved the recipes that you shared so I can try my hand at making it!


----------



## RollingAcres

Yummy!
Nice okras!


----------



## Mike CHS

Wehner Homestead said:


> I’ve never had okra but I saved the recipes that you shared so I can try my hand at making it!



We eat it at least once a week and more if I have something going on the grill.  I'll add okra to the grill no matter what we are cooking.


----------



## RollingAcres

I've never had grilled okra. I need to get some and grill them.


----------



## Mike CHS

We got a little over an inch and a half of steady rain and more is forecast so we are going to go the theatre and watch the new Equalizer movie.  Movies are one of those things that we used to do regularly but anymore we stay busy enough that we rarely go.

I'm attaching a couple of pictures of our goofball house dogs.  Company never sees the sheets that keeps the dog hair off of the furniture but BYH gets them pretty regularly. 

I noticed this morning when I was brushing a few of the ewe lambs that they are putting on their winter coats.


----------



## Wehner Homestead

Awww! Sassy and Lance!


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Company never sees the sheets that keeps the dog hair off of the furniture but BYH gets them pretty regularly.


So you are saying we are family! Yea!!


----------



## Rammy

I keep sheets on my furniture too because of the hair. I also have a sheet of plastic under the quilts on the couch because someone likes to forget where the litterbox is once and a while. Got to love em.


----------



## greybeard

Baymule said:


> Huh? What would scar him for life? His family was VERY poor. His father walked from Killen to TVA in Florence every day for months, asking to go to work and they finally hired him. Then they moved to Florence. It was another time, hard to comprehend now, when even the poor have so much in comparison.





My father, top right. Civilian Conservation Corps in 1936. Made $30/month and sent almost all of that home to family back in Texas. The picture was taken in Ft Collins Colorado, where he worked "skinning bark off logs with a straightened out garden hoe" to build cabins for other workers.
6 years later, he was wearing a diffent kind of uniform and carrying an M-1.




It's one of the primary reasons that generation and it's offspring looked upon 'modern' welfare with such disdain. They didn't/don't believe in free rides..had to work for their 'welfare, and their gubment cheese'.

My dad and his sister drawing water..sometime in the late 20s or early 30s.


The well,with it's unique stucco covering was still there last time I went by that property up in Woods County Texas , tho no longer used.


In my lifetime, my paternal grandparent's home was supplied with water by walking down a hill and getting water from a cased spring..cased by dropping two 20' cement culverts down in the sand.
I drank lots of water, from a bucket on the kitchen counter..from a porcelain dipper that all shared.

My maternal grandparents and several of my uncles on that side, got their water from windmills with an elevated tank to provide flow.

 Later, around 1959, one of the sons installed an electric pump to pipe water up to the house and all the amemites that provided.


----------



## Bruce

Good stories GB!


----------



## greybeard

Here's my maternal GF with one of his hogs. 


 

One of my cousins, with grandmother on the right. 
You can't see it in this pic because it wasn't up in launch position when the photo was taken, but there is an Atlas missile and silo in the background.


----------



## Mike CHS

I had 3 uncles that were in Fort Collins about that same time frame but they are gone now.


----------



## Bruce

greybeard said:


> Here's my maternal GF with one of his hogs.


They grew them big!!!! 

Always been curious about women's hats with the large front projection. Meant to keep wind blown dust out of their face?


----------



## greybeard

Bruce said:


> They grew them big!!!!
> 
> Always been curious about women's hats with the large front projection. Meant to keep wind blown dust out of their face?


Known as a bonnet or sun bonnet. That picture was taken in Nolan County Tx, about 45 minutes south of  Abilene. The sun can be brutal there.


----------



## Baymule

The well,with it's unique stucco covering was still there last time I went by that property up in Woods County Texas , tho no longer used.

@greybeard Wood county is just a few miles north of us, where is the well?


----------



## Mike CHS

It rained pretty much all day long and started clearing off a bit just before sunset so it wasn't a real productive today.  I worked in and around the hoop house shelters and the bigger shop shelter to clean up all of the manure out and about.  A big part of it was already decomposing so it got put on one of the big garden beds.

The fescue and rye that I planted several days ago is already up and 3-4" tall in the big fallow field that I sprayed last month.  I plan on using the two paddocks closest to the shop as nursery pens when we start to lamb in a few months.  It looks like I was heavy on the seed with the fescue as it's coming in way too thick.  I did wind up buying a harrow at tractor supply since the grass that I had cut had way too much residue to get seed down through it.  It worked pretty good.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I'm glad someone got some sun today....we didn't see it any today....it has been drizzly-drippy with a bit of a chill in the air here today.....overnite low was 60° and the hi was 66°....I knew it was gonna be a good day, when it took both hands to get my leg out of bed this morning..........the sunset was beautiful and glad your seed is smiling at ya.....


----------



## Latestarter

Pretty much the same here Fred... gray and damp all day. We were supposed to see some sun. no such luck. I could see the clouds starting to thin out at dark, so maybe sun tomorrow. But then humidity is supposed to be back up as well as temp.


----------



## Bruce

Drag harrow I presume? Does it just rearrange the residue from haying?


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Drag harrow I presume? Does it just rearrange the residue from haying?



Yes, drag harrow.  I attached it to the Ranger and moved at a fairly fast clip so the loose grass was flying.  It literally tosses everything up and since I had some dry weather for several days prior to seeding, it worked really well.


----------



## Bruce

So basically it separates out the stuff that packed down keeping the seeds from getting to the soil?


----------



## Mike CHS

That's about it Bruce.   I was told that a tedder works as well as long as the cut grass isn't too thick but I don't have or need one and didn't want to borrow one.  In case you aren't familiar with that it's a machine used in haymaking and is used after cutting and before windrowing.  It uses moving forks to aerate or "wuffle" the grass.


----------



## Bruce

Yep I know about tedders. I've even seen (not personally) a combination tedder rake for the small "farmer" so only one machine purchase is needed for both tasks. Gotta fluff up the cut grass so it can dry rather than laying flat. That is a problem with Al using a sickle bar to mow my field, it lays the tall stuff ( tallest ones are weeds mostly) down flat and it mats and sits there and rots, the grass underneath can't grow. Not a bad mower for my size property if it were going to be baled though.


----------



## Mike CHS

We are having a cooking day.  Teresa made some super good Pancit Chicken for an early lunch and I made a big batch of meatballs that we will freeze and then vacuum seal for pre-cooked meals and then I'm going to grill a batch of chicken thighs for the same reason.


----------



## Baymule

A cooking day is a good day. It's even a better day when you don't have to cook  and it is ready for you to eat!


----------



## Mike CHS

Tennessee Titans just knocked off the Eagles in overtime in one of the better games I've seen so far this season.


----------



## Latestarter

A LOT of good games today so far! Cowboys/Lions was close, as was the Bengals/Falcons. Can't believe the final call by the Colts that gave the Texans the game at the end of OT...   What was the Colts coach thinking?  Really liked that the Bears took care of biz! Browns aren't a fluke either... They are more than most expected this year with Mayfield at QB...


----------



## Mike CHS

The Titans did 4 (I think) 4th down conversions in their overtime and had it down to less than 20 seconds for the last one..


----------



## Latestarter

The Titans are or can be a team to be reckoned with this season. So far this season I've been pretty impressed with how many evenly matched teams there really are. The league has been striving for this for years (20+) and it seems it's nearly there. A lot of decent teams this year. Makes games much more open to go either way and the outcome undetermined until the game is actually played.


----------



## Mike CHS

We went down to Alabama to pick up another couple of bushels of apples so we had to stop at what is now my favorite place to eat - Pho Nam.  We shared their Facebook page with ours the last time we went and since then several other people have done the same so we are hoping they get enough business to do well.  Vietnamese food is my favorite and this couple does it perfectly.  They spent a lot of time at the table with us looking at pictures and we agreed to bring them some sheep meat the next time we go so they can try it out. They told us what we were eating but I couldn't pronounce it.


----------



## Rammy

Nice pic!


----------



## Baymule

It looks good!


----------



## Bruce

Could you spell it?


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> We went down to Alabama to pick up another couple of bushels of apples so we had to stop at what is now my favorite place to eat - Pho Nam.  We shared their Facebook page with ours the last time we went and since then several other people have done the same so we are hoping they get enough business to do well.  Vietnamese food is my favorite and this couple does it perfectly.  They spent a lot of time at the table with us looking at pictures and we agreed to bring them some sheep meat the next time we go so they can try it out. They told us what we were eating but I couldn't pronounce it.
> 
> View attachment 52750



Nice pic Mike. The pho looked good.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Could you spell it?



Not without being able to pronounce it.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I'd need more details, before trying.....but will accept your word for it.....it reminds me of hog-maw soup.....


----------



## Mike CHS

There usually isn't that much meat and more pasta than this bowl had.  Her husband said she liked me and threw in some extra.  

We had to come in and take a break from working sheep. We're doing hooves and pulling random fecal samples on the ewe lambs.  We are thinking about selling the tilt table and just do their hooves by putting them on their butts.  They go in the chute on their own since they can see through the guillotine gate rather than the solid metal of the tilt table and I think it actually went faster for this group.


----------



## Latestarter

Guess you could also build something like a milking stanchion with head gate... Get them "elevated" a bit so you don't have to stoop over or kneel down... Just walk them up and on for some treats and trim the hooves, then release them and let them walk away... Patting the goats while they are standing up on the deck of the new goat mansion (to be) has me determined to have a milk stanchion by kidding time next spring. I could milk them standing, vice getting down on one knee. Trimming hooves would be a breeze, not clipping them to the fence and bending over holding up the hoof and trimming it while looking at it upside down (standing on my head almost).


----------



## Wehner Homestead

If you sell the tilt table, I have someone interested in a used one.


----------



## Mike CHS

I'll let you know after we work the older ewes in the next week or so.  They are a bit larger so we'll see how the manual process works with them.  The 13 ewes we did today weren't stressed out the least bit when we were all done and even kept wandering back into the chute system.


----------



## Mike CHS

Latestarter said:


> Guess you could also build something like a milking stanchion with head gate... Get them "elevated" a bit so you don't have to stoop over or kneel down... .



We had a milking stand but sold it last year when we decided we were working hard enough and decided not to get goats.  I have several ewes that I wouldn't even think about trying to get up a ramp. 

It's easy to sit them on their butts but I just ordered a Sheep Deck Chair from Premier1 and should have it in time to work the senior ewes in a few days.  Most of them are tame enough I can just raise their legs up and trim that way.  Ringo I can just walk up to and lean him in to me and pick his leg up to do his.  He has only needed minor trimming since we have had him.  We bought a head gate just for Ringo but haven't had to use it.


----------



## Wehner Homestead

Now @Baymule is going to want him that much more! Lol


----------



## farmerjan

Wehner Homestead said:


> Now @Baymule is going to want him that much more! Lol


My thoughts exactly.... and if I had that type/breed of sheep, I would too!!!!!


----------



## Mike CHS

We bought the head gate before we knew how easy Ringo was to handle.  There is no way I would try to put that boy in the tilt table and he is big enough (right at 275) that you aren't going to pick him up to put him on his butt.  I might have been able to do it at 40 but not at 68.


----------



## goatgurl

the pho looks really good and I love those spring rolls with the peanut sauce.  we have several good Vietnamese places around here  and I visit them frequently.  one of them makes a chicken and veggies with garlic sauce that is marvelous.  
i'm really you are getting one of those sheep chairs.  I've eyeballed them but haven't ordered one yet.  i'll be anxious to see how it works.


----------



## Mike CHS

goatgurl said:


> i'm really you are getting one of those sheep chairs.  I've eyeballed them but haven't ordered one yet.  i'll be anxious to see how it works.



The couple that were our mentors said they did the same and sold their table after using the chair


----------



## goatgurl

i'll be expecting a report after you work the older ewes.


----------



## Bruce

Latestarter said:


> Patting the goats while they are standing up on the deck of the new goat mansion (to be) has me determined to have a milk stanchion by kidding time next spring.


Time for a design change! Extend one end a couple of feet and et voila! Milking stand.



goatgurl said:


> i'm really you are getting one of those sheep chairs. I've eyeballed them but haven't ordered one yet. i'll be anxious to see how it works.


I know someone on another forum that has one, she thinks quite highly of it. Said it was really easy to use. Find or make a fence rail the appropriate height to lean the chair against once the sheep is in it.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce - I saw one at another farm and they just kind of roll into them and it is a lot easier than picking them up and setting them on their butts.  The Deck Chair shipped from Premier1 this afternoon and should be here Friday just in time to bring the older ewes in for working on them either this weekend or soon after.  I'm putting the ewe lambs in the dry lot in the morning since we are seeing more of a parasite load than expected.  I guess I'll find out how much they want to follow that food bucket since there is a couple of unfenced areas that I need to walk them through.  Lance is on standby.   That will give me time to spray the two fallow paddocks after I cut them.  The nursery paddock is getting a good stand of new Fescue and rye grass and it has been sprayed.   I have decided to split the bigger 6 acre paddock in half.  I already have the fence on hand and most of the posts I need so it's a cheap addition and will give me 8 paddocks to rotate through plus I still need to fence the last two acres that used to be garden.  The worm loads still aren't in the danger zone but I want to see what I can do to put it closer to the "not to worry" point.

Just a side note - My shoulder feels like I played tackle football yesterday.  Most of the ewe lambs are a bit smaller than the senior ones but they were still 100 - 130 pounds of 4 legged (I ain't letting you do that) critters and putting them on their butts was the most physical I have been since the surgery.  The good news is that it is just muscle soreness from the severed muscles and not the joint so that makes me feel good.


----------



## Latestarter

Good to hear that the shoulder repair is working.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I was wondering what variety of fescue?


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## Mike CHS

We broadcast Pastoral Fescue this time and I like the way it's filling in.


----------



## misfitmorgan

The deck chairs do work well i have seen them used. You just back the sheep up into the deck chair front and it folds their back legs then you grab the front legs or neck and follow thru on flipping them into the chair. It's actually a lot easily then putting them on their butts the normal way because the chair makes the sheep into a sort of lever and once you get the hang of it the momentum does most the work. Go to slow and the sheep fight a bit, but it definately saves the back on trims and is good for worming, etc too.


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## Mike CHS

Another endorsement is always a good thing. When I was looking at reviews, the only negative was a person that has goats with horns and he couldn't make something called a SHEEP Deck Chair work with his goats.  

More than anything though I love the reduced stress level on both us and the sheep working this way.  The chair is a must though since working the lighter ewes (135 lbs) was pushing it getting them over manually and I have several that are 175+ pounds.


----------



## Bruce

Time for mini sheep!


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## RollingAcres

Is there even such thing?


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## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Time for mini sheep!



We are breeding to get bigger sheep and I don't think we could compete on the meat market with minnies.  

Our tilt table can handle the big ones with no problem but I wan't to eliminate the stress on the animals more than anything else.  Yesterday was a pleasure just walking the sheep over the weight scale in the chute and they didn't even struggle when I picked them up.  Where with the table you have to fight with them to get them in the chute and then literally force them into the table.


----------



## Bruce

RollingAcres said:


> Is there even such thing?


Not that I know of. But then there is a lot I don't know about sheep. Pretty much forgot everything I learned about them in college, that was 40 years ago.


----------



## Mike CHS

I made a big pot of gumbo tonight  and took the neighbors some since they have been working some crazy hours.  I'm cutting a big section of their grass to feed the sheep in the dry lot while I'm treating two large paddocks so everyone is happy.  This one single dish is why I make sure we have enough okra in the freezer to last us until next July.


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## CntryBoy777

Looks so Good.....I can almost taste it.....


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> Looks so Good.....I can almost taste it.....



Besides the veggie trinity, it had chicken, shrimp, clams and Andouille sausage.  Neighbors called and said it was the best they ever had.  May or not be true but the compliments are always appreciated.


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## farmerjan

There are smaller breeds of sheep... One, the "baby doll" southdowns are a small breed.  We used to just call them  old english southdown sheep til someone in the "cute petsy mindset" called them " baby dolls" and I guess it stuck.  Also shetland sheep are a small breed and I think there is a fairly rare breed in france or england called Breton?  would have to look it up.  Cheviot are not mini but they are also a smaller breed.


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## Pastor Dave

Re: the gumbo. I had okra tonight with tomatoes, but would live to try what you have shown there. What did you say the other veggies were?


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## Mike CHS

Pastor Dave said:


> Re: the gumbo. I had okra tonight with tomatoes, but would live to try what you have shown there. What did you say the other veggies were?



Besides the okra, you use celery, onions and bell peppers. That's pretty typical of most Cajun dishes plus I usually add some of my jalapenos but didn't this time since I was cooking for others as well as us.


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## RollingAcres

Looks delish!


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## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> celery, onions and bell peppers



@Pastor Dave that's the "Cajun holy trinity"

Mike, have you had gumbo with crawfish in it? Mmmm so good!


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## Mike CHS

I haven't made it with crawfish but used to get it at several places when I lived in Pensacola.


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## RollingAcres

I haven't had crawfish anything since I moved up to NY 9 years ago...


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## Mike CHS

We heard the chickens making a lot of noise and when we went out to see what was going on the first thing we noticed was that all 6 of the 3 week old chicks were nowhere to be seen.  We went around the field adjacent to their pen and found no sign of feathers or anything.


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## Rammy

Thats terrible! Maybe they will show up later? I hope so.


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## RollingAcres

Oh no! I hope you find them soon.


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## Latestarter

Sorry Mike, hope they aren't missing for good. Hope whatever set up the ruckus just scared them into hiding somewhere. Hope you find the perp as well.


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## frustratedearthmother

Hope they're just hiding and will come out when they feel less threatened...


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## CntryBoy777

It would be unusual for all of them to be gotten that quickly, the alert call from the others probably sent them to hiding....at least I sure hope so.....


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## Baymule

I hope they show back up!


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## Mike CHS

The mama hen and Roo finally quit calling for them


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## RollingAcres

Still no sign of them?


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## Bruce

RollingAcres said:


> I haven't had crawfish anything since I moved up to NY 9 years ago...


I've never had crawfish, my only involvement was one time when my Dad, stepmother and I went out for dinner. She got the crawfish. In the shell. Dad and I were peeling them for her after we finished eating. Now if someone ELSE wants to peel the little buggers, I'm game 

Sure hope those chicks do show up Mike. I agree, I don't think anything could get them all at once. Of course at 3 weeks they aren't trained to go back to the coop by themselves either.


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## RollingAcres

Bruce said:


> I've never had crawfish, my only involvement was one time when my Dad, stepmother and I went out for dinner. She got the crawfish. In the shell. Dad and I were peeling them for her after we finished eating. Now if someone ELSE wants to peel the little buggers, I'm game
> 
> Sure hope those chicks do show up Mike. I agree, I don't think anything could get them all at once. Of course at 3 weeks they aren't trained to go back to the coop by themselves either.



Now the "proper" way to eat them is at a Crawfish boil, usually outside. You "dump" the boiled crawfish and other yummy goodness like Andouille sausages, corn, taters...on the table. Everyone gather around the table, peel and eat away.


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## Mike CHS

We used to do that about once a month with all of the people that I worked with at the Navy Base.  Of course there was usually a keg involved back in those days.

Sorry I was slow updating as I was out cutting grass so I can spray but the chicks are all here.  The coop they are in sets on a pallet and one of the boards that seals it shut had an opening that they found and they were all caught under there.  We figured that out when we saw the hen would not leave the side of the coop but just sat there waiting for them to come out.


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## greybeard

I've eaten my share of crawfish and can peel one way faster than I can a boiled egg or take the meat from a crab leg. (My wife won't eat them; says they taste like "bad shrimp" and I suppose it IS an acquired taste)

You can buy them from Amazon, par boiled in or out of season-- frozen, already peeled and deveined but of course, it's only the tail meat......you will miss out of suckin the heads (which I do not participate in anyway)
https://www.amazon.com/Louisiana-Cr...=UTF8&qid=1538765891&sr=1-4&keywords=crawfish
https://www.amazon.com/Louisiana-Cr...ie=UTF8&reviewerType=all_reviews&pageNumber=2
I would avoid Boudreaux Brand. Says right on the package "Product of China" and reviews say it has a decidedly 'ammonia' taste to it. 









BUT, they use that magic word that all the kewl kids use and look for in product searches. _Sustainable_



> *COOKED FRESHWATER CRAWFISH TAIL MEAT*
> *VIEW ALL PRODUCTS »*
> *PRODUCTS*
> 
> Cooked Whole Crawfish
> Cooked Freshwater Crawfish Tail Meat
> Breaded Oysters
> Retail Cooked Whole Crawfish
> Retail Cooked Crawfish Tail Meat
> *EASY RECIPES*
> 
> Crawfish Creole Casserole
> Crawfish Corn Soup
> Red Crawfish Etouffee
> This product is peeled and ready to serve. Our crawfish meat is perfect for soups, pastas, salads or sandwiches. There are 4 different sizes of crawfish tail meat. Only the best crawfish are selected and processed in our *Sustainable* manufacturing facilities in China.



"wild caught" too...which of course means those crawfish lived their happy little (albeit short) lives as free range animals, without a care in the world, and are probably/maybe all natural, 100% organic, non-gmo, gluten free and peeled by only the best and brightest children China can find to work in their _Sustainable_ seafood plant.
http://gulfmarineproducts.com/gmproduct/cooked-freshwater-crawfish-tail-meat/

(Did I mention that this is a _Sustainable_ product?)


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## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> We used to do that about once a month with all of the people that I worked with at the Navy Base.  Of course there was usually a keg involved back in those days.
> Sorry I was slow updating as I was out cutting grass so I can spray but the chicks are all here.  The coop they are in sets on a pallet and one of the boards that seals it shut had an opening that they found and they were all caught under there.  We figured that out when we saw the hen would not leave the side of the coop but just sat there waiting for them to come out.



Yay for the chicks being found!


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## RollingAcres

greybeard said:


> You can buy them from Amazon, par boiled in or out of season-- frozen, already peeled and deveined but of course, it's only the tail meat......you will miss out of suckin the heads (which I do not participate in anyway)
> https://www.amazon.com/Louisiana-Cr...ie=UTF8&reviewerType=all_reviews&pageNumber=2
> I would avoid Boudreaux Brand. Says right on the package "Product of China" and reviews say it has a decidedly 'ammonia' taste to it.



No thanks, I'll pass on that.


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## Latestarter

You'd think a company based out of south LA would source local mudbugs as opposed to having them shipped in from China...   Really, it's easy enough to build a crawdad trap. They are located in virtually any water source that doesn't dry up completely. Build a couple of traps and set them out. You can have all the crawfish you desire at virtually no cost. A couple chicken necks and some wire.  ETA: Believe it or not, I've caught them in rivers up in New England as well. They're there if you want to go catch some.


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## Rammy

RollingAcres said:


> Yay for the chicks being found!



x2


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## greybeard

Latestarter said:


> You'd think a company based out of south LA would source local mudbugs as opposed to having them shipped in from China...  .



Cost and availability.  La and Texas crawfish are very much a seasonable product and water temp, depth and quality have big influences on both price and quantity available. $2.50-$4.00/lb last season

(I used to be able to buy 40# sacks of live crawfish for $35-40. Those days are gone for sure and forever.) 
Wild (FREE RANGE!!!) crawfish are not in season in La and Texas now, which is why the frozen ones from China came to be. 
http://www.lacrawfish.com/Live-Crawfish-C26.aspx


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## Mike CHS

Teresa has been processing apples to can pie filling and she went ahead and made a pie with one of the quarts.

The Sheep Deck Chair came in today so we had to practice getting a critter in it.


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## Rammy

Teresa looks a little TOO comfortable in that chair. The sheep might not get to use it! Working out all the kinks, right? That pie looks delicious!!


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## RollingAcres

Pie looks good! And Teresa looks comfortable in that chair. Could be a dual purpose chair, sheep use it and when you or Teresa get tired while working sheep, lay in there to rest.


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## Bruce

greybeard said:


> reviews say it has a decidedly 'ammonia' taste to it.


Yum! Always love me some ammonia for dinner. 
It is a wonder people buy it given that sort of description.


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## Bruce

Mike, how the heck are you going to trim Teresa's feet when she is wearing shoes????

Sure glad you found those chicks. And I forgive you for working while we sat at our computers waiting for an update


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## Latestarter

Gonna have to reposition it a bit... either that or move the TV, otherwise the poor girl is gonna get a nasty crick in her neck...   I don't think you lay it quite that far back when doing sheep either... Maybe at a 45° angle or so... Hope it works for you! Maybe snap a pic of your first sheep reclining in it! OH... ETA, Really glad you got your chicks back too. That's gotta make you both pretty happy.


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## Mike CHS

Thanks Joe - we were happy about the chicks.  The chair sits on the top rail of our chute.  The picture was obviously for grins.


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## Latestarter

So maybe the rukus wasn't due to some predator, but from the chicks falling through the floor? I can imagine momma seeing her babies disappear would get her a might "concerned"... Or did you make any determination as to what caused them to pull the disappearing act in the first place? Yeah... knew the pic was for fun. though she does look mighty comfy laying back in it. Bet it's better/more comfy than a hammock... Hammocks "kill" my back.


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## CntryBoy777

Glad the little ones were just on an adventure....and y'all were sharp enough to read the hen's language....the question has to be.....did she volunteer to climb in.....or, did ya let her get a running start and practice your tumble toss??.....


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## Mike CHS

She got in on her own Fred. 

The opening the chicks went through was under the door and it's fixed now.  We don't know but we think they got under there and then it was like a maize so they lost track of the opening and then just froze in place since there was no noise at all from them and they are constant peepers.


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## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> The picture was obviously for grins.


It worked!


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## Mike CHS

I don't think Teresa is going to want to peel any apples for awhile.  There was still a peck of apples left over but we gave them to a neighbor.  There was another 8 jars of apple sauce but they were already moved to storage before I thought to get a picture.

Speaking of neighbors, some friends down the road have been posting pictures on Facebook regarding their family trip to New York City.  Their son's family lives on the farm adjacent to them and across the road from us.  A friend of one of the teen boys (who isn't to bright) saw the posts and assumed the whole family was on vacation.  He got into the house and started wandering around the house and walked right into the oldest son (who is a big young man).  The would-be thief panicked and ran out the door and into the woods behind the house with the son on his tail.  He got away but he forgot his pickup that was in the driveway with the keys in it.  Everyone is wondering how he plans on getting his truck back.

This is a friend of our sometime helper but he is the one that told us about it.


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## Hens and Roos

looks yummy!  Anything special you do to make the applesauce?


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## Bruce

Hmmm, sounds like for those that do FB, it is wise to not post vacation pictures until you've returned home. 

Yep, gonna be fun when he shows up for his truck.


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## Mike CHS

Hens and Roos said:


> looks yummy!  Anything special you do to make the applesauce?



I had to go ask Teresa since I was out doing the easy stuff, cutting pasture.  

This was a half bushel of apples, peeled and cored and cut into slices.  She dipped them in a lemon juice solution (1 cup juice to 2 cups water) and then transferred to a pot and cooked at a simmer till softened.  You have to make sure there is liquid in the pot to keep them from scorching.  You can use apple juice (which she does for her pie filling but not this).  She adds lemon juice to make them acidic for canned and used a hand food processor to chop up the apples.  We used our Food Strainer last year but prefer doing it by hand since there was more waste with the Food Strainer.  This way it's a wee bit chunky but not overly so.

Then she did the canning process using a hot water bath.


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## RollingAcres

Yup never ever post about your upcoming trips or "check in" at your current location on Facebook or any socual media. 

Apple sauce looks yummy! I think I'm going to make some as well. I took DS apple picking last weekend. We don't have mucu apples on our trees this year and my trees are not doing so good.  I'm going to need to plant new trees next Spring


----------



## Mike CHS

RollingAcres said:


> Yup never ever post about your upcoming trips or "check in" at your current location on Facebook or any socual media.
> 
> Apple sauce looks yummy! I think I'm going to make some as well. I took DS apple picking last weekend. We don't have mucu apples on our trees this year and my trees are not doing so good.  I'm going to need to plant new trees next Spring



I have pulled up several peach trees that were have gotten bit by frost for 4 years in a row so I'm planting late bearing fruit trees.  Our apple trees didn't do much better but we can buy apples for $12 a bushel so that sort of makes up for it.


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## Rammy

The apple sauce and apples for pies looks good. I have apple trees but havent gotten much off of them past couple years. Trying to stay organic but have lost alot to bugs and deer. Most of the apples I get to can are from my Moms trees.
Speaking of Mom, we got the results of her MRI. its not cancer! The CT scan had showed a possible mass on her pancreas but turns out there isnt one. Its just pancreatitis. So relieved! She was so upset, as everyone was, that it was something worse, but its not.
@Mike CHS I cant believe someone was stupid enough to break into thier family members house. Good thing the son was there.
I cut down a peach tree couple years ago because it just didnt produce well. I think I got peaches off of it three times in ten years.


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## Mike CHS

@Rammy   - I know you are relieved and we are happy to hear it.


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## Mike CHS

The new stands of Fescue and Rye Grass are coming in nicely.  I'm hoping for some rain this coming week because I'm going to broadcast some rye grass seed and rake it in either Monday or Tuesday.

Where else would you post a picture of grass in a plain field.


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## CntryBoy777

Looks like the moisture was timely and really looks Good!!.........the great thing about the pic is...I was right There, been there before.....


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## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Where else would you post a picture of grass in a plain field.


You could post it most anywhere! But most wouldn't appreciate it like we here do.


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> Looks like the moisture was timely and really looks Good!!.........the great thing about the pic is...I was right There, been there before.....



It was timely.  It rained a bit for the next three days after I spread it.  I'm just happy that the drag harrow was able to turn over what was some fairly deep cut grass to get the seed down on the ground.  I used the Ranger going about 20 mph and the grass was just flying behind me.


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## CntryBoy777

I have actually thought about the drags they use to use on ball fields.....they used riders to drag fields and pick ups....that was befor 3 & 4 wheelers....


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## Mini Horses

Bruce said:


> You could post it most anywhere! But most wouldn't appreciate it like we here do.



SO true!!   That's because of "grass envy".  

Just catching up.    Glad those rascally chicks were ok!

I think the sheep will like the chair but, Teresa probably didn't like it as much getting out as in.   Send THAT pic to Premier.     After all the apples processed, she deserved a rest.  

I'd sure eat a piece of that pie right now if I could.  Ya know, apple pie is great for breakfast with coffee.


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> I have actually thought about the drags they use to use on ball fields.....they used riders to drag fields and pick ups....that was befor 3 & 4 wheelers....



I use my riding mower to pull the seed spreader that holds 50 pounds.  I got the drag harrow that @Baymule posted earlier in the thread.  It literally threw the grass up quite a bit which I needed it to do.  I tried a cattle panel (weighted) and it just slid across the built up grass and didn't mix anything.  I could have used the landscape rake but it doesn't stir up the grass nearly as much as the harrow.  When I bush hogged that field the grass was probably 18" so you can imagine how much residue was on top of the ground.


----------



## Mike CHS

Mini Horses said:


> I'd sure eat a piece of that pie right now if I could.  Ya know, apple pie is great for breakfast with coffee.



It was good for breakfast and Teresa thought that was more 'normal' than the leftover calamari I had the day before.


----------



## Wehner Homestead




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## Latestarter

OOOOoooooo calamari for breakfast! Now that's thinking outside the box for sure! As for the thief... there really are some very intelligent folks roaming around...


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## Rammy

I wonder how he will get his keys back? Id call the cops and tell them to take the truck, then tell him he can pick it up at the police station after he admits to breaking and entering. Unbelievable.


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## Bruce

But apparently not across from Mike and Teresa!


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## Wehner Homestead

I like Rammy’s idea. Lol


----------



## Mike CHS

They didn't call the police but I'm sure we will find out in the next day or so since everyone knows who it is.  That kind of stuff doesn't normally happen around here but the kids here know about our alarms, cameras and the fact that we sleep with weapons beside our beds.  Never had an issue here but we got used to the climate in North Charleston.


----------



## farmerjan

He deserves some sort of punishment for sure.  I like @Rammys idea too. But since everyone knows in the area, and the parents have to also be aware, and since the truck was sitting in their yard....  it might be enough to teach him a lesson with some sort of punishment, but it still is scary.  And that is one reason to not tell people when/where you are going except for those that need to know... and then talk all you want about how good a time you had after you were back.


----------



## Pastor Dave

It's not everyday you run into the thief with the level of intelligence of the "Home Alone" thieves. Though some opportunists have the lower level of intelligence, too many are conniving, well studied and planned out, and unfortunately dangerous or willing to cause undue harm. Nowadays the cyber crooks are pretty intelligent. Hackers or information cons worry me some, but the ones that will just as soon kill you if confronted than try to run away, or actually want the thrill of blood and death in their forethought are just plain psychotic.


----------



## Mini Horses

So many are so young!  That's really scary.


----------



## Mike CHS

They think they are immortal and have no idea how easily he could have been shot.  I haven't talked to them yet but they (like many) don't even lock their doors at night but I know how they are armed. And even though we are in a low crime area I don't know of anyone that doesn't have a weapon at hand if for no other reason but to shoot coyotes.


----------



## Pastor Dave

When we moved into the parsonage here, the church folks made a human conveyor line and helped us get furniture and boxes in fast. Someone made a cute comment abt all my long guns in their various cases as they were passed along the line to go inside, saying I would fit right in here in Hall. We can't really afford an alarm system, but have door stop alarms with high decibel alarms to hopefully scare off someone breaking in a door and waking us up at the same time. We use battery powered alarms on the windows like the type that sound off for toddlers when a cabinet door is opened. Along with the dog that alerts easy at sounds, I sleep easy at night.


----------



## greybeard

Rammy said:


> I wonder how he will get his keys back? Id call the cops and tell them to take the truck, then tell him he can pick it up at the police station after he admits to breaking and entering. Unbelievable.


No. Not just 'taken to the police station'. It needs to be impounded and the young miscreant pay the storage and towing fees to get it back. Bad behavior needs come with a price tag/penalty. 
Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.


----------



## Rammy

And serve time for breaking and entering. Having to pay to get his truck back is an even better idea.


----------



## greybeard




----------



## Mike CHS

On a lighter note.   The annual Goat, Music and More Festival is happening next weekend.  It's amazing how many people can crowd in to a 10 block area.  I don't know if it is true or not but they advertise our county as the home of the Fainting Goat.  Whether or not that is fact it is a big event in our area at this time of year when not much else is going on other than work. 

http://www.goatsmusicandmore.com/


----------



## Bruce

farmerjan said:


> it might be enough to teach him a lesson with some sort of punishment


I doubt it. It will only teach him that he can do bad things and there are no consequences. I'm with @greybeard, he needs to go collect his truck at the impound (best if that happens to be at the police station) and pay to get it back.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Mike CHS said:


> On a lighter note.   The annual Goat, Music and More Festival is happening next weekend.  It's amazing how many people can crowd in to a 10 block area.  I don't know if it is true or not but they advertise our county as the home of the Fainting Goat.  Whether or not that is fact it is a big event in our area at this time of year when not much else is going on other than work.
> 
> http://www.goatsmusicandmore.com/



This coming saturday they are having a one day Bluegrass festival here for the first time....I seem to be in the rare crowd of liking Bluegrass and will go check it out for a little while anyway.....


----------



## RollingAcres

CntryBoy777 said:


> This coming saturday they are having a one day Bluegrass festival here for the first time....I seem to be in the rare crowd of liking Bluegrass and will go check it out for a little while anyway.....


Watch out y'all! @CntryBoy777 will have his "party on" this Saturday!


----------



## Rammy

CntryBoy777 said:


> This coming saturday they are having a one day Bluegrass festival here for the first time....I seem to be in the rare crowd of liking Bluegrass and will go check it out for a little while anyway.....



I love bluegrass. Have several channels on Pandora I listen too. When I was younger(much, much, younger) we used to go to this fair, I think thats what it was, every year up whe I lived in WVa.
People there made instruments, crafts, one place you could grind your own cornmeal. Whenever my parents couldnt find me, they would find me where they made mandolins and other instruments. I was just mesmerized. I also like jazz, big band music, Scott Joplin. In the fall where I am now up in Adams, they have a music festival like that. Always fun.


----------



## Bruce

I also like bluegrass music.


----------



## Pastor Dave

We have Bean Blossom South a piece of us, but definitely a quick day trip. My buddy us in a bluegrass band, plays upright bass.
Cornfields and Crossroads.


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## farmerjan

Bluegrass is very popular here in Va.  They have a "tour" type thing where you can travel along a route that has many bluegrass oriented places to see and stop to hear... Nearly every country radio station here has at least one night a week or something with 2-4 hours of bluegrass.  There are a couple of stations that play near as much as country.  I enjoy it and have been to several "Bluegrass festivals" over the years.


----------



## Mike CHS

When we first started we made sure that we tracked our progress in pictures but after a little over three years I still took pictures but had lost the desire to have detailed before/after pictures. Now that the major work is nearing completion I started back up putting an album together.  The picture I'm posting is of the field that is the Northwest corner of our place and it's where our BYH friends were taken when we went out to meet the LGDs. I don't have any pictures from that corner since before I cut it several times you couldn't get there.  That thicket was thick with trash tree saplings and briars so thick a beagle couldn't get in. That brush pile in the center working right is actually a pile of construction debris that would have filled up two semi truck trailers.


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## CntryBoy777

It sure has come a long, long way....and your "vision" that ya worked towards can be seen by all....y'all have worked hard to accomplish the task in a rather short, but "action packed" period of time.....


----------



## Latestarter

Man... it's hard to believe that pic was taken almost/coming up on 6 years ago... Comparing what was to what you have now doesn't make me feel quite so bad as I've only been here 2 years... I have 4 more to match the amount of work you've put in!


----------



## Rammy

Doesn't even look like the same place. You definitely can see all the hard work. The pastures look amazing now compared to what they started out looking like. All your hard work is and has paid off. I know the sheepies sure appreciate it.


----------



## Mike CHS

This is another recipe that I got from Facebook but I'm posting the direct link for those that don't use Facebook.  I rarely follow a recipe exactly as written but this used a combination of spices/ingredients that I wasn't familiar with so I followed the recipe to make sure if I wasn't happy, it was the recipe and not my changes that caused it.

The recipe called for leg of lamb but I wanted to see how it did with one of the lesser cuts and used a shank.  I did not follow the cooking method though but I scored the shank and applied the rub and then seared it on all sides.  We put it in our pressure cooker and cooked it for 45 minutes.  If you like the spices contained in this recipe give it a try - we cook extremely well but this was one that made you smile as you started eating.  The sauce contained in the recipe is worthy of keeping all by itself.  Not nearly as sweet ad American sauces but the flavors blend so well you don't need the sweet.

https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2017/05/pulled-lamb-sandwiches-oven-recipe.html


----------



## Bruce

Latestarter said:


> Man... it's hard to believe that pic was taken almost/coming up on 6 years ago... Comparing what was to what you have now doesn't make me feel quite so bad as I've only been here 2 years... I have 4 more to match the amount of work you've put in!


I think we can give you another 6 years LS, you don't have a Teresa to help!


----------



## Mike CHS

Our first two and a half years was renovating the house and hauling trash.  It takes awhile when we could only be here for 2-3 days a month and several months in a row I couldn't get off at all.  But that is why when we were looking, we didn't look any further than 8 hours from Charleston so we could get at least one day here.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have one of our black ewe lambs that has been treated for Barber Pole worms twice now and she is one of two that now has scours.  We had treated for cocci but now our vet is suggesting that we treat foe E-Coli with Spectoguard which like most things is an off-label use of the med with sheep.  We are going to pick up some Dectomax injectable for the black ewe which is a broad based, long lasting parasite control.  It takes care of most of the eggs and we will follow up with Prohibit to take care of any that hatch in the next week or so while they are in quarantine.  There was a lot of information about the latter from New Zealand but not a lot here although it is readily available.


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> This is another recipe that I got from Facebook but I'm posting the direct link for those that don't use Facebook.  I rarely follow a recipe exactly as written but this used a combination of spices/ingredients that I wasn't familiar with so I followed the recipe to make sure if I wasn't happy, it was the recipe and not my changes that caused it.
> 
> The recipe called for leg of lamb but I wanted to see how it did with one of the lesser cuts and used a shank.  I did not follow the cooking method though but I scored the shank and applied the rub and then seared it on all sides.  We put it in our pressure cooker and cooked it for 45 minutes.  If you like the spices contained in this recipe give it a try - we cook extremely well but this was one that made you smile as you started eating.  The sauce contained in the recipe is worthy of keeping all by itself.  Not nearly as sweet ad American sauces but the flavors blend so well you don't need the sweet.
> 
> https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2017/05/pulled-lamb-sandwiches-oven-recipe.html
> 
> View attachment 53097


Looks delicious!


----------



## Wehner Homestead

So will you use the Soectogard or avoid it??


----------



## Mike CHS

Wehner Homestead said:


> So will you use the Soectogard or avoid it??



I'm going to use it.  At this point I would settle for getting the black lamb cleaned and then sent to market but that's yet to be seen.  The other I'll use it on also since she has had no parasite problems - her egg count has been among the lowest in our bunch and since she's showing no sign of cocci we will take the vets advice since he has been right on with everything to this point.  Teresa is at a Master Small Ruminant Management workshop for the rest of the week and she talked to some of the bigger growers in middle Tennessee and they all use it when the common things don't work.


----------



## Baymule

Spectoguard, Dectomax injectable and Prohibit-are these available over the counter or at the vet's office as a prescription? 

You have tried everything with this black ewe, you are wise to sell her. But then you have the other one, and she has strong parasite resistance, go figure. Makes it easy to choose which one to keep.


----------



## Mike CHS

We can get all of those at the Co-op. We do get quite a few things at the vet even though he charges more since he is so free with his time on the phone.

The Dectomax will give you sticker shock though.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa just called and said the workshop she is in this week has been real informative.  We also didn't realize that this workshop gives us the certification that makes us eligible to participate in the Tennessee Agriculture Enhancement Program since that is the only thing we were missing. We had looked into it but weren't sure we wanted to get into that but the Dept of Agriculture rep at the workshop convinced her to fill out the forms to apply since the deadline for the coming year is the 15th of this month. We were planning on closing in our sheep handling area to make it more bearable for both us and the sheep and it looks like the state might reimburse up to 50% of the cost if we go that route.  Like most gov't programs there are some requirements to satisfy but none are out of line.


----------



## Mike CHS

Getting ready to do afternoon chores but I had to post a picture of the ewe lambs first.  I feed them about 3:30 every afternoon and right at 3:00, this is what they are doing.  They are right across from the house and will just stare at it trying to use thought waves to make the feed show up.


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> Getting ready to do afternoon chores but I had to post a picture of the ewe lambs first.  I feed them about 3:30 every afternoon and right at 3:00, this is what they are doing.  They are right across from the house and will just stare at it trying to use thought waves to make the feed show up.
> 
> View attachment 53171



 If you think it, it will come?


----------



## Latestarter

Mike CHS said:


> I feed them about 3:30 every afternoon and right at 3:00, this is what they are doing. They are right across from the house and will just stare at it trying to use thought waves to make the feed show up.



Sheep and goats... boy do they adjust to and love/stick with their routines!   Mine all congregate up by the entrance to their night pen and the pasture entrance gate right about 5:30 pm, waiting for me to go out the back door around 6. Most lie down and wait patiently as they "trust me" to show up on time. Come 6:15, if I'm not on my way, they are ALL standing, staring at the back of the house and calling out to me. Boy don't they scream when I go then...


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## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> They are right across from the house and will just stare at it trying to use thought waves to make the feed show up.


And it works EVERY time!!


----------



## Baymule

If you stick your head out the door do they start baa-baa-baaing? I swear mine have the sonic hearing of a bat, the eyes of an eagle, and know the moment my hand touches the door knob.


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## CntryBoy777

These shorter daylight hrs has "routines" a jumble right now...and today it was cloudy most of it....at one point it got dark and looked like the bottom might fall out....I went out on the front porch and the Boys started hollaring....it was about 2:30....I told them it wasn't time yet, but I don't think they believed me.....


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> If you stick your head out the door do they start baa-baa-baaing? I swear mine have the sonic hearing of a bat, the eyes of an eagle, and know the moment my hand touches the door knob.



I'm not sure what I did different but this group is tamer than our previous ewes.  They are calm and comfortable waiting till I come out and say "hi girls".  If I don't speak to them they just keep eating grass or hay but they keep looking for a bucket.


----------



## Baymule

If I walk outside, the sheep yell at me. If I check on the chickens, the sheep run to their barn and yell at me. If I call the horses, the sheep answer. If I talk to anyone, they hear me and run to the barn, baa-baa-baaing all the way. If I actually call them, they darn nigh panic to see which one will be first to their feed pan. Since their barn and pasture #1 are not connected to other pastures, it sure makes them easy to move. They will follow me and a red Folger's can anywhere. LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

I just open the gate and say "here girls' and they just converge on me. 

I almost hate to put them in the field with the older bully ewes since these are so sweet.


----------



## Mike CHS

A quick picture of the Buff that is raising 6 chicks.  It seems like I can never get more of them in the frame at the same time.  The chicks are really leggy and no telling what breed they are.  She was determined to be broody so we picked up some eggs at a neighbor who had some they had been gathering for a couple of weeks and let her hatch them.


----------



## Rammy

How cute. I had three hens go broody on me this year but they kept changing nests and I had no where to put them to let them brood. Next year if that happens I can put them in the backyard now since I have it set up for the young chickies.


----------



## RollingAcres

My older hen when she's free-ranging, will run down the driveway when she sees my truck pull in the driveway. When I go to feed the chickens at the coop, I talk to them. Of course my cattle would hear me talking to the chickens and they'll yell at me. lol


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> View attachment 53206 A quick picture of the Buff that is raising 6 chicks.  It seems like I can never get more of them in the frame at the same time.  The chicks are really leggy and no telling what breed they are.  She was determined to be broody so we picked up some eggs at a neighbor who had some they had been gathering for a couple of weeks and let her hatch them.


That picture made me smile.


----------



## Bruce

Isn't it fun to watch the hen with her chicks!


----------



## Baymule

I love to see a hen with her chicks.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa finished up the workshop today and we are now officially listed in the Pick Tennessee program which gives a lot of free advertising not to mention sev.  UT has a super good training program and added to that there was a lot of networking going on.  Many of the people at the training we already know from other events but there were 40 or more people there.

A side event to the training is that after the training sessions made us a bit better informed, we have decided to go ahead and get a couple of calves to run with the sheep herd in our rotation.  You have to go at a minimum of every two years to keep your certification so I'll get to go next year rather than wait.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Is there a purpose for the calves?....other than for freezer....


----------



## Mike CHS

They help with parasite control.  Several of the people at the workshop were people we know but since there were speakers on a whole bunch of topics, several of those involved pasture/parasite management.  One that we met last year ran almost 100 sheep on 16 acres and also ran 7-9 calves at the same time.  Since they eat at different levels in the grass the cows serve as a vacuum and pick up a large portion of the worms.  They are telling us that parasites that affect sheep do not affect cattle and vice versa.


----------



## Mike CHS

There is another farm couple that have been at our place a few times over the last year that were at the workshop Teresa went to this week.  They asked today if we might be interested in breeding Thor to their Great Pyrenees in the near future.  She is a beautiful big girl (aren't they all) and they have been here enough to know how Thor is.  We had been considering getting another female and breeding but didn't really want to have to deal with a whole litter.  We will probably do it and keep one of male pups from this breeding.


----------



## Bruce

Congratulations on the Master Producer certification! I bet that wasn't even on a third tier goal when you started your farm. 

Do barber pole worms have invertebrate life cycle hosts? If they do, ducks or chickens rotated through after the sheep can help with the worm problem.


----------



## Latestarter

Congrats to Teresa! Very nice. I'm sure you'll enjoy the training when you get to go.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Yay for Teresa!


----------



## CntryBoy777

If ya keep adding animals ya might need a whole litter....
Don't blame ya at all, tho....Thor is a beautiful dog, and I'm sure he won't mind.....


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> ducks or chickens rotated through after the sheep can help with the worm problem.



We thought about that but both Maisy and Thor can jump the electric netting we rotate with and poultry running around would be short lived.  Our parasite issues aren't any worse than other farms here except for a few of the sheep and they don't stay here long once they are identified and quarantined.  The dogs have free run of all of the paddocks (in use or not).


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> If ya keep adding animals ya might need a whole litter....
> Don't blame ya at all, tho....Thor is a beautiful dog, and I'm sure he won't mind.....



We wanted to get another pup since Maisy is over 3 this year so we were planning on having at least another team of two to be ready to be on their own so she can get a break.

I need to see about getting a video of Thor racing the Ranger.  If I'm on the drive he will trot along at the same speed until I floor it and then he turns into what looks like a white Cheetah when he stretches out full length on stride.


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## Bruce

Would the dogs jump the fences for the express purpose of going after poultry or would they stay with their charges?


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## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I need to see about getting a video of Thor racing the Ranger. If I'm on the drive he will trot along at the same speed until I floor it and then he turns into what looks like a white Cheetah when he stretches out full length on stride.


I would love to see that. I know how fast Merlin could take off. Don't know how long he could keep it up though.


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## Mike CHS

Thor doesn't walk anywhere and I have seen him go from one end to the other several times over when the vultures are working low and that's 2400' one way.  The vultures seem to not be around as much since I hung one of the critters in effigy. For the record since we are on an open forum - I do have a permit to take them.


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## CntryBoy777

Thor is pure muscle....I was looking at him while there and his skin is so tight it glistens in the sun rays....I love his tail too, when he holds it straight up it reminds me of a scorpion's tail....ready to strike. Even Gabbie amazes me how fast and quick she is, so I am like Bruce, it would be fun to watch him in action....


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## farmerjan

Most parasites are species specific so running cattle and sheep in pastures will help.  The best results are achieved by rotating them one after the other rather than together.  With wool sheep, it is better to run the sheep after the cattle since the cattle do not care for the lanolin that the wooled breeds have, but I don't think that the hair sheep make a difference.  Due to fencing issues, we do not run ours in rotation because the Dall sheep are not friendly like the domestics most people have, and if the fences are not VERY GOOD they will be out running loose.  Being semi-feral, you will seldom call them to a bucket and have them all come.  We run most all our cattle on rented/leased land and cannot be picky about the fences.  But when and where we can, they do get rotated.


----------



## Mike CHS

Thanks Jan.  We have fences to hold about anything except maybe a Giraffe.   We talked to several people that run the them together as long as they are brought together at a young age since they are rotated fairly fast.  We have enough room (and time) to experiment so we will try it both ways. One of our neighbor friends that bought several of our ewe lambs run them with young calves and they all seem to think they are the same species.


----------



## Mike CHS

I have had a couple of people comment about killing the Black Vultures since they are a migratory bird but I'll keep that offline.  They aren't harmless and only our dogs kept us from losing I don't know how many lambs the last lambing season since we had a flock of over 75 birds.  I'm including a link that shows how they work on separating a calf.  We did find out this week that if we aren't able to kill one to hang up, there are plenty available out of the freezer to be obtained for hanging.


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## Mike CHS

Before we moved here we literally played "tourist" just about once a week since there was so many sights to see in and around Charleston, SC  Since we elected to 'retire' to our small farm world we find it almost too easy to just stay home.   To keep from getting too far into that rut we do things that can be done in between morning and evening chores and other than animal responsibility, it's fairly easy to reschedule things that need to be done.  We enjoy farm tours and will be going to a farm a couple of hours away up in Kentucky next Friday.  It's still farm related but it gives us the chance to keep on learning and accelerates learning about the different ways of doing things from those that have have 'been there and done that'.  The farm is right at 200 acres and they raise 350 head of sheep and 120 cows.

The agenda for Friday is: Adaptive Multi-paddock Grazing: Managing summer and winter annuals, Multi-species grazing, Boom or Bust grazing, Top third grazing (weed issues), Drought management, Grazing and Recovery
periods, Stockpiling forage, Feeding Hay in fall, Sacrifice areas, Livestock selection, Effect of stock density;
Forage Options: Warm and cool season annual cocktail mixes, johnsongrass/ryegrass forage sequencing
for weed control, tall fescue, orchardgrass, bermudagrass, clovers, chicory, turnips, lespedeza, Other
potential topics and stops: Corrals; Water & Fencing options; Mowing cost, timing and benefits; etc


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## Wehner Homestead

That sounds really interesting. Wish I could come too!


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## CntryBoy777

That sure sounds informitive and covers some very interesting topics. That's a whole lot of animals, so they must know what they are teaching works....hope they allow ya to take and share a few pics, too....


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## Baymule

Go Teresa! That sounds like a lot of fun, plus meeting others and learning more. And a farm tour! That sounds like a good way to spend the between morning/evening chores.


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## farmerjan

We have found that if the calves are "younger" rather than older, they often get along with the sheep better;  but they also rather want to play whereas older calves will be more into grazing and just kinda ignore the sheep.  But they will not allow them anywhere near a feed trough whereas the younger ones just aren't quite as aggressive.  Different breeds act differently too.  My dairy cross calves just dive right into feed and have tried pushing the sheep around if they crowd in too, the bigger beef calves tend to intimidate the sheep just by the size.


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## Mike CHS

The feed issue is something I had not thought of but I think I can work around that pretty easy.  The sheep that have been bred won't get any feed until the few weeks before they are due and by then I will have pulled them into the nursery paddock and away from the calves.


----------



## Bruce

Wehner Homestead said:


> That sounds really interesting. Wish I could come too!


Probably closer to you than to Mike!

Those birds are a menace.


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## Wehner Homestead

Bruce said:


> Probably closer to you than to Mike!
> 
> Those birds are a menace.



It likely is! The problem is more related to getting away. My mom is the only person besides DH and I that can care for DD2 and she helps so much that I hate to ask for more!


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## farmerjan

Anyone that has given you any grief or flak about the black mexican vultures, needs to do a little googling.  They are considered to be one of the biggest menace now to livestock there is.  They do not go after just dead or dying stuff.  They will attack a cow calving, or a newborn calf before the cow can get it cleaned up and on it's feet.  They will go after sheep that are trying to lamb, they will pick out the eyes of a lamb and attack baby calves, not newborns but just young ones, and go after the eyes and the rectum.  They will often even challenge a person if there is a group of them.  They are technically protected because they fall in the group of "raptors" and "birds of prey "etc like hawks and eagles and owls.  There are several states that have started issuing permits to kill them and some senators that are pushing to have them taken off the list of protected birds.  
These are NOT the naked necked (turkey) buzzard that is pretty homely, and is 99% a carrion eater.  They will go after something live,  but only if it is 99% dead and doesn't know it yet.  These black mexican buzzards have really started to migrate north and they are here in Va and get disposed of as fast as we can.  I had them go into a shed,  attached to a barn,  and get the eyes and started on the rectum of a 2 week old calf that had scours.  I had to put him down.  It was enough to make you gag.  I also took several of those b#@$#.. and disposed of them too.


----------



## Mike CHS

@farmerjan everyone in our area is hanging those things in effigy but that doesn't get rid of them, it just makes them avoid the area where the dead ones are.


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## Bruce

Hang enough dead ones and there won't be anywhere for them to go. Of course you would stink yourself off your own property in short order as they rot. Maybe you need some turkey vultures to clean up 

Since you have your permit, I think it worth the trouble to take out as many as you can. But then it might be like other predator species - clear them out and others will just move in.


----------



## Baymule

Many years ago,I used to see only the red headed turkey buzzards. Now we have these nasty black headed things and they are squeezing out the turkey buzzards. They must be prolific breeders, because there are hordes of them.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Hang enough dead ones and there won't be anywhere for them to go. Of course you would stink yourself off your own property in short order as they rot. Maybe you need some turkey vultures to clean up
> 
> Since you have your permit, I think it worth the trouble to take out as many as you can. But then it might be like other predator species - clear them out and others will just move in.



I don't think there is another species like this.  I take them out whenever I get the chance.


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## farmerjan

They are squeezing out the turkey buzzards.  They will attack them and will go after their nests, although at times you will see both together in a "mixed flock". I can't remember exactly, but I think they often have 1-3 eggs per nest whereas the turkey buzzards only usually have 1 or 2.  The turkey vulture chicks need to be taken care of longer than the black vulture chicks, so the black vulture young are out and about sooner.  The turkey vulture also feeds almost entirely on dead carrion.  They are one of a very few birds that can smell the dead animals.  Although bigger, they are more awkward than the blacks; and are less aggressive.  The blacks will follow them to find dead stuff as the blacks cannot smell.  But the blacks will attack newborns and such and the turkey vultures do not.


----------



## Mike CHS

I stripped all of the pepper plants of what fruit they still had on them and pulled them all out and we will process them this afternoon for relish.  The bell pepper plants have been pretty much stripped of their fruit by the chickens that are free ranging now that most of the garden is done but we got enough of the other peppers to make 15 or so pints of relish.  We did find out that hot electro netting will keep them out of an area so we will use that around the garden beds next season and let them free range more. Their pen is over an acre but we have part of it closed off now while we dry lot the ewe lambs.  I did find out that my sheep don't care for the pepper plant leaves (except Ringo but he will eat anything).

My experiment with Barber Pole worms is so unscientific now that I won't be putting out any of our test results.  I changed the way I treated the one field so much that any changes couldn't be quantified. I did spray after I cut the grass but I also removed the cut grass from that field before spraying so any change could be due to both processes rather than just spraying.

There is enough weather moving in that we are doing some things that have been on the to-do list for far too long such as building some doors for our hay barn and putting on the siding trim.  I got so used to the tarp that has covered that opening for so long that I literally had forgotten about needing doors until I notice the tarp is close to needing replaced so I'll replace it with doors this week.


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> The farm is right at 200 acres and they raise 350 head of sheep and 120 cows.
> 
> The agenda for Friday is: Adaptive Multi-paddock Grazing: Managing summer and winter annuals, Multi-species grazing, Boom or Bust grazing, Top third grazing (weed issues), Drought management, Grazing and Recovery
> periods, Stockpiling forage, Feeding Hay in fall, Sacrifice areas, Livestock selection, Effect of stock density;
> Forage Options: Warm and cool season annual cocktail mixes, johnsongrass/ryegrass forage sequencing
> for weed control, tall fescue, orchardgrass, bermudagrass, clovers, chicory, turnips, lespedeza, Other
> potential topics and stops: Corrals; Water & Fencing options; Mowing cost, timing and benefits; etc


An enviable stocking rate for sure, just for that quantity of  cattle. 
I would be interested in seeing how it pencils out in regards to true labor costs, moving the livestock from paddock to paddock. If they have a Q&A period, inquire about it.


----------



## greybeard

Bruce said:


> Since you have your permit, I think it worth the trouble to take out as many as you can. But then it might be like other predator species - clear them out and others will just move in.


From what I've read on-line about getting a permit in Texas, there are quantity limits regarding how many you are allowed to shoot each year. The state itself 'can' obtain a permit from USF&W and then State can issue sub-permits, but not all states with the black vulture have gotten their legislatures to act or have obtained the variance from the Feds. As I understand it, in Texas, one must first obtain an individual  valid permit from the US Dept of Fish & Wildlife, since black vultures are a federally protected species.  It can take months, UDF&W has to first determine how many are in your area, how far away the nearest roost is, how many livestock are in that same area, and how many nesting vultures are in each local roost, then will (maybe) issue a permit, with a strict allotment regarding how many you can kill. 
Texas has not been able to do what Tenn's Farm Bureau has done because of the fact that Austin in recent decades has become a haven for 'touchy feely'/'PC' folks from all over the nation and their legislative lobbying efforts are significant.


----------



## Mike CHS

greybeard said:


> An enviable stocking rate for sure, just for that quantity of  cattle.
> I would be interested in seeing how it pencils out in regards to true labor costs, moving the livestock from paddock to paddock. If they have a Q&A period, inquire about it.




Q&A is on the agenda so I'll ask if they don't initiate it. I'll be surprised if they don't since that's one of the main topics.  The hills from about 100 miles south of us and well up through most of Kentucky is some of the best grazing in the country.


----------



## Mike CHS

I was out giving the ewe lambs their morning grass and decided I liked that view of them pigging out.  I had been giving them feed twice a day since they are in a dry lot situation but some of them are getting too fat to breed.   I'm curious to see what size lambs the biggest ewe in the pictures throws.  She is the same age as the majority of them and is 25 pounds heavier and not fat.

Just for grins I'm attaching a picture of the pepper relish that got processed yesterday.  This was our third attempt since the previous two batches had an issue with the chopper breaking.  Both resulted in close to two gallons of chopped peppers getting thrown out each time.


----------



## CntryBoy777

The relish and the ewes are looking really good!!....it is hard to imagine how much the ewes have grown since I was standing amongst them during our visit.....


----------



## Latestarter

The sheep are lookin good. Seeing those jars of relish makes me wish I liked peppers and/or relish...


----------



## misfitmorgan

The relish looks really good!!


----------



## goatgurl

sheeple are looking great mike.  I looked at my pepper bushes this morning and thought yup you guys need to come in the house with me.  green chilies so i'm just going to dry them for use later.


----------



## Mike CHS

@goatgurl  picked the last of the okra and pulled the plants this afternoon so the garden is officially closed for the season.


----------



## goatgurl

sad but true, I've already been looking at the bakers creek seed catalog for next year.


----------



## Rammy

Mike CHS said:


> @goatgurl  picked the last of the okra and pulled the plants this afternoon so the garden is officially closed for the season.


----------



## misfitmorgan

goatgurl said:


> sad but true, I've already been looking at the bakers creek seed catalog for next year.



Same!!

Unbelievably our jalapenos, green beans, and eggplant are still growing.


----------



## RollingAcres

@Mike CHS your sheep are looking good. What do you use the pepper relish with?

I better check the garden and pick whatever that's left in there(only jalapenos, some green peppers and pumpkins left) today. We might be getting frost tonight.


----------



## Mike CHS

We use relish on a little bit of everything.  Hot dogs, burgers, sandwiches but I also like it on scrambled eggs and we make a snack with Cream Cheese that we add it to.


----------



## misfitmorgan

All sounds tasty! We make jalapeno jelly and eat it with cream cheese on crackers or use as a dipping sauce when we make egg rolls with a little soy mixed.


----------



## Baymule

goatgurl said:


> sad but true, I've already been looking at the bakers creek seed catalog for next year.


I love that catalog!


----------



## Baymule

We have some HUGE yellow meat watermelons out there! With this cool weather, they are pre-chilled! Everything else is done, but the watermelons are still growing.


----------



## greybeard

Baymule said:


> We have some HUGE yellow meat watermelons out there! With this cool weather, they are pre-chilled! Everything else is done, but the watermelons are still growing.


Watch them. With cool temps and lots of rain, they'll go from 'still growing' to pulpy and way over ripe in a matter of days and I've had lots split open due to sudden & quick internal growth of almost ripe melons. They'll take in more water to the edible part than the overall external size can handle. Contrary to popular belief, watermelons don't need as much water as the name implies.


----------



## Baymule

Yeah, while it was so hot and dry, when it started raining, tomatoes and watermelons split. The hog, chickens and Sheep were happy. LOL The watermelon vines are looking sad, time to pull the big ones. Still putting on more melons.


----------



## Mike CHS

We just got back from the Farm Tour that we went to in Kentucky and just in time to feed the LGDs before it got full dark.  I was surprised at the turn-out of close to 150 people from Kentucky and the surrounding states.  All of the talk was on methods for building the soil and the theory behind stockpiling vegetation.  They had an interesting way of demonstrating the health of the soil.  In all of their fields once they are moving stock out of it they bury a cotton garment such as cotton underwear to demonstrate how much microbial life was active in the soils.  Those that needed improvement would show the garments almost fully intact. Those that were healthy would be almost down to nothing left but the elastic around the waistline. 

The farm owner is affiliated with the University of Kentucky and is involved in several research grants/studies by several Universities include UT.   There were folks from USDA as well as several major Universities and the attendees were fairly well split between cattle producers and sheep and/or goat producers.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Sounds like ya had a very interesting day and probably learned quite a bit from it.....


----------



## Bruce

Now we know what to do with our ratty old underwear!


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> Sounds like ya had a very interesting day and probably learned quite a bit from it.....



All of those experts used a lot of terms I had never heard of but the biggest thing they got across to me was to never let the soil be bare but rather have something either annual or annual mixed with perennial  growing whenever you have the weather.  They even had one field where they actually planted Johnson Grass to smother out a fast growing but low growing invasive grass I had never heard of.


----------



## Rammy

Im hoping to get my pasture reseeded this fall after the cows are gone. Maybe I should bury an old pair if undies out there first.


----------



## Mike CHS

I have decided to let Thor and Ringo do whatever it is they think they are doing with their love/hate relationship.  I haven't had to get on to Thor for quite some time about moving to fast toward the sheep but he is constantly chasing Ringo or being chased by Ringo.  The other day I was watching Thor trying to "kill" an inner tube by trying to shake it to death and saw Ringo coming in from behind Thor at full speed (which isn't too fast for this big old boy) but he almost got to ramming position when Thor saw him and got out of the way.  Ringo started pawing at the tube like he was trying to kill it until Thor came back to reclaim the tube and Ringo tried to ram him again  and then started to chase him.


----------



## Bruce

Oh my, hope no one gets hurt! There is a lot of power in both of those boys.


----------



## Baymule

Sounds like they are working out their differences.....


----------



## Latestarter

So how long do you leave your undies buried before you check to see if they're "done"?


----------



## Mike CHS

These were all right at 60 days.


----------



## Rammy

Tag! You're it!


----------



## Mike CHS

Thor and Maisy were out playing Tag with each other while I was out with them this afternoon and Ringo started chasing both of them.  The dogs are so fast that Ringo looks like he is walking in pictures but he actually moves pretty good.  Pictures just for grins but the dogs were flying in a couple of them.

The other was a very poor attempt on their part to "Stay" but I keep it short so they do well considering.

The small group of senior ewes are almost two months pregnant and getting bigger by the day.


----------



## Bruce

Well we do know that "stay" is, at best, a suggestion to LGD breeds. Looks like they did OK.


----------



## Baymule

Great pictures! The dogs were having a good time!


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Great pictures! The dogs were having a good time!



Every time I go out in the fields I feel truly Blessed.  What makes it even better is a whole group of critters that are all trusting.


----------



## Baymule

this afternoon we got sunshine. After two weeks of rainy, drizzly, cold, gloom, I sat on a milk crate in the sheep lot. The sheep stayed close to me, most won't come to me, but they wanted to hang out and be close. Ewenique came up for neck rubs and belly rubs. She will let me hug her neck. Lady Baa Baa also came up for her share of attention, even Miranda Lambert came up wanting to be petted and rubbed. Domino and Eve sniffed fingers, but shied away from being petted. I stayed out there for awhile, just enjoying the time spent with them.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa is always sweet but this morning she was especially sweet and loving and even made us a nice breakfast.  When she was getting ready to make me a cake though I had to break down and tell her today is the 21st and my birthday is not until tomorrow.


----------



## Rammy

Happy Birthday!


----------



## Latestarter

Well dang... Another successful year (almost) behind you! Happy birthday Mike. Hope there are quite a few more to come.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

One of my precious granddaughters has a birthday tomorrow too!  Happy tomorrow to you!


----------



## goatgurl

happy almost birthday mike.  thought I would say it today because I may not be back on the 'puter tomorrow. does this make you older than dirt?  
I've been sitting here pondering and i'm not so sure its a good idea to let thor and ringo duke it out.  someone is likely to get really hurt and having thor think its ok to go after ringo may come back to bite you in the back side on down the road.  hopefully not, just pondering.


----------



## Mike CHS

I've had those thoughts myself GG but although I can stop Thor there is no stopping Ringo.  He is 5 years old but acts like a ram lamb.  This morning while I was out feeding the dogs and giving them some loving Thor growled at Maisy wanting her to play and the ram ran up and butted Thor which I have seen him do when the dogs are getting into it.  So when it gets down to it, there is no "letting" them play and no way to stop them without removing one of them from the flock.


----------



## goatgurl

sort of sounds like ringo is the king of all he surveys and wants to make sure all his subjects act in a way that he deems proper.  hopefully thor will grow out of his puppy ways soon and just avoid ringo.  my English shepherd and my lamancha buck hate each other.  kind of like ringo and thor do you they both consider me theirs and both try to protect me from the other.  and like you, I can call JJ off but their is no calling the buck off so I just keep them separated as much as I can.  hope it all works out.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Happy birthday tomorrow, Mike!


----------



## Bruce

Geez Mike, you could have milked it and gotten TWO birthday breakfasts and cake.



Mike CHS said:


> This morning while I was out feeding the dogs and giving them some loving Thor growled at Maisy wanting her to play and the ram ran up and butted Thor which I have seen him do when the dogs are getting into it.


Sounds like Ringo is a LGD Guardian Ram.


----------



## Mike CHS

For the longest time I got on to the dog for rough housing with the ram.  I could call Thor's name and he would stop and look to see what I wanted.  I just looked at him until he turns his head away which is his way of saying "OK" but then I would catch Ringo butting him while he is doing nothing.  The ram and Maisy are so bonded that I'm fairly sure it has some jealousy issues in the mix.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I think if there was "bad blood" between Ringo and Thor it would be an ongoing...."every chance" serious confrontation between them. I use to enjoy watching the goats interact with the cats and ducks....all 3 have never liked KiKi being around, but had no problem with Cheetos....he would go into their yard and chase squirrels, but any of them would make a b-line towards KiKi and force her out....that was 1 reason we were concerned about the ducks, but the goats were mesmerized by them and even walked around them in the field....


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm hoping it doesn't change but there is never any mouthing and usually if Thor wasn't so fast he would probably get the worst of it since even at 110 lbs he's still half the weight of Ringo and Ringo knows how to use that big head of his.


----------



## Rammy

I know Thor is fast now but I would be worried if later on when he gets older, doesnt see or hear as good, that he would get hurt. I know he wanted to eat my dog when we were there but I know deep down hes a sweetie and would be upset if I heard anything bad happened to him. Maybe they will call a truce someday.


----------



## Mike CHS

He will grow out of it.  He looks like an adult due to his attitude and size but he is only 15 months old and still growing.


----------



## mystang89

Mike CHS said:


> Teresa is always sweet but this morning she was especially sweet and loving and even made us a nice breakfast.  When she was getting ready to make me a cake though I had to break down and tell her today is the 21st and my birthday is not until tomorrow.



LOL you're a better man than me. I'd have eaten that cake she made then when my birthday rolled around I'd have asked where my birthday cake was and just thought the 1st cake was cause I'm awesome!


----------



## farmerjan

Yes Happy Birthday from Va too.....Hope you have a nice day.


----------



## Baymule

Happy Birthday tomorrow. Have another good breakfast, LOL. What kind of cake is Teresa making for you? I suddenly have a hankering after a pineapple upside down cake......


----------



## Mike CHS

Red Velvet Cake


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> So when it gets down to it, there is no "letting" them play and no way to stop them without removing one of them from the flock.



Reckon Thor will miss Ringo when Ringo moves to Texas?


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> Red Velvet Cake


With  what frosting?

BJ wanted crème brulee, so I made some yesterday. Had all these egg whites left over, seemed a shame to just scramble them for Paris. So I made  double batch of brownies and used the egg whites to make boiled 7 minute frosting. Like we really needed it...….


----------



## misfitmorgan

Hopefully your new ram will get along better with ringo and not have the jealous streak. Happy birthday too!!....a tad late.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> With  what frosting?
> 
> BJ wanted crème brulee, so I made some yesterday. Had all these egg whites left over, seemed a shame to just scramble them for Paris. So I made  double batch of brownies and used the egg whites to make boiled 7 minute frosting. Like we really needed it...….



Cream cheese frosting.  I also don't need it but we rarely make sweets and when we do, we have our serving and usually take the rest to the neighbor (who also doesn't need it but will eat it all anyway) 

Maisy is the one that will miss Ringo.


----------



## misfitmorgan

Mike CHS said:


> Cream cheese frosting.  I also don't need it but we rarely make sweets and when we do, we have our serving and usually take the rest to the neighbor (who also doesn't need it but will eat it all anyway)
> 
> Maisy is the one that will miss Ringo.



Poor Maisy


----------



## Hens and Roos

Happy Birthday- have a good one!


----------



## Bruce

Happy Birthday Mike. Enjoy your day.


----------



## Baymule

Happy Birthday Mike!


----------



## RollingAcres

Happy Birthday @Mike CHS ! Hope you have a wonderful birthday!



Bruce said:


> Now we know what to do with our ratty old underwear!


Better not go digging in @Bruce's backyard. 



Latestarter said:


> So how long do you leave your undies buried before you check to see if they're "done"?


Do you even have/wear any? Oh wait, don't answer that.


----------



## CntryBoy777

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Mike!!!!.....hope it is an enjoyable one and I volunteer to tend to the rest of that cake for ya......


----------



## Latestarter

Gosh RA... <blushing>... and here I thought we were discussing how long Mike left HIS undies buried... Not sure how mine became the topic...


----------



## RollingAcres

Latestarter said:


> Gosh RA... <blushing>... and here I thought we were discussing how long Mike left HIS undies buried... Not sure how mine became the topic...


Not sure either


----------



## Mike CHS

The to-do list got one item shorter today.  We got the doors hung on the hay barn but still need to finish the trim on the front of the barn and the door itself.  I don't know what those doors weigh but they are heavy.


----------



## greybeard

If you get back out there with your camera, I'd like to see some closeup detail of the wind vane you have leaning on the fence post. Been wanting to build some for years.


----------



## RollingAcres

Looking good Mike.


----------



## Mike CHS

GB that's actually a flower pot holder that's supposed to look like a wind vane but I can get a closeup if you are just wanting that for the shape.


----------



## Devonviolet

Happy Birthday to you!


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I don't know what those doors weigh but they are heavy.


Then I am surprised you didn't use heavier hinges!


----------



## Mike CHS

Those hinges are fine.


----------



## Baymule

Nice barn doors. Since we have had TWO DAYS of no rain, we have been outside building on a chicken coop for our grand daughter's 3 silkies. BJ wanted to put a window in it, so we framed in a window today. Tomorrow we deck the roof! Wednesday is 80% rain!


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> GB that's actually a flower pot holder that's supposed to look like a wind vane but I can get a closeup if you are just wanting that for the shape.


Ummmmm..no thanks. I was curious how the (faux) weather vane's pivot was made.


----------



## misfitmorgan

greybeard said:


> Ummmmm..no thanks. I was curious how the (faux) weather vane's pivot was made.



The newer ones i have seen have a solid shaft coming up from the north/south/west/east part and then the decor part/wind detector is sitting on a hollow tube that fits over the metal shaft. The nicer ones have a sort of washer thing for the bottom part of the hollow tube to sit on, I assume so it the solid tube doesnt rub threw the cap(decor) on the hollow pipe. Hopefully that makes some sort of sense.


----------



## misfitmorgan

Mike CHS said:


> The to-do list got one item shorter today.  We got the doors hung on the hay barn but still need to finish the trim on the front of the barn and the door itself.  I don't know what those doors weigh but they are heavy.
> 
> View attachment 53566



Those doors look really nice, I agree the hinges look fine.


----------



## Bruce

Baymule said:


> Nice barn doors. Since we have had TWO DAYS of no rain, we have been outside building on a chicken coop for our grand daughter's 3 silkies. BJ wanted to put a window in it, so we framed in a window today. Tomorrow we deck the roof! Wednesday is 80% rain!


Windows in chicken coops are a good thing.

80% chance of rain is 20% chance of no rain. WAY better than the odds of winning the Megamillions!


----------



## Mike CHS

It was a pretty productive day and nice enough I was able to cut grass for the dry lot ewes and they appreciated it.  We got the handling chute all changed so we can work sheep using the Deck Chair instead of the tilt table. Teresa asked me to make some Cod Puttanesca for dinner and it was a hit with her.  I need to rig up a different handling area for the cows we are getting since they would destroy our sheep chute if they get silly. If we need it we can rent a head gate from the CO-OP or the neighbor we are getting the cows from offered his to use if we trailer them over to their place which is just up the road.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Yum, that looks delicious!


----------



## Devonviolet

YUM!!!!!  That looks delicious!!!


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa has few requests for meals but this is one she really likes.  She doesn't normally like anchovies (although she does like Caesar Salad which has them) she loves this dish and it doesn't taste the same without them.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Lots of folks think they don't like anchovies - but they sure add a depth of flavor that can't be beat!


----------



## misfitmorgan

Looks delicious....i used to be on the eww anchovies bandwagon until about 10yrs ago when i started cooking with them as a paste and oh man they are amazing!


----------



## RollingAcres

Never ever read Mike's journal when you are hungry! 
Looks delicious!


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm adding a couple of links pertaining to a study that we covered by UT Extension Vets during the Small Ruminant Producers classes that Teresa went to recently.  It's pretty interesting and covers organic worming in both small and large ruminants so many of us on here have an interest.  Over time I have seen a lot of information about organic type wormers but this is the first time I saw some actual data points about results.


http://www.nodpa.com/parasites_03_14_08.shtml
http://www.garlicbarrier.com/sheep.html


----------



## Baymule

that's very interesting. I use the garlic barrier on my sheep. I only use the ivermectin when I get a pale eye lid. Normally, they are almost always bright pink. I wonder what is in the chicory that suppresses parasites?


----------



## Baymule

Bruce said:


> Windows in chicken coops are a good thing.
> 
> 80% chance of rain is 20% chance of no rain. WAY better than the odds of winning the Megamillions!



It's raining. We picked up Wilbur the hog from the slaughter facility and it started raining before we got back home. So someone else must have got that 20%.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> that's very interesting. I use the garlic barrier on my sheep. I only use the ivermectin when I get a pale eye lid. Normally, they are almost always bright pink. I wonder what is in the chicory that suppresses parasites?



I'm just now scratching the surface.  The farm tour we did last week has been planting herbs and other plants for many years now and he said they haven't used a wormer for over 4 years.  Of course they are getting studies, grants and a whole lot of other incentives that definitely helps.


----------



## Baymule

I planted chicory and have some growing. The sheep also love giant ragweed and other weeds. They will eat oak leaves and  pine needles. When I give them the garlic barrier, I give them 1/8 cup each, mixed with olive oil. I mix it with pellets and they lick the pan. I wait a week and repeat, another week and repeat. I do this about every 3-4 months.

What plants and herbs are they planting on that farm?


----------



## Mike CHS

They have a lot of chicory and white top turnips growing everywhere.  They have cultivated a couple of different kinds of amaranths and they seem to like random stands of lespedeza and even oregano and basil.  A lot of the plants they named I had never heard of so I'm not much info there.


----------



## Mike CHS

All of the articles that I read have in common with Gregg Banns (the farm tour farm) is the diversity of plant matter.  He has some plants of virtually every species that I read about in all of his paddocks. He even has some plot of Sudan grass that he puts both sheep and cattle on when it's young but like a lot of these plants you have to get them off of the plots if there is chance of frost.

Coincidentally my UT Agent sent me another article that talks about another research project that looked into the attributes of the chicory plant that might make it a help as a wormer.  This one was supported by the same folks that supported the study about garlic also.

https://www.northcentralsare.org/Ed...orage-Chicory-for-Parasite-Reduction-in-Sheep

“Chicory contains sesquiterpene lactone (SL) and small amounts of condensed tannins, and it has been shown to have negative effects on the survival of adult and larval stages of internal parasites of sheep and farmed deer in research conducted in other countries,” said Shulaw. “Published research suggests that the SL concentration is likely the principal factor affecting parasite numbers although this is still incompletely studied.”

I think from talking to folks doing these research projects and the UT people that our pasture just isn't diverse enough which is why I planted rye and more fescue since I had mostly orchard grass and a native bermuda that is cool weather.

I finished broadcasting and raking in another couple of bags of Deer Mix in my south 3 acre paddock that I'm going to leave fallow for a couple of months This mix combines canola, turnips & chicory with four types of proven perennial clovers & alfalfa and a combination of two brassicas - canola, and turnips.  This is about as close as I can get to what I am hoping will start the cool weather seed now and the warmer weather seed will be tracked in and ready to germinate in the spring.


----------



## Rammy

Im sure the sheep will be very appreciative when they get to eat that. Sounds like its going to be very beneficial to their health.


----------



## Baymule

From what I have studied, the more diversity, the better. We have been conditioned to admire swaths of pure coastal Bermuda and indeed, they are beautiful pastures. When BJ didn't understand why I wanted different grasses and plants I used this analogy.
You like broccoli don't you?
Yes.
What if ALL you got was broccoli for every meal? Do you think broccoli could give you all the nutrients your body needed?
No. Yuck, I'd get tired of broccoli.
Animals are the same way. A variety of plants gives them more nutrients and they will be healthier.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have several Asian style restaurants in the area but we prefer to make our own exotic meals more often than not but there is not a single store with 70 miles of us that carries Spring Roll Wrappers.  When we went to the farm tour a few weeks ago I saw a sign on a small shop that said International Foods and it turned out that they carried Spring Roll Wrappers so we bought what was on the shelf.  We made a big batch this morning and put most of them in the freezer to have later.

The dish is a 6" dish so no, the rolls aren't giant egg rolls.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

They look great!


----------



## Bruce

What do you put in your spring rolls Mike?


----------



## Mike CHS

This time was ground pork but I'll also use shrimp or chicken.  The rest of the filler is cabbage, carrots, onion, green onions and bean sprouts.  I add ginger, soy sauce, coriander lemon powder, some mirin, white pepper and just a bit of sweetener and cayenne pepper.

Edited to change the meat to ground pork and not pork sausage.  I had a big thing of Bob Evans sausage being cooked also so the brain didn't disengage.


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> They have a lot of ........ white top turnips growing everywhere.


Planted about an acre of them and purple tops in fall 2016. Had deer everywhere as a result. Cows didn't seem to care much for them tho.


----------



## Mike CHS

greybeard said:


> Planted about an acre of them and purple tops in fall 2016. Had deer everywhere as a result. Cows didn't seem to care much for them tho.



Our sheep love them but then they like most of the greens that deer like.

We were out setting up netting in our next rotation field and I saw a pile of scat that I didn't recognize.  I didn't get a picture to ask about so I'll look up some images online.


----------



## Bruce

Nothing more fun than looking at poop eh Mike? Hopefully whatever left that for you isn't a danger to your sheep.


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm pretty sure it's ground hog and there is a lot of digging along the fence looking for grubs it looks like.  I electrified that section this morning and the dogs go back in there tomorrow so if it'ss lucky he is outside that area.


----------



## Bruce

I don't know that groundhogs eat grubs. The only digging I have seen here are massive tunnels. They seem to like broad leaf plants. Skunks, on the other hand, are grub eaters and will leave little dug spots all over the place. Best be sure of what it is before Maisy and Thor find out!


----------



## Mini Horses

Bruce said:


> Skunks, on the other hand, are grub eaters and will leave little dug spots all over the place



Yes, looks like a little funnel, the hole does.   Guess how I know!    Come Spring I shouldn't have a grub anywhere!!!!  They love eggs, also.


----------



## Mike CHS

Mini Horses said:


> Yes, looks like a little funnel, the hole does.   Guess how I know!    Come Spring I shouldn't have a grub anywhere!!!!  They love eggs, also.



I trapped one skunk in the chicken pen but that one is no longer with us.


----------



## farmerjan

Skunks do like to dig little holes for grubs.  Sometimes possums  will do a little digging too.  My money would be on a skunk as first choice.


----------



## Baymule

Living out in Podunkville, USA is hard on finding specialty items, glad that you found spring roll wrappers. The little town we moved from didn't have much beyond typical grocery store fare. We moved to an even smaller town, but we have Tyler close by.


----------



## Mike CHS

I was all over that field killing Fahr Ants and didn't see any critters so they must have moved out before I made the fence hot again.  Hopefully anyway for the dogs sake.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Living out in Podunkville, USA is hard on finding specialty items



But one of the good things about Podunkville is that we talked with the manager at Kroger last week and she is going to stock them to see how they sell.


----------



## Baymule

I love my little Podunkville town too!  Grocery stores still suck, even with Tyler nearby. Tyler is headquarters for a grocery chain and they have managed to keep out other grocery stores.


----------



## greybeard

Aldi's, Walmart Super Centers, Sams,  Brookshires...all in Tyler, and some smaller ones.
Just no Kroger or H-E-B


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> But one of the good things about Podunkville is that we talked with the manager at Kroger last week and she is going to stock them to see how they sell.


She will have to have flashing lights and lighted arrows pointing to them or 99.9% of the shoppers won't notice them. Then they won't sell and she will stop carrying them.


----------



## Mike CHS

They are $1.49 a package so I'll buy enough for them to keep them on the shelf.

We gave some to several of the neighbors to get them started.


----------



## Baymule

greybeard said:


> Aldi's, Walmart Super Centers, Sams,  Brookshires...all in Tyler, and some smaller ones.
> Just no Kroger or H-E-B


Aldis is new to Tyler, we shop there. We don't go to Sams, we shop at Walmart and sometimes Brookshires. I would LOVE to have a H-E-B!!!! A Kroger would be nice too, anything to give Brookshires a little competition.


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> They are $1.49 a package so I'll buy enough for them to keep them on the shelf.
> 
> We gave some to several of the neighbors to get them started.


I like the way you think!


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> We have several Asian style restaurants in the area but we prefer to make our own exotic meals more often than not but there is not a single store with 70 miles of us that carries Spring Roll Wrappers.  When we went to the farm tour a few weeks ago I saw a sign on a small shop that said International Foods and it turned out that they carried Spring Roll Wrappers so we bought what was on the shelf.  We made a big batch this morning and put most of them in the freezer to have later.
> 
> The dish is a 6" dish so no, the rolls aren't giant egg rolls.
> 
> View attachment 53846


Looks good! I used to make them as well but really don't like frying them.


----------



## Rammy

Mike CHS said:


> They are $1.49 a package so I'll buy enough for them to keep them on the shelf.
> 
> We gave some to several of the neighbors to get them started.



I do that with this tea I like. The stores I normally got it at stopped carrying it so I asked this local store if they would. I go get some every week to keep it stocked. Its called Lipton Daring English Breakfast Tea. Very good start for your day . Yum!


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> They are $1.49 a package so I'll buy enough for them to keep them on the shelf.
> 
> We gave some to several of the neighbors to get them started.


BYH enablement of a different sort!
Hopefully they will be a good seller for the store once people know they are carried.


----------



## Mike CHS

We worked on the senior herd this afternoon and only got knocked to the ground twice.    Most of the hooves looked decent and only needed some minor trimming.  Our #33 sheep (aka Wild Thang) is going to be sold after her lamb is weaned.  It doesn't matter how much she is handled she hasn't tamed down the least bit.  She was the last ewe that we had to work on since there was no way she was going to get caught with any of the other sheep.  She weighs in at 175 pounds and knows how to use it.  It took both of us to get her cornered and wound up having to use a halter to hold her in place while we did her feet with her standing up.  She was not going to be put in the deck chair without hurting her or one of us. We didn't force the issue since she was already stressed enough and she's 3 months pregnant.

The deck chair works great for the ewes but there is no way to get a 240 pound ram up in that thing.  Ringo needed his hooves trimmed but he just stands there while I support him while his legs are off the ground and Teresa trimmed his.


----------



## Rammy

Sorry you had so much trouble with some of the sheep. I definetly wouldnt be able to handle a sheep that big by myself. I hope you didnt get hurt when you got knocked down. Im glad Ringo was a good boy for you.


----------



## Mike CHS

Rammy said:


> Sorry you had so much trouble with some of the sheep. I definetly wouldnt be able to handle a sheep that big by myself. I hope you didnt get hurt when you got knocked down. Im glad Ringo was a good boy for you.




That was the only one.  All of the others will just let you guide them wherever.


----------



## Bruce

Are #33's offspring easier to handle than she is?


----------



## Mike CHS

She has had twins both times and all of her lambs are among our most gentle and easily handled.  Both times she had a ram and ewe lamb with growth about a pound a day till sold for the ram.  She is one of the prettiest ewes out there but she is wild.  Did you know that a pregnant ewe can jump vertically so that her heels are level with a mans shoulder?


----------



## Rammy

Wow.


----------



## Bruce

As long as she doesn't then kick you in the face!!


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> As long as she doesn't then kick you in the face!!



They aren't doing it to kick but I'm usually watching for it.  The first time I encountered that jump was with a wether I was leading from one paddock to another but he was headed for the freezer.

We were going to work the ewe lambs in the morning to consolidate the herd but both Teresa and I have sore places more than usual so it might have to wait another day.


----------



## Baymule

Have you kept Wild Thang's ewe lambs? She is so pretty, it's a shame she is still so wild.


----------



## Mike CHS

We do have two of her lambs.  Her hooves are a cull feature anyway but her lambs inherited Ringo's hooves.  She will come to a bucket but does not tolerate being confined.

We fooled with Ringo's hooves today also but it took about 10 seconds per hoof.  I wish all of them had hooves like him.


----------



## Baymule

My sheep with black hooves have fantastic hooves. The ones with white hooves have so-so hooves. Two of them like to paw me with their front feet when I have feed. Impatient things.


----------



## Latestarter

A couple of my kids will jump up on me and paw if I have something they want and don't want to wait their turn. I generally pour out mineral for them and then let some stick their heads in the bag to get some (only one pail for all to share, so they get impatient). The opening will fit 2 small heads or one large and maybe a small and they generally take turns. Seems they'd rather stick their heads in the bag than eat from the bowl on the ground. Maybe they have some cat in them...


----------



## Mike CHS

We have mineral and salt feeders on all of the gates so they have it free choice.

I'll have to tell on Teresa this morning.  We were out running some poly wire to keep the two calves in when they get here this afternoon.  We ran the wire and then went down to turn off the charger then went back out to connect to the hot wire and she got a jolt from the wire that wasn't supposed to be hot.  The outlet that has the charger connected to it also has an orange extension cord which is what she unplugged.  That wire has almost 19K volts when I checked it when we were done.


----------



## Bruce

I feel her pain! 
I guess next time, like with an outlet you are SURE you flipped the breaker for, she'll use the tester just to be sure.


----------



## Mike CHS

Some "just because" pictures.  The senior herd is loving the rye grass that they have been on.  I was cutting a bit and taking it to them to make sure they wouldn't have any stomach problems due to the lush growth.  I'm only going to leave them on that section for a couple more days then move them to another section with netting.

They are grazing for about half the time they were in the sparser grass so they just lay around looking fatter.


----------



## RollingAcres

Look at all that lush green...not here, brown now.


----------



## Mike CHS

RollingAcres said:


> Look at all that lush green...not here, brown now.



Our bigger fields look all brown but the cool season grasses are coming in good now.

The steers are settling in pretty good and of course the first thing they did was to go check out the hot wire.


----------



## RollingAcres

Lol, better that they learn about those hot wires first thing. 
What breed are they? I knew you were getting them but didn't think it's so soon.


----------



## Mike CHS

They are Heinz 57.    The sire is an Angus but the heifers are a mix. 

We were planning on getting a couple and since our neighbor was taking several to the sale barn this morning we had him stop at our place to drop these off.  It's convenient since there is a weight scale two miles away and he gets market price which is good for us.


----------



## Latestarter

Really... you didn't waste any time there Mike. They look good and I'm sure will improve the pasture view immensely.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa always says that usually when I talk about possibly doing something it's pretty much a done deal.


----------



## Wehner Homestead

Looks like you’ll soon have some tasty beef in your freezer...might need to consider buying another!


----------



## Mike CHS

We have several neighbors that market calves pretty much all winter so we will get one.


----------



## farmerjan

What did they weigh?  The "grey" one is what we refer to as a smokey;  it has some charolais in it.  If the sire is angus, then it will have a black nose as opposed  to the pink nose of a straight charolais.  He will probably grow a little faster than the black one which is probably more % angus.  They look like they are very happy with all that grazing.  Since they checked out the fence, I am assuming that they have been in some electric before?  That is good that they checked it out and didn't go running through it. 
They look like they are fairly settled so I really hope they do good for you.  At what size do you plan to sell and/or kill them?  If they are for your freezer, then make sure you get them up to a size where they will put on some good fat as well as just growing.  If they don't "finish" then the meat won't marble and it will not be as juicy when you cook it, but rather a little lean.  Lean is good, but they need a certain amount of finish so the meat will marble.  That is where your best flavor comes from.


----------



## Mike CHS

We won't know the weights until tomorrow. The trailer was taken to the scale, the cows dropped off at our place, then back to the scale again but we can estimate their weights individually.   These guys have been in electric fence for all of their lives but they haven't been in the poly rope before until today and it does hurt.  Right now we just have two strands but I want to ad two more strands to this section as well as the next rotation so I can start introducing the dogs to the steers.  The black one is really filled out and the grey has some catching up to do.

When we get ready to finish them they will be on a smaller paddock that has some really good graze for them.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> but they haven't been in the poly rope before until today and it does hurt.


Yeah, just ask Teresa!


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Yeah, just ask Teresa!



It layed her down flat


----------



## Baymule

Nice steers. What have you named them? I suggest Rib Eye and Porterhouse.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Nice steers. What have you named them? I suggest Rib Eye and Porterhouse.



Right now it's just Black and Grey


----------



## Wehner Homestead

Wehner Homestead said:


> Looks like you’ll soon have some tasty beef in your freezer...might need to consider buying another!



I should’ve specified another freezer to hold all this beef that you’ll now have to fill one with.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> It layed her down flat


Ouch! Must be yours is more powerful than mine and I know mine hurts a lot. But not enough to knock me to the ground. Even my sister, who didn't realize the wire was hot, only shrieked and lost her camera temporarily.


----------



## RollingAcres

Bruce said:


> Ouch! Must be yours is more powerful than mine and I know mine hurts a lot. But not enough to knock me to the ground. Even my sister, who didn't realize the wire was hot, only shrieked and lost her camera temporarily.


I remember that video.


----------



## RollingAcres

Wehner Homestead said:


> I should’ve specified another freezer to hold all this beef that you’ll now have to fill one with.


And host a big BYH gathering to cook all this beef.


----------



## Bruce

I like beef fine but if I were to be at Mike and Teresa's I'd prefer some of that LAMB!


----------



## Wehner Homestead

Bruce said:


> I like beef fine but if I were to be at Mike and Teresa's I'd prefer some of that LAMB!



I think you’d probably be okay. Pretty sure Mike has posted before that he prefers to offer several options in case someone doesn’t like something.


----------



## greybeard

RollingAcres said:


> And host a big BYH gathering to cook all this beef.


Dig it!





In S America, they flatten 'em out and just flip them a few times, but it still takes a long time.


----------



## RollingAcres

Dang! and Yum!

@greybeard have you been to one or done it?


----------



## Mike CHS

We do offer to different kinds of meat whenever we serve lamb but so far it has been a hit with about everyone.

We worked the young breeders this morning and are putting the two groups together to see how they get along.  This bunch is all pretty calm and other than  me cutting through my shirt and losing some skin off my stomach with the angle grinder it went pretty smooth.


----------



## Latestarter

Have hit my hands and arms a number of times with angle grinders... they can be very unforgiving, but nowhere near a chain saw... or power saw for that matter...


----------



## greybeard

RollingAcres said:


> Dang! and Yum!
> 
> @greybeard have you been to one or done it?


Not a whole mature one. Saw and partook of several young  calves done when I lived in San Angelo.
I watched a 1/2 of a more mature beef being set up on a spit at the end of a trailride many years ago but I didn't stay for it.  
It took a LOT of charcoal and mesquite for those..............and beer.


----------



## greybeard

Latestarter said:


> Have hit my hands and arms a number of times with angle grinders... they can be very unforgiving, but nowhere near a chain saw... or power saw for that matter...


The only good thing about getting hit with an angle grinder disc is the heat from it tends to cauterize the cut at the same time the abrasive disc makes the cut. Still hurts like the blazes tho, and it's never a nice clean cut..
I have a 4" angle grinder that I use worn down 9"discs that I got from the  local pipeliners. They're about 6" diameter when I get em by the 5 gal bucket. You have to be careful with a disc that big on a 4" grinder...that gyroscopic effect is strong.

Wife's brother lost the last joint and 1/2 of one of his index fingers in a tablesaw. After they cleaned it all up, and it partially healed, he elected to go a curious route. They removed one of his toes, and grafted it onto where the missing digit should be. The graft took fine and I tell everyone I introduce him to they are shaking his foot.


----------



## Mike CHS

I only use the grinder of sheep that are calm.  Those grinders can damage both the sheep hoof and the person doing the grinding.

Ringo is a happy camper.  With a couple of exceptions the sheep merged as good as I had hoped.  The herd queen  is showing her bad side but that was expected.  Most of the yearlings were cycling and were waiting on the ram to take care of business.

The last picture is when I first let the yearlings out and they weren't sure they wanted to join the big bully girls.

I was hoping Thor was mature enough since he hasn't been with these ewes since they were weaned.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I was hoping Thor was mature enough since he hasn't been with these ewes since they were weaned.


And? ......



Wehner Homestead said:


> I think you’d probably be okay. Pretty sure Mike has posted before that he prefers to offer several options in case someone doesn’t like something.


I might get greedy and try some of each. And have seconds


----------



## Wehner Homestead

Bruce said:


> And? ......
> 
> 
> I might get greedy and try some of each. And have seconds



I’m sure no one would just you considering your current meat limitations at home.


----------



## Bruce

Definitely have limited variety though DD1 just has to suck up the fact that the rest of us eat meat most nights.


----------



## Mike CHS

It looked like both Maisy and Thor still have the ewes smell imprinted plus they have been in the three paddocks that surrounded where the yearlings have been for quite awhile.  When I let them in with the senior girls the dogs didn't bat an eye nor did they bother checking out their smells so they were good with them.


----------



## Bruce

I bet they will never forget the smell of their sheep.


----------



## Mike CHS

I forgot to post one thing that happened today.  Jay was over helping to hold the ewes in the chair so Teresa and I could both work on hooves.  I usually stand at an angle so if the sheep do kick out they won't get a full frontal target.  Note that I said I usually stand at an angle but one of our named sheep (Pepper) kicked out with both legs and got me right in the groin.  Jay had the hardest time not cracking up.


----------



## Baymule

I would have laughed.


----------



## Rammy

Me too.  Sorry Mike.


----------



## Latestarter

Having had similar experiences (pain) I wouldn't have laughed... probably cringed...


----------



## Mike CHS

Latestarter said:


> Having had similar experiences (pain) I wouldn't have laughed... probably cringed...



Jay was making a moaning sound and Teresa asked him if he got hit also.  He told her know but he said he knew how it felt.


----------



## Baymule

Is Jay earning his way back into your good graces?


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Is Jay earning his way back into your good graces?



He was never completely out but we are using him enough to provide him some spending money and sort of selfishly on my part paying him labor for 3 -4 hours lets me be able to use my shoulder the next day. 

We will never trust him on his own so that part is pretty much gone.  He's is also good for us keeping problem kids away from our house.  He knows how much security we have and how many hand guns are kept handy.


----------



## Southern by choice

I have been trying to keep up.  I have completely missed all about Jay. 

Yay for you getting some steers!

As always the sheep look great. You have really done such a great job. Seems like you have an eye and ability to cull what needs culled. 
How is the herding training going? 

BTW I saw your eggrolls.  Thanks. I love eggrolls. I use to make them. No one but me eats them. I get no eggrolls. Poor poor me.


----------



## Mike CHS

Southern by choice said:


> How is the herding training going?


 
The next time we go to NC to see the Brother In Law we will bring you some spring rolls.  Of course we never both get to go anywhere now.  We quit working the Aussie since she never did figure it out but the Border Collie does great and has more talent than we will ever need.  He doesn't get to work a lot since we don't have any wethers at the moment but he gets to help in moving the herd in our rotation and does great.  A bucket is easier but I love to watch the boy move so he gets to help. 

We are starting to look for another pup to train now that all of the building is under control and would like to get back to doing herding trials.  I have used our boy on so many short runs that he won't be able to compete on the long outruns they need to do in the Field Trials but he gets the sheep moved when they feel like being hard to handle which is what we got him for do.

Our helper Jay did something that caused a loss of trust by most that new him but he's trying to repair some almost burned bridges.


----------



## Wehner Homestead

Check out Dream Winds Farm in KY. Their Aussies are working lines.


----------



## Mike CHS

Wehner Homestead said:


> Check out Dream Winds Farm in KY. Their Aussies are working lines.



I've been spoiled by Border Collies for the last several years.   We already had our Aussie when we started doing field trials several years ago and although we love our Aussie, if we had gotten the Border Collie first, we wouldn't have gotten our Aussie.


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> I forgot to post one thing that happened today.  Jay was over helping to hold the ewes in the chair so Teresa and I could both work on hooves.  I usually stand at an angle so if the sheep do kick out they won't get a full frontal target.  Note that I said I usually stand at an angle but one of our named sheep (Pepper) kicked out with both legs and got me right in the groin.  Jay had the hardest time not cracking up.


Ouch Mike!


----------



## Mike CHS

Now that the steers have decided they won't be ground beef any time soon they have quit being so skittish that I could get a picture without having to use the zoom.


----------



## greybeard

what is the age difference in them?


----------



## Mike CHS

There is a little over 5 months difference


----------



## greybeard

I assume the CharX is the oldest..


----------



## Mike CHS

That's correct.  I don't even have the weights yet since I haven't talked to the neighbor we got them from since we unloaded them but we'll get all of that this weekend.


----------



## Mike CHS

The total weight of both the calves is 840 pounds and we got more details on them.  The black one is all Angus and the grey is a Brangus/Charolais Cross and I'm guessing he is 100 lbs heavier than the black.  The grey is only 3 months older than the black.


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> Brangus/Charolais Cross






Mike CHS said:


> The total weight of both the calves is 840 pounds and we got more details on them.  The black one is all Angus and the grey is a Brangus/Charolais Cross and I'm guessing he is 100 lbs heavier than the black.  The grey is only 3 months older than the black.



We had kinda figured that out already.  I suspect the smoky is more than 100lbs heavier. Char is noted for mashing down the scales when crossed with angus influenced cattle. 3 months older sounds right, as smoky's hind1/4 is much better defined, shoulder looks heavier and looks to have more/better depth and thickness than his pasture mate. 
I've raised and sold some smokeys myself, but from Char X partially black beefmaster. Even a red/white or solid red BM x  Char will produce a smokey most of the time.


----------



## Bruce

Wow, that is 840 pounds of beef on the hoof? I would have guessed they were a whole lot smaller.


----------



## greybeard

Bruce said:


> Wow, that is 840 pounds of beef on the hoof? I would have guessed they were a whole lot smaller.


About 1/2 of that is hide, hair, hooves, bones, blood, feces and guts.


----------



## Mike CHS

The one we processed last year was over 1200 pounds and two of us brought home a little less than 300 pounds each so thy have a ways to go.


----------



## Mike CHS

The majority of today was spent cutting grass in the bigger paddocks and in my lanes so I can broadcast and drag some of the cold weather seed mix on it tomorrow.  We should be getting some heavy rain around the first of the week so that will help.  I don't want solid planting areas so I crisscrossed the areas with 8' mowed lanes that will get seeded and dragged.  That leaves about 75% of the paddocks with the grass mixes that are already there and the calves seem to like and the sheep can feed on the existing grass and the seed mix that I'm putting out tomorrow.


----------



## Baymule

What seed mix are you using?


----------



## Mike CHS

We got this from our CO-OP and added more rye grass and purple top turnip

25% Grain Rye
25% Oats
15% Winter Peas
10% Dixie Crimson Clover
10% Chicory
  5% Purple Top Turnip
  5% Daikon Radish
  5% Sugar Beets
We planted a couple of 8' lanes in the paddock that they have been in a month ago and they love it.  I was only able to leave them in it for a few days before they started eating it too short but I like have a lot of green vegetation when it is cold.  I'm trying to provide more graze and less hay and so far it seems to work. Chicory has been shown to be a good wormer also according to the UKY folks we saw last month.


----------



## Baymule

I am working on a stand of chicory, it is blooming and setting seed now. I'll check with the feed stores here to see what mix they have. They have deer plot seed mix, is that what your mix is called?


----------



## Mike CHS

It is a deer plot mix.  I just added the other seeds from our feed store based on what I planted and they liked last year.  I was surprised how well the little bit of mix I broadcast last fall grew but I'll keep doing it as it's a good cover crop.


----------



## Baymule

I have a few pounds of Dutch white clover that I am going to sow. It is low growing, but it doesn't quit until it is hot. Like in June or July hot!


----------



## Mike CHS

I got all of the seed broadcast and dragged and it looks like rain is not far away. 

Teresa and I got the last of the debris that our neighbor dragged on to what used to be our big garden spot all bagged up and ready to go to the dump.  There will be a small trailer load but at least I can fence in that section.  I still need to take our big roller magnet to see how many nails are still left there.   There is zero cool season grass on that spot so I'm going to get a soil test on that one and maybe plant a cover crop of the deer plot mix on that section.


----------



## Latestarter

Just looked at the radar and it appears there's a huge bit of storm front headed in your direction with tornado watches and warnings galore! Batten down the hatches and stay safe!


----------



## greybeard

I've planted some winter mix that sounds similar to that fow winter grazing for the cows. Austrian peas, a clover, turnips, ryegrass and cereal rye, barley and wheat. 
It did quite well but I  believe deer ate more than the cows did. Feral hogs too. 
(we don't really see the advantage of sowing any of it until late winter early spring.......something to get them by till spring grass really gets going well.)


----------



## Mike CHS

We ran a new set of poly rope electric fence to give the calves some fresh grass.  I haven't been around cattle for 40 years and I had forgotten how getting them to go where you want isn't nearly as easy as just calling the sheep.


----------



## Bruce

You just haven't had time train them to a can with treats!


----------



## Mike CHS

This was the first time we have moved them but they'll get better.


----------



## Wehner Homestead

They’ll train the same way as the sheep. They just have to adjust to the routine.


----------



## Mike CHS

They are getting better and they have only been here a week today.  At some point I'll introduce them to the Border Collie but not in electric poly rope with a stalking canine coming after them.


----------



## farmerjan

Wehner Homestead said:


> They’ll train the same way as the sheep. They just have to adjust to the routine.


!00%  correct.  We have 99% of our cattle trained to come to call with a little grain as an enticement.  Seriously, at any pasture, we might have one or 2 that is slow to come, and FINALLY got rid of one old cow that I just hated because she would do what she wanted, WHEN SHE WANTED.  But it doesn't take but a few times and ours will come to call, even without a bucket.  But if I am going to call them, I like to give them a "reward" for coming.  And it teaches the calves that it is good to come when someone calls them. 
You figure we have anywhere from 10 cow calf pairs to as many as 40 c/cf pairs at a pasture and we can get them in and "caught up" in about 10-15 minutes at most any pasture.  You'll get them to that point quickly with as good as you treat your animals.


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> This was the first time we have moved them but they'll get better.





 
it's like crack for cows...they'll follow you anywhere.


----------



## Mike CHS

They haven't quite figured it out but they are getting there.  The neighbor we bought them from said they are a whole lot tamer than they were when he brought them over.


----------



## Mike CHS

greybeard said:


> View attachment 54342
> it's like crack for cows...they'll follow you anywhere.



I have to ask what is that?


----------



## greybeard

It goes by different names....Range cubes/cattle cubes/calling cubes/hay stretcher cubes/'cake'. 
Comes in different protein %. 12-14-20-30-35% and up...it just depends what you want or need. 1/2" or 3/4" diameter. 
It's a supplementary feed, used most of the time to give the cows a little protein boost and get them used to you and used to going where you are. Not intended to be used as full feed or finisher. 
Primary ingredient is usually CSM.
Easy to feed. You pour it on the ground in a long string or in small piles....since you only have 2 steers, you can feed it in anything. Believe me.. they won't waste any.


----------



## Mike CHS

I'll get some of that.  I've been giving them some 11% Sweet Feed to get them on my side but I'll pick up some of that.


----------



## Baymule

cow cubes are da' BOMB! We had a cow get out and go 3 miles down the road one time. A rancher turned her in with his and his bull bred her, which was fine with us. We went down the road, stopping and talking with folks until we found her. He asked us to come back in a couple days and he would have her up in the lot. Daughter and I sat on the tailgate while friend drove truck, we had a bucket of cubes. I told the rancher to let her out, she rambled for a moment until I called her. She ran to us, friend drove down the road with DD and I plying her with cubes, all the way back. Friend said he'd been on a lot of cattle round ups, but never one like that!


----------



## Mike CHS

We tried another new recipe today that is definitely a keeper.  This one is Lamb in a Two Mustard Sauce.


----------



## Rammy

Did you HAVE to post that at lunchtime? Dangit.............looks sooooo yummy!


----------



## Bruce

Yes, because he wants you to come visit again.


----------



## Rammy

Its working!


----------



## Wehner Homestead

That’s funny. I was reading an magazine from last year while DD2 was at therapy this morning. I had to take a pic for you. I included the magazine cover for reference also. Sorry that I forgot to take a pic of the prepared dish. Of course it’s the one that includes lamb! Lol


----------



## Mike CHS

We do a dish awfully close to that one but I have no idea where it originated.  I have file folders with 100's if not thousands of recipe.


----------



## Rammy

You should write a book. Thousands of ways to cook a lamb............would be a best seller.


----------



## Bruce

But he would have to send each one (cooked, ready to eat with reheating) to me for testing first.


----------



## Baymule

Rammy said:


> Did you HAVE to post that at lunchtime? Dangit.............looks sooooo yummy!





Bruce said:


> Yes, because he wants you to come visit again.



It's that Southern hospitality thang......Y'all come back now, ya' heah?


----------



## Mike CHS

We don't regularly spray pesticides around or in our house but we have come upon 3 Black Widow spiders in the last few days and we did more spraying than we have since we bought our place.  I have REALLY bad reactions to those things so everything that could be sprayed in the shed, shop, hay barn and house got sprayed.


----------



## Bruce

Better they be dead than Teresa becomes a widow!


----------



## High Desert Cowboy

I highly recommend Ortho Home Defense.  75% of the spiders we see around our place are black widows and it seems to do a pretty good job at killing them and keeping them gone for a good period.


----------



## Mike CHS

The Ortho product is what we wound up using.  I had started spraying Malathion and after doing some reading found that spiders weren't listed on the label.


----------



## greybeard




----------



## Mike CHS

Sassy and Lance doing their all time favorite thing = Ball Tug.  They keep the door they are playing in front of in need of touch up paint.  It would be easy enough to not let them do it but they have fun doing it and we enjoy watching them.  They will pull their way over to the couch we sit on to make sure everyone is included in the game.


----------



## Bruce

And when they are done, do they give you the slimy ball?


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> And when they are done, do they give you the slimy ball?



No - there is a basket behind a chair in that corner and they put it back in the basket.  

I tried to get a couple of pictures of what's left of the fall colors but I'm a few days too late.  Most of the deep orange color that we had last week is pretty much gone.  Both of these pictures are of the hills on the east side of our place.  The tree line on the flat ground in the front is a CSX main railroad track that goes in a tunnel to the right side of the picture.  You can't see our place at all from the road in summer but it's visible for most of the winter and you can just see the house in the center of the pictures.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Beautiful!


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> Sassy and Lance doing their all time favorite thing = Ball Tug.  They keep the door they are playing in front of in need of touch up paint.  It would be easy enough to not let them do it but they have fun doing it and we enjoy watching them.  They will pull their way over to the couch we sit on to make sure everyone is included in the game.
> View attachment 54482


Polly and Parker used to play that game with a stick, bone or whatever they had. Parker taught it to Trip after Polly was gone.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Spiders are difficult to kill with a residual, because they do not clean theirselves as other insects do and contact is the better way to control them.....I think I saw a small blue ball by a paw.......... @Bruce it may be slimy, but it is sooo worth it, because they Love it....and a towel or soap and water for the hands isn't too far away, but Joyce uses nitrile gloves....


----------



## Mike CHS

Fred - they love those toys you brought them.


----------



## Southern by choice

Mike CHS said:


> We don't regularly spray pesticides around or in our house but we have come upon 3 Black Widow spiders in the last few days and we did more spraying than we have since we bought our place.  I have REALLY bad reactions to those things so everything that could be sprayed in the shed, shop, hay barn and house got sprayed.



Mike years ago we lived on a property that was overrun with Black Widows.
I had little ones at 2 years old they could tell me "Bak Widdo" - they were on the kids forts, playsets, shutters, porch... EVERYWHERE.  Thankfully NOT in the house!
I had the exterminators out but the property was big... 
I have a video of one that lived behind the shutter and there was a baby blue skink... the Black Widow came out  bit it, the skink struggled for a bit and the spider drug it back behind the shutter!
I got the whole think on video. LOL real Video as in cassettes.  My neighbor had no Black widows but had Copperheads and I mean NESTS of copperheads.

One time one of my boys (he had to be 3-4) very smart and very independent... was in the kitchen and went to a cabinet and grabbed a tupperware. 
"Watcha doing with that?"
"I need it for something"
Hmmm.. ok.. as he heads out to the garage.   
Didn't think much as we had kids stuff and pool table in the garage.- it was right off the kitchen...
Kid comes back in and says "I got a recluse"
HEART DROP! 
"What?! Um, you don't ever do that ... "as we head back to the garage
He interrupts. 
"They are dangerous, so I caught it."
Yep, that boy put that tupperware right over the top and trapped a brown recluse. 

He seemed rather insulted that I would think he wouldn't know how to be safe.
I guess all the nature books of spiders and snakes and critters paid off.  Amazing what young ones can retain. Of course we raised all kinds of critters and they were taught early about poisonous things and non poisonous. I really didn't want them being fearful of stuff but smart about stuff. 

I loathe spiders.  My BIL put his glove on that was in the barn as he went to feed the horses. Black Widow was in the clove and bit him. The pain was horrible- he did go to ER and they gave him  some potent pain meds. 

Love the dogs playing with the ball.


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> No - there is a basket behind a chair in that corner and they put it back in the basket.


Smart dogs! Love seeing their pics.


----------



## Mike CHS

It has been raining here since the middle of last night but we did get our black lamb cull off to the auction.  She is a sweetie and I hated to see her go but she is too hard to keep healthy.  We ran a fecal on her to make sure we were not sending away a problem for somebody else but the worm load was way down so the dry lot finished her up.  She had put all of the weight back on that she had lost and was filled out nice.


----------



## Baymule

Wise decision. It is hard to give one up that you like, but sometimes it is the best thing to do for the health of the rest of your flock.


----------



## Mike CHS

I was going to make some Shish kabobs for dinner on the grill but I wimped out when the temperature started dropping this morning and the north winds picked up.  So the shish kabobs became a slow cooker meal that was sort of a waste of a tenderloin but it sure was tasty.


----------



## Bruce

You need to build a windbreak for your BBQ area!


----------



## Baymule

Looks yummy and WARM!! LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

The calves are taming down faster than I had thought they would.  I'm seeing that so far, interacting with them works the same as with the sheep.  If anything they get where they trust you faster than some of our sheep.  I got some of those cubes that greybeard mentioned the other day and they love those things as well as the sweet feed I've been giving them.

I don't necessarily want them 'tame' but I need them trusting enough to make moving them in our rotation fairly easy.


----------



## Baymule

When I had cows they were paper bag trained, LOL. They will do almost anything for cubes.


----------



## Wehner Homestead

Tame cows are great! (Unless you are trying to drive them-someplace like into a trailer or in a chute! Then they just want scratched. Lol!)


----------



## Rammy

Oh, yeah, if you want them to go into a trailer or the barn when you want them to.......noooooo, but if you open the barn door to get your lawn mower out, they come running like a freight train with no brakes. Stupid cows.


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> I was going to make some Shish kabobs for dinner on the grill but I wimped out when the temperature started dropping this morning and the north winds picked up.  So the shish kabobs became a slow cooker meal that was sort of a waste of a tenderloin but it sure was tasty.
> 
> View attachment 54660


Still looks delicious.


----------



## High Desert Cowboy

Tame cows? But....that takes away all the possible fun stories!


----------



## Latestarter

Yeah... the fun stories about broken bones, dislocated limbs, bruises, cuts, etc...


----------



## High Desert Cowboy

Exactly!


----------



## Latestarter

OK... all that being said, are cowboys like soldiers? They have to compare "battle scars" to see who has the mostest/bestest?


----------



## Mike CHS

High Desert Cowboy said:


> Tame cows? But....that takes away all the possible fun stories!



I've had tame and not so tame and with my limited experience, I prefer the tame ones.


----------



## Baymule

I never want another Longhorn again as long as I live. I am cured from Longhornwantitus.


----------



## Mike CHS

I've never been around them but then again I don't want anything with horns.  

It has never stopped raining today so we went up and made a Costco run.


----------



## Bruce

For umbrellas, tarps and sheep rain coats?


----------



## Mike CHS

We go mostly because we like the Kirkland brand dog food and just the basics other than that. It isn't that far and we usually grab lunch while we are in Franklin.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Refresh my senile Texas Aggie memory -- what town are you close to?  I ask because I thought you were close to the Alabama state line and wondered why you don't go to Huntsville.


----------



## Mike CHS

We are 22 miles from the Alabama line but it's equal distance to either Huntsville or Franklin.  Huntsville is actually a few miles closer but with all of the construction down there and the back roads we have to use, it takes considerably longer to get there.  That plus both the Costco and Sam's in Huntsville has less variety.

We are half way between Lewisburg and Pulaski in the little town of Cornersville.


----------



## farmerjan

Latestarter said:


> OK... all that being said, are cowboys like soldiers? They have to compare "battle scars" to see who has the mostest/bestest?


YEP


----------



## Rammy

I thought of some names for your cows. Chuck(roast), and Porter(house steak). Or you could call one Mr.T(bone) and Filet(mignon) if you like French names. Just some suggestions.


----------



## farmerjan

I have an 18 month old Longhorn heifer... off a cheap longhorn cow that I bought.  She had a dead angus x calf this next time, and wouldn't take a grafted calf so sold her for about what I paid for the pair.  She had been "dehorned" but one didn't work, although the horn was curled around near her head.  This heifer has a beautiful set, mostly straight out, and is very good about not using them on anyone much except at the feed trough.  Love to see her twist her head to get it in places with the horns... She is my "lawn ornament".. I always wanted one so she is the extravagance since they don't bring much... Pretty quiet and I am working on getting her tamer but it is hard when there are a bunch other cattle around.


----------



## greybeard

Baymule said:


> I never want another Longhorn again as long as I live. I am cured from Longhornwantitus.


I never owned a Longhorn, but have been around a lot of them. Extremely docile except with a calf by.  The ultimate maternal breed.
(I've had lots of other horned cattle--the crossbreds with Simmental influence were by far the worst...full blood Herefords the better to work around tho a couple of those can be rank when they want to be.)


Latestarter said:


> OK... all that being said, are cowboys like soldiers? They have to compare "battle scars" to see who has the mostest/bestest?


instant classic............


----------



## Mike CHS

I wasn't ready for winter to be here this soon but the high today is going to be in the mid 30's and down in the 20's tonight. We were going to make it a spend some time in the kitchen day but then I remembered that Teresa's military ID card expires in a couple of weeks.  The nearest facility to get it renewed is at Arnold Air Force Base about an hour away so it looks like the meatloaf will have to wait till tomorrow. T had started some Asparagus Soup but that can also wait till we get back home but as she is going out to Reno in a couple of weeks, this is one of our to-do's that needs to get done.


----------



## High Desert Cowboy

Latestarter said:


> OK... all that being said, are cowboys like soldiers? They have to compare "battle scars" to see who has the mostest/bestest?


Of course we do.  In fact talk of longhorns reminds me of one of my own scar stories.  I don’t want to hijack Mikes thread though so I’ll post it over on mine.
I didn’t realize you guys got that cold in your area Mike.  Bundle up and enjoy that soup.  Send some my way while you’re at it.


----------



## Mike CHS

It normally doesn't get this cold this early.  Today was silly - 30 degrees this morning and I was wearing thermals but I had to come in at noon to put some lighter closes on as it is probably in the high 50's.  We have been going back and making some changes in the hot wires.  It had gotten to the point we had to go back to the charger and unplug it since a couple of the hot gates were terminated the wrong way.

I did put together my meat loaf so we could have a hot lunch and it turned out about as good as I have ever eaten.


----------



## greybeard

- 30 in Tenn?


----------



## Bruce

I think that is a dash, not a minus sign. Probably hasn't been -30°F in TN since the last ice age.


----------



## Mike CHS

Yep that was a dash, it was almost shirt sleeve weather this afternoon.


----------



## Carla D

Mike CHS said:


> It's been awhile since I updated but some progress has been made.  I'm posting some more before and afters of the room that made me ask myself WHY DID YOU BUY THIS PLACE more than a few times.  I'm not going to get windy since the pics pretty much tell the story.
> 
> My wife had to get pretty creative with the lighting.  There was originally one light fixture in the center of the room and 16' ceilings so it was always dark in there.
> 
> We were able to spend all of last week working and built 5 over sized oak cabinets to go in the loft which will be all of our food processing and canning supplies.  We also were able to hang the two new exterior doors and get them painted.
> 
> The weather hasn't been cooperating at all on the shop build as they were scheduled to start a month ago.  It should go pretty fast now that all of the materials and equipment are on site.  I'm going to run water down to it from the well but won't bother till the construction is done.  We are also having to have another power pole and meter set since joining with the house isn't something we want to do.
> 
> The shop will be 32' x 42' and will have 12' of open shelter on each end.  One end for equipment storage and the other will be our lambing shelter until we get one built down in the main pasture.
> 
> A couple of these were posted before but not in the journal.  Note the bathroom door with the vinyl door next to the stove location in the "before" picture.  That was one of the 1st things to get changed.
> 
> We just got running water into the house a couple of months ago and we don't mind not having to carry buckets in from the well anymore.  We built a knee wall for the stairs and put a squat water heater under that so the unusable room became our laundry room.
> 
> 
> View attachment 10929 View attachment 10930
> View attachment 10931 View attachment 10932
> View attachment 10933


Those are really beautiful cabinets. You do nice work.


----------



## Mike CHS

Carla D said:


> Those are really beautiful cabinets. You do nice work.



Thank you.  You went way back to see those.


----------



## Carla D

Mike CHS said:


> Thank you.  You went way back to see those.


I sure did. I’m finding out that there are some very talented, creative, busy people in here. Their lives are pretty well rounded and full. I have done some woodworking with my husband. But I really like the finishing, refinishing, repurposing side of woodworking. I took a course on wood finishing and repair. I learned a lot.


----------



## Mike CHS

Carla D said:


> I sure did. I’m finding out that there are some very talented, creative, busy people in here. Their lives are pretty well rounded and full. I have done some woodworking with my husband. But I really like the finishing, refinishing, repurposing side of woodworking. I took a course on wood finishing and repair. I learned a lot.



The people that we have gotten to know on this forum are in a whole different plain than what you see regularly on the internet.  They care and they do and that pretty much says it all.


----------



## Mike CHS

We got our Christmas cards all ready to drop in the mail tomorrow for our family.  Teresa said that she wanted to use the picture of Maisy and Ringo on Christmas cards as soon as she first saw it.


----------



## Rammy

So Ringo loves Maisy but not Thor. Too cute. Great Christmas card.

Was wanting to ask where you bought your pasture seed? I was wondering how many lbs of seed I would need for a 2 1/2 acre pasture. I think when I did it a few years ago( like maybe 10) I put about 100lbs for the entire area. I was out checking the fence for damage from the storm few days ago and found nothing thankfully,  but did see the cows have about ate the pasture down to nothing where its still green. 
The rest of the field is brown from fall die off. When I get my soil test results back, will start with lime and fertilizer. Then will go get seed and see about trying to get that started as well.


----------



## Mike CHS

I have bought seed both from CO-OP and our little farm center in Lewisburg.  Rye grass is spread 15 pounds to the acre and I did the Fescue at pretty close to the same rate.  I'm guessing you will be waiting till spring?


----------



## Rammy

I will have to now. Im probably going to have to rent the spreader and do it myself. CO-OP used to spread it for me but they wont do less than 5 acres now. I definetly want to do rye grass and I thought about the KY32 also. If I have time Im going to stop at the AG extension office in town and see what they suggest. Also need to stop and talk to the cattle farmer down the street from me and talk to him. His pasture always looks green year around. 
Im hoping I can at least do the lime first then do the fertilizer and seed this spring.


----------



## Mike CHS

I have a spreader that I can pull behind the riding mower or the side by side but it holds a whole 50 pound bag at a time.  We planted some deer mix in some of the less lush parts of the pasture but it's a mix of almost all cool weather seeds.  Where I let the sheep graze the rye and fescue it's already got a lot of new growth so the cold weather hasn't slowed it down yet.  I want to seed some clover early in the spring after I spread lime.  I have too much cross fencing now to have COOP come out and spread it but they will sell a pallet full of 50 pound bags at a heavy discount that isn't too much more than buying it and have them spread it.


----------



## Latestarter

That's a beautiful card Mike. It's a picture that will stay in your mind for life.


----------



## Baymule

I love that picture too!


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> We got our Christmas cards all ready to drop in the mail tomorrow for our family.  Teresa said that she wanted to use the picture of Maisy and Ringo on Christmas cards as soon as she first saw it.
> 
> View attachment 54852


Love it!!!


----------



## Bruce

Me four! Great picture for the card.


----------



## Mike CHS

Got another recipe.  This one is Lamb Chops with Pear Glaze Sauce.  I first tried this with center loin pork chops and it is excellent with pork also.

I'll paste the recipe as it is now.  There have been several changes to the original but they are all included in the text.

This works perfectly pairing lamb or pork chops and braised fruit, especially with a hint of soy sauce and a touch of cayenne. Three apples, such as Golden Delicious, could be substituted for the pears. If you wanted to serve this to company, you could make the pear glaze 1 to 2 days ahead and refrigerate it. Warm the glaze before adding to the chops in the pan.

Ingredients

4 bone-in chops, up to 3/4-inch thick
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic salt(or to taste)

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil or preferably grape seed oil


Pear Glaze:
1/3 cup pear nectar/pear juice , plus 2 tablespoons
2 Tablespoons brown sugar , packed
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh ginger root, grated
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
4 firm but ripe pears, peeled, halved lengthwise, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch wedges (a tin of canned pears works better off season when the pears are not ripe)
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Directions

To make glaze, bring pear nectar or juice to simmer in large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger root, and cayenne. Stir until sugar is dissolved and sauce begins to simmer. Add pears and stir to coat. Cook, basting pears frequently, until pears are barely tender, 4 minutes. Mix remaining 2 tablespoons of pear nectar with cornstarch and stir into pear mixture. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly. Transfer to bowl and set aside. Wipe out skillet.

Combine flour, thyme, pepper, and salt on plate. Dredge chops in flour mixture, coating all sides and shaking off excess. I use a zip lock bag and just shake the bag to coat

Using same pan, heat oil over medium-high heat and swirl to coat pan. Add chops and brown on each side, turning once, about 4 minutes per side. Turn heat to low and pour pear mixture over top, cover, and cook until chops and internal temperature on a thermometer reads 160 degrees F and pears are tender, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.


----------



## Latestarter

That looks really delish!


----------



## Baymule

My computer just shorted out......I drooled on the keyboard.....


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> My computer just shorted out......I drooled on the keyboard.....



   It works as well with pork, lamb or even venison.   I have even done it with hamburger patties and it is still great.


----------



## RollingAcres

Yummy!


----------



## Mike CHS

We have a turkey in the freezer but decided to leave it until family gets here next month.  Teresa still made enough food for 10 people so we won't be doing any cooking for the next few days.

I took the camera out when I was moving the sheep awhile ago since I haven't taken many pictures of them
since we put them with the ram.  Our lambing season is going to be extended more than we wanted but it is what it is.  I think Ringo has covered even the yearlings but I've seen him mount a couple of times in the last week.  She is one of our registered ewes and I'm looking forward to seeing her lamb(s).


----------



## Rammy

Looking good.


----------



## Baymule

They look so beautiful and peaceful.


----------



## Wehner Homestead

That latest recipe sounds like one we need to try!!!


----------



## Mike CHS

Wehner Homestead said:


> That latest recipe sounds like one we need to try!!!



It had an awesome taste.  I took some out before adding the cayenne and they are both good plus there isn't enough pepper in it to make it overly spicy.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Your pictures are beautiful  and so are your animals , love them .... i am embarrassed  to admit it ....but i have never eaten lamb ....


----------



## Mike CHS

@B&B Happy goats, the majority of people I've cooked lamb for had never had it before or they had tried it from someone who didn't know how to cook it.  Most of the people that we have served have either bought sheep from us to slaughter or bought some to raise.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Mike CHS said:


> @B&B Happy goats, the majority of people I've cooked lamb for had never had it before or they had tried it from someone who didn't know how to cook it.  Most of the people that we have served have either bought sheep from us to slaughter or bought some to raise.


At what age do you butcher them ?


----------



## Mike CHS

it varies depending on how fast they grow but we take them out to 10-14 months old.  The one that @Latestarter bought was right a little over 140 pounds when we took him in.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Mike CHS said:


> it varies depending on how fast they grow but we take them out to 10-14 months old.  The one that @Latestarter bought was right a little over 140 pounds when we took him in.


Well i am going to have to try eating lamb at some point...i see all these dishes  ya all are posting and it makes me drool....thank you for your reply


----------



## Latestarter

No need to feel embarrassed about not having had it. Having had lamb many times over the years, If you can find a local shepherd to buy from and have it processed yourself, the meat tastes vastly better than most store bought lamb I've ever had. Most store lamb here is imported from Australia or New Zealand. The lamb I purchased from Mike is exceptional. Very mild flavor, tender, tasty.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

@Latestarter. ...i think i had better try lamb first, now that you mention it i do have the name of a man that sells and butchers, he may know where i may purchase a little lamb chop to try. Thank you


----------



## Mike CHS

More and more producers are getting set up to sell off the farm and there are quite a few growers in north Florida and south Georgia.  Like @Latestarter said though the lamb sold in stores won't taste like what you can buy off hair sheep farms.


----------



## Rammy

Same goes for farm raised beef. Doesnt taste the same. Got some hamburger from a friend who raised a beef steer couple years ago. It was the best hamburger I ever had. First time I had lamb was at @Mike CHS. Very delicious. If I ever decided to buy lamb to fix, it would be from him. Since Ive seen his set up( serious farm envy), I know they are well cared for and raised well.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

I won't  buy any lamb in the store...you have me convinced  !  Years ago i raised my own pork, beef and chicken along with growing vegetables  and milking dairy goats. ...Completely understand  the diffrence. That is what i am trying to accomplish  here but on a smaller scale. Will be buying a half cow and haven't  convinced husband YET about the pig, lol but it will be happening in the near future... he has never tasted fresh meat...yet


----------



## Mike CHS

Some may remember last year when my Aunt and all time closest family member passed when I went to Florida to join with her immediate family to spend her last days. We brought some pieces of a Christmas Cactus that she really loved and we potted them up and it has started blooming in the last few days.

We got the sheep moved into another section of pasture this morning inside electric netting.  We are rotating on areas a little over an acre and a half with them for a few days and then we will let the calves follow them to finish off that section since they eat the taller grass that is left.  We are leaving the two paddocks that will be our nursery grass unused until the girls start lambing and then they will get moved to those.  Once we separate the girls we will put Ringo in with the calves along with Thor.  We were going to leave the dogs outside of the netting but Maisy started fretting when we closed the sheep in and the dogs out.  They have been moving with the sheep but now that they are inside the perimeter fence I thought the dogs would be happier having the whole place.  It seems that Maisy would prefer having less running room as long as she's with the sheep. Thor prefers more room but he even more prefers being with Maisy.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Beautiful cactus and a great way to keep your Aunt in your thoughts every time you see it!


----------



## Baymule

Beautiful Christmas cactus and a nice reminder of your aunt.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> We brought some pieces of a Christmas Cactus that she really loved and we potted them up and it has started blooming in the last few days.


What a fabulous memory of your favorite relative.  And you will have that memory for decades. DW has some various "holiday" cactuses, some she's had before we got married 28 years ago.



Mike CHS said:


> Once we separate the girls we will put Ringo in with the calves along with Thor.


Um, will Ringo and Thor both make it out alive??


----------



## Mike CHS

Ringo and the dogs have already been introduced and get along.  The calves ignore the dogs and move along with Ringo.


----------



## Bruce

So Ringo and Thor have worked out their differences?


----------



## B&B Happy goats

That is so nice....its like a part of her is still with you and blooms as reminder of her love for you


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> So Ringo and Thor have worked out their differences?



As long as they have the energy to play it's never going to be worked out.  If the dog isn't instigating, the ram is.  Ringo won't be around a whole lot longer.


----------



## Mike CHS

It's cold outside but it still got up into the low 30's today so nothing like the folks up north are getting. We are building a couple of 16x11 hoop house shelters this week and the wind isn't helping. It won't keep them warm but at least gives them a place to get out of the rain. We have our biggest paddock set up so that we can rotate using portable netting and/or the electric rope to section it off.  We are putting the two shelters so that we can get two rotations using just one shelter by using a short run of netting on one side or the other and their minerals are going to be attached to T-posts.  I tried just using large bowls but anything on the ground becomes something to be dumped and hidden by one or both of the dogs.


----------



## Bruce

Well if they are just playing it is OK, I thought Ringo was going after Thor aggressively and vice versa. 

Well, it isn't REALLY OK for a LGD to play with its charges, Just not dangerous to them as I thought was the case.


----------



## Mike CHS

I've had more than a few growling sessions with the boy but he hasn't done any harm.  He just has so much power and size for a young dog that it's easy to forget he is only 15 months old.


----------



## Baymule

What about building hoop shelters with a tin roof on skids? Leave one end open, close the other end to help with the wind and cold. Then you could just skid them where you wanted them with your tractor.


----------



## Mike CHS

We are just trying mostly to give the dogs a place to go when there is rain and they share with the sheep.  The sheep stay outside in all kinds of weather in winter and only use the shelters in summer for shade.


----------



## Bruce

My alpacas are kinda similar. Teddy will be in the barn and Laddie just outside the door on the north side a lot of the summer. Not at all unusual to see them covered with snow in the winter.


----------



## RollingAcres

@Mike CHS the Christmas Cactus is really beautiful!

I can plant a great garden outside but as soon as I bring something indoor, they die.


----------



## Bruce

Light, water and fertilizer RA! And no cats to chew on it.


----------



## RollingAcres

Bruce said:


> Light, water and fertilizer RA! And no cats to chew on it.


I always provide all 3 when moved indoor...I think I might have over water them


----------



## Rammy

The only plant my Mom could ever grow inside were African violets. She's killed more ferns than anyone I know. Definitely doensnt have a green thumb.


----------



## Bruce

RollingAcres said:


> I always provide all 3 when moved indoor...I think I might have over water them


That can be. If the water is draining out the bottom, too much. If the soil in the pot feels wet, too much.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa is flying to California tomorrow but in between showers today we set up 4 strands of electric poly rope so I can move the sheep to fresh grass tomorrow.  That gives us enough grass to do another two rotations with them before we have to move them.  This will be the first time the dogs and the sheep will be in the poly but it's carrying 14K volts.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa is flying to California tomorrow but in between showers today we set up 4 strands of electric poly rope so I can move the sheep to fresh grass tomorrow.  That gives us enough grass to do another two rotations with them before we have to move them.  This will be the first time the dogs and the sheep will be in the poly but it's carrying 14K volts.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Sure hope ya don't stumble and try to catch yourself on one of them..... ......sure hope Teresa's travels are safe and enjoyable!!....I know ya will certainly miss her, too.....


----------



## Mike CHS

Thanks Fred.  She will get a couple of days with her youngest son in California and then fly to Reno to see her oldest (daughter).


----------



## Mike CHS

I dropped Teresa off at the Nashville airport right at 6:30 this morning so I was home to let critters out and feed the dogs at their normal eating time.

I let the sheep and LGDs on the new grass and as expected, Thor was the first one to make contact with the electric rope.  I was in the house at the time and could hear him yelping even though he was close to 500' away. When I looked out I would have bet that Maisy had a smile on her pretty face.


----------



## Latestarter

Hope Teresa has a safe and very happy trip with the visits. Sorry Thor!   But what a great guardian to "take one for the team" so everyone else knows in advance what's waiting for them if they touch it.


----------



## Bruce

Presumably he will eventually learn that things running horizontally and parallel are likely to be OUCH! and stay away from them!

Where is Teresa's son?


----------



## Mike CHS

Her son lives just outside San Diego.


----------



## RollingAcres

Hope Teresa has a safe trip and nice time visiting with her son and her daughter.
Poor Thor!


----------



## CntryBoy777

Young boys are always "testing" the boundaries....and he probably drew the short straw....since much in life seems to "roll downhill"......


----------



## Baymule

Hope Teresa has a good visit with her son and daughter. It sure makes it hard when they live so far away. Children scatter like chicks.


----------



## Mike CHS

I just talked to her and son and she is having a great time.  This is the first time that her youngest has been in a position to host Mom and they are both eating it up.


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> I just talked to her and son and she is having a great time.  This is the first time that her youngest has been in a position to host Mom and they are both eating it up.


Awww.....that is just beyond wonderful.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Glad the trip was safe and they are having a Wonderful time.....it means so much when ya can attempt to repay those that sacrificed for ya for many yrs as ya grew up....at least it did to me......I'm sure it does for him, also.....


----------



## Mike CHS

It does seem that he is a happy camper showing Mom the sights.


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> It does seem that he is a happy camper showing Mom the sights.


That's great to hear!


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa has reconnected with a couple of neighbors from 20 years ago when she lived in San Diego.  She has had a great visit and heads to the daughter's in Reno tomorrow.

I am a document TV program junky but I try to be considerate of her and not watch many at a time but I am just about caught up now.  If you have Netflix and would like to see some videos about exceptional people, check out the mini series on Netflix titled "Medal of Honor".


----------



## Baymule

That is great that she is having such a good time.

BJ watches the shows he likes, once in awhile I want to watch something in particular. I just open the laptop and talk with all my friends! LOL


----------



## CntryBoy777

Wish her safe travel to Reno and a good visit there, also..........we have more than 1 tv so each can watch what they want....when they wish to watch it....tho, Joyce is the addict and I'm either on the phone or computer.....but the phone is the only internet connection and availability to all of ya....


----------



## Bruce

CntryBoy777 said:


> but the phone is the only internet connection and availability to all of ya....


That might change at the new house depending on what services are available.



Mike CHS said:


> Teresa has reconnected with a couple of neighbors from 20 years ago when she lived in San Diego.


Did she meet up with my step-sister? She's lived in the S.D. area since starting at San Diego State  in 1974.


----------



## Mike CHS

If she was a Mexican immigrant that's a possibility


----------



## Bruce

All of Teresa's neighbors were Mexican immigrants? Well then she didn't visit with Nancy, totally European ancestry


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> Teresa has reconnected with a couple of neighbors from 20 years ago when she lived in San Diego.  She has had a great visit and heads to the daughter's in Reno tomorrow.
> 
> I am a document TV program junky but I try to be considerate of her and not watch many at a time but I am just about caught up now.  If you have Netflix and would like to see some videos about exceptional people, check out the mini series on Netflix titled "Medal of Honor".


Glad Teresa is having a nice time visiting old friends. And glad that you have a little "ME" time to yourself.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have had multiple flocks of birds numbering in the thousands passing through the last couple of days.  I tried to get some decent pictures to show the size and number but couldn't get a great enough angle.  The picture showing them in the field on the ground isn't even 1/4 of the birds.


----------



## RollingAcres

Wow!


----------



## Rammy

Are those starlings? They swarmed my place last year. I couldnt put out bird feed for weeks until they moved on. What did Thor and Maisy do?


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Yikes - The Birds!!


----------



## Rammy

Does your car look like it needs a serious washing now?


----------



## CntryBoy777

We had a couple of different flocks that hung out in the area we used to live in and they would stop in for just a little while on the property, but with some ensouragement of the BB gun they would move their cloud to the fields across the road and stay for the most part.....


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm not sure if they are starlings or not but I have never seen that many birds at one time.  And yes the car is in serious need of going to the car wash tomorrow.

Maisy ignored them but Thor probably ran a couple of miles trying to run them off which worked not long after I took the pictures.


----------



## Mike CHS

I just got off the phone with Teresa and there is now a 4 hour weather delay getting out of LAX so she won't get in to Reno until around midnight (hopefully).


----------



## Rammy

I hope she has a safe trip.


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> e have had multiple flocks of birds numbering in the thousands passing through the last couple of days. I tried to get some decent pictures to show the size and number but couldn't get a great enough angle. The picture showing them in the field on the ground isn't even 1/4 of the birds.........I'm not sure if they are starlings or not but I have never seen that many birds at one time.



When they come out of a tree or off a powerline, do they look like a waterfall of birds coming down and once the whole flock is in the grass, does the rear of the flock just up and leapfrog the front part of the flock and settle in front?
I don't know for sure what they are but have always called them starlings. They just leapfrog across a pasture until they have covered every bit of it.......searching for seeds and insects I presume. It's interesting how they move, it ensures no one part of the flock always gets to the unscoured ground and grass and no one part has to settle for what little the front section leaves 'em. They do the leapfrog bit, almost as if one of them had given a command.


----------



## Bruce

Rammy said:


> Are those starlings? They swarmed my place last year. I couldnt put out bird feed for weeks until they moved on. What did Thor and Maisy do?


That was my guess though we'd need a closeup of a bird.



Mike CHS said:


> I just got off the phone with Teresa and there is now a 4 hour weather delay getting out of LAX so she won't get in to Reno until around midnight (hopefully).


Um, maybe a delay going into Reno so they can't take off? It is less than a 2 hour flight. Don't think I've ever heard of a weather delay at LAX.


----------



## Mike CHS

They are starlings according to pictures I found afterward.  Some of them got to settle for a few minutes in the area in the picture but the Akbash was going nuts in the other field trying to chase them so they moved over to another farm across the tree line after about five minutes of maneuvering.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bad wording on my part.  The weather delay is out of San Diego to LAX.


----------



## Bruce

Equally bizarre! Other than the possibility of Santa Ana winds, I can't recall any weather from the sky that would ground a jet.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Could be conjested air space due to the smoke at high altitudes....flight patterns have to change due to soot and particles that are airborn from such fires....sure don't want engine trouble above that terrain or fire.....not to mention the air support to the grpund crews fighting it.....


----------



## Mike CHS

The last I heard from her they had been sitting on the runway awaiting clearance for 40 minutes.  The flight data tracker is also screwed up and shows it landing at LAX in 3 minutes.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Equally bizarre! Other than the possibility of Santa Ana winds, I can't recall any weather from the sky that would ground a jet.



I'm not sure why you would think that bizarre.  I can recall multiple times that I have seen aircraft grounded because of weather.  They don't take off in severe thunderstorms with crosswinds outside aircraft parameters.  There is/or was a major weather cell passing through that area.


----------



## farmerjan

The pictures you posted look like what we call "grackles" here. Dirty nasty birds.  Don't know if they are related to or even the same as starlings.  We get them here but have never seen that many.  Usually in groups of 1-300. They make a mess and I will find a few drowned in the water trough sometimes at the barn.  They seem to stay in this area so may be more residents than travelers.  Do everything I can to discourage them from hanging around.  They will get right into the feed troughs when I feed the calves if they are there when I go feed.


----------



## Baymule

Starlings and grackles are not the same bird, both can be a nuisance. We had a flock of birds like that come through town at our old house. They were dodging hawks that were stalking the flock. The birds stayed in the cover of the trees, moving through town like a wave of feathers. I counted 8 hawks swirling above, looking for a meal. 

We already have finches and chickadees at the bird feeders. Last winter we bought bird seed almost weekly-big bags!


----------



## Mike CHS

There were thousands of those critters and their mess is everywhere.  I might see what a shotgun blast does the next time.


----------



## Baymule

Free fertilizer for the fields?


----------



## CntryBoy777

The shotgun blast will make them get up in a cloud and leave, but there will always be a few that hang back and scout as to the commotion.....if a real threat isn't seen, then they will call out and the flock will filter back it. I have found a BB gun works about as good, but ya have to move the ones that hang back to finally make them move on. I was always taught and heard that when they flock together in such numbers, there was Cold weather on the way.....seemed to have proved itself to me, but I never read or studied or even took notes about them tho......have seen flocks in the 10,000 range....maily in the state of Illinois when I was trucking.....


----------



## greybeard

Bruce said:


> Equally bizarre! Other than the possibility of Santa Ana winds, I can't recall any weather from the sky that would ground a jet.


Stormy weather maybe. On takeoff and landing, being 50' off the tarmac when a 75' down draft of air comes, it probably won't end well. If lightening is an issue, flights are delayed because the airports and airlines don't like to expose their ground crews to that kind of risk.
There is also an old saying in aviation that is absolutely true.
"There is never a good reason to fly into a thunderstorm"
Go over it or skirt around it.

(hurricane hunters excepted)


----------



## Bruce

@Ridgetop said they got 5" of rain, she lives just outside LA. Must have been quite a storm.


----------



## Mike CHS

It was. Teresa said they had even more delay on takeoff and the flight was rough.  She's in Reno now though and enjoying daughter time.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Glad she made it.....that had to be a nerve-racking trip 
Bruce....ya really don't believe that old song we grew up with do ya?.....it never rains in California.....


----------



## Bruce

Sure I do, I lived there the first 23 years of my life! And it does NOT rain often, at least not in So.Cal. I don't remember anything like a 5" dump. Lucky to get even 1". 

I grew up here, it is 10 miles to downtown L.A. (of course it is a LOT more than 10 minutes, figure closer to 20-30 and that is on the freeway not during rush hour):
https://www.bestplaces.net/climate/city/california/downey

Short answer, rain 21 days per year, rainfall 14". It hailed once in the late 70s, second time my mother had seen hail and at that time she was in her late 40s.


----------



## greybeard

I went to basic training in SD. It seemed, like it rained every other day those 8 weeks except for the time we were at rifle range at Camp Pendleton.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY  to you both


----------



## Mike CHS

Thank you!


----------



## BlessedWithGoats

Happy & Blessed Anniversary!


----------



## goatgurl

first let me wish you and Teresa a very happy anniversary.  trusting their will be many more to come.
and yup you have starlings at your house/barn/pasture.  good sized, very noisy and very dirty.  @CntryBoy777 hit the nail on the head, gotta scare them all off or scare the flock and use the shotgun on the ones left so they can't call their buddies back.  then you can make a nice pie with 4 and 20 of them.  wouldn't that be a fancy dish to set before the queen when she returns from her travels.
hope all is well in your world


----------



## Mike CHS

A speedy large white canine going berserk made them think our place wasn't a good place to hang out.


----------



## Rammy

And they called him the streak......(singing).....
The fastest thing on four feet
Trying to get some birds to eat
A blur of white lightening that couldnt be beat...

If anyone rmembers the song The Streak.....


----------



## Bruce

goatgurl said:


> then you can make a nice pie with 4 and 20 of them. wouldn't that be a fancy dish to set before the queen when she returns from her travels.



Now do starlings taste like blackbirds?


----------



## Mike CHS

I went to Nashville to pick up Teresa after her visit to San Diego and Reno.  She was ready to be home and fortunately the parking lot on the roads during rush hour were cleared up by the time we started heading home about 7:00.

We got our approval back from the state for the cost sharing on our addition to our working area where our handling facilities are.  I've had mixed feelings about using that but it works out that the state will pay almost half of what the cost is for the Ag improvement program if we decide to use it.  It seems to be a popular program since it gets funded 100% most years.


----------



## Mike CHS

A first for me this morning was freezing fog.  You could literally watch the ice layer get deeper as the fog settled on everything.  The temperature was 22 when I went out to break ice in the water troughs.


----------



## farmerjan

No freezing fog here.  That must've been interesting to watch.  Just plain out COLD.  They said low 20's......... How does 10 sound.  I really am ready to become a weather guesser.....


----------



## Baymule

Glad Teresa is back home, safe and sound. I know she enjoyed her visits and traveling, but there really is no place like home, and we don't need red sparkly shoes to take us back home. 

Ag improvement program? It pays for half of your improvement, that is a great kick in the pocketbook.


----------



## RollingAcres

Glad to hear that Teresa is home safe and glad the roads were already cleaned up.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> A first for me this morning was freezing fog.  You could literally watch the ice layer get deeper as the fog settled on everything.  The temperature was 22 when I went out to break ice in the water troughs.


What did the animals think of the fog freezing on them?


----------



## Mike CHS

It is the Ag Improvement program.  Our small scale limits us to the max the state will pay is $3500 but it's all good.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> What did the animals think of the fog freezing on them?



None of the critters including the dogs were using any shelter.  They aren't bothered by too much of anything.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Glad to hear she made it safely home and it wasn't a morning flight to meet in that kind of fog at those temps.....it has the tendency to cause a whole bunch of chain reaction accidents with the slickness of the pavement and being blinded to how close ya might be to it. The Ag program sounds like a good one and certainly will go a good ways to defray the cost on ya.....


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> It is the Ag Improvement program.  Our small scale limits us to the max the state will pay is $3500 but it's all good.


That still sounds good. A little bit of something beats a whole lot of nothing.


----------



## Mike CHS

We are getting ready to call the sheep into the barn to check them over and take some fecals but before opening the gate I took a shot of them at a round bale they have been working on.  I'm surprised they can still jump that high as fat as they are.

The other is a few of the chickens out by the house getting some free range time.


----------



## RollingAcres

Kinda funny that the sheep jump on top of the round bale and eating from it on top.


----------



## Mike CHS

I mistakenly posted a picture in @mystang89 s thread so I deleted it so as not to clutter it up.  I'm reposting it here so I'll know where to look if I want to see it again.  The first picture is me doing my Border Collie imitation and moving the sheep to the handling area.  I don't like to use the dogs when we are going to be working with them hands on because they stay calm walking through the fields and we can check all we want and they don't become stressed.  It makes it easier on us as well as the sheep. It only took us a little over an hour to check condition and do Famacha checks on the whole herd. 

The other picture is one we took of the calves today.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Ya look like the Pied Piper there Mike.....


----------



## mystang89

Are you getting them to follow you with feed in the bucket? Mine normally follow me a few steps and then go there own way if I don't have feed. Otherwise I have to be behind them.


----------



## Mike CHS

mystang89 said:


> Are you getting them to follow you with feed in the bucket? Mine normally follow me a few steps and then go there own way if I don't have feed. Otherwise I have to be behind them.



They will follow for quite a distance by me just calling to them but for the number of gates we had to go through in that picture they are wanting what's in the bucket.  I'm also talking to them the whole time "come on girls" in a sing-song sort of way.  I keep feeders in every field they go to and make it a point to go out every couple of days to give them something, even if it is only a couple of bites. Being so close to lambing for about half of them I don't want them to have too much feed since it seems to go straight to the unborn lambs. I fed them way too much the first season and had huge lambs.


----------



## Baymule

Your girls are as spoiled as mine.   That is a pretty picture of them following you and Maisy.


----------



## Mike CHS

We went out and wormed the two ewes that needed it and while at it did a Famacha on Ringo.  He wasn't as red as I like so we gave him a shot of wormer also just to be sure.  He has covered all of the ewes that we wanted and he has done his last breeding on our place.  He's ready to go and find some Animal Crackers at his next home.  I found out something about him that I didn't know the other day while reading the web page on the farm we got him from. His previous home was the family farm of Al Gore.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Mike CHS said:


> I found out something about him that I didn't know the other day while reading the web page on the farm we got him from. His previous home was the family farm of Al Gore.


He's famous!


----------



## Rammy

Mike CHS said:


> We went out and wormed the two ewes that needed it and while at it did a Famacha on Ringo.  He wasn't as red as I like so we gave him a shot of wormer also just to be sure.  He has covered all of the ewes that we wanted and he has done his last breeding on our place.  He's ready to go and find some Animal Crackers at his next home.  I found out something about him that I didn't know the other day while reading the web page on the farm we got him from. His previous home was the family farm of Al Gore.


Now that the words out, he will get sheep shamed on Facebook and Twitter.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Bet he had a much better time at your place than there.......and I know ya will miss him greatly....I will too....


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> Bet he had a much better time at your place than there.......and I know ya will miss him greatly....I will too....



I will.  With all the bad things you here about rams, it's nice to be able to walk up to him and stick the wormer in his mouth like today.  That and being able to do his hooves in the field.  It takes two people though since he needs one person to lean against while the other raises a hoof.


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> We went out and wormed the two ewes that needed it and while at it did a Famacha on Ringo.  He wasn't as red as I like so we gave him a shot of wormer also just to be sure.  He has covered all of the ewes that we wanted and he has done his last breeding on our place.  He's ready to go and find some Animal Crackers at his next home.  I found out something about him that I didn't know the other day while reading the web page on the farm we got him from. His previous home was the family farm of Al Gore.


This has to be bittersweet. Ringo has done his job at your farm and has produced good lambs for you. Now it is time for him to move to his next home.


----------



## Rammy

And you WILL let me know when your coming, right?


----------



## Baymule

Rammy said:


> And you WILL let me know when your coming, right?


Yup.


----------



## Latestarter

Sorry Fred is no longer along the route, so no chance for y'all to include him in the evolution.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> His previous home was the family farm of Al Gore.


Dang Bay, price has to go up for such a famous ram!


----------



## Baymule

Latestarter said:


> Sorry Fred is no longer along the route, so no chance for y'all to include him in the evolution.






Bruce said:


> Dang Bay, price has to go up for such a famous ram!


I won't hold it against Ringo.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> I won't hold it against Ringo.



When I first wrote that post I had something like "Don't flame me or blame Ringo but.... "" but decided that might cross the line on the forum.


----------



## CntryBoy777

It would be a fair trek up there now, but ya never know at this point....it will just depend on what is happening at that time....I'd surely Love to make it, but it certainly wouldn't be a "make in 1 day" trip there and back.........just keep me posted on the dates and I will endeavor to get there if at all possible.


----------



## Mike CHS

We had bought a 75K BTU multi fuel heater at the end of winter earlier this year that I had forgotten we had.  Last winter it never got cold enough to get down into freezing temps so we never used it.  It has already been down to under 32 degrees this year but our food storage area hasn't gotten under 40 but I fueled up the heater and checked it out.  I let it run while I was cleaning up the shop which only took about 20 minutes and the temp went from 44 to 55 in that time so it will do the job.  It took longer than that to find the Co2 alarms that we bought when we got the heater.


----------



## Bruce

Pretty powerful heater to heat that much space so fast!


----------



## Mike CHS

I have a 240v hanging ceiling heater that would keep it above freezing but used so much electricity that I figured it would be cheaper to throw out all the canned goods and just buy from the store.  The shop has a separate meter but the one month I ran it the power bill was silly.


----------



## Latestarter

Jeeeze... I HATE silly power bills...


----------



## Mike CHS

Tried another new recipe tonight and this one is Moroccan.  Harissa glazed lamb roast with a yogurt mint sauce and it was pretty tasty.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Looks great!


----------



## Baymule

That looks delicious!


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> That looks delicious!



I have a lamb recipe file that's in excess of 50 pages (digital) and we like to experiment quite often.


----------



## Mike CHS

I laid out an area that can be grazed (if needed) with portable netting to build a raised bed to grow some Jerusalem Artichokes.  I haven't grown them in quite some time and they can be invasive but you can't find them in stores around here.  If they get out of hand I'll turn the sheep onto the bed.  I'm taking out 3 fruit trees in that spot that are early blooming that might be good in Florida but don't fit the bill in Tennessee.


----------



## Baymule

It's been a long time since I had Jerusalem Artichokes. They ought to take off and provide y'all with lots of them!


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Tried another new recipe tonight and this one is Moroccan. Harissa glazed lamb roast with a yogurt mint sauce and it was pretty tasty.


Stop it, STOP IT!!
OK don't. Looks and sounds great.



Mike CHS said:


> I'm taking out 3 fruit trees in that spot that are early blooming that might be good in Florida but don't fit the bill in Tennessee.


Dig them up with the root ball, @CntryBoy777 can give them a new home!

One problem with me trying to heat my workshop is the barn is drafty, you can feel the cold coming up through the gaps in the floor and the "ceiling" is the peaked roof about 25' up. The inside wall of the "shop" only goes as high as the top plate. That leaves the other 4/5 of the barn for the heat to rise to/through.


----------



## Mike CHS

Too late. I took the trees out with the front end loader.  I want to get the garden bed set and filled with some good compost.


----------



## Latestarter

Any reason you couldn't frame in some walls and a ceiling Bruce? Insulate, then put a small "scrap wood" stove in there to burn all the little crap pieces from your cord wood collection. I know when I'm cutting/splitting, I always have a bunch of scrap stuff left... No good for heating the house, but would work fine in a "warm the shop" type wood stove situation.


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm planning on putting a wood stove in my shop in the near future.  I generate enough scrap that it should be enough to provide more than enough heat down there.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Actually I have been tossing around some ideas for the new space and I would like to get some productive trees planted....one that I know for sure that will be planted is a loquat tree....we have several on our property here before....and fell in love with them when we lived in Hawaii....I'd like to get a Brewster's Lychee too....but, will have to just research what does grow and produce here....I know oranges and lemons do and there will be room for them also.....


----------



## Mike CHS

Fred, When I lived in Pensacola I had several Myer Lemon trees that were beyond great and they not only provided great tasting lemons, the leaves are awesome for cooking.


----------



## Bruce

Latestarter said:


> Any reason you couldn't frame in some walls and a ceiling Bruce? Insulate, then put a small "scrap wood" stove in there to burn all the little crap pieces from your cord wood collection. I know when I'm cutting/splitting, I always have a bunch of scrap stuff left... No good for heating the house, but would work fine in a "warm the shop" type wood stove situation.


Given the state of the barn, not sure I'd want to spend much money prior to getting it repaired. Problem is I suspect $50K would be a conservative estimate


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> Too late. I took the trees out with the front end loader.


greybeard likes this.


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> Tried another new recipe tonight and this one is Moroccan.  Harissa glazed lamb roast with a yogurt mint sauce and it was pretty tasty.
> 
> 
> View attachment 56043


There's always something delicious in your journal Mike!


----------



## Rammy

Yeah, and he complains about gaining weight just by looking at someone elses pics they post of food they made. It works both ways, Mike!! The dishes you post pictures of looks so yummy! and I just gained two pounds by saying that.


----------



## Mike CHS

But mine are fairly low cal and lean meat like the leftovers we turned into soup tonight.

Lamb and vegetable with barley soup.


----------



## Rammy

I think my thighs just got bigger.


----------



## goatgurl

@Rammy the first thing I thought of was "does this soup make my butt look bigger?"  no child you butt and thighs look fine.  i got cooking the lamb down but how do you make the yogurt mint sauce?  a million years ago I worked for a gentleman from Pakistan who cooked a meal for a friend and I that had a yogurt sauce that was delish.    inquiring minds want to know??


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Lamb and vegetable with barley soup.


Yum!


----------



## Mike CHS

The yogurt sauce is simple and works with both lamb and pork.  I have recipes with different versions of yogurt sauce for entres or even one with an Afghan stew.

Just mix everything together.

1 clove garlic, pressed (I also used garlic powder instead)
1 tablespoon minced fresh mint leaves (I used commercial mint sauce)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil


----------



## goatgurl

thanks mike, going to have to try it this weekend with some shoulder steaks.


----------



## Mike CHS

goatgurl said:


> thanks mike, going to have to try it this weekend with some shoulder steaks.



I have had a Pakistani yogurt sauce that is similar but it also uses cumin and blends some hot chili pepper but other than that is identical to the first I posted.  It also can have a bit of sour cream (which I like)


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm making another mineral feeder today to hang on the gate in the next rotation field that we move the sheep to tomorrow.  We are having to dose the prettiest yearling ewe in our herd since her fecal was super high.  We are moving her and another ewe into our quarantine paddock and once she tests good she will be a cull.  It's too bad since she is one of our registered ewes but one of the first things I was taught when we started working around sheep 7 years ago is that sheep need to be keepers by the 80/20 rule. That is that 80% of your problems come from 20% of your herd so they don't stay around.

I'm also really getting to the point where we will do more fecals and not put a lot of weight in what the Famacha score shows.  Like I mentioned the other day, this ewe scored almost at the top according to the Famacha card.


----------



## Bruce

Yep, I think the only way to KNOW is to see the evidence.


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> Lamb and vegetable with barley soup.


Looks delicious!


----------



## Baymule

Too bad about the ewe. It always seems to be the ones you like the best, doesn't it?


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Too bad about the ewe. It always seems to be the ones you like the best, doesn't it?



It does.


----------



## Latestarter

Just throwing this out there, and I may be totally off base, but it's not just the fecal count that matters. If the ewe in question is showing good color on the Famacha, is maintaining good body condition, not have any other health issues, and is normal in all respects, that's a GOOD thing. It's evidence that that ewe can handle the parasite load and still excel. I think the ones you want to cull are the ones that can't handle the parasites... bad body condition, poor Famacha, whatever level of parasites. 

You could have a poor condition sheep with a very low count or high count and it's still a poor sheep... cull. But if you have a top of the line sheep with a low count or a high count, it's still a top of the line sheep. With the high count, it's evidence that that sheep can handle the parasites and still thrive. I'd think that's a good thing and something you'd want to keep in your herd.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Was in grocery store today , saw some lamb...all seasoned...real pretty, never ate lamb...looked sooooo good started ....then I heard you and Bay saying NOOOO NOOOO only fresh will do....so I put it down and walked away


----------



## Baymule

Lamb is good!


----------



## Bruce

B&B Happy goats said:


> Was in grocery store today , saw some lamb...all seasoned...real pretty, never ate lamb...looked sooooo good started ....then I heard you and Bay saying NOOOO NOOOO only fresh will do....so I put it down and walked away


I don't think I would buy pre-seasoned lamb. Maybe especially if I'd never had lamb before, you wouldn't know what the meat itself tastes like.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Bruce said:


> I don't think I would buy pre-seasoned lamb. Maybe especially if I'd never had lamb before, you wouldn't know what the meat itself tastes like.



They already told me not to buy store bought  lamb....When i confessed that I have never eaten it.


----------



## Carla D

Latestarter said:


> Jeeeze... I HATE silly power bills...


Me too! They are always more than they should be.


----------



## Mike CHS

Latestarter said:


> Just throwing this out there, and I may be totally off base, but it's not just the fecal count that matters. If the ewe in question is showing good color on the Famacha, is maintaining good body condition



I know what you mean but the reason she is being treated in the first place is that she is not maintaining good body condition. She is one I posted about last week in that she scored well on Famacha but she is 30 pounds under her peers weight.  The lamb we lost several months ago looked good and scored well when we checked her Famacha score and she was dead a week after checking her.


----------



## farmerjan

Latestarter said:


> Just throwing this out there, and I may be totally off base, but it's not just the fecal count that matters. If the ewe in question is showing good color on the Famacha, is maintaining good body condition, not have any other health issues, and is normal in all respects, that's a GOOD thing. It's evidence that that ewe can handle the parasite load and still excel. I think the ones you want to cull are the ones that can't handle the parasites... bad body condition, poor Famacha, whatever level of parasites.
> 
> You could have a poor condition sheep with a very low count or high count and it's still a poor sheep... cull. But if you have a top of the line sheep with a low count or a high count, it's still a top of the line sheep. With the high count, it's evidence that that sheep can handle the parasites and still thrive. I'd think that's a good thing and something you'd want to keep in your herd.



@Mike CHS ;  I will have to add a bit to what @Latestarter  has suggested.  First off, I do BASICALLY agree with the 80/20 rule that you follow..... up to a point.  What LS said about the young ewe needs to be taken into account though.  We are very strict on culling our sheep also.  Due to the 3 different bloodlines we have, and trying to get some of the "good" from each, to make the "perfect" sheep ( HA HA)  we have learned a bit over the years.  We used to do some of the fecals, but mostly relied on the FAMACHA  for first looks.  One thing, with the Dall sheep, a very telling way to check for worms was if they were "messy" as the manure would be too wet/soft and you could even see some worms in it that were being passed.  So "sh##ty" butts were the first thing to tell us it was past time to check. 
These were the sheep that usually weren't gaining or holding their condition.  Poor milking mothers all that sort of thing.  Lambs not growing, or having coarse hair and looking "scruffy". 
We started culling harder for that, as one line seemed to have more problems, but they also had some of the better "horns" and that is obviously what we also wanted. 
We had some that had okay horns, and never had foot rot, and they also never seemed to have much worm problems.  HOWEVER, the fecals we had done on them were WAY worse than some of the others.... yet they had good mouth/gum color.  And kept pretty good condition and the lambs seemed to do good.  So we started keeping the ones that seemed the best of the bunch, without  trying to get over wrought about the fecals.  Granted we are trying to make better heads on the rams, but the lambs still have to grow and the ones without good horns get sold for the different holidays that lambs and goats do good at.
We worried that maybe they would be shedding more worm eggs, but that hasn't proved out either, because no one else in each sub group of the different bloodlines,  seems to have any more problems than they used to before we were so aware of it. 
Now we are working more on getting them to be more resistant  to foot rot and such.  If they get poor looking etc., they are worked on, and they get a closer watch.  Any that the ewes don't do good with, the whole family leaves.  But NATURAL RESISTANCE seems to be developing with us not taking out all the "high count fecal" ewes. 

Another thing, in our cattle, we seldom worm our adult cows.  Mostly the ones we buy, not knowing what/where they have been and exposed to.  But the feeding of DE in the feed and mineral, has stopped much of the worm problems with them.  We will worm some calves on occasion that are in the weaned group, so they get the best benefit from the feed.  But 99% of them are terminal, and will not be staying.  We do not routinely even worm the calves we wean off our cows, and the best looking ones will stay.  I don't get in a panic over the worm load if they are holding condition, eating good, have a healthy coat, and have a "good look" to them.
We think we are breeding them to be resistant, and that they can handle a bigger worm load due to that resistance.  Plus the DE will show some worm eggs etc in fecals, but they will never develop into worms, and over time it does reduce the worm loads.
You have some very nice looking sheep.  Obviously what you have been doing has worked very well.  But if I am not mistaken, this registered young ewe is bought, right?  Maybe just worming her, and then seeing how she continues to perform, might get you further along.  She just might have some of what it takes to get more resistant ones.  And she may be adapting to your conditions there, and sometimes a "brought in" animal needs a little more time to get her system on track with your conditions.
You also are running those  calves to break the cycle somewhat on the worms.  Maybe need some time to see if it will work....

One more thing, it has been the wettest year on record in MANY places.  The worm loads have been high as they do better in the wetter conditions.  I would not let this very unusual year be your baseline.....


----------



## farmerjan

@Mike CHS .  Sorry, just saw your latest post on the ewe lamb with the high fecal count that is NOT keeping up with her contemporaries.... off weight etc.  SO  DISREGARD all I said because I fully agree that she is probably due to be culled.


----------



## Mike CHS

Thanks Jan and Joe.  I had to go back and read my previous post since I wasn't clear.  Just to clarify, I don't cull based on egg count and we do use Famacha, body score and fecals so there is less guessing but Famacha is something I trust less and less since we have lost a couple of lambs to Barber Pole that had a decent Famach score (vet verified).  I expect the ewe in question will be a cull but I'm not writing her off just yet and that's emotional and not practical. She is literally one of the prettiest sheep I have seen and has the personality to match.   I have a quarantine area that I'm moving her to where I can treat and feed and see how she develops.  We don't cull because we have to worm once but two strikes and lower body score will get them gone.  We have our ewe flock down to our winter numbers of 21 ewes right now and we have only had to worm 3 of them.  Two of the three were in good body condition in spite of a heavy worm egg count but Famacha score indicated worming since they were a little anemic. The other 18 haven't needed to be wormed in a year and a half so we seem to be good there.

We give all of our stock DE and have even tried a garlic juice concoction with no way to verify results.   The calves are following the sheep and also seem to be thriving but they get hay and feed (with DE) as well as graze.


----------



## Latestarter

Gotcha Mike... sorry, I must have missed the additional info about her being low weight, etc.


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> She is literally one of the prettiest sheep I have seen and has the personality to match.


Isn't that the way it always seems to be with any livestock at culling time?


----------



## Mike CHS

Unfortunately it is greybeard.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Mike CHS said:


> Thanks Jan and Joe.  I had to go back and read my previous post since I wasn't clear.  Just to clarify, I don't cull based on egg count and we do use Famacha, body score and fecals so there is less guessing but Famacha is something I trust less and less since we have lost a couple of lambs to Barber Pole that had a decent Famach score (vet verified).  I expect the ewe in question will be a cull but I'm not writing her off just yet and that's emotional and not practical. She is literally one of the prettiest sheep I have seen and has the personality to match.   I have a quarantine area that I'm moving her to where I can treat and feed and see how she develops.  We don't cull because we have to worm once but two strikes and lower body score will get them gone.  We have our ewe flock down to our winter numbers of 21 ewes right now and we have only had to worm 3 of them.  Two of the three were in good body condition in spite of a heavy worm egg count but Famacha score indicated worming since they were a little anemic. The other 18 haven't needed to be wormed in a year and a half so we seem to be good there.
> 
> We give all of our stock DE and have even tried a garlic juice concoction with no way to verify results.   The calves are following the sheep and also seem to be thriving but they get hay and feed (with DE) as well as graze.



Do you eat the lambs you cull ??? And i am happy to read that you use the DE along with the garlic concentrate,  I am using that also, but with our hot , humid climate I still keep chemical wormer on hand. And now that we can vacume (with the mower bag ) up some of the berries, I am hoping for a lesser parasite growth rate...vet just states simply...if your going to have animals around this part of florida, all you can do is manage the load.  I WANT my load to be on the lighter side...


----------



## Mike CHS

B&B Happy goats said:


> Do you eat the lambs you cull ??? And i am happy to read that you use the DE along with the garlic concentrate,  I am using that also, but with our hot , humid climate I still keep chemical wormer on hand. And now that we can vacume (with the mower bag ) up some of the berries, I am hoping for a lesser parasite growth rate...vet just states simply...if your going to have animals around this part of florida, all you can do is manage the load.  I WANT my load to be on the lighter side...



We eat some of our culls but most go for meat sales once they are cleaned out and met the withdrawal time. Our numbers have gone up to over 50 after lambing before we downsized and although we love sheep meat we can only eat so much.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Thank you for the answer....have a great day


----------



## Mike CHS

The ribs are ready to go back on the grill for about one hour our of the foil.  I prefer them without sauce but the folks I'm cooking for prefer them sauced so sauced it is.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

On my way


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## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> The ribs are ready to go back on the grill for about one hour our of the foil.  I prefer them without sauce but the folks I'm cooking for prefer them sauced so sauced it is.
> 
> View attachment 56168


Yummy! I'm already hungry and I won't be able to get dinner for another 2hrs...thanks a lot Mike!


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Mike, have you looked into BioWorma?


----------



## Mike CHS

Goat Whisperer said:


> Mike, have you looked into BioWorma?



I had never heard of it until now.  I just did some quick reading and it has my interest.


----------



## Goat Whisperer

I have been following it for several months now. Very interesting. 
If you start doing it you have to let us know!


----------



## Mike CHS

Goat Whisperer said:


> I have been following it for several months now. Very interesting.
> If you start doing it you have to let us know!



I have yet to see where to buy but I have a couple of fields that have been idle that would be good candidates to try it out.  I only have the one problem child but I really like the nature of that product.  I've been a proponent of the natural things like Spinosad and BT for years now in the garden.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Interesting!


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa said a Sparrow Hawk attacked the hens today but the rooster made it regret it.  This one must have been super hungry since they aren't as big as the hens and normally don't bother them.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Hang on to that rooster - he's a keeper!  I feel bad for the hawk - but not bad enough for him to get a chicken!


----------



## Mike CHS

There has been no shortage of food around here recently.  We went to a luncheon yesterday that was a neighborhood friends and family function that used the community center in Cornersville.

Today we went to the annual Christmas luncheon at the Farm Center in Lewisburg.  The owner said he guessed there was over 300 people in and out.  They had pulled pork and all of the fixin's and a Blue Grass band playing background music.


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## Rammy

Sounds like my kind of Christmas party.


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## Bruce

Maybe you better move down Mike's way!


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## Rammy

Bruce said:


> Maybe you better move down Mike's way!




Its only an hour and a half drive. Thats a day trip around here.


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## Bruce

Ay'up. 3 hours driving leaves a lot of time for visiting and eating.


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## Mike CHS

Teresa has been getting wine bottles from the recycling bin that she hand painted holiday scenes on that she gave to several people along with fudge and that type of thing.  The picture I'm attaching used to be a 24" wide slab of Elm wood that I had for a long time and decided to make a table with it since it has such pretty grain pattern.  I haven't worked with Elm before and after trying to work some of it found why it is rarely used for tables.  This wood moves so much that I wound up cutting up the slab and milling it down to use for small crafts projects like in the picture.  The string of lights in the bottles are battery operated and last a long time.  These bottles don't have a scene since they are in a permanent location.


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## frustratedearthmother

Those are really nice!  How creative!!!


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## Mike CHS

Teresa got orders for 5 more of the bottle lights.  Figured I would snap a picture before they leave the house.


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## Rammy

Mike CHS said:


> Teresa got orders for 5 more of the bottle lights.  Figured I would snap a picture before they leave the house.


Very nice! Teresa sure is talented!


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## Latestarter

Very pretty.


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## CntryBoy777

They really are very nice and creative!!.........don't get too tipsey keeping her inventory up....


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## Mike CHS

If we were depending on our consumption of wine there wouldn't be much product. I think I use about one bottle of red and one bottle of white wine a year (cooking).


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## Bruce

Very nice! How do the lights work?

Elm, the only pieces I've seen are cordwood. Stringy and twisty. I can see how it would move a ton if you tried to make large boards from it.


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## Mike CHS

Bruce, the lights are battery operated and the battery is replaceable in the cork.  They are just a fairly long strand of lights mounted on a fairly stiff wire that keeps them suspended once you get them where you want them.

I think she paid $2.50 or so per light set.


----------



## Bruce




----------



## Baymule

Those are some neat looking lights! The elm wood plaques you made have some pretty grain to them.


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## misfitmorgan

Mike CHS said:


> it varies depending on how fast they grow but we take them out to 10-14 months old.  The one that @Latestarter bought was right a little over 140 pounds when we took him in.



This is kind of old but I'm catching up. Are you saying it takes 10-14 months for the hair sheep to reach 140lbs? Market lambs here mostly suffolk/cross are suppose to be 120-150lbs by approximately 6months old. I realize the diet is much different as your doing mostly pasture fed but I did not think the gain would be that different. Are hair sheep normally a smaller/slower sheep?


----------



## Mike CHS

That post was just referring to the wether that was being processed for @Latestarter .  Katahdins are a bit smaller than the Dorper cross that we started with but not all that much.  Ours can add almost a pound a day for the first 3 months or so but we creep feed the lambs.  Ram lambs don't get but very little grain (just enough to keep them tame). After that they go on straight grass or in our case mainly hay until the grass starts growing again so a lot less gain but we aren't in a hurry to market.

I didn't monitor the weight on the one that @Latestarter got since he was being held for more of a scheduling thing for Joe so I don't know when he hit his max weight or no way of knowing how long he was at that weight. That one was 8 months old. I would have to back and check but I think his wether was 8 months old.


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## farmerjan

As a rule, hair sheep do gain a little slower than the "meat breeds"  like suffolks... even dorpers will grow a bit more body than meat for the first few months.  They are also a little bit smaller, on average except the dorpers.   Most people have concentrated on them being more "rounded out" as far as gain with correctness of build, and healthiness and grass based genetics.  It's like growing out commercial type cornish-rock chicks compared to "red rangers",  that are designed to grow a little slower, utilize pastures a bit better, and have healthy legs to hold up the weight.


----------



## Mike CHS

We need to bring the ewes in to give CDT shots to those that will be the first to lamb soon if the weather will cooperate.  It has gotten easier since we bring them in to a crowding pen and give shots on the spot. As they get their shots, we just let them out of the chute on to the "lawn" area outside the fence but leave a gate open back to the pasture.  They grab some of the fresh grass on the hill and go back into the paddock on their own so we don't even bother using netting any longer.

I went in and picked up some fire ant killer this afternoon.  With all the rain the ants have started building mounds all over the place.  We had a ewe rolling on her back yesterday that we couldn't figure out until I saw her put her chest and belly on the ground to try and stop the biting critters.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I went in and picked up some fire ant killer this afternoon. With all the rain the ants have started building mounds all over the place. We had a ewe rolling on her back yesterday that we couldn't figure out until I saw her put her chest and belly on the ground to try and stop the biting critters.



Dang Fahr Aints! 
I never considered they would attack the livestock.


----------



## Mike CHS

We haven't used the killer that we got before but we shall find out since a neighbor raves about it.


----------



## Rammy

Poor sheep.


----------



## Mike CHS

About a month ago I was brushing out some mats on Maisy's flanks and I guess she thought I was being overly rough since ever since then whenever she sees the brush in my hand she will walk away.  I'll start brushing Thor and when she decides I'm being gentle enough, she will come over and put her head under the brush to tell me I now have her permission.   I brush them a couple of times a week but this seems to be her routine now.

It's on the cool side but no rain so the folks to the east coast at least one more day of nice weather.


----------



## Rammy

If you are using a slicker brush with all those little bistles on them you can accidently do whats called "brush burn". Those bristles can scratch thier skin and cause a rash. The matts might pull a little bit on her skin and thats not fun either. Its nice that she lets you know what she likes. 


Pointer Sisters....

I like a man with a slow hand
I like a man with a gentle brush
I like a man who understands
And doesnt like to rush
I like a man with a light touch....

( parody a little)


----------



## Mike CHS

Some friends came over awhile ago to pick up our visiting family to take for a horse drawn wagon ride plus three of their kids were also on horse back.  Maisy and Thor went nuts when they were coming down the driveway.  The sheep had wandered fairly close to the fence but as the horse traffic was on their way back out both dogs ran for the sheep and pushed them toward the middle of the field and away from the fence then went and sat down between the sheep and the perceived threat.  They stayed there until the 'danger' was out of sight.  When the dogs went on down the fence the sheep stayed bunched up for quite a bit like they didn't know if it was safe to go back to grazing or not.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Your dogs have really turned out great!  I remember when you first brought Maisy home and weren't 100% convinced she would be good at her job.  And look at her now!!  She's come a long way and I'm sure she brings a smile to your face.


----------



## Bruce

Good dogs!! They sure know their job.


----------



## Mike CHS

frustratedearthmother said:


> Your dogs have really turned out great!  I remember when you first brought Maisy home and weren't 100% convinced she would be good at her job.  And look at her now!!  She's come a long way and I'm sure she brings a smile to your face.



Even if she hadn't made it as an LGD she had a forever home no matter what.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Absolutely!!


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> Some friends came over awhile ago to pick up our visiting family to take for a horse drawn wagon ride plus three of their kids were also on horse back.  Maisy and Thor went nuts when they were coming down the driveway.  The sheep had wandered fairly close to the fence but as the horse traffic was on their way back out both dogs ran for the sheep and pushed them toward the middle of the field and away from the fence then went and sat down between the sheep and the perceived threat.  They stayed there until the 'danger' was out of sight.  When the dogs went on down the fence the sheep stayed bunched up for quite a bit like they didn't know if it was safe to go back to grazing or not.


Horse monsters!  Maisy and Thor know all about sheep eating Horse Monsters!  Horse Monsters hitched to a wagon obviously are even more lethal as sheep can be carried off in the wagon to eat later.


----------



## Bruce




----------



## Mike CHS

Happy New Year to all.  We were in bed by 11:00 but woke up around 2:00 in the morning to dogs barking and pounding on the back door.  Our driveway serves as emergency access to one of our neighbor Harvey who occasionally gets blocked in by trains on a crossing in front of their house.  We have a few neighbors that have parties on nights like last night and some who were raised around here drink too much and then try to use our driveway to cut the corner on the way home.  The drive is usually blocked at the other end so they wind up having to turn around down by my shop which sets off an alarm when they get stuck.  So on nights when I see a party coming I block the driveway by our house to keep them out.

I open the door and I see the man at the door is Chad, a friend of Harvey's.  When I asked him WTH do you want (as I put my handgun away) he tells me that Harvey says the access needs to be kept open for an ambulance if needed.  I asked him if he was an ambulance and I got this blank look. It turned out that another inebriated soul hit the gas hard in an over powered pickup and when out of control and turned over but we didn't find that out till this morning when the neighborhood gathered for New Years breakfast.


----------



## greybeard

Which brand Fire ant treatment did you get?
I've had mediocre luck with acephate, but about 1/2 the time, it just makes them move about 30' and build a new mound. Surrender is the brand I usually get.


----------



## Mike CHS

greybeard, I just went to check and this is the same - Surrender. I checked the fields I treated and didn't see any new sign plus the mounds have collapsed with all of the rain we had yesterday.  We have tried most of what's available but direct spraying the mounds seems to be as good as anything and at least you get the visual satisfaction of seeing dead ants, even if it isn't the majority of them


----------



## Mike CHS

I have been saying for two weeks it seems like that we need to work sheep and today it finally didn't rain and the weather cooperated.  We pulled fecal samples on half of them and gave CDT shots to the senior ewes that will be lambing in a few weeks.

It only took about an hour and a half with Son-in-law's help and a few minutes ago Teresa asked what were we doing for supper?  I said %$#, I was planning on smoking a turkey but since I didn't get it on the grill until a few minutes ago at 2:00 we will be baking the turkey on the grill instead of smoking it.


----------



## Rammy

Sounds yummy to me!


----------



## Latestarter

I'd think you could still get a bit of smoke on it while cooking it... Just be a combo of the two methods; baking/smoking. Won't be a thick a smoke band but should still add some color/flavor. There's also always liquid smoke...


----------



## Mike CHS

It gets all the smoke flavor for most folks.  Even when I cook it slower it doesn't get a strong smoke taste so you don't need to go under the chair.


----------



## Bruce

He'd have to have the liquid smoke on hand. I SUSPECT that is not a common item in the pantry of people who have smoker grills. The one time I made bacon I had to order the liquid smoke from Amazon, couldn't even find it in the grocery store.


----------



## Mike CHS

We actually do have some on hand because Teresa uses some in a couple of Instant Pot recipes but I don't use it for anything on the grill.  The bird is already up to 93 degrees and it's only been cooking for an hour and 15.


----------



## Devonviolet

Smoked turkey sounds yummy!  I really want to seet our grill up to be a smoker. Maybe we can do it this coming Summer.  However, I have used Liquid Smoke for many years.  Absolutely love it in Egg/Salmon Salad that I make, with my homemade mayonnaise.  A dash of Wright’s Smoke Flavoring kicks it up a notch. Then I add some of my pepper vinegar and garlic powder. YUM!



Baymule said:


> Horse monsters!  Maisy and Thor know all about sheep eating Horse Monsters!  Horse Monsters hitched to a wagon obviously are even more lethal as sheep can be carried off in the wagon to eat later.


OMG!  Not the sheep eating horse monsters!!!!   

I love the way Maise and Thor herded the sheep away and stood between them and the Horse Monsters!  Our two do that! Violet barks when coyotes are anywhere close and Deo herds the goats into the goat shed and stands across the opening until the threat is gone.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Mr. @Mike CHS,

As you have probably figured out, I am currently stalking you.  I am starting page 300, Mar 30, 2018.

Senile Texas Aggie


----------



## Mike CHS

Senile_Texas_Aggie said:


> Mr. @Mike CHS,
> 
> As you have probably figured out, I am currently stalking you.  I am starting page 300, Mar 30, 2018.
> 
> Senile Texas Aggie



I figured you were but the only thing I thought about was how you manage to stay awake through many of those posts.


----------



## Rammy

Coffee. Lots and lots of coffee.


----------



## Mike CHS

The turkey was a hit.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Looks yummy!


----------



## Latestarter

With the reddish/pinkish coloring, it looks like it got some smoke... Either way, sure looks delish, as all your cooking posts normally do.


----------



## Baymule

That turkey looks delicious! We had an untraditional New Year's Day meal of shrimp and Scallops Alfredo over linguini and a salad. And we have LEFTOVERS!


----------



## Mike CHS

We haven't had any really good scallops since we moved from Charleston.


----------



## Baymule

I probably wouldn't know the difference.....these came from Aldi's and tasted good to me! LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

It got plenty of smoke Joe  but the Traeger smoker is almost foolproof.  I put the turkey in a brine over night and it was juicy all the way to the bone.


----------



## Rammy

Latestarter said:


> With the reddish/pinkish coloring, it looks like it got some smoke... Either way, sure looks delish, as all your cooking posts normally do.



X2 to that.


----------



## Latestarter

I guess I at first misunderstood what you were doing... I "thought" you had said that you didn't get it started early enough to smoke it, so instead were (baking) "grilling" it. I forgot about the Traeger smoker grill.


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> The turkey was a hit.
> 
> View attachment 56586


Wow my mouth just got watery all of a sudden!


----------



## Bruce

Senile_Texas_Aggie said:


> Mr. @Mike CHS,
> 
> As you have probably figured out, I am currently stalking you.  I am starting page 300, Mar 30, 2018.
> 
> Senile Texas Aggie


Maybe you can catch up by March 30, 2019


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Maybe you can catch up by March 30, 2019



There is so much from about that point on that was just daily routine that it makes me feel bad that he is going through all of that.


----------



## Bruce

Hey those of us that have followed along LIKE reading all those daily routine things! STA is enjoying his retirement by catching up.


----------



## Latestarter

Or, alternately, he determined that trying to catch up would require retirement...  I mean, he has stalked a LOT of pages since his arrival.


----------



## misfitmorgan

Mike CHS said:


> That post was just referring to the wether that was being processed for @Latestarter .  Katahdins are a bit smaller than the Dorper cross that we started with but not all that much.  Ours can add almost a pound a day for the first 3 months or so but we creep feed the lambs.  Ram lambs don't get but very little grain (just enough to keep them tame). After that they go on straight grass or in our case mainly hay until the grass starts growing again so a lot less gain but we aren't in a hurry to market.
> 
> I didn't monitor the weight on the one that @Latestarter got since he was being held for more of a scheduling thing for Joe so I don't know when he hit his max weight or no way of knowing how long he was at that weight. That one was 8 months old. I would have to back and check but I think his wether was 8 months old.





farmerjan said:


> As a rule, hair sheep do gain a little slower than the "meat breeds"  like suffolks... even dorpers will grow a bit more body than meat for the first few months.  They are also a little bit smaller, on average except the dorpers.   Most people have concentrated on them being more "rounded out" as far as gain with correctness of build, and healthiness and grass based genetics.  It's like growing out commercial type cornish-rock chicks compared to "red rangers",  that are designed to grow a little slower, utilize pastures a bit better, and have healthy legs to hold up the weight.



Thank you both for the replies, they make sense and were along the lines I was thinking. Still might be interested in hair sheep some day.


----------



## misfitmorgan

Mike CHS said:


> There is so much from about that point on that was just daily routine that it makes me feel bad that he is going through all of that.



Don't feel bad, that daily stuff is one of the reasons i love reading your journal!


----------



## Rammy

Bruce said:


> Maybe you can catch up by March 30, 2019


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

It may take that long.  I am currently on page 385, but I have been doing nothing to speak of but reading BYH.  Today I plan on doing a bit more outside, so I may get 10 pages read, if I am lucky.


----------



## misfitmorgan

Senile_Texas_Aggie said:


> It may take that long.  I am currently on page 385, but I have been doing nothing to speak of but reading BYH.  Today I plan on doing a bit more outside, so I may get 10 pages read, if I am lucky.



Thats what i tell myself too and then i notice it getting dark outside and wonder where the day went


----------



## RollingAcres

Latestarter said:


> Or, alternately, he determined that trying to catch up would require retirement...  I mean, he has stalked a LOT of pages since his arrival.






Senile_Texas_Aggie said:


> It may take that long. I am currently on page 385, but I have been doing nothing to speak of but reading BYH. Today I plan on doing a bit more outside, so I may get 10 pages read, if I am lucky.


No wonder you're not getting anything done or posting in your own journal because you've been spending all your time reading Mike's journal!


----------



## Rammy

You remember he was absent for a while when he started on @Latestarter's thread. We didn't see him for months!!! Just kidding, Joe!!


----------



## Mike CHS

Our company just left on their way back to South Carolina.  The grand sons had helped enough with morning chores that they went out this morning to open up the chicken coop and put out the food and water.


----------



## Latestarter

misfitmorgan said:


> Thats what i tell myself too and then i notice it getting dark outside and wonder where the day went



OMG... this is sooooo true! I open the site and see 2400 alerts and by the time I've caught up on those plus new posts, hours have passed.  



Rammy said:


> You remember he was absent for a while when he started on @Latestarter's thread. We didn't see him for months!!! Just kidding, Joe!!


 Guess I better go on a font spewing vacation...


----------



## Mike CHS

Three of our senior ewes are bagging up and showing all of the signs to be within a couple of weeks. The rest of the seniors are ones that don't show a lot of signs until just as or even after lambing.


----------



## Dani4Hedgies

Can't wait to hear about your new babies Mike...we will  for babies


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

On page 420...


----------



## Mike CHS

Senile_Texas_Aggie said:


> On page 420...



You are a glutton for punishment.   The problem with journals is there is little difference (in ours anyway) between page 20 and page 420.


----------



## Rammy

Looks like STA is a man on a mission.


----------



## misfitmorgan

Senile_Texas_Aggie said:


> On page 420...



You are catching up fast! Many i need to catch up on myself.


----------



## misfitmorgan

Mike CHS said:


> Three of our senior ewes are bagging up and showing all of the signs to be within a couple of weeks. The rest of the seniors are ones that don't show a lot of signs until just as or even after lambing.



Can't wait to see your new lambs!


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

@Mike CHS, sir!

I finally got caught up!  I am exhausted just from reading about all of the work you and Miss Teresa did in getting your place ready.  After reading Miss @babsbag's journal about building her dairy, I became convinced that she is Wonder Woman, but you and Miss Teresa certainly did almost as much.

When I read just how much work you did putting in fence, I thought, "How in the world do they do it?"  I was so glad when I read that you had finished fencing, or so you claimed.  Then a few posts later, I read something like, "_Well, I had a bit more fencing to do, so after I fed the animals I pounded in 1000 T-posts before breakfast..._"  Holy cow!

You once posted the following on my journal (see here: https://www.backyardherds.com/threa...for-the-rest-of-you.38161/page-14#post-561903)



> When I first started cutting my fields we had met a neighbor and he said he remembered there being a ditch that was about 4 feet deep and 4 feet or so wide. He couldn't remember where exactly it was nor which direction it ran in so me and my tractor roamed that field with the loader down in float position following the ground contour until I found it.



I never found that ditch you were talking about.  Was that the storm ditch with all of the trash in it?

Thanks for letting me stalk you.  It was fun! 

Senile Texas Aggie


----------



## RollingAcres

Senile_Texas_Aggie said:


> Thanks for letting me stalk you. It was fun!


It's not like he has a choice to NOT let you stalk him, Mr. STA. I don't think there's such thing as an "online restraining order" for him to get.


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm flattered but if I said '1000' T-posts I had to be exaggerating.  

As fir the ditch: When we first started working on our place, there was a 3' deep by 3' wide ditch that ran from the storm drain pond at the south end to the dry pond in the middle of the biggest field that I'm guessing was meant to fill the dry pond but it never worked (about 500').  Before I started fencing I filled in that ditch with the slabs/rocks that we took out of an area close by the house then finished filling it with dirt dug at the other end of our place.  I was overwhelmed enough at that point that taking pictures was the last thing on my mind. 

I have read quite a few journals myself but you have a put a whole lot more effort than I did.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

OK, maybe I exaggerated a bit when I said 1000 T-posts. 

I have been reading all of these journals because (1) I find it interesting to read about what people have done, the challenges they have faced and accomplishments they have made, and (2) I try to learn as much as I can from what others have done right and done wrong!  My Senile Texas Aggie I/Q is definitely low, but at least I know that I am ignorant, so I try to learn from others when I can.


----------



## Mike CHS

@Senile_Texas_Aggie I think that is the reason most of us read all of these threads.  My first year on the forum I didn't know what I didn't know so mostly all of my posts were questions.  I did find that @Southern by choice is a very patient lady when it comes to questions as are most of the posters.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa has worked most of the fecal samples from the ewes that had really high egg counts when we ran them last month and the results are very good. We will run them in once more next week and separate the senior ewes from the yearlings so they can lamb in the shop paddock which has been idle for a couple of months.


----------



## Mike CHS

My dogs gave me a new definition for the term "scary feeling" this morning.  I was out feeding them and  moved on to grooming the dogs.  Maisy likes to go between my legs when I'm brushing her and as I was coming her coat she started to growl.  I looked up and Thor has one of his"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU" looks on his face and then he started growling.  I had no idea what tripped the switch on them but as I'm trying to back up to get Maisy out from between my legs I had to start growling to get Thor's attention but in the end nobody got hurt.


----------



## Southern by choice

Mike CHS said:


> I did find that @Southern by choice is a very patient lady when it comes to questions as are most of the posters.



Thanks for the kind words Mike. I have not been very patient as of late. I am working on it though.  



Mike CHS said:


> My dogs gave me a new definition for the term "scary feeling" this morning.  I was out feeding them and  moved on to grooming the dogs.  Maisy likes to go between my legs when I'm brushing her and as I was coming her coat she started to growl.  I looked up and Thor has one of his"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU" looks on his face and then he started growling.  I had no idea what tripped the switch on them but as I'm trying to back up to get Maisy out from between my legs I had to start growling to get Thor's attention but in the end nobody got hurt.



Jealousy?

BTW- I will be pm'ing you later. Had some info you may be interested in.


----------



## Rammy

Mike CHS said:


> My dogs gave me a new definition for the term "scary feeling" this morning.  I was out feeding them and  moved on to grooming the dogs.  Maisy likes to go between my legs when I'm brushing her and as I was coming her coat she started to growl.  I looked up and Thor has one of his"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU" looks on his face and then he started growling.  I had no idea what tripped the switch on them but as I'm trying to back up to get Maisy out from between my legs I had to start growling to get Thor's attention but in the end nobody got hurt.


Thats not good they growled at you. I wonder what caused that? You take such good care of them and they know you love them. Hope it was just a fluke.


----------



## Mike CHS

Southern by choice said:


> Thanks for the kind words Mike. I have not been very patient as of late. I am working on it though.
> 
> 
> 
> Jealousy?
> 
> BTW- I will be pm'ing you later. Had some info you may be interested in.



It very well could be jealousy but there was also still some feed in one of the bowls that I didn't notice till a few minutes later.


----------



## Mike CHS

They weren't growling at me Rammy.  When they get going they don't even know anyone else is around them which is why I make sure they are separated when they are feeding.


----------



## Rammy

Oh, ok! I was concerned you were somehow in danger! So you think it was Thor just growling at Maisey because of the food? Big sigh.....was worried you might get hurt!


----------



## Southern by choice

ah.... food.  The LGD's can eat together except Chunk & Blue. They are no longer in the same field so that is no longer an issue. All the others are ok. I never have a problem if they are crazy about it as long as it isn't with us humans. Yeah- that would be an issue. 
Rita is stupid over food. STUPID! 

Glad you were able to diffuse the situation.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa finished up working the fecal samples from the other day and we are very happy with the results.  All of our senior ewes had very small numbers of eggs and virtually zero Barber Pole eggs.  The senior ewes (what's left of our original ewes) have had no medicinal  wormer but they have all had the garlic juice concentrate and diatomaceous earth with the little bit of feed they get. They have strong immune systems anyway so those side things may have zero bearing.  They are on a field that I did the nitrogen spray on but again all of that may or may not mean anything but I like the results regardless.

I'm also a happy camper that Teresa has taken on doing the egg counts but we have one sample that we have what we are pretty sure a few eggs that we can't identify.  We will take that to the vet tomorrow to have him do some OJT with us.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Mike, was it you that mentioned bioworma ? I had sent them a e mail for information and finally got a reply last night that said....they are approved now in the U.S ...but waiting on state approvals to be done. They should be ready to sell in early 2019 according  to the e mail, I hope the cost is reasonable  enough to be used by small and large herds...sure like the idea of how they say it works.


----------



## Mike CHS

I think it was @Goat Whisperer that mentioned it in one of my posts about what we are doing.  I have looked into it also and will try it once it becomes available.  It won't eliminate them completely but we are seeing enough reduction with what we are already doing that we will give that a shot also.  We took 4 fecal samples to the vet this morning to get verification that we aren't doing something wrong since we were finding literally zero eggs in those 4.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

T


Mike CHS said:


> I think it was @Goat Whisperer that mentioned it in one of my posts about what we are doing.  I have looked into it also and will try it once it becomes available.  It won't eliminate them completely but we are seeing enough reduction with what we are already doing that we will give that a shot also.  We took 4 fecal samples to the vet this morning to get verification that we aren't doing something wrong since we were finding literally zero eggs in those 4.



That is beyond awsome...almost zero !   We will be trying it also,  I use the concentrated  garlic, DE , "vacume" field, still keep the chemicals on hand to deworm but trying other methods.....BTW...the vinegar  worked on killing the mushroom growth....


----------



## Mike CHS

I just made a casserole to use up the leftover turkey that we did on the smoker the other day.  It's a low carb keto type recipe that is super tasting. We aren't doing a keto diet but this is what came up in my search.  I rarely follow a recipe but I did follow this one.  It has the taste and texture of a pot pie without the crust.  I lost track of where it came from to give proper credit.

*Leftover Turkey Casserole Recipe*

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

The recipe called for crushed pork rinds sprinkled over the top along with the cheddar cheese (I did not do that)
*Ingredients*

turkey breast about 4 cups (or chicken breast)
one small can of mushrooms
green beans about 1.5 cups fresh or frozen or 1 can

1 small carrot
1/2 small onion
6 cloves garlic
broccoli about 1-2 cups
4 tbsp butter
cheddar about 1 cup (or any other type of cheese)
2 tbsp chopped parsley
*Keto White Sauce*

2 tbsp butter
cream cheese 1 philly block
1 1/4 cup heavy cream
parmesan cheese about 1/2 cup
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
*Instructions*

Dice the carrot. Slice the onion, green beans, mushrooms and broccoli.  Mince the garlic.  Shred the turkey breasts.
Grate the cheddar and parmesan or use shredded.
In a large pot, melt the 4 tbsp of butter.  Add the onion, garlic and carrots.  Cook 2-3 minutes and cover with a lid.  Let steam for 2 minutes.  Take the cover off and add the mushrooms and broccoli.  Cook for another few minhutes, cover and let steam for another 2 minutes.
Add the shredded turkey breasts and mix everything together.  Turn off the heat and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
In a small pot, melt the 2 tbsp of butter on medium heat.  Add the cream cheese in.  It's easier to melt if you separate the cream cheese into small cubes before putting it in the pot.
Once the cream cheese starts to melt, start mixing it with a whisk.  You'll notice that the butter and cream cheese do not mix together and are separated. That's okay.
Add the heavy cream to the pot and continue mixing with your whisk.  The oil and milk will now mix together without any problems.

Add the salt, pepper and nutmeg, and mix together.  Add the parmesan AND Heat the white sauce until it starts to bubble, for about 2-3 minutes.


Turn off the heat and pour the white sauce all over the meat and vegetable mixture in the other pot that we set aside.
Transfer the casserole ingredients into a casserole dish.
Sprinkle the grated cheddar, chopped parsley and crushed pork rinds (I did not use the pork rinds) over everything.
Bake for 15 minutes or until the cheese starts to become golden brown.

Take out of the oven and let stand to allow it to thicken a little


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Yummy, yummy... will have to give it a try, thanks for sharing


----------



## Mike CHS

I started taking some measurements and going back over the requirements that we have to meet for the Ag Enhancement Program and ran into a snag.  It looks like the roof over the equipment has to be a minimum of 10' high at the outside wall and the highest I can go is 9'.  I have a call in to the office that handles that so we shall see how firm that requirement is.  An alternative is to move everything to the rear of the building and build a roof over that.  That would give more flexibility in handling but it wouldn't be nearly as efficient getting sheep into the crowding pen to load onto a trailer and I'll have to play with how I would set it up to move the sheep easily.

I'm attaching some pictures of our current setup plus one of the rear of the building if anyone has any suggestion on how to arrange the chute if we have to move it to the rear.  If we do move the chute to the rear, I'll build a solid panel fence to get the critters from the building out to where a trailer can get to.  The actual working area on the side and the rear are pretty close to the same dimensions. 

Another advantage is that I can make the actual fence in both the rear and the building side strong enough to accommodate loading/unloading the few cows we will have.  I had planned on building a permanent catch pen at the other end of the pasture.  The rear area would require some excavation but I can do that after the roof build is complete since that is separate from the enhancement project.  I have the contractor we used for most of our big renovation projects coming over later in the week to bounce some ideas off of him.


----------



## greybeard

You thinking coming off A or B?




Either way, a 180° sweep tub will give you a LOT of flexibility in which way you choose to move them for loading and working. The one I use can be set up to send them either direction off initial flow movement. If you weld, you can build one easily enough (which is what I should have done instead of buying one)

A Bud box is another option.

(10' height requirement seems like overkill for sheep.....are the 'rules' one-size-fits-all or species specific?)


----------



## Mike CHS

greybeard said:


> You thinking coming off A or B?
> View attachment 56818
> 
> Either way, a 180° sweep tub will give you a LOT of flexibility in which way you choose to move them for loading and working. The one I use can be set up to send them either direction off initial flow movement. If you weld, you can build one easily enough (which is what I should have done instead of buying one)
> 
> A Bud box is another option.
> 
> (10' height requirement seems like overkill for sheep.....are the 'rules' one-size-fits-all or species specific?)



A Bud Box might be my best option and that is something I can do in the pasture rather than try to do cattle and sheep in the same area.  Which one we come off of depends on the answers I get for the height.  If we can come off of "B", the span would be 30'  X 15' and go from the end on the left up to the existing porch in the center.  'A' has some issue with the terrain off of the left side.  I would almost be forced to use the same loading area on the 'A' side due to the slope on the left side of 'B'.  it is over a 15 degree decline and starts 4' from the edge of the barn.


----------



## Mike CHS

We just had contact with the state and got an email authorizing the lower height.  This individual had never worked on a project for sheep but our Extension agent has been out to our place several times got involved and got the approval for our project.


----------



## misfitmorgan

Mike CHS said:


> We just had contact with the state and got an email authorizing the lower height.  This individual had never worked on a project for sheep but our Extension agent has been out to our place several times got involved and got the approval for our project.



That's awesome, glad they were able to get it working for you.  I missed what the ag program is for specifically?


----------



## Mike CHS

misfitmorgan said:


> That's awesome, glad they were able to get it working for you.  I missed what the ag program is for specifically?



This falls under the Tennessee Agriculture Enhancement Program.  It's a cost share program by the state that covers many areas but we chose to do the infrastructure improvement.


----------



## Mike CHS

We had to run Ringo into the vet this afternoon.  He had a big knot on his upper snout that wasn't something I wanted to take a chance with not knowing what caused it. Vet shave his hair in that spot so he could get a look at it and you could see where something had penetrated and caused an infection.  The normally docile ram wasn't so docile with the vet so he had to give him a shot to calm him down.  He wasn't due for his CDT but we gave him a booster to make sure we don't get a case of tetanus.  Vet said it looked like he might have had a brush with a locust needle or something of that sort.  As soon as he saw the trailer he jumped right in.


----------



## Bruce

Glad you got on that quickly.


----------



## RollingAcres

Bruce said:


> Glad you got on that quickly.


X2


----------



## Rammy

X3


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Ok, I'll  do it...X 4


----------



## Mike CHS

We have a great vet.  He was going to make a farm call this afternoon but we went in to get heart worm meds for the dogs and when I saw what he had going, we went home and loaded the boy up.


----------



## Bruce

Gotta keep him healthy for @Baymule!


----------



## Latestarter

So did the vet lance it? Just leave it be? Pics available? Glad you caught it and it's taken care of.


----------



## Mike CHS

I didn't take any pictures since it was late in the day when we got back home.  The vet lanced it and flushed it then gave him penicillin along with the CDT booster.  We will flush it every day for 5 days plus we are keeping him in a clean paddock with Thor for company.  We probably could have lanced it but had no way to cut the hair in the area and it was close enough to his eye that I wasn't willing to risk it.  I've had that boy too long to take chances with something like that.


----------



## misfitmorgan

Glad to hear it wasnt anything to major.

What are your plans for the ag program, I didnt see a post actually saying what your doing. I gather something with an addition onto the barn?


----------



## Mike CHS

misfitmorgan said:


> Glad to hear it wasnt anything to major.
> 
> What are your plans for the ag program, I didnt see a post actually saying what your doing. I gather something with an addition onto the barn?



We will be adding a roof over our handling equipment.  It will run on the end of our building and cover the area that will be 30'x14'.


----------



## greybeard

I'd love to have my handling/working pen covered but at my age not going to go to the expense. I sometimes have to pen some up for awhile, and they can turn the place into a muddy area pretty quick, and a roof would help prevent that. 
Tenn and Ky both have some pretty good cost share programs.


----------



## Mike CHS

greybeard said:


> Tenn and Ky both have some pretty good cost share programs.



They do.  We jumped through all of the needed hoops to get the 50% cost share.  If you didn't they would cover 25% but it only took a 4 day course to meet the requirements.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Definitely time well spent.....


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> They do.  We jumped through all of the needed hoops to get the 50% cost share.  If you didn't they would cover 25% but it only took a 4 day course to meet the requirements.


Do you have to complete CEUs farther down to line to stay in some kind of compliance or is it a once and done thing?


----------



## Mike CHS

There are quite a few things you can do to accumulate points and it is ongoing.  We did the Master Ruminate Producer program this year and it is do again in just under three years to stay eligible. They have a series of training events going on now through February but it's all driven toward food and fruit production which doesn't do anything for us.  I meant to mention also that there is a limit to the amount of $ you can get.  Our project this time will pay up to 50% of the total but the max the state will reimburse is $3,500.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have a neighbor who is diabetic and just about let her body shut down due to terrible food and other choices and they basically put her on a Keto diet that she knows nothing about.  She is a terrible cook to start with and has little imagination when it comes time to make a plain dish taste good.  She is the main reason I cooked and posted the last turkey leftover recipe and we cooked and sent her some lamb pot roast that we cooked this afternoon.  We replaced the usual mashed potatoes with mashed cauliflower which is truly better tasting (and low carb compared to potatoes).


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Ya'll are good souls!  

A lot of diabetics don't get the education they need, can't afford decent food, are in denial, think it's only about sugar, or they just don't care.  But they really should.  My DH is a severe, brittle diabetic and has all the problems that go with.  Five eye surgeries in a bit over a year, (2 more to go), neuropathy in hands and feet, contracture of two fingers... He has a family history, but choices got him to such a severe state.  This is my soap box subject so I could go on and on - but I won't!
All I started out to say is that mashed cauliflower is good!!     (and as usual - your roast looks awesome too!)


----------



## Mike CHS

That is a soapbox that needs to be stepped up on. Our Grandson was diagnosed at 4 years old and we have to bite our tongue over his parents choices.  They are amazed at how his numbers are level most of the time he is here with us while they are like a yo-yo with them.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

So sorry to hear about your grandson.  Guessing he is Type 1 which is especially rough.  Kudos to ya'll for being aware and keeping him level when he is with ya'll!


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Our Grandson was diagnosed at 4 years old and we have to bite our tongue over his parents choices.


Maybe time for "tough love". They don't want to hear it but too bad. They are doing bad things to his current and future life.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have had the discussions or at least attempted to but their Dr. seems to support their methods (or at least to them) so it's a no win.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Mike CHS said:


> Dr. seems to support their methods (or at least to them) so it's a no win.


Makes no sense to me...

But. numbers tell the truth.  Hope they come around...


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> She is a terrible cook to start with and has little imagination when it comes time to make a plain dish taste good.


I always wondered where my 2nd ex-wife moved to..........


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Mr. @Mike CHS,

The others are right in noting that you and Miss Teresa are being real neighborly in taking care of Mr. @greybeard's 2nd ex-wife.  

I intended to ask but plum forgot when I caught up on your journal -- whatever happened to the young man who burglarized the neighbor's house and ran off, leaving his truck there?

Senile Texas Aggie


----------



## Rammy

Oh, yeah! Forgot about the burglery and truck.


----------



## Mike CHS

Senile_Texas_Aggie said:


> Mr. @Mike CHS,
> 
> I intended to ask but plum forgot when I caught up on your journal -- whatever happened to the young man who burglarized the neighbor's house and ran off, leaving his truck there?
> 
> Senile Texas Aggie



It is kind of an odd situation.  The families no longer socialize much and don't talk about it but the truck is still where the boy left it with the windows rolled down so it's going downhill fast.


----------



## Rammy

Maybe it will teach him a lesson. He lost more than that truck.


----------



## Latestarter

So THAT'S how/why all them vehicles got parked in them there Appalachian folks front yards... Always wondered about that...    Here I thought it was "yard art"...


----------



## Mike CHS




----------



## RollingAcres

Latestarter said:


> So TAHT'S how/why all them vehicles got parked in them there Appalachian folks front yards... Always wondered about that...    Here I thought it was "yard art"...


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> We have had the discussions or at least attempted to but their Dr. seems to support their methods (or at least to them) so it's a no win.


Bizarre. Diabetes has been understood for a long time, I can't imagine a doctor not being quite specific about diet. So sad for your GS.


----------



## Baymule

Latestarter said:


> So THAT'S how/why all them vehicles got parked in them there Appalachian folks front yards... Always wondered about that...    Here I thought it was "yard art"...


OK Mr Brilliant. Now explain all the washing machines, dryers and toilets out in the yards.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

The toilets are planters, the dryers are planters and the washing machines are planters!  Dontcha see weeds...uh flowering plants growing in all of 'em?


----------



## Rammy

Toilets make great planters.


----------



## Latestarter

and again, yard art as well


----------



## Baymule

Y'all are missing the point. The truck is decorative yard art because he was punished with the loss of his truck. So what crime led to the toilet being yanked? Peeing on the wall? Why was the washer/dryer tossed out in the yard? You assume because there is a new set inside or is there just an empty spot? What clothing crime was committed that banished the washer/dryer to the great outdoors?


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Bay, Bay, Bay!   The reason  is simply that they NEEDED more planters!


----------



## Baymule

frustratedearthmother said:


> Bay, Bay, Bay!   The reason  is simply that they NEEDED more planters!


What they growin'? Weed?  Cash crop?


----------



## Latestarter

They tend not to grow that stuff in such a visible fashion...  (from what I've heard)


----------



## Rammy

Latestarter said:


> They tend not to grow that stuff in such a visible fashion...  (from what I've heard)




Got plans for those 18 acres do you, @Latestarter ?


----------



## Mike CHS

The weather is dreary but not really cold today.  We have a contractor coming out around lunch time to take some measurements to work up an estimate on our Plans A & B for the equipment handling roof. We need to figure out the cost for doing just the one side or running it all the way around so it will either be a 31' addition or 63' including both sides.  We also want an estimate to just have the framing set and an estimate for doing it all to decide how much we can do to keep the cost within our budget.  We are going to take advantage of the weather and go to Costco in Franklin this afternoon.  That place is a madhouse on weekends but we want to work sheep tomorrow and put the eight ewes that are due to lamb soon in the shop paddock. The other 12's lambing times are spread out over the next 2 months so any ram lambs will be sold and gone by the time they are added to the shop paddock (or will be soon after).

Teresa and I are perfectly compatible in all things except diet.  She can eat all day long and never put on a pound plus she likes traditional type meals with at least one vegetable, something starchy and a meat. I spent most of my life eating really low carb and just a meat and vegetable for my main meal (dinner) and just a light meal at breakfast (if any) and a light protein and/or some fruit for lunch. When we got married I weighed exactly the same as I did when I graduated High School and joined the Navy some 35 years earlier (and no, I'm not blaming her since I have a scale and a mirror).  The change in diet resulted in a slow but steady increase in weight that I decided recently has to go so I'm back to the type of eating that works for me.  I rarely eat sweets but I do like something every once in awhile.  Teresa found this recipe and made me one this morning that was really good.  The recipe said that the crepes can be stored in the refrigerator for 5 days.

Low Carb Crepes

1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
4 oz cream cheese or cottage cheese.
1/8th cup butter
Filling of choice (we used no sugar added cherry pie filling today)

Sweetener (we used 1 packet of Splenda)

Directions:

Blend all ingredients (we use a hand blender)
Pre-heat small 6” skillet lightly oiled with olive oil or coconut oil
Pour ¼ of the mix into the skillet over medium heat and cover with a lid
Leave for 60-90 second, turn over and leave for another 60-90 seconds.
Filling: we used a sugar free cherry pie filling mixed with some cottage cheese
Approximately 4 grams of carbs


----------



## frustratedearthmother

@Mike CHS - I nominate you to start a low carb recipe of they day thread!

I'll be using that crepe recipe - probably today.  Thanks!


----------



## Mike CHS

That's a great idea.  I'll do that and solicit recipes from other posters also.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> When we got married I weighed exactly the same as I did when I graduated High School and joined the Navy some 35 years earlier


Navy food must have been pretty bad that you didn't want to eat much of it


----------



## Mike CHS

Most of my sea time was as a Chief and the Chief's mess is about as good as it gets.


----------



## Devonviolet

Southern by choice said:


> ah.... food. I never have a problem if they are crazy about it as long as it isn't with us humans. Yeah- that would be an issue.


Our Violet and Deo have always eaten in their kennel, and do fine together. When they were young, we tried leaving the kennel door open, and one of the goats thought it would be good to nibble on Deo’s food.  Bad mistake.  No one got hurt, but we kept the door closed after that. Even now, four years later, if one of the goats gets anywhere near the kennel, Deo gives a warning snarl and snap. Now when it comes to us, we can go into the kennel and pick up their food dish anytime we want. They know better than warning US off their food.  We make a point of doing that every now and again, to makee sure they know we are alpha and that is OUR food, but we choose to share it with them.  



Mike CHS said:


> That is a soapbox that needs to be stepped up on. Our Grandson was diagnosed at 4 years old and we have to bite our tongue over his parents choices.  They are amazed at how his numbers are level most of the time he is here with us while they are like a yo-yo with them.


That is a subject that gets me on my soapbox too!  As a nurse I educated quite a few patients, in my day, who didn’t have a clue about eating properly with diabetes.  We had a friend in PA, who was so bad his numbers were frequently in the 500 range, to the point he wore his pancrease out, and they put him on an insulin pump. He ate like it was no big deal to eat bread, dessert and rootbeer!  I tried helping him understand. However, his attitude was, “I’ll just take my insulin”.   This man has had multiple strokes and heart attacks and really bad peripheral neuropathy, and still doesn’t get it.   I finally gave up.   

Mike, you and Theresa are on the right track with your grandson. GOOD FOR YOU!!!  Eating a low-carb diet consistently, is the best way to keep numbers and especially Hemaglobin A1C under control and crucial for maintaining health in later years.  Taking insulin AFTER eating a high carb meal, is NOT the right way to manage diabetes and the devastating health issues that result from it.


----------



## Devonviolet

Mike CHS said:


> We have had the discussions or at least attempted to but their Dr. seems to support their methods (or at least to them) so it's a no win.


Unfortunately, I have seen more than one doctor or nurse teach patents high carb ways of eating.

Don’t get me started on the LUNACY of GlucoTabs!!!  I had a co-worker (RN) who had brittle diabetes.  She kept chocolate M&M’s on her desk, which she ate all day long, especially when she had given herself insulin shots and her blood sugar would drop, she would then eat a couple GlucoTabs. Her blood sugar went up, which led to an insulin shot, which led to M&M’s, whch led to . . . it was a merry-go-round!   

Several times, she passed out while drivng, from hypoclycemia, caused by too much insulin. One night we had stayed late, to finish some chartng, and we were the ony ones in the offce. Her speech was slurred and she was talking nonsense. I checked her blood sugar, and it was 35!  So, I gave her some whole wheat cheese crackers. I waited until her blood sugar was better and she was talking more lucidly. Then, I drove her home. She eventually got transferred to a job with no patient contact, because she had passed out multple times, while in exam rooms with patients.


----------



## Mike CHS

@Devonviolet a similar thing happened to me when I was stationed at our Navy school in Memphis.  I was the training officer at our school and my secretary followed President Reagan's example and she had started keeping a big container of jelly beans on her desk.  I never ate sweets normally but for some reason that day, every time I walked by her desk I would grab a couple of them.  I was interviewing a student and the next thing I know, I came to at the Navy Hospital with an IV in my arm.  Back in those days they called it borderline diabetes but I don't know the real name. I've never reached the point of needing insulin because my diet followed the right needs.


----------



## Devonviolet

Wow! That’s really scary, Mike!  If you didn’t normally eat sugar, it’’s surprising they called it “borderline diabetes”. Normally, that (aka pre-diabetic) is the result of a high carb diet over time. That will lead to the pancreas wearing out, and an elevated Hbg A1C, which only becomes elevaated after eating high carbs over a period of at least three months. 

A good way to test it, is to eat a really high carb meal (of at least 65 grams of carbs - i.e. a big plate of pancakes with syrup at IHOP) and test the glucose level two hours after eating. If blood sugar is over 160, that could indicate that one is pre-diabetic. The best way to reverse that is to eat a low carb diet on a consistent basis. 

I actually have the potential to get diabetes, as my brother and sister both have diabetes. In the past I was diagnosed as pre-diabetic.   That is why I avoid sugar and try to eat lower carb.  A good sourdough bread is my one weakness.


----------



## Mike CHS

Part of the reason they called it borderline was to keep from putting me in a medically 'down' status.  I was on flight status and having anything other than borderline would have disqualified me for my career path.  I had flight physicals every year until I retired so it was monitored well and never showed any sign of problem again,  That was back in the mid 80's and I completely lost my urge for jelly beans.   I only get an annual check now and it's been normal but then again I don't eat high carb meals.


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## Devonviolet

That’s awesome!


----------



## misfitmorgan

Not sure about those crepes but I do know that regular crepes can be made in bulk and frozen with layers of parchment or freezer paper between then wrapped in cling wrap or put in freezer bags. They work out great, and you just take out what you need and leave the rest in the freezer. Then heat them up in a pan, toaster oven, or let them thaw...for cold applications.

Sauteed mushrooms with onions(salt, pepper, garlic powder) and a little sour cream are good. Also mushroom, spinach and chicken. Eggs, ham, and cheese. Goat cheese and anything.....

You can also make lasagna using crepes, just make it in a round cake pan. I would assume anything you can do with regular crepes you can do with the low carb ones. So you could have low carb lasagna.


----------



## Mike CHS

I don't have a recipe but we make a lasagna 'like' dish using sliced zucchini or other squash.  The only ingredients are ground beef, lamb or Italian sausage, marinara sauce, zucchini, ricotta cheese and shredded mozzarella cheese and is assembled like more traditional pasta lasagna.


----------



## misfitmorgan

Mike CHS said:


> I don't have a recipe but we make a lasagna 'like' dish using sliced zucchini or other squash.  The only ingredients are ground beef, lamb or Italian sausage, marinara sauce, zucchini, ricotta cheese and shredded mozzarella cheese and is assembled like more traditional pasta lasagna.



I have made zucchini lasagna before....sounds like the same thing. We think it's good, the kid said she wasn't hungry.
 I tried to explain that the yellow summer squash is the same thing as the green zucchini but she won't buy it and only likes the yellow.

The crepes are a bit more pasta like.


----------



## greybeard

misfitmorgan said:


> I tried to explain that the yellow summer squash is the same thing as the green zucchini but she won't buy it and only likes the yellow


Many people don't like zuccini but do like yellow summer squash..others are the opposite. I like both equally, tho slightly prefer the yellow. My wife 'will' eat zucchini, but likes it so little she asked me not to plant any more of it. My 2 sisters are split on it; each  in opposite directions.  B-i-l won't eat zucchini at all but loves yellow crooks tho he really prefers and raises a variety of fall squash whose name I forget at the moment.
Squash is such a versatile food I can't imagine being without it.
I really like baked acorn squash, but wife and others here kind of turn up their palates at it.


----------



## Mike CHS

Other than tomatoes and okra, squash is a mainstay in our garden beds.  We even pickle more zucchini that cucumbers.


----------



## misfitmorgan

greybeard said:


> Many people don't like zuccini but do like yellow summer squash..others are the opposite. I like both equally, tho slightly prefer the yellow. My wife 'will' eat zucchini, but likes it so little she asked me not to plant any more of it. My 2 sisters are split on it; each  in opposite directions.  B-i-l won't eat zucchini at all but loves yellow crooks tho he really prefers and raises a variety of fall squash whose name I forget at the moment.
> Squash is such a versatile food I can't imagine being without it.
> I really like baked acorn squash, but wife and others here kind of turn up their palates at it.



DH's favorite squash is acorn. My favorite is delicata....roasted in the oven. I do eat most squashs, i like some better then others and for different uses. I might try growing delicata this year, not sure if it will in our region.



Mike CHS said:


> Other than tomatoes and okra, squash is a mainstay in our garden beds.  We even pickle more zucchini that cucumbers.



I saw pickled zucchini in the store but i've never tried it, also pickled carrots. I couldn't really imagine how either would taste. I do like pickles and pickled garlic though.

I bought what looks like a good book a couple weeks ago. Anyone recall the Ball Blue book? There is a sort of sister book called preserving and i've looked thru it several times, it has some real good stuff in it. It also has uses for some fruits/veggies i wouldnt think of. It gives directions for canning, freezing, dehydrating for veggies, fruits, meats, etc. Something I want to try a lot is champagne jelly, i thought that was really interesting. Also has a planting guide for preserving/canning which is useful.


----------



## greybeard

misfitmorgan said:


> Anyone recall the Ball Blue book?


of course..it was known as  the canning bible for years and years.


----------



## misfitmorgan

greybeard said:


> of course..it was known as  the canning bible for years and years.



That's what it was in our house, all the generations have one.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

The only thing we have are instructions on how to use a can opener.


----------



## misfitmorgan

Senile_Texas_Aggie said:


> The only thing we have are instructions on how to use a can opener.



Wouldn't really think those were so needed......


here is a link to the book i was talking about. I paid $9 for it locally.
https://www.amazon.com/Ball-Blue-Bo...ocphy=9017171&hvtargid=pla-334653461274&psc=1


----------



## RollingAcres

Senile_Texas_Aggie said:


> The only thing we have are instructions on how to use a can opener.





misfitmorgan said:


> Wouldn't really think those were so needed......




I prefer zucchini over yellow squash but I will eat yellow squash. I have pickled zucchini before, they were just as good as pickled cucumbers.


----------



## greybeard

RollingAcres said:


> they were just as good as pickled cucumbers


Aren't those usually just called pickles?


----------



## greybeard

Senile_Texas_Aggie said:


> The only thing we have are instructions on how to use a can opener.



No movie parts making it user-friendly and durable
Food won't get stuck in crevasses
Sharpness of edge lasts for  long time
Can opener and bottle opener is one


----------



## RollingAcres

greybeard said:


> Aren't those usually just called pickles?


Yes, not sure why I added cucumber


----------



## frustratedearthmother

There are numerous types of vegetables that can be pickled - not unusual to identify what veggie you're referring to.  I pickle green beans, cucumbers, squash, quail eggs... (no wait - that's not a veggie)


----------



## RollingAcres

frustratedearthmother said:


> quail eggs... (no wait - that's not a veggie)


Maybe they are vegan quail eggs


----------



## RollingAcres

frustratedearthmother said:


> There are numerous types of vegetables that can be pickled


I pickled some cherry tomatoes a couple of years ago because I had so much of them. They were ok, I wouldn't do it again. I still have yet to try pickled eggs.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

RollingAcres said:


> I pickled some cherry tomatoes a couple of years ago because I had so much of them. They were ok, I wouldn't do it again.


Interesting...


----------



## misfitmorgan

RollingAcres said:


> I prefer zucchini over yellow squash but I will eat yellow squash. I have pickled zucchini before, they were just as good as pickled cucumbers.



What size zucchini? The ones i saw in the store were slices and they were a good 2" diameter....i wasnt sure about them.



frustratedearthmother said:


> There are numerous types of vegetables that can be pickled - not unusual to identify what veggie you're referring to.  I pickle green beans, cucumbers, squash, quail eggs... (no wait - that's not a veggie)



We do cucumbers, beans, garlic, and beets. I'm wondering now if pickled radishes would be good....i know cauliflower is and celery.



RollingAcres said:


> I pickled some cherry tomatoes a couple of years ago because I had so much of them. They were ok, I wouldn't do it again. I still have yet to try pickled eggs.



dehydrating might be a better way to go


----------



## RollingAcres

misfitmorgan said:


> What size zucchini? The ones i saw in the store were slices and they were a good 2" diameter....i wasnt sure about them.


I think I just used whatever I had from my garden. The bigger ones (the oops-I-forgot-to-pick-this-zucchini-size lol) I just cut it in half, took out the seeds and then sliced them thin. 2" diameter seems pretty big.



misfitmorgan said:


> dehydrating might be a better way to go


I would if I have a dehydrator...I really need to invest in one.


----------



## Bruce

greybeard said:


> No movie parts making it user-friendly and durable
> Food won't get stuck in crevasses
> Sharpness of edge lasts for  long time
> Can opener and bottle opener is one


Must be you are using a different one than we do. Ours has moving parts. Maybe you are using the P-38 or P-51? Actually, can't be a 51, it does have a moving part, must be the 38.


----------



## Baymule

greybeard said:


> No movie parts making it user-friendly and durable
> Food won't get stuck in crevasses
> Sharpness of edge lasts for  long time
> Can opener and bottle opener is one



No MOVIE parts?


----------



## Mike CHS

My cousin called this morning and asked if I wanted to meet him in south Arkansas for a bit of fishing in March.  I lived with them from the time I was 13 so he is more like a brother than cousin.  He rents a cabin for a month down there so it's a good time to reconnect for a few days and do something not sheep related plus it gives me some 'farm' vacation time.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Mike CHS said:


> My cousin called this morning and asked if I wanted to meet him in south Arkansas for a bit of fishing in March.  I lived with them from the time I was 13 so he is more like a brother than cousin.  He rents a cabin for a month down there so it's a good time to reconnect for a few days and do something not sheep related plus it gives me some 'farm' vacation time.



That sounds like a good trip for the two of you to get some guy time together...hope you get the time to go


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## Mike CHS

We hope to make it work.  Our yearlings are due to lamb at the end of March and hopefully the grass will be growing by then so we can make it work. We have come to the realization that our vacations will be separate.


----------



## Baymule

I hope it all works out so that you can spend time with your cousin.


----------



## Latestarter

I got separated (then divorced) so get no vacations...


----------



## Wehner Homestead

Vacations can be hard to make happen. We have to find someone to take care of our animals. My parents have to go with us to help with the kids since DD2 requires so much care and have to have backup for the other two in case we have to head to the hospital. 

DH and I “celebrated” our tenth anniversary in Dec. Found out the day before that we’d lost our baby. Can’t/won’t leave DD2 to get away just the two us. Had planned an overnight break with the kids staying at my parents in early Dec and DD2 got the stomach bug. Sure as heck wasn’t leaving her!!! 

I think our “vacation” this year will be a trip to see some family near Fort Wayne. My dad will do chores here. Will be gone three days. Extended family can take care of older two if a trip to the hospital needs to happen.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

What kind of fishing do you plan?  Large mouth bass?  Catfish?  Crappie?  Other?


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> We hope to make it work.  Our yearlings are due to lamb at the end of March and hopefully the grass will be growing by then so we can make it work. We have come to the realization that our vacations will be separate.


Hope it works out for you Mike so you can have a little vacation time.


----------



## RollingAcres

Wehner Homestead said:


> Vacations can be hard to make happen. We have to find someone to take care of our animals. My parents have to go with us to help with the kids since DD2 requires so much care and have to have backup for the other two in case we have to head to the hospital.
> 
> DH and I “celebrated” our tenth anniversary in Dec. Found out the day before that we’d lost our baby. Can’t/won’t leave DD2 to get away just the two us. Had planned an overnight break with the kids staying at my parents in early Dec and DD2 got the stomach bug. Sure as heck wasn’t leaving her!!!
> 
> I think our “vacation” this year will be a trip to see some family near Fort Wayne. My dad will do chores here. Will be gone three days. Extended family can take care of older two if a trip to the hospital needs to happen.


It sure can be hard to make happen. It's not easy to have to find someone to do animal chores and you also don't want to plan a longer vacation because of that.
We don't take much vacation at all. Even though the thought of having a "just the two of us" vacation sounds nice, I don't think I'd go on a vacation without taking my son.
I wish we all live close to each other so we can help each other out and another family go on vacation.


----------



## Rammy

Yeah, same here. I take care of my neighbors chickens when they go out of town and vice versa. Course, I feed on time when its their animals. Not so much with mine, but at least they get fed at some point. My Mom used to do it but with her surgery and recent health issues, thats not an option anymore. Finding trustworthy, dependable people to help you out is hard sometimes.


----------



## Mike CHS

I haven't been on this lake but cousin said it is awesome for crappie and bass.


----------



## RollingAcres

I want to go on a fishing trip. And I want to learn fly fishing.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

RollingAcres said:


> And I want to learn fly fishing.



That's been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember.  Maybe I'll actually do that some day...


----------



## misfitmorgan

RollingAcres said:


> I think I just used whatever I had from my garden. The bigger ones (the oops-I-forgot-to-pick-this-zucchini-size lol) I just cut it in half, took out the seeds and then sliced them thin. 2" diameter seems pretty big.
> 
> 
> I would if I have a dehydrator...I really need to invest in one.



Check second hand stores, thats where we find them. If all else fails you can use an oven or do it outside between screens as long as it is sunny and moderately windy.


----------



## Baymule

I used to do a lot of hunting and fishing. DH is not into either one, he doesn't like killing anything. When we butcher chickens, I "do the deed" then he helps clean them. I think he might like fishing, maybe we need to rig up, get a license and go fishing.


----------



## Wehner Homestead

I don’t particularly like fishing. I take a book and make rounds with drinks, snacks, and picking up keeper fish. Now that we take the kids once in awhile, I enjoy their excitement and helping them.


----------



## RollingAcres

I've never been hunting so I don't know what it's like. I don't really like venison so to me there's no point for me to kill a deer just to say that I went hunting.
I do love to fish. I have fond memories of my parents taking us fishing every chance they get.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have more deer around our place than sheep but shooting them here would literally be zero sport since they have no fear of us.   Whenever we want some meat we just get ask our neighbor since their boy takes them from a corner of our place.


----------



## greybeard

I enjoy fishing and have about a decade ago tried my hand at fly fishing but did so when I lived in one of the windiest (and arid) locations in Texas.  Then, the last 2 years I lived there, drought set in and it got so dry even the catfish got ticks.

My youngest son is very good at it and makes his own split bamboo rods. I may get the boy (well, he's actually 41) to show me how now that he lives nearby here. He's certainly schooled me a time or 2 fishing for bass in my own ponds with a regular bait cast rig.

I hunted a lot when I was very young. Deer, rabbit, coon, hogs, cats squirrel. I have nothing at all against hunting or those that do it but I gave it up in late 1971 and now only kill out of necessity...meaning predators and aquatic rats


----------



## RollingAcres

greybeard said:


> now only kill out of necessity...meaning predators and aquatic rats


We know about your love-hate relationship with those aquatic rats 
What do you normally do with the once you successfully trapped? Don't they use beaver fur to make cowboy hats?


----------



## greybeard

coyote bait and turtle food.  I have better things to do than skin a rat...like taking a long nap.


----------



## Mike CHS

There is an old country store a few miles east of us and across a range of hills but it is 12 miles on the road that we have been wanting to go try.  We did so today and spent the longest time talking to the owners that have only owned it for about five years.  We just had burgers today but will probably go back Friday when they have catfish, shrimp, gator tail and a couple of other things on special.  

They have completely renovated the inside but other than all of the new lumber, it still has the look of when it was built back in the 1940's.  The inside of the store seems like a museum.  They have some cool things on their Facebook page.

I'm going to keep all of our lambing posts on the lambing thread as I do like that way of posting that sort of thing better.


----------



## RollingAcres

I really love that kind of store. I like that truck .


----------



## frustratedearthmother

That is a cool looking place!


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## Baymule

I posted, it doubled, I deleted ONE and they both went away. 

That is a homey looking kind of place. I love jewels like that.


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## Bruce

Latestarter said:


> I got separated (then divorced) so get no vacations...


Maybe you can make up with @Rammy 




RollingAcres said:


> I wish we all live close to each other so we can help each other out and another family go on vacation.


Nah, that wouldn't work, we'd all want to go on vacation together!



Senile_Texas_Aggie said:


> That's been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember.  Maybe I'll actually do that some day...


No time like the present! You'll want to practice the "strip and cast" out in the field before you try it on water.



Mike CHS said:


> There is an old country store .....


With an old country truck!


----------



## Rammy




----------



## Mike CHS

Kroger had a really good sale on whole chickens the other day so we picked up 6 of them.  Teresa cut most of them up and vacuum sealed them and used the necks and backs to make chicken broth.  She canned and froze some of the broth this afternoon and wound up with a little over 8 quarts which is about equal the cost of the chickens if we had bought the broth.


----------



## Bruce

I think you need to raise your own meat chickens Mike.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I'm sure the homemade broth tastes waay Better from y'alls kitchen, too!!.....


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Love that old store and truck...now that's  country charm !


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> I think you need to raise your own meat chickens Mike.



Egg layers are all Teresa wants.  I doubt that we could even get a sheep processed if she was with them as much as I am.  Her chickens are her babies.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I just had to Smile at that reply....


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Mike CHS said:


> Egg layers are all Teresa wants.  I doubt that we could even get a sheep processed if she was with them as much as I am.  Her chickens are her babies.


That is so sweet! But trust me, if you were to raise meat chickens, you (& probably Teresa) would be READY for them to be gone once the time hits. We raised 40ish a few years ago, oh the mess they left was horrible! So different than the layers.

We have a few special chickens here- one of which is a bantam Cochin. She was only 14 grams at hatch but was incredibility beautiful/correct. She is about to turn 9 years old


----------



## Baymule

I raised Cornish Cross for the first time last year. Even BJ was ready for them to go. We butchered 44. He pitched in and picked chickens, but I could not get him to stick his hand up a chicken's butt and pull out guts. 


We sold 10, parted out, later they requested 14 more pounds. That brought the cost of what we kept down to 50 cents a pound. We kept 161 pounds of chicken for ourselves and our DD and family. I made broth, LOTS of broth, 33 pints, and canned it. I took the backs, heart, liver, gizzard and canned with a cup of cooked rice in quart jars for dog food. It was well worth it and we will do it again in the spring.


----------



## Bruce

There you go Mike! Build a coop out with the sheep where Teresa doesn't spend as much time. The sheep and chickens will get along fine I'm sure.


----------



## Mike CHS

I opened up the pen by our shop so the girls can get out of the wind and it is dry. There is also a large tarp in front that they have been using but it doesn't block the north wind like the shop stall does.  They have a hoop house out in the paddock that I haven't seen them use for weeks so it's yet to be seen if that one stays there.  I was watching them for a bit and one of the ewes is up by the heat lamp and there are several others standing outside the stall just watching so I will be surprised if there aren't more lamb(s) in the morning.


----------



## Wehner Homestead




----------



## B&B Happy goats




----------



## Rammy

What they said......


----------



## Baymule

Lamb watch.


----------



## Mike CHS

I guess that since I retired I have become less of a multi-tasker and forgot that I was posting lambing posts in the other thread.  

No additional lambs this morning but there are a couple that I have no idea how they are keeping the babies inside.


----------



## Bruce

Waiting for the storm to pass by so you don't have to deal with lambing in foul weather, nice girls!


----------



## RollingAcres

Bruce said:


> I think you need to raise your own meat chickens Mike.





Mike CHS said:


> Egg layers are all Teresa wants. I doubt that we could even get a sheep processed if she was with them as much as I am. Her chickens are her babies.


@Bruce, Mike will start raise meat chickens when you start raising sheep for meat.


----------



## Mike CHS

RollingAcres said:


> @Bruce, Mike will start raise meat chickens when you start raising sheep for meat.


----------



## Bruce

RollingAcres said:


> @Bruce, Mike will start raise meat chickens when you start raising sheep for meat.




There is a slight difference of course. No one at Mike's house is against eating animals.


----------



## Mike CHS

Murphy is alive and well (as in Murphy's Law of course).  I got the cattle moved onto some fresh grass enclosed by electric netting which they have only been exposed to briefly or at least not enough for them to have challenged it.  I attached the hot wire to the main fence and checked the voltage, there wasn't any.  About that time, the wind went from no wind to probably 40 kt gusts and the rain just started coming down in sheets.  I got back to the charger to see what was going on and it had no power so I went inside the shop and found that the power was off.

The rural power company here is pretty quick on a job so the power was only off for about an hour and a half.  Since the cows had plenty of grass and fresh round bale they didn't bother checking out the netting so all is good.  They seem to have adapted really well with the dogs and sheep on the other side of the fence so would have been alright if they fence came down and they couldn't have gone anywhere else.


----------



## RollingAcres

When it rains it pours...
But at least the cows were happy and content with what they have on their side of the fence instead of testing the netting to see if they could get out.


----------



## Latestarter

Just looked at the radar and it sure looks like you folks in TN are getting some rain right now. Glad the fence worked despite being non-electrified. Guess as long as the animlas have good food and water, no need to move elsewhere... unless of course sex is involved... Then fencing can be a real challenge.


----------



## RollingAcres

Latestarter said:


> Guess as long as the animlas have good food and water, no need to move elsewhere... unless of course sex is involved


That applies to humans too


----------



## greybeard

latestarter said "_Guess as long as the animlas have good food and water, no need to move elsewhere... unless of course sex is involved... _"



RollingAcres said:


> That applies to humans too


So..........all those people from north of the Red River and from South of the Rio Grande and from West of the Pecos are really moving to Texas just for sexual opportunity?


----------



## misfitmorgan




----------



## greybeard

misfitmorgan said:


>


Yep........I'm pretty sure it ain't like John Belushi's _Blues Brothers_ skit in the fancy restaurant.
_maître d' maître d'!_


----------



## Mike CHS

I noticed that Lance has been drinking much more water than normal and to the point that when he has to go potty he has to go so bad that he gets frantic.  Then the other night he came up and laid his head on my hand and I noticed his nose wasn't cool like usual.  We were thinking diabetes so took him in to the vet for some tests.  Turns out he has some kidney function issues plus he needs more nutrition as in the kind that comes in red meat and some additional sodium.  We got some meds that he will be on for 30 days and then another blood test.  We did manage to catch some urine to test and that was a first that he didn't quite understand.  Our dogs have been on kibble that is based on salmon so instead of looking for stuff to do out in the cold today I'll head to Costco to get a different food for all of the dogs.


----------



## misfitmorgan

Mike CHS said:


> I noticed that Lance has been drinking much more water than normal and to the point that when he has to go potty he has to go so bad that he gets frantic.  Then the other night he came up and laid his head on my hand and I noticed his nose wasn't cool like usual.  We were thinking diabetes so took him in to the vet for some tests.  Turns out he has some kidney function issues plus he needs more nutrition as in the kind that comes in red meat and some additional sodium.  We got some meds that he will be on for 30 days and then another blood test.  We did manage to catch some urine to test and that was a first that he didn't quite understand.  Our dogs have been on kibble that is based on salmon so instead of looking for stuff to do out in the cold today I'll head to Costco to get a different food for all of the dogs.



Diamond Naturals with lamb is some good stuff. Sorry Lance is poorly, hopefully he gets back to normal soon.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Hope that takes care of his issues and that the next test results show improvement!


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Mr. @Mike CHS (and others),

I hope your dog gets better. 

I hope I don't hijack your thread over this, but if you don't mind too much, would you share with us what you have fed and are now feeding your dogs?  The reason I ask is that my Beautiful Gal and I are considering getting two Husky / Heinz 57 mix puppies soon and we would like to feed them healthy food.  I know some on BYH have recommended a raw meat diet, and Miss @B&B Happy goats tried that with her dog Maisy, which helped the dog's allergies for awhile, but then the allergies started coming back, if I remember correctly.  (Miss @B&B Happy goats, feel free to set the record straight regarding Maisy, her diet and her health.)  If you prefer, Mike, you and others can post your comments on my journal.

Senile Texas Aggie


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Senile_Texas_Aggie said:


> Mr. @Mike CHS (and others),
> 
> I hope your dog gets better.
> 
> I hope I don't hijack your thread over this, but if you don't mind too much, would you share with us what you have fed and are now feeding your dogs?  The reason I ask is that my Beautiful Gal and I are considering getting two Husky / Heinz 57 mix puppies soon and we would like to feed them healthy food.  I know some on BYH have recommended a raw meat diet, and Miss @B&B Happy goats tried that with her dog Maisy, which helped the dog's allergies for awhile, but then the allergies started coming back, if I remember correctly.  (Miss @B&B Happy goats, feel free to set the record straight regarding Maisy, her diet and her health.)  If you prefer, Mike, you and others can post your comments on my journal.
> 
> Senile Texas Aggie


Missy still has alergic  reactions to most everything period....tried her on raw food diet, did very well., but as she was able to spend more time outside her symptoms returned....now she eats some dry dog food with any good leftovers from us or raw scraps of meat....if the raw diet had been the answer for all problems i would of stuck with it permanently....still may toss her some raw steak once in a while....


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I noticed that Lance has been drinking much more water than normal ....


 How old is Lance? Sure hope the meds and food change puts him right.


----------



## Latestarter

Sorry to hear Lance is having some issues. Hope a food change fixes it right up. STA: try here
https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/dry/all/


----------



## misfitmorgan

Latestarter said:


> Sorry to hear Lance is having some issues. Hope a food change fixes it right up. STA: try here
> https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/dry/all/



That is a great site, i have used it a lot.


----------



## Mike CHS

That link @Latestarter posted is a good one.  Lance is going on 4 years old and we have had all of our dogs on various versions of Costco's Natures  Domain.  Lance's ailment isn't serious and the meds are just the vet version of thiamine so it was easier to switch all of the dogs over.  The LGDs get a lot more meat and eggs than the inside dogs get also.


----------



## RollingAcres

Sorry to hear Lance is having some issues.  Really hope the meds and change of food will help him get better.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

poor Lance.....feel better soon buddy....


----------



## CntryBoy777

I certainly hate to hear that Prof Lance is having difficulties, but I have no doubt that y'all will get him back to tip top shape.....he is definitely in the best hands to do so. We use the chicken based Diamond Naturals and are in the process of switching Gabbie from the puppy food to the adult large breed food.....I do mix in other brands and flavors with it, but it makes up the bulk and base of what we do feed her.....


----------



## Baymule

I hope Lance improves with the meds and change of diet. He was telling you that something was wrong and to your credit, you listened.


----------



## Wehner Homestead

Please keep us posted on Lance!!!


----------



## Mike CHS

Wehner Homestead said:


> Please keep us posted on Lance!!!



It's nothing serious so we aren't worried about him but thanks for the thoughts.


----------



## Wehner Homestead

Mike CHS said:


> It's nothing serious so we aren't worried about him but thanks for the thoughts.



I’m just extra particular about dogs after losing so many last year. I couldn’t find Halo for a few minutes the other day outside and she was over the hill in the front pasture. She couldn’t hear me yelling because the wind was too strong in the wrong direction. Scared me bad! I also got home from work Tuesday night and Eli didn’t greet me. DH said he’d let him in. Searched all of his spots, kids and I calling out, DH headed back to barn to look. I started looking in more obscure places and found him behind the couch. He was completely tuckered out and didn’t even respond until I called to him with my head behind the couch too. Ugh!


----------



## Latestarter

Wehner Homestead said:


> Scared me bad! I also got home from work Tuesday night and Eli didn’t greet me. DH said he’d let him in.


That is one totally awful feeling WH! I know it well, as do probably most who have had dogs...


----------



## Dee Mini Pigs

Hi everyone, 
I hope you are all going okay, with cold and all, and I’m hoping, we didn’t  lose some to it,  if you did, let’s talk  about it , I’m really feeling for you all, but does anyone know how to do a personal message? I would like to speak with BAYMULE, and his missuss. Need to learn better how BYHs goes, still can’t work it thanks members.
Dee


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule is the SHE in that couple.    To send a PM click on the tab in the upper right that has your screen name then select "conversations".  Then select "start conversation"


----------



## Mike CHS

I need to put some lime on several of our paddocks and getting the big trucks in from the CO-OP isn't going to happen.  I decided to do it by the bag and as we were talking to the manager at our county store he told us we can get it by the bag for a considerable discount if we buy it by the pallet.  Buying individual bags is $4.40 a bag.  That same bag goes for $2.69 if you buy the whole pallet so we will be putting lime down this week.


----------



## Rammy

I need to do that, too, but CO-OP wont do my piddly two acres. I think I can rent that pull behind spreader and do that, though. Im also going to see if I can mix in the fertilizer and do it at the same time.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Too bad ya don't have a 4-wheeler, then ya could mount a throw on it and do it much easier....I wouldn't think it would be enough lime and fertilizer to fill a pull behind trailer for just 2 acres.....you'll be almost in a constant turn with the length of the truck and trailer connected and the coverage would be spotty and uneven.....may save some $$ just bagging it and use a walk behind spreader....ya are spry enough to handle it....


----------



## Rammy

You sayin' I need excersize?


----------



## Devonviolet

Mike CHS said:


> My cousin called this morning and asked if I wanted to meet him in south Arkansas for a bit of fishing in March.  I lived with them from the time I was 13 so he is more like a brother than cousin.  He rents a cabin for a month down there so it's a good time to reconnect for a few days and do something not sheep related plus it gives me some 'farm' vacation time.


My BIL did that for YEARS, at a Cotton Lake in West MN, with his college buddies. Last Fall was the first year they didn’t do it. One had died, and the travel and heavy drinking got to be too much, for their aging bodies.


----------



## Mike CHS

I lived with my cousin during my High School years so we are more like brothers than cousins.


----------



## Mike CHS

My hills are to steep for the rental trailers.  I rented one of their sprayers once and was only able to use it on half of our place.  It pulled just fine going up or down hill but you could tell it was going to tip if I didn't choose the right spot to turn.  I have a spreader that I can pull behind the mower or the Ranger that holds 100 pounds of product (or seed).  It's actually easier to control behind the mower and you can better see where it's being spread.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Rammy said:


> You sayin' I need excersize?


Well, not really...I said ya was spry....and ya post regularly that ya are bored....so.....


----------



## Rammy

Darn it, Ive been called out!


----------



## CntryBoy777

Something that I was wondering about Mike, with all that lime rock around ya do ya have to use much lime?.....it would seem that there would be some leeching of it from the rock to the soil....


----------



## Mike CHS

You would think that would be the case Fred but everyone around us has to put down lime.  The first time we had the CO-OP put it out they used almost 9 tons to get the PH where it needed to be.  At first we had very little edible vegetation and you have seen what we have now.  The two north paddocks got the least because they were so wet.


----------



## Mike CHS

I think I take too many pictures sometime.  I was sorting some pictures of the dogs and came across some of Thor when we first brought him home so we took a current picture of him yesterday when we were our getting fecal samples from some of the sheep.


----------



## RollingAcres

Thor was such a cute little pup and now a handsome dog! It's always nice look at old pictures.


----------



## Bruce

You fed him, he grew! What a shock!  Beautiful dog.


----------



## Rammy

Even though he wanted to eat my dog when we visited, he's still a cutie. Good boy!


----------



## Bruce

Well your dog is sorta snack size for Thor isn't it?


----------



## Mike CHS

Rammy said:


> Even though he wanted to eat my dog when we visited, he's still a cutie. Good boy!



He reacts that way to any critter outside of the fence.


----------



## Baymule

Puppies are so cute, too bad they don't stay like that longer. But when you get a dog as handsome as Thor, you wonder why he didn't get there faster.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I will attest that the pic doesn't do Thor justice....he is even more impressive live and in person.....


----------



## goatgurl

what a difference a day makes, has that boy grown or what.  he's so handsome.


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> You would think that would be the case Fred but everyone around us has to put down lime. The first time we had the CO-OP put it out they used almost 9 tons to get the PH where it needed to be. At first we had very little edible vegetation and you have seen what we have now. The two north paddocks got the least because they were so wet


Powder or fine crushed?
Everyone uses fine crush or a pellet lime here, and it weighs over 1 ton per cubic yard and a yard don't go very far.


----------



## Mike CHS

greybeard said:


> Powder or fine crushed?
> Everyone uses fine crush or a pellet lime here, and it weighs over 1 ton per cubic yard and a yard don't go very far.



They put out the fine crush here.  It has been three years but soil test now shows it not to far off from where it needs to be.  We are going to buy a pallet full and put some more out this week but I'm going to put out the pellet.


----------



## Mike CHS

We (I should say Teresa) ran fecals on 12 of the yearling ewes this afternoon.  All are looking good and even our problem child ewe is showing super results.  I think that since she hasn't been with us that long, her immune system wasn't adjusted to our conditions but her parasite egg count was really low.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Do you think it was the pasture treatments that aided in the reduction?....or have other changes had an affect too?


----------



## Dee Mini Pigs

Hey would like you to know, I must not be getting the same, website as you guys, I clicked on my screen name and nope no ‘conversation ‘ thing comes up? I am asking Bay about tech stuff  with BYH .we are enduring  raining weather has been on since forever!  Three full weeks, and flooding  here in Queensland , you can google Townsville flooding and see it.Are you guys good? We are having major weather and flood, just keeps pouring,  but my animals are okay, thanks for your reply. Always thinking of you guys, born Australian but still think I should of been born American. Love Dee.


----------



## greybeard

Dee Mini Pigs said:


> Hey would like you to know, I must not be getting the same, website as you guys, I clicked on my screen name and nope no ‘conversation ‘ thing comes up? I am asking Bay about tech stuff  with BYH .we are enduring  raining weather has been on since forever!  Three full weeks, and flooding  here in Queensland , you can google Townsville flooding and see it.Are you guys good? We are having major weather and flood, just keeps pouring,  but my animals are okay, thanks for your reply. Always thinking of you guys, born Australian but still think I should of been born American. Love Dee.


You don't click on your own name....you are supposed to click on the screen name of the person you want to have the conversation with. In the picture below, I clicked on your username and the box popped up as shown:


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> Do you think it was the pasture treatments that aided in the reduction?....or have other changes had an affect too?



We have done so many things I wouldn't even try to come up with a viable conclusion.  It could even be the farm this ewe came from.  They had been on a dry lot and then when we put her in a pasture situation, her immune system was more than likely in shock.  

We also ran fecal samples on three of the ewes that had high egg counts before but they have been on the paddock with the cows and they were down lower than ever.


----------



## Bruce

greybeard said:


> You don't click on your own name....you are supposed to click on the screen name of the person you want to have the conversation with. In the picture below, I clicked on your username and the box popped up as shown:


You can also hover over the "inbox" at the top of each page (between your screen name and 'alerts'. 'Start a conversation' is one of the options.


----------



## greybeard

Dee Mini Pigs said:


> e are enduring raining weather has been on since forever! Three full weeks, and flooding here in Queensland , you can google Townsville flooding and see it.Are you guys good? We are having major weather and flood, just keeps pouring, but my animals are okay, thanks for your reply.


I can empathize with you regarding flooding. Been thru it quite often but not disastrously so.
Much of the USA has had an exceptionally wet fall and winter so far, but flooding has been minimal as far as I can tell. But, for many, mud is the rule and not exception and spring rains are right around the corner.  

A video I saw said Townesville had received 1012 mm of rain (39.8") 
That is depressing to think about.
Is it monsoon season there?


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> We (I should say Teresa) ran fecals on 12 of the yearling ewes this afternoon.  All are looking good and even our problem child ewe is showing super results.  I think that since she hasn't been with us that long, her immune system wasn't adjusted to our conditions but her parasite egg count was really low.


That is awesome, especially your problem child ewe.


----------



## Mike CHS

We brought the sheep into the stall this morning so we could do some random checks on the lambs.  The #42 ram lamb that was the first born was a hair over 8 lbs when he was born and he has put on 16 lbs in the 24 days since then.  That is mostly on the ewes milk since I didn't introduce the creep feeder till a few days ago.  That should jump up to a gain of closer to a pound a day now that they are getting feed along with the ewes milk.  Hay is always available but they are still working the grass in the nursery pen. The only ewe that needed worming was the spotted ewe and we went ahead and also gave her some B12 and Nutridrench at the same time.


----------



## Mike CHS

I heard the dogs raising cane outside and looked out only to see a half dozen people in the pasture that I assumed were contractors for the power company.  They had disconnected the hot wire lead to the netting and were crossing it to get to one of the power poles. I put my jacket on and headed out the door to make sure the dogs behaved. Maisy was bouncing around barking but not being aggressive besides barking.  Thor had his sights on one guy in particular that had a long rag on a stick that he made the mistake of whipping it at Thor to try and make him back off.  Every time he stuck that rag at Thor the madder he got and by now he was lunging toward the guy.  I started yelling at the guy to stop and fortunately the boss of the crew heard me and told the guy to stop. The dogs settled down as soon as they saw me and I stayed with them till the crew was through.  I told the boss that I wasn't real sure how smart you guys are to see dogs that size that obviously don't want you in with the sheep and you went anyway without letting anyone know.  I called the power company to let them know they need to better inform their crews on dog safety.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Wow!!...good thing ya was there and checked out the alerts....it just makes ya wonder if they even use the half a brain they seem to have....I'm sure Thor would've shown the idiot a thing or 2 and left him a couple of nubs to hold the next stick with.....


----------



## RollingAcres

Seriously? Some people are just dumb! Good thing you were out there and was able to prevent anything bad from happening.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Glad you called the power company...you would think they might of let you know in advance that they would be working in your area..


----------



## Mike CHS

B&B Happy goats said:


> Glad you called the power company...you would think they might of let you know in advance that they would be working in your area..



They are pretty good about notification and they did send a letter last week. I built our fences so all of the posts except one are outside the fence but one is smack in the middle so not much choice there.  Even the cows kept crowding the ones that went in their field.


----------



## Rammy

If you werent there Thor would of made lunch of that guy. Common sense would be to come and tell you they needed to get into the field.


----------



## Bruce

And then Thor would have been killed as a dangerous dog.



Mike CHS said:


> I called the power company to let them know they need to better inform their crews on dog safety.


The crew needs to COME TO THE HOUSE and let you know they need to go check their poles. At the very least they need to call you an hour before they will show up so you have time to prepare. I would be more than a little


----------



## Mike CHS

Tennessee law actually leans in favor of an LGD as long as they are contained.  I expect in this case if he had made contact the contractor crew would be at fault since the owner was home and the dogs were behind two fences.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Mike CHS said:


> Tennessee law actually leans in favor of an LGD as long as they are contained.  I expect in this case if he had made contact the contractor crew would be at fault since the owner was home and the dogs were behind two fences.



You are just to patient  and nice Mike,....I would flat out be pissed that they came on your property, and one of the crew was ignorant enough to challenge  your dog with a stick with a rag on it. I am happy for your sake that Thor didnt  get himself some butt meat....but he sure did deserve a nice rump roast !!!


----------



## Mike CHS

I don't get mad.  I know the manager at the electric CO-OP and the crew will be talked to.  I just want to make sure these guys know that not everyone that has these dogs makes much effort at making them NOT be people aggressive.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Mike CHS said:


> I don't get mad.  I know the manager at the electric CO-OP and the crew will be talked to.  I just want to make sure these guys know that not everyone that has these dogs makes much effort at making them NOT be people aggressive.



Good for you,  you have much more patience  for ignorant  people than I do.....ther are many things I am very patient  about...but  plain old stupid isn't  one of them


----------



## Baymule

You can't fix stupid. Unfortunately...….they breed more...….

We have a pipeline that cuts through our property. They send out contractor crews twice a year to mow, but they don't give them a company key to the lock on the gate. In the fall, I was outside when they came and mowed the tiny piece that is on the road before going into our property. I ran to let them in to mow the pipeline, sure saved me from doing it!

I have worried about the dogs being on the pipeline pasture when a crew comes out, but so far, it's been ok.


----------



## Mike CHS

We brought the 8 ewes with their lambs in and pulled fecal samples on all of them and gave them a drench of garlic concentrate.  We put some Backstrap Molasses in the mix and they don't mind it too much.  They have been handled so much this winter that when I called them up I opened the guillotine gate in the crowd pen and they just walked right in.


----------



## Bruce

Sure is nice when they volunteer!


----------



## RollingAcres

Bruce said:


> Sure is nice when they volunteer!


Agree!


----------



## Mike CHS

I have been wanting to move all of the alfalfa we have stored in our old stock trailer we had it stored in and up to the hay barn before the wasps get active so that got done today. It was a nice day for it as the sun was shining and it was in the 50's.  I didn't think about putting on a face mask to avoid all of the grass and dust until I was down to the last three bales. 

Teresa had finished doing the fecals on 4 of the 8 fecal samples we pulled.  Three of the samples had zero eggs and one had 3 instead of the 100's we had been seeing back in the summer. One of the three with zero eggs did get a dose of wormer last month but the other two only got garlic and diatomaceous earth with their feed.

We have an appointment with the accountant to get our taxes started tomorrow.


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> I didn't think about putting on a face mask to avoid all of the grass and dust until I was down to the last three bales.


I'd have to wear a face mask every time.


----------



## Baymule

That's a good run on the fecal. Now if they can only keep it that way during the summer!


----------



## Mike CHS

We had one of our ewes that still had a high fecal count but she hasn't been wormed in over a year and a half. She had two 9 pound twins and has a high egg count so we decided to give her some wormer when we called them in but didn't want to push them into the catch pen.  She is the twin of the one we called Wild Thang and although she is finally calming down, as soon as she saw me sidling up beside her she knew I was going to try and catch her.  

I had our short shepherds crook and as soon as she felt it under her chin, she just kind of stood there and let me put my arm around her so Teresa could give her the drench.  I am always glad that we are so hands on with these girls.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Smooth move....the shepards hook ...masterd.....


----------



## Baymule

Spending time with them sure pays off.


----------



## farmerjan

Yes it does make a difference.  When we were gonna move the cows and calves last Sunday, my son had set up the catch pen outside the pasture along the driveway due to the wet and slippery muddy conditions.  There were 33 or 34 cows and 32 calves I think.  He got all them in the catch pen but 5 calves, just calling them in to get grain. He then took the 4 wheeler out, around the calves and slowly "herded them" up to the pen and had left the gate open just a little, and right in they went.  One was a wild one, and tried to go through the panels to get back out,  but in about 20 minutes had 60+ head penned.  So nice to not "chase" them and have a rodeo.... We do give them some grain as a treat in the pastures so they keep coming when we call.  The calves also learn that it is a good thing to come to us when we call too.  Plus I know for a fact that at my age and with my joints, chasing after them is an impossibility.   
Work smarter, not harder.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Work smarter not harder...isn't  that the truth !


----------



## RollingAcres

farmerjan said:


> Work smarter, not harder


Definitely!


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

farmerjan said:


> Work smarter, not harder.



Dang, that leaves me out!


----------



## frustratedearthmother




----------



## B&B Happy goats

X2


----------



## Baymule

Even The Guinea Crew will come to me asking for corn.


----------



## Mike CHS

It has been raining non-stop since the wee hours of the morning. As light as our Polaris is, it's still leaving tracks 4" deep in the lanes heading out to feed.  I need to take it in for routine service but then the only way to get out there is the tractor and that will sink a foot.

A friend of ours just called and said they are putting one of their houses on the market.  He has several hundred feet of Black Walnut that he needs to find a home for so I'll go pick that up in the next few days.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Sorry about the rain, ....but nice black walnut score


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm just venting since I had a lot I wanted to get done today but it was all outside.  I don't like to gripe too much since about the middle of May it may or may not rain for the next several weeks.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Mike CHS said:


> I'm just venting since I had a lot I wanted to get done today but it was all outside.  I don't like to gripe too much since about the middle of May it may or may not rain for the next several weeks.



Lol, just venting....?   you have been kind enough  to willingly tolerate  my prednisone  insanity, vent all you need, I got ONE decent ear to listen with Mike... its all yours


----------



## Baymule

Rain and mud sure slows things down. We got things to do outside, but things come along and we are busy doing other things. 

That is great about the black walnut. What are you going to make with it?


----------



## mystang89

Baymule said:


> Rain and mud sure slows things down. We got things to do outside, but things come along and we are busy doing other things.
> 
> That is great about the black walnut. What are you going to make with it?



What she said.


----------



## Mike CHS

mystang89 said:


> What she said.



I don't particularly like making furniture pieces with walnut but it will get used mostly for plaques and shadow boxes.


----------



## mystang89

It's my personal opinion that Walnut and cherry make beautiful shadow boxes and picture frames. Never seen any used as plaques in person before so couldn't really say hope they look but I'm sure it would look great. The grain of Walnut is so we'l spaced that it's a real delight for the eyes.


----------



## Mike CHS

Cherry is my favorite to work with.  Most of the tables in our home were made out of some very old cherry lumber.


----------



## RollingAcres

Score on those black walnut!


----------



## misfitmorgan

Black walnut is gorgeous, my uncle has his kitchen floor black walnut. He actually got the trees for free from his work and just paid for milling and to have the floor laid and finished.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Mike CHS said:


> He has several hundred feet of Black Walnut that he needs to find a home for so I'll go pick that up in the next few days.



OK, my Senile Texas Aggie I/Q is getting in the way.  Does he have several hundred feet of Black Walnut trees that he wants cut down?  Several hundred feet of already cut timber?  Several hundred feet of board?  Several hundred feet of black walnut nuts lying on the ground?

Also, venting is perfectly fine.  You are among friends, where we are allowed to vent and to express our other emotions without fear of rejection.

Senile Texas Aggie


----------



## Mike CHS

Thanks STA, that got me to laughing.  It's several hundred linear feet of rough cut lumber.


----------



## Rammy

Thats even better. You dont have to get it cut down first!


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Thanks STA, that got me to laughing.  It's several hundred linear feet of rough cut lumber.


Thickness? And is it already dry? You can make some great stuff with that. I'm sure Fred and Joyce could use a nice black walnut cutting board 



misfitmorgan said:


> Black walnut is gorgeous, my uncle has his kitchen floor black walnut. He actually got the trees for free from his work and just paid for milling and to have the floor laid and finished.


Curious, that would be a pretty dark floor. We put down sap maple because it is light, makes small rooms look a bit bigger where a dark floor would make it seem smaller.


----------



## misfitmorgan

Bruce said:


> Thickness? And is it already dry? You can make some great stuff with that. I'm sure Fred and Joyce could use a nice black walnut cutting board
> 
> 
> Curious, that would be a pretty dark floor. We put down sap maple because it is light, makes small rooms look a bit bigger where a dark floor would make it seem smaller.



It's a mix of color actually, really similar to the pics on this etsy listing.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/246041...Igay0sjwCHYdBwSPGcoFKKxJYXQOncPIaAvMWEALw_wcB
It is a small room but the flooring works somehow, i think because the walls are cream and the cabinets are a light stain, with lots of windows.


----------



## Bruce

Yes the light walls and ceiling help. I'm a bit OCD about wood, all that random light and dark on the floor would drive me batty. Kinda like someone did a really bad job staining light colored wood. To each their own of course.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce - I haven't seen the wood but it's been dry for years and stored inside.  These folks got the wood the same way I'm getting it. Somebody had it in their shop and upon putting their house on the market, they needed to get rid of the wood.


----------



## Bruce

NICE!


----------



## misfitmorgan

Bruce said:


> NICE!



I actually hate light wood, but am ok with mixed wood or darker wood....ocd does odd things.


----------



## Mike CHS

Walnut on its own gets lighter with time and sunlight exposure.  It's one of the few woods that I will always use a dye on since it usually has a lot of sapwood which is lighter and doesn't age uniformly. Most if not all of those deep dark walnut pieces have been stained or dyed.  You can get 100% heartwood walnut but it is pricey.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa has had a doctors appointment this afternoon scheduled so we called last week and order a half ton of feed.  The forecast has been iffy so they are good enough to hold an order until we can pick a dry day to haul the feed.  Looks like rain the rest of the week so today was a good day and the feed is all in barrels and cans.


----------



## Baymule

I like the light and dark of walnut, to me it is prettier than dyed to be all dark.

A feed run before the deluge, we do that too, watching the sky to beat the rain. I used to drive an hour for feed. We bought me a 2003 Ford Focus wagon. I drove that little car to death before I wrecked it on 610 Freeway in Houston, LOL. Anyway, I could pack 750 pounds of feed in that car. The people at the feed store thought I was nuts. I said what's the difference between sacks of feed and 4 big fat people? Sure, the back end got a little squatty, but the feed stayed dry!


----------



## Bruce

I don't stain wood, other than pine doors to kinda (poorly) match the cherry trim. Cherry doors would be WAY too expensive. If it isn't going to be painted I choose wood I like the looks of, that would be cherry, red birch and maple. Just picky about the color variation within a piece and the surroundings. If it is going to be painted, clear pine is OK.


----------



## mystang89

The natural look of wood is what makes wood so beautiful. I think some wood needs stain but if you find a piece that is beautiful on it's own then I'll leave that unstained. About the only thing it'll get is a clear coat of polyurethane.

I especially like wood that isn't perfect. Give me a slab of wood that has a know right in the middle it a hole from nails in it and that imperfection points or the perfections if the wood even more!


----------



## RollingAcres

mystang89 said:


> The natural look of wood is what makes wood so beautiful.





mystang89 said:


> I especially like wood that isn't perfect.


Agree


----------



## Mike CHS

Strange weather here today.  A little while ago it was sleeting and right at 32 degrees. Temperature stayed the same but there are severe thunderstorms just to the south of us.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

We are getting rain and thunderstorms with gusts of wind to 30 mph and it is 34º F right now.


----------



## CntryBoy777

That doesn't sound fun at all....sure makes the chores less desirable....be careful out there!!....don't need anyone slipping and doing any damage to their self....


----------



## Baymule

thunderstorms here, 37 degrees.


----------



## Rammy

Its been pouring the rain down since 5pm yesterday. Woke up at 4:30 am to thunder. Yippee.


----------



## Mike CHS

This picture is from a friend of ours but it is cool.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Thats pure love


----------



## Baymule

aww....that is sweet.


----------



## mystang89

That's adorable.


----------



## RollingAcres

Awwww so cute. That's such a great pic!


----------



## Mike CHS

We thought we had found a nice ram to replace Ringo but upon checking the registration papers, we had to back out.  The foundation ram for 3 of our registered ewes was the same as the one we were looking to get.  The ram was a son of Centralia that had been Grand Champion at the Louisville, KY sale several years ago. Plus there were two other common links in their heritage.


----------



## Baymule

oops. So now what?


----------



## Mike CHS

There are a bunch around we just need to head in the other direction.  We won't be breeding anytime soon so it's no problem.  Ringo has to move on anyway since most of our herd is his daughters.


----------



## Baymule

Yeah, this batch of lambs are related to the ram I raised, so he had to go. He bred his mom, her daughter Scottie is big and beautiful, so that made him her Brother-Daddy? I will keep the first generation, but there will be no second generation.


----------



## Mike CHS

I think you will like the lambs he throws. I weighed his ram lamb from Wild Thang yesterday.  He is one month old today and yesterday weighed 37 pounds. Of course she is large also.


----------



## Rammy

Wow! Thats alot of lamb!


----------



## Mike CHS

Rammy said:


> Wow! Thats alot of lamb!



I actually had my date wrong. That lamb was born the 25th so it is right at a pound a day.


----------



## goatgurl

that's still great growth, especially for the lousy weather we are having.  I can see the ewes with triplets loosing some condition so they are getting a little tlc as in a little more grain and a lot more hay.  all I ever want is a nice set of twins but i'm not going to gripe, everyone is healthy and growing
  I just love the picture above.  mama looks so contented to be laying there with her babies.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> This picture is from a friend of ours but it is cool.


I bet you can enter someone else's picture for POW  That is one great image.


----------



## Mike CHS

I had to run into town and wound up having to go the longer way over the hills since the flat land roads were under water. The creek that is down from our place is out of its banks and it looks like there is over two feet of water over the lower road.  The folks that have been to our place might remember this view taken from a rear bedroom windo.  The runoff that shows in the upper part of the pictures is over 3' deep and that is my lane going out to feed normally.


----------



## Rammy

Wow! Thats alot of water. I sure hope it lets up soon. Its quit here for now, but the second wave is coming. Might want to get some floaties for your sheep, Thor, and Maisy!


----------



## frustratedearthmother

That's a mess!


----------



## greybeard

I can sure see why you want to build the "porch' off the side or end of your building. Keeping those tarps up and them not collapsing from weight of water or force from wind is a pita.


----------



## Mike CHS

That tarp on the outside has been up for more than a year.  There is a tall T-post in the middle that has an old Muck boot over the top of the post to keep it from wearing.  They have enough shelters in the paddocks normally but everything is saturated now so I opened up the shop area for them.


----------



## greybeard

At least you have enough drop in the landscape for it to run off pretty quickly.
My flat land just holds it till it eventually soaks in or evaporates from the effects of that big chariot of fire in the sky.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Good to have higher ground to move them to....that's a lot of water there....I'm wondering what the water flow here is, but don't want to find out too soon....


----------



## greybeard

Trust me....lots better to find out sooner than later.
You will want to know BEFORE you start building infrastructure..


----------



## Bruce

True. OK, send one of those Virginia storms down to @CntryBoy777 so he can map the drainage.



Mike CHS said:


> They have enough shelters in the paddocks normally but everything is saturated now so I opened up the shop area for them.


Are you going to let them make something? 
Sure is a lot of water. Time for a break!


----------



## farmerjan

Bruce said:


> True. OK, send one of those Virginia storms down to @CntryBoy777 so he can map the drainage.
> 
> HA HA ... would gladly send some down to anyone who wants/needs it.  And @Mini Horses  gets more than us being near the coast...
> 
> Are you going to let them make something?
> Sure is a lot of water. Time for a break!


----------



## Mike CHS

We can actually walk out in the fields today without wearing Muck boots.  The lambs are growing like weeds and a couple of the bigger ones are having a bit of trouble getting their heads into the creep feeder.  They have just about ran out of grass in the paddock they are in so if I'm going to be outside for awhile I just open a gate and let them out on the "lawn" around the house.  If they start getting too far away I can usually get them back in by just walking down toward the shop.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Love it, they have to be thrilled to be in the yard  with green grass ! Happy to read that it is not  raining there...that has to feel odd, lol


----------



## RollingAcres

Nice pic Mike. It's nice to see some green lawn. Here it's still all white, some parts brown.


----------



## Mike CHS

I wish it was that easy getting the cows to go where I want.


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> I wish it was that easy getting the cows to go where I want.


Perhaps you need to give them those cubes that @greybeard mentioned before to get them to go where you want them to.


----------



## Mike CHS

They will follow me whenever I have a bucket but they don't like to go through gates. They are getting better about it though.

The sheep started to get a little too confident in their grazing up the driveway so I had to put Lance out to hold them where I could get them back in the gate.  He really dislikes this job more than anything.  He gets so intense that he starts shaking having to hold for so long. That big ewe in the middle looking up is the herds "Watcher".  She will let the others know whenever Lance gets up to go around them.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Ya can always rattled some pellets in a bucket and it will have their attention....just plan your escape 1st......gorgeous pic!!....


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Poor Lance - he wants more excitement than just "holding" them!  He's a good boy.


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> Ya can always rattled some pellets in a bucket and it will have their attention....just plan your escape 1st......gorgeous pic!!....



These steers are actually pretty contained (at least so far) 

Gabbie sure reminds me of a German Shepherd that used to train herding sheep where we did in South Carolina.


----------



## Mike CHS

frustratedearthmother said:


> Poor Lance - he wants more excitement than just "holding" them!  He's a good boy.



I try not to torture him too much so since I have to be out there anyway, I just keep giving him flanking commands often enough to keep his interest but not so often the sheep get spooked. As trusting as they are of me, they don't trust that wolf looking critter stalking around them.


----------



## Mike CHS

This is the last picture for awhile today but when you are just sitting there watching sheep eat grass it's easy to see things to take pictures of.  I only let the sheep stay on the lush lawn grass for about 20 minutes since I don't need a bunch of messy butted critters.  That 20 minutes was enough to make them content enough that as soon as I put them back inside the holding pen, they lay down in the shade.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

They look content!


----------



## CntryBoy777

Looks like your winter mix is coming along....looking good....but, it won't grow for long in standing water....tho, for the most part your place flows downhill with the elevation change.....I know the ditch is collecting a bunch.....


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm going to seed some more rye grass this week hopefully and I have 5 acres that have been fallow that I want to put out some clover when it looks like spring is here to stay.  I have one field that I'll let the sheep on half of it to eat it down so I can broadcast some more crab grass.


----------



## Mike CHS

We are getting ready to end our day but I have a "just because" picture.  Sassy and Lance were playing tug with a ball and I told them to lay down.  It took me a moment to get the camera but they did good and stayed in place.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Awwwww, that is cool


----------



## frustratedearthmother

That's a great pic!  Gracie loves her frisbee so much she even holds it in her mouth while she goes potty, lol.


----------



## Baymule

Love the dog picture, it is a framed wall hanger for sure! Can't say I love the rain pictures, wow y'all have had a LOT of rain! Your sheep are looking good!


----------



## greybeard

The usual reason cattle hesitate to go thru a gate is that the particular gate is usually closed to them.
They view it as suddenly being open as an anomaly.
Once they can go back and forth thru it a few times with nothing bad happening to them, they'll go thru it on their own with no problem and be led thru it easier.

Mike..what's your thoughts on this:








It's data from the 767 cargo plane that crashed into Trinity Bay a few days ago.

Audio between that flight and Houston ATC:
(other flt voice comm mixed in of course. This flight's call sign is Giant 3591)
@ around 9:31 appears to be the last contact with Giant 3591...a few seconds later ATC asks someone if they are "picking up any ELTs?" so at that point they were already down.
http://aviationtribune.com/wp-conte...-Air-Flight-3591-Crash-ATC-Communications.mp3


----------



## Mike CHS

Hopefully they will find the recorders but it almost looks to me from the flight data that either someone intentionally brought the aircraft down or they had a flight control problem like the one last year.  That's the one where the pilots were fighting the aircraft software to overcome a stall.


----------



## Mike CHS

We had to bring in some hay from outside today. We had bought smaller round bales to get us through winter but we used a lot more than we had expected.  We fortunately have a friend not far away who sold us some large round bales and set them out in the fields for us.  My tractor can't handle the full sized bales so we are working out an arrangement but it still makes an economical sense.

I have several trees down that I bartered with another neighbor. I'll cut the wood up and haul it to his outside furnace wood storage and I can use his tractor to haul the large bales of hay home and get the large bales for $30.00 a bale. We are going to build a shelter to to be able to store around 20 large bales for winter.  We used tarps for this year with varied experience.  Some of the hay stored had a lot of mold and some had none.I would be interested in some advice on the use of tarps.


----------



## Wehner Homestead

We’ve done tarps. Waste is extreme on bottom row against ground and anything exposed. Stacking can be an issue if you don’t have a good way to handle them. The tarp becomes more difficult to keep from being torn or becoming a kite as more bales are removed from it. Tarps that are made for that only last 2-3 years. All others aren’t good after one year it seems. Hay is only good for waste after it’s a year old if you don’t get it used. Mold always appears somewhere on those bales. Moisture effects the amount of mold. We used to tarp large round bale groups that were three wide by 14 (or 16?) long by three high in a triangle pattern. 

We try to keep the dry hay inside now but have found it keeps decently with our net wrap. 

We do mostly haylage bales that are wrapped in white plastic (and of course dry, small squares to fill the loft.) Love this method! Should not be fed to goats. I’m unsure about sheep.


----------



## Mike CHS

Thank You.  We had all of the bales on pallets so no damage from ground moisture but we had mold from some of the cheaper blue tarps that we bought.  The more expensive tarps did fine so we are going to bite the bullet and get some more of the expensive tarps and build a canopy.  




t


----------



## farmerjan

We put our big round bales up on old tires because of using the "bale bed" truck to pick them up.  Many use pallets but they could get broken up and then there's a flat tire on the truck etc..  We stack them in a pyramid shape; 3-2-1 on top.  The tarp goes over and DO NOT have the tarp go all the way to the ground so it "seals in the moisture".  Ours come down to about 2-3 feet off the ground.  We have the big tarps designed for "tarping  round bales of hay".  If the hay is up off the ground, it might get a little wet or some spoilage, but it can breathe.
  To preserve the shape of the bales, so they don't "squish flat", you can set them on "edge" so the flat side is down.  Most that store them in barns do it that way. You can put one flat side, them put one with the round side on top... like a "mushroom cap" to get the rounded top for the tarp and it won't collect water like if it was a flat top.  If you have a "grab" to get them it is safer.  Looks like a pair of arms.  The arms on the "bale bed" of the truck works good.  My son can grab them, move up a bit, set them down so they flip over to the round side down, then grab them from the other direction, and be able to unroll them or whatever.  You want to round side "up" when they are outside so it sheds the rain. The thing is to make sure the tarp goes over far enough that the water will run off.  The tarps that are made for that,  have  "loops" like large handles,  on the sides that you run a piece of pipe in from one end to another or a couple of them that are 8 or more feet long, then attach something like cement blocks to the pipe and it holds it down.  We tie the heavy plastic stings that come off the big square bales, to old tires, and have them hang down on the tarps on both sides;  or tie tires to the pipes as weights.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> and get the large bales for $30.00 a bale


Nice price! That is what I paid for my 3 small rounds.

I would think it imperative to have some air space between the hay and the tarp all around.


----------



## Mike CHS

We talked about it and decided to bite the bullet and build a good sized carport type of shelter for hay storage.


----------



## Mike CHS

We had the contractor who built our shop out today to discuss options for extending the roof on our shop both on the side over our handling area and also on the rear to give us more options during lambing.  He had several ideas that we had not even thought about so we shall see what he comes up with.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Thats great, i hope his prices can incorporate  some savings for you ....so excited to see what you decide to do with the expansion. .....i just love projects


----------



## Mike CHS

This is one of those projects that could be done a lot cheaper but we are trying to avoid a repeat of what we put the sheep through last summer. At one point we had around 50 sheep and when we brought them in to work on them, it could be an all day affair.  In the heat of the Sun, they were really stressed out not to mention the heat had us all about done in.


----------



## Baymule

Make sure that you have use radiant heat barrier under the metal, it sure cuts the heat! I have it under the roof on the sheep shed. If I have them on the pipeline pasture when it is hot, they come to the gate and yell at me so they can go back HOME where it is cooler to ruminate. And like a good little sheep slave, I accommodate them. 

This stuff makes a huge difference. Not telling you how to do things, but we put a plywood deck, tar paper, then the heat barrier. It makes a big difference of 10 or 15 degrees. 

https://www.amazon.com/RadiantGUARD...ocphy=9027733&hvtargid=pla-396355248689&psc=1


----------



## Mike CHS

We are using the same metal  for the roof as the shop roof since they are going to be tied together.  We will be taking the metal trusses off of the porch and making the whole run a single space of 40' long by 16' wide vs the 10' x 10' the porch is now.  We gave him the OK a few minutes ago to order the metal trusses tomorrow so he can start getting us in the rotation.


----------



## Mike CHS

The estimate for doing the front of the shop was quite a bit under what we had expected so we are now having him do an estimate to do the back of the shop also.  That is on a slope but I can fill it in some to make it more useable.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Mike CHS said:


> The estimate for doing the front of the shop was quite a bit under what we had expected so


How often does that happen?    What a nice surprise!


----------



## greybeard

Baymule said:


> Make sure that you have use radiant heat barrier under the metal, it sure cuts the heat! I have it under the roof on the sheep shed. If I have them on the pipeline pasture when it is hot, they come to the gate and yell at me so they can go back HOME where it is cooler to ruminate. And like a good little sheep slave, I accommodate them.
> 
> This stuff makes a huge difference. Not telling you how to do things, but we put a plywood deck, tar paper, then the heat barrier. It makes a big difference of 10 or 15 degrees.
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/RadiantGUARD...ocphy=9027733&hvtargid=pla-396355248689&psc=1


Why not use the sheathing that comes from factory with the radiant heat barrier already on it?

I have it on my house, walls and roof, with R panel metal roofing and no attic at all and touching the ceiling even in July and Aug won't even feel warm.


----------



## Mike CHS

It's already on the panels that are the roofing material that is the same as the roofing material that is already there.


----------



## CntryBoy777

That will be a very nice enhancement....it will give ya many options.....


----------



## Mike CHS

We gave shots to the 16 lambs and trimmed hooves on them and the 10 ewes in that pen.  We started right at 9:00 this morning and finished getting everything put up around 3:00.  With this forever rain, the hooves are in the worst shape that I have ever seen.  We have two ewes that have hoof rot so they are moved back into the original holding pen where we can treat.  Both of these are two of our original stock and they will be culled after their lambs are weaned.  The two ewes that are left from the original stock are also on the cull list for hooves along with one of the new ewe lambs.

All that bending over has me with a sore back but at least it got done.


----------



## Baymule

I know you are glad to have that done!


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> I know you are glad to have that done!



I am for sure.  Our spotted ewe is going to be one of the culls but she has to go and if her ewe lamb has inherited her hooves she will go also.  We pulled fecals on all of the ewes that high egg count the last time we pulled a sample so we will see soon who all stays.  That was two of the original 10 and 2 two year olds that were born here.


----------



## Mike CHS

It's probably a good thing that I have been on the low carb eating for awhile now since I can't have anything to eat today.  I'm going in for the colon thing tomorrow since my colon test came back positive a couple of weeks ago.  Hopefully things will go well and if there is something to worry about, I'll do that when I'm told it's time to worry.  

I don't usually share this kind of private thing but Joe gave me a whole new perspective on life.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I'm going in for the colon thing tomorrow since my colon test came back positive a couple of weeks ago.


I hope it turns out to be nothing, but if it isn't at least you caught it early. My sympathies on the "colon thing" prep.



Mike CHS said:


> I don't usually share this kind of private thing but Joe gave me a whole new perspective on life.


Didn't he though! I'm having similar feelings.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Hoping it all turns out well!


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Bruce said:


> Didn't he though! I'm having similar feelings.



I have been having similar feelings as well.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Hopes it all turns out well.


----------



## promiseacres

hope it goes well and is nothing to worry about


----------



## CntryBoy777

Sure hope all checks out to be fine.....


----------



## Baymule

We are a family here. Of course we care about each other, our ups, downs, sad times, glad times, health and sickness. While we might not be able to see you physically, we see you here and we care about you.


----------



## greybeard

I hope the medical procedure shows everything to be 'ship shape and Bristol fashion".


----------



## Devonviolet

Mike CHS said:


> I don't usually share this kind of private thing but Joe gave me a whole new perspective on life.


Isn’t that the truth!  I suspect Joe thought he had a lot longer here on this earth. And while we are at it.  If y’all haven’t already done it, please make sure you have some kind of Last Will and Testament in place, for your heirs.  Too many people, who think they have longer to live, have not prepared, and kept up to date, a will. If there isn’t a will, the estate can go into probate, which can leave things in limbo, and cause the family a lot of grief.

DH and I have a very simple, basic will, as well as a Medical Power of Attorney (our daughter) and a DNR/DNI (do not resuscitate/do not intibate) order, as we don’t want to be kept alive by “heroic” measures, when the end comes. It doesn’t have to cost a lot, in the form of paying an attorney, to draw up the Will. DH and I went online and used a basic online “boiler plate” form.  I filled out a form and when I waas finished, it printed out the necssary legal document, with all the blanks filled in. It’s been since we moved to Texas, that I revised our Will, so I don’t remember, for sure, But, I don’t think we paid very much for the online Will.

In addition to that, it is very helpful to make sure, at least one family member/friend, has a list of passwords, bank accounts, safe deposit drawers/keys, etc. And those of us with livestock and other animals, should have a plan for how to disperse those animals. I know in Joe’s case, his family didn’t have a clue as to what to do with the animals.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have both been involved in some of those situations so we have made it a point to have all of the documentation taken care of.


----------



## Mike CHS

The colon procedure is finished and looks to be good so either the test was a false positive or who knows.  I didn't want to wait to get home to put something in my stomach so we ate at the hospital.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Glad to hear it went well!


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I didn't want to wait to get home to put something in my stomach so we ate at the hospital.


That can make you sick! 
Hopefully their cafeteria is better than the 'average' hospital cafe.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Mike,

Glad everything turned out OK for you.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Mike CHS said:


> so we ate at the hospital.


Hospital food, lol!  You must've been really  hungry.  DH had one and he said the same thing....we barely made it out of the parking lot and into the first restaurant we came to.

Glad it all turned out well.


----------



## Bruce

And how was his food at McD's?


----------



## frustratedearthmother

It was Schlotzkys!  And it was darn tasty!


----------



## Mike CHS

Thanks everyone for the well wishes.

This cafeteria actually has some really good food and does more of a lunch trade than most of the diners around.  Of course this is the thriving metropolis of Pulaski the self proclaimed Turkey capital of Tennessee.


----------



## Bruce

frustratedearthmother said:


> Schlotzkys


Had to look it up, seems they are spread all over the place, like a poorly sighted in gun. Nothing up this way though I see there is one in Appleton, WI. Too bad you didn't mention this a few years ago when DD2 was going to school in Beloit. We went through Appleton several times 



Mike CHS said:


> Of course this is the thriving metropolis of Pulaski the self proclaimed Turkey capital of Tennessee.


Hmmm, Tennessee Turkeys, good name for a sports team


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Bruce said:


> Too bad you didn't mention this a few years ago when DD2 was going to school in Beloit.


If you ever drive past one it's worth a try. And they even have healthy options!


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## CntryBoy777

Glad to hear All is good!!.....I know that it is peace of mind for ya.....
I certainly give Schlotzsky's a thumbs Up!!... @frustratedearthmother


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> The colon procedure is finished and looks to be good so either the test was a false positive or who knows. I didn't want to wait to get home to put something in my stomach so we ate at the hospital.


Glad to hear it went well and looks like nothing to worry about! 
Hospital food...some of them aren't that bad.


----------



## Mike CHS

We should have already had tubs to do foot baths on the sheep but we didn't since we never had a hoof problem till this year.  We ordered some from Premier1 and we're running in to the CO-OP to pick up some zinc sulphate.  Teresa talked to the Extension Agent this afternoon and he said that virtually every producer that he has contact with has had foot problems due to the monsoon like fall and winter we have had.  We only have two that have hoof problems as of now but we are going to start a preventative foot soaking till we know we have a handle on it.  The Extension Agent has right around 30 head of Katahdins and he said every sheep in his herd had foot scald this year.  We will make a paste out of the zinc sulfate and vaseline and pack the hooves plus we sprayed with Coppertox several times on their hooves.

This has been a strange season and even several cattle growers that we know have had some of the worst losses ever this year.


----------



## Baymule

Glad your tests came out good, it has to be a relief to have that done and the results are good. 

With the foot bath tub, do you just walk them through it with the medication in it?


----------



## Mike CHS

Yes.  You mix everything into a solution and walk them through as a preventative.  For the two that actually have foot rot,  we put them in and keep them there for 10 or 15 minutes then leave them on the gravel for an hour or so.  We are also packing their hooves every couple of days since they are on a dry lot that isn't so dry.  The Coppertox is about as good and a whole lot easier since we can do that where they are as these two are so tame.  Their lambs aren't so happy since they had free choice feed in the creep feeder in the other paddock. 

The problem with Foot Rot is that it's contagious and when you are set up like we are you can only quarantine in a few ways. We elected to do preventative until it runs the course and this winter rain gets back to normal.

With your sand, I would be surprised if you ever had to worry about it.


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## Baymule

I never have mud. Puddles drain away when it stops raining. It might be hard to grow a garden, but it does have it's advantages. LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

I love small towns.  

Our vet called and told us he had heard we were having hoof problems and that there is now an antibiotic that will knock out foot rot normally in 4 days (but occasionally it takes 2 injections) along with the treatment that we are already doing.  I asked him how he knew and he said another producer had been in and said he had been talking to our Extension Agent and he mentioned the McCoy's were having foot problems with a couple of sheep.


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## RollingAcres

That's great!


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## Shellymay

@Mike CHS 

Wish I would of caught you before you purchased all the items from Premier One..... Yes there is no reason to have hoof rot issues on any farm these days.... Here is the link below, this antibiotic was originally for cow respiratory issues, Good ole Doc Kennedy told us about this for hoof rot a few years ago for sheep, this antibiotic really keeps working in the sheep for 10 days straight, (that is one dose) it works and very seldom do they need a second shot. Of course for minor scald or rot, if you have animals that half their foot is rotted off a second shot might be in order, lol.....Must good farmers catch it before it gets that bad off, NO other help is needed along with this med, yes using common sense and keeping them out of the water until things dry out is a must, but no other meds or labor needed with the shot....I wish I would of logged on and told you about it... Adult ewes 3 cc and Adult rams 4 cc, 6 month olds 2 cc, this stuff is very very pricey so I wouldn't buy a whole bottle, I would buy the already loaded shots from the vet, it averages about $10.00 per shot or per head....

https://www.vetsurgeon.org/news/b/v...actran-now-licensed-for-footrot-in-sheep.aspx


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## greybeard

Is Nuflor and Draxxin 'extra label' for sheep in the US?


----------



## Mike CHS

greybeard said:


> Is Nuflor and Draxxin 'extra label' for sheep in the US?



Thanks @Shellymay, we picked up some of the medicine today on our way home.  That was the med that I mentioned in the earlier post.

@greybeard it is extra label for sheep and here we can only get it from the vet (who recommended it here).


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## Shellymay

*@Mike CHS   Seems Doc Kennedy wants folks to use an additional 1 cc per ewe and ram verse what I posted.....There is a word in the link below, eradicate foot rot, eradicate as we all know means gone, this is not a band-aid med, its not for a six month cure, it eradicates it in your sheep and it really works, this below post is several years old and there might be a few newer now that many folks have used this product, I don't want you to have to get rid of good sheep when you can eradicate it from your flock.....

https://askavetsheep.wordpress.com/2014/09/03/zactran-some-hope-for-foot-rot-in-sheepjd-bobb/*


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## Baymule

This is great news! Now you don't have to get rid of your pretty spotted ewe! I have read of the foot rot battles, now there is a shot and it is gone? What a Blessing!

@Shellymay in areas with foot rot problems, would you recommend giving each sheep a shot to keep it away? This could be a real game changer.


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## Mike CHS

Today was a day of getting odds and ends done.  We rented a trailer at TSC to haul our Ranger in for servicing.  It is about 40 hours overdue but with the rain we have been having, I didn't want to be without it.  It's supposed to be nice for the next several days so we are using the golf cart to go out and feed in the far fields but the mechanic said it might be ready tomorrow.  

To get things done, we dropped the Ranger off and then went to the vet to have them analyze another urine sample for Lance (which we had to catch before going into the vet's office after dropping off the rental trailer).  While we were there the CPA called and told us our taxes were filed and we could pick up the papers.  Coincidentally the CPA was only two miles away so that worked out well.


----------



## promiseacres

Mike CHS said:


> Thanks everyone for the well wishes.
> 
> This cafeteria actually has some really good food and does more of a lunch trade than most of the diners around.  Of course this is the thriving metropolis of Pulaski the self proclaimed Turkey capital of Tennessee.



Had to laugh, our county here in Indiana is Pulaski. Glad tests came back ok and the sheep are getting their feet taken care of.


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## CntryBoy777

Always nice when things work to your favor.........most of the time I'm making more trips out...cause it has to get done, but then something else was needed from the place close by the place I went to earlier.....


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## Mike CHS

You will keep on keeping on Fred.


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## Mike CHS

You will keep on keeping on Fred.


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## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> @greybeard it is extra label for sheep and here we can only get it from the vet (who recommended it here)


Well, there's no problem with vet recommended medication use.......it happens lots of times, and is often the 1st step toward any particular med being fully endorsed by FDA etc as treatment for a malady it may not have originally been developed for.


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## goatgurl

sure glad your tests all came back ok.  what a relief.  wish I had a dollar for every scope I helped with while I worked in surgery.  diprivan aka Michael Jackson juice is your friend for sure.
  years ago when fairies and giants ruled the earth I worked on a cow dairy and it was a weekly thing to mix up their foot bath tub so they trudged thru it on their way out of the parlor.  worked well, we never had a problem with feet.  going to have to file the information about that drug, have the info but hope I never need it.


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## Shellymay

Baymule said:


> This is great news! Now you don't have to get rid of your pretty spotted ewe! I have read of the foot rot battles, now there is a shot and it is gone? What a Blessing!
> 
> @Shellymay in areas with foot rot problems, would you recommend giving each sheep a shot to keep it away? This could be a real game changer.




How do I say sometimes in comes down to money for some folks,    but truth is we each live in different states and year to year it changes and we may go through a very wet (flooding year) and then normal precipitation other years. I hope your sitting down for this IMHO foot rot is not kept in the soil on your farm and is not contagious, it is animals in very wet and muddy conditions and no relief from said conditions, once an animal has soft feet/hooves for so long (think of your own feet in a bath tub for hours) they become soft and all shriveled up right, the least little thing like tall grass (causing paper cuts) or rocks/sticks anything in between hooves easily irritates that now soft skin and once that happens bacterial is allowed in and one thing leads to another...now scald turns into rot.

Anyhow in 2015 we had so many lambs that year (we bred average of 150 ewes) so many lambs limping and went ahead and gave them all the shot, bottle of meds cost us $1500.00 to treat all, yes there was some left over and over a few years time if we had one or two sheep (adults) limping we gave them the shot.....to this day we have never had foot issue ever again, sooooooooo how can it be in the soil? how can it be contagious? sheep are still on the same properties while all this was going on.....

Another factor IMHO is timing for foot issues, for many who only grain sheep/animals during lambing season for milk production and are lambing this time of year during all the wet season, I believe animals who are being grained or given alfalfa hay (higher proteins) effects the growth of the hooves and causes faster growth of said hooves which in turn causes more mud to be caught up between longer faster growing hooves thus not being able to dry out faster....No I don't recommend you stop feeding your animals well while rearing babies to prevent it   Anyhow here in my area many have used this med and have eradicated hoof rot....

Now remember I am speaking about having appropriate amount of animals on your land, NOT over stocking in all above info, but if the sheep where completely healed within 24-48 hrs of receiving the shot and no reoccurrence how in the heck can they say it is in the soil?  I am not a vet and everyone needs to work with their vet but as you can see Mike heard the news from his vet about a new med for sheep foot rot.....

Back to your question should a person do all their animals?, we did all the lambs because majority where limping, and when your talking about 300 lambs and having to work that many numbers and trying to keep track of who is who yes it made sense to do all due to numbers limping/labor/stress to lambs....doesn't matter how big or small your flock is, if over 50% have an issue I would do all, if one or two out of your whole (larger numbers of head) is only limping and has rot no I would just do those individuals...


----------



## Mike CHS

One thing we have noted and it may just be a coincidence,  we have only had this problem with our older sheep. Our vet also confirmed what @Shellymay said about the cause and that what my girls have is not from the soil.


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> We rented a trailer at TSC


I didn't know you can rent a trailer at TSC. I have to find out if the TSC here does that. We need to look into renting one this summer to haul some hay. Can't afford to buy a trailer yet at this time.


----------



## Mike CHS

RollingAcres said:


> I didn't know you can rent a trailer at TSC. I have to find out if the TSC here does that. We need to look into renting one this summer to haul some hay. Can't afford to buy a trailer yet at this time.



Both of the TSC stores near us rent them.  The store in  Pulaski is first come first served but the store in Lewisburg knows us well enough that they will let us reserve it.  We have a small trailer but it's about two feet short of being long enough to haul our Ranger on.

Price is decent.  They rent either 4 or 8 hours.  I don't know what the all day fee is but the 4 hour window is $16 plus tax if you aren't tax exempt.


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## Baymule

Thank you @Shellymay i appreciate the detailed response.


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> One thing we have noted and it may just be a coincidence,  we have only had this problem with our older sheep. Our vet also confirmed what @Shellymay said about the cause and that what my girls have is not from the soil.


It takes 2 to tango...
Most true foot rot is caused by 2 different bacteria working in conjunction with each other. Both are generally anaerobes. One is almost always present even in the gut of all healthy ruminants, one is not. Both have to be present for foot rot to form, but neither individually is the cause of foot rot. Together, they form a synergistic partnership to create an enzyme and it is the enzyme that causes the infection.

The bacteria that is almost always present in the gut is _Fusobacterium necrophorum_ and  because it is present in the gut, it is also present in the soil as it is expelled in feces.
In sheep and goats, the anaerobic partner to _Fusobacterium necrophorum_ is _Dichelobacter nodosus_. When they get together, the enzyme is the result.
Labs confirming true footrot culture for _Dichelobacter nodosus_ as it is not common to the soil.
(Cattle also get footrot with 2 bacteria but the partner to  _Fusobacterium necrophorum_ is a different bacteria-- _Bacteroides melaninogenicus)_

Footrot is  so often associated with wet muddy conditions, but that isn't always the case. When I worked in W. Texas at a cattle and sheep ranch, they sometimes  had to treat sheep for foot rot in some of the driest, rockiest terrain in the state.  I had to treat 1 cow for footrot here,  in the midst of 2011's drought.



Baymule said:


> @Shellymay in areas with foot rot problems, would you recommend giving each sheep a shot to keep it away? This could be a real game changer.



I didn't see this answered but I may have overlooked it. Use of antibiotics as a therapeutic is frowned upon nowadays, as it can result in drug resistant bacteria and therapeutic (or preventative) use is the primary reason for the VFD protocol  that made so many OTC antibiotics into prescription drugs.
Tho Zactran is not approved for human use, that doesn't mean it never will be..or some version of it. 
_Fusobacterium necrophorum_  also causes chronic throat and sinus infections and a very nasty ailment called _Lemierre's syndrome_ in humans.


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## Mike CHS

Our vet said to only use it as a cure, not a preventative (and I assume the reason for that is as GB mentioned).


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## greybeard

Pretty pricey too, to use therapeutically. 
And as I understand it, Zatran has a useful life once injected of only about 14-20 days.
(from ValleyVet:
Zactran (gamithromycin) for Beef & Non-Lactating Dairy Cattle
*ITEM ITEM* *SIZE SIZE* *PRICE PRICE*
Item: 1048RX ** Size: 100 ml $199.00
Item: 1049RX ** Size: 250 ml *$407.50*

It also is not to be used on any sheep or other ruminants that produce milk for human consumption.


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## Mike CHS

The vet said the Nuflor can be kept up to a year after use is started.  We paid $86 for the 100 ml size.


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## greybeard

Nuflor is good stuff!

(I probably worded my other post badly. by 'useful life' for the Zactran I meant how long it was actually active inside the animal.)


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## Mike CHS

That makes more sense.


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## Mike CHS

My ewe Notag and my 122 ewe are healing nicely but missing being with the rest of the herd so I decided to move them back with the others.  Where they were was across the lane separating the paddocks and about 200' from the gate to let them in the other field.  Their lambs are a bit skittish still but getting better so I just opened the gate and walked down the hill to our holding pen and took a short cut into the stall where they get feed.
they had to walk through my shop which they have never been in before.  The ewes will follow anywhere and of course their lambs won't be far behind.  I wish I had a picture of the area - they had to make a turn through a small gate and follow me across the porch and then through two more gates to get to where I wanted them.  Their trust in their humans can be humbling and I am happy most times that I have relatively small numbers.


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## Baymule

You just gotta love it when they follow you, trusting where you lead them.


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## CntryBoy777

It sure makes ya feel good when that happens.....and it sure does speak loud of the respect and trust they give to you....


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## Mike CHS

Fred - I think I have said it before but I often feel guilty for not letting Lance work because it stresses the sheep out since he is the reason we first got sheep.


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## CntryBoy777

It is always good to have some back-up, when ya need it.....


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## Mike CHS

When Ringo heads south to Texas, I'll be heading north to a farm about 50 miles from Kansas City to pick up Maxwell.  He was two years old in February.


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## frustratedearthmother

He's spotty!  I love that - and he seems to be quite a hefty fella too.  I expect he'll do well for you!


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## B&B Happy goats

Heck, he is one sexy stud muffin...if i was a ewe........nope can't  go there
He sure will produce some handsome  lambs for you , love the spots !


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## Mike CHS

I forgot to post the fecal results from the other day. Only one of the 8 ewes needed worming.  Two were in the acceptable area and the other 5 had virtually no eggs. Four of those haven't been wormed since Aug of 2017 except for DE and garlic concentrate.


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## frustratedearthmother

That's fantastic!


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## B&B Happy goats

way to go Mike  that's  awesome


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## CntryBoy777

One thing is sure....he is a fine looking replacement....and I wonder how long it'll before he gets animal crackers.....


----------



## goatgurl

isn't Maxwell a handsome dude.  and like FEM said, hes a chunky tuna.  great replacement for ringo.  hope he has the same loving nature


----------



## Mike CHS

Maxwell is used to being around people but he hasn't been handled very much and being a big boy means he gets to dictate how soon he gets Animal Crackers (if at all).    Ringo was not as tame then as now when we brought him home but he got there pretty fast.  I'm firm with them but even Ringo got loving after watching the ewes interact with me but he already had a lot of contact at his previous home.


----------



## Mike CHS

Wanted to add.  Maxwell was used to cover 32 ewes and out of those, there was one single lamb and the rest were twins or triplets.


----------



## Baymule

Maxwell is a hunka hunka burning love! He is a handsome ram. You chose well for Ringo's replacement!


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

@Mike CHS,

What made you want to replace Ringo -- to avoid inbreeding, or something else?


----------



## Mike CHS

Senile_Texas_Aggie said:


> @Mike CHS,
> 
> What made you want to replace Ringo -- to avoid inbreeding, or something else?



If I had enough land I would keep him as long as he lived but I don't.  This next breeding season would only have had 4 ewes that weren't his daughters and it worked out that @Baymule can make better use of his personality with her Grands.


----------



## RollingAcres

Maxwell is very handsome. So Ringo will be going to @Baymule ?

Nevermind the question, we were posting at the same time.


----------



## Mike CHS

It is wet and dreary out but at least it isn't cold.  I figured the sheep are tired of eating hay so Lance and I let them out in the yard and garden beds around our house where this is some nice winter growth.


----------



## Mike CHS

I spend entirely too much time on BYH when the weather is like it is today.  We just had a Premier1 order arrive.  We haven't had any issues with sheep prolapsing but we have seen others deal with it not well on social media sites so we order a couple of prolapse belts.  We were reading where several people use an antiseptic lube on lambs ears when applying ear tags.

We decided to use a blue name tag for 2019 but we will only use them for stock that will be either recorded or registered.  We have two ram lambs that are showing some great conformation and if they continue this way they may be good candidates for recording.


----------



## Bruce

HAPPY sheep! My alpacas go out grazing every time the snow melts. Not like there is anything new from the last time though.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

They look like they're enjoying their treat!


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## CntryBoy777

That is some impressive numbers for Maxwell and hope it continues there.....it is really nice to just have to stand there and watch the trim on the yard.....Love Prof Lance....


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## Mike CHS

I was getting dressed to go out and feed so when I looked at our nursery paddock, I did not see a single one of the 22 sheep that should have been in view.  Somehow the gate was opened and all of the sheep were out getting some nice lush grass.  Rather than call them back in I stood there and watched them until they had their fill and then called them in.


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> I was getting dressed to go out and feed so when I looked at our nursery paddock, I did not see a single one of the 22 sheep that should have been in view.  Somehow the gate was opened and all of the sheep were out getting some nice lush grass.  Rather than call them back in I stood there and watched them until they had their fill and then called them in.


Spoken like a true, caring shepherd.


----------



## Baymule

Senile_Texas_Aggie said:


> @Mike CHS,
> 
> What made you want to replace Ringo -- to avoid inbreeding, or something else?


When Mike spoke of the "someday" of replacing Ringo with a new ram, I asked if we could buy him. We have 3 grand daughters, ages 2,4, and 11. They all go in the sheep lot to pet the ewes. With Ringo's calm manner, I knew he would be a good fit here. We are excited and can't wait to bring Ringo home.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Guess they didn't get the "memo" on the "treat" and everybody was discussing it overnite and they all just had to get to it....thinking it was going to be "routine"....or, at least attempt to make it so....
I, for one, am just glad to be able to keep up some with Ringo, I've always liked him....


----------



## Mike CHS

I thought about keeping him longer but there wouldn't be enough for him to do and after I saw how he reacted when I had to isolate him he would not be a happy camper.


----------



## Mike CHS

The daughter of my favorite cousin (that I was raised with) is going to be in Nashville next week to be on a local talk show and we will meet for lunch if nothing else. I have not been around her until my favorite Aunt was passing but felt like she had always been in my life just like her mom.  She has a contract to write a book about her work but I have not idea of the details.  She is an awesome young lady and has quite the following in Atlanta with her tiny doors.  

I have no idea how this business model works but she seems to be making it work for her.  I won't post a link but a search for tiny doors atl brings up all kind of things.


----------



## Bruce

But I will 





Very curious that the tiny doors became so important in our hustle bustle world, especially in a city the size of Atlanta.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

That was way cool, i would love to meet her...love what she is doing !


----------



## Mike CHS

I know we have more cold weather ahead of us but the grass down the drive and around the house got cut today.  The fields aren't nearly as green and I don't want to put the sheep on the rye grass yet so I put the grass bagger on and cut some of the neighbors grass to give to the sheep.

Since I'm leaving for my couple of days fishing I hauled out enough water barrels so that Teresa won't have to haul water.  I have several 20 gallon barrels cut in half lengthwise that I can usually put a brick under the sides and it holds them stable.  The steers figured out that watching all that water splash out of the barrel as they tipped it over was a good play period so I swapped two half barrels that were flat on the bottom.

All of those extreme rains we have had recently had seriously rutted our driveway and sent huge amounts of gravel out in the grass.  I spent about 30 minutes with a rake to move it back to the drive and said to heck with that.  I went and got the tractor and used the front end loader to drag the gravel back up to the drive.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Mike CHS said:


> I know we have more cold weather ahead of us but the grass down the drive and around the house got cut today.  The fields aren't nearly as green and I don't want to put the sheep on the rye grass yet so I put the grass bagger on and cut some of the neighbors grass to give to the sheep.
> 
> Since I'm leaving for my couple of days fishing I hauled out enough water barrels so that Teresa won't have to haul water.  I have several 20 gallon barrels cut in half lengthwise that I can usually put a brick under the sides and it holds them stable.  The steers figured out that watching all that water splash out of the barrel as they tipped it over was a good play period so I swapped two half barrels that were flat on the bottom.
> 
> All of those extreme rains we have had recently had seriously rutted our driveway and sent huge amounts of gravel out in the grass.  I spent about 30 minutes with a rake to move it back to the drive and said to heck with that.  I went and got the tractor and used the front end loader to drag the gravel back up to the drive.




Happy your going fishing Mike   but can't  like the post with all the work you have had to do with the rain and all...you guys up that way have really had a horrible  wet winter....hopfully  this is the end of it


----------



## Mike CHS

The last project today was another cattle panel shelter together for the first breeders and their lambs.

We will start weaning these lambs next week.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Hope ya can catch enough to stink the skillet....as my Mom would say........enjoy your time and relax....it is a well deserved break!!.....


----------



## Mike CHS

We are a bit early for the heavy Crappie run but my cousin said that last year he took home 50 2 pound bags of fish fillets but of course he stays there a whole month.


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> We are a bit early for the heavy Crappie run but my cousin said that last year he took home 50 2 pound bags of fish fillets but of course he stays there a whole month.


dang...what's the limit there?


----------



## CntryBoy777

There are slabs where we came from in the 2-4 lb class of specks....plenty of smaller too....some really fine eating.......


----------



## Mike CHS

The limit there is 30 a day per license but keep in mind he fishes every day for a month and the crappie in that lake are slabs.  He has quite a few people spend a few days at a time and that is a lot of fishing.


----------



## Mike CHS

We recently had a new Yamatos open up in Lewisburg so we decided to give it a try tonight.  It's typical chain food but the sushi was fresh and all was good.  It's fairly upscale for this town.


----------



## HomeOnTheRange

Mike CHS said:


> heavy Crappie run


Had never heard of these fish.  Thanks for the new knowledge!


----------



## CntryBoy777

The run at Paris Landing is known worldwide.....there are a whole lot of people that go there for the same reason....even have a big frish fry there too....bunch of great places along Kentucky lake.....


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Mike CHS said:


> We recently had a new Yamatos open up in Lewisburg so we decided to give it a try tonight.  It's typical chain food but the sushi was fresh and all was good.  It's fairly upscale for this town.



SUSHI  ....we have to go to Gainsville for it....a hour away


----------



## Baymule

Crappie are some good eating! Have fun and stock the freezer!


----------



## Mike CHS

Today is turning out to be a "Let the OCD Loose" day.  I've had Jay over and we took care of quite a few things that were piling up.  We got the electric netting moved and set up for the breeders and their lambs.  We finished up the latest Cattle Panel shelter and moved the creep feeder up for the lambs.  We moved a lot of the remaining old plastic trash items in the dry pond so we can get the neighbors dozer over to finish filling that in.  Those plastic things seem to somehow surface years later.  Got the round bales moved and built and hung another mineral feeder on the gate by the driveway.

Teresa hired a young lady she occasionally works with to do a deep house cleaning with her.  Finally we are going to try and dig up a bunch of black berry plants to give to Jay's Mamaw


----------



## CntryBoy777

Glad the weather is allowing ya the opportunity to get a bunch accomplished.....having willing and able assistance can be very inspiring.....


----------



## Mike CHS

A quick update on our hoof issues.  All of the ewes that we trimmed last week are doing well and two of the three that were major issues are also not limping around anymore.  The spotted ewe and her lambs were put in our dog training pen for the last several days so we could work on her.  She stays off from the rest of the flock so she doesn't mind or so it seems.  This pen is high and dry and she likes getting all of the feed that I put our for her and her lambs without having to work at it.  We have treated and worked her hooves another two times and packed her hoof so it is firm now and she has very little limp.  The Nuflor really did good with her.   We will give her another couple of days in there to make sure but her progress is great.

I won't be on after tomorrow morning for a couple of days so I hope everyone has wonderful weather and few problems.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Be sure to take plenty of shiners....ya sure don't want to run out.....


----------



## Mike CHS

It's about all jig fishing in that lake.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Hope you have a wonderful time and catch your limit!


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Have a great time fishing Mike


----------



## Baymule

Have a great time and catch lots of fish! I am glad that your spotted ewe is doing better.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Mike CHS said:


> won't be on after tomorrow morning for a couple of days


Tell Teresa we'd love to hear from her while you are absent (and even when you aren't) if she isn't too busy!


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa has been known to post here when she wants.  

I have had to baby Ringo the last few days.  For the first time since we had him he has been stand offish but he was also part of the group that had hooves done last week.  He hasn't needed any work in two years but this constant rain has changed that.  His hooves still weren't bad but he holds a grudge when he feels he has been abused.  We gave him a Nuflor shot so that probably didn't help his attitude but the first day after the handling, he wouldn't come in the shelter for the morning feeding.  I took it to him so I guess that was like room service.  After that he was fine and has been coming in like always so he must have forgiven me and will come for an Animal Cracker.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa has been known to post here when she wants.  

I have had to baby Ringo the last few days.  For the first time since we had him he has been stand offish but he was also part of the group that had hooves done last week.  He hasn't needed any work in two years but this constant rain has changed that.  His hooves still weren't bad but he holds a grudge when he feels he has been abused.  We gave him a Nuflor shot so that probably didn't help his attitude but the first day after the handling, he wouldn't come in the shelter for the morning feeding.  I took it to him so I guess that was like room service.  After that he was fine and has been coming in like always so he must have forgiven me and will come for an Animal Cracker.


----------



## Baymule

Rest assured that Ringo will continue to be a spoiled boy. He will get his animal crackers and lot of attention. He will be in the #1 pasture and also have a small cow panel night pen that will share a spot in the barn, next to the girls, so he won't be lonely.


----------



## Mike CHS

I got back from the fishing trip about a half hour ago but I think I need to think of a different name for this trip.  I was pretty sure we were probably going to have issues when I got to the lake and my cousin was messing with the boat trying to get it started.  It finally did crank but I seriously considered coming back early this morning when he mentioned that he had not used the boat since last April "but it always does good".  We got in the water around 8:00 and made a 60 mph run across the lake along with the 25 degree temps and fortunately I had knew enough to wear several layers.  The fish weren't biting for the first half hour or so but when they started hitting, they hit hard.  Cousin started up the trolling motor only to find that it would only run in reverse which made maneuvering in the tree tops not completely submerged impossible.  We loaded the boat and took the trolling motor apart to see if it was anything obvious but saw nothing.  He made some calls but none of his good contacts were open so it became obvious that nothing was going to get done until Mondy.  By this time it was 12:30 in the afternoon and he mentioned there was a college basketball tournament on so we could do that.  I thought about it for two seconds and decided to head home. 

It was nice reconnecting with my cousin after all these years but his chain smoking sitting next to me in a boat is not something I will consider doing again.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Well, ya have to be thankful that ya caught some fish...
Sorry it wasn't as good as hoped for.....I sunk a boat and motor in a portion of the Stones River on a fishing trip and the motor went under and we had to float and stroke over 3 miles to get back to the ramp.....that was 1 heck of a day....I tell ya!!....


----------



## Wehner Homestead

Sorry that the fishing trip didn’t pan out quite the way you hoped. Hoping there’s at least enough to make it worth your time to heat the skillet. 

Catching up. Can’t wait to see what Maxwell does for your herd. He’s a handsome boy and looks like he might give you some color variation to boot. 

I’d like to purchase a lamb or half or something to try cooking. I’ll have to talk to DH and see what he thinks. I’ll let you know. 

Too bad Lance can’t have more fun. We could have used him in this mud when we were sorting. Our Aussies don’t have any training when it comes to herding. If I had the time, I’d put them through their paces. Just don’t have any to spare.


----------



## Baymule

A boat ride across open water at 25* is usually not something people think about. If you think it's cold, get in that boat and you'll learn a thing or two about COLD! Back when I fished a lot, I'd turn my coat backwards when the boat motor started. It kept the wind from finding a way around the buttons, LOL. 

Sitting next to a chain smoker for a non smoker is a failed lesson on how to stop breathing and not pass out due to lack of oxygen. 

Hope you got to bring some fillets home.


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## Mike CHS

I wanted Teresa to get some action shots of Lance working but unfortunately, the only one that turned out shows him down and holding the sheep in a corner.  That pasture is our neighbors and most of it isn't fenced either perimeter or interior. I cut the grass and often bag it up and take it to the sheep when the grass isn't really actively growing.  It's easier to just open the gate and call them out and the graze happily as long as I keep Lance up the hill.  He doesn't get much work since they run for the open gate as soon as he heads their way.


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## Mike CHS

We or rather Teresa, are working on fecal samples this afternoon.  She just finished Ringo's and he is showing zero parasite eggs.


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## frustratedearthmother

That's awesome!  Ya'll are definitely doing something right...actually you're doing a lot of "somethings" right!


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## CntryBoy777

It is nice to have Lance to overseeing things.....but, I bet it feels good to move along with a group like that....heck, I felt good with just 3 goats....


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## Baymule

Lance already has them well trained. LOL


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## Mike CHS

I love to watch him work but this is different than what he is used to.  That piece of pasture is 800' long but that section of fence is only 100.  Lance does pretty good at an outrun but when the sheep have no boundaries he has to move super slow (slow enough that they can keep on grazing) while he drives them.  When they get to the opening going back to our place I let him go.


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## Mike CHS

Got a couple of semi decent ones. and attached one picture of Fred and Barney.


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## CntryBoy777

Sure looks like an enjoyable day, with all the sun....and the sheep really stand out on that green grass....


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## Mike CHS

I hope I'm not starting with a cold bug bit I have a low grade fever.  I'm sitting here on the couch with a blanket over my legs, a stocking cap on and my heavy thermal jacket and I'm still cold.


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## Southern by choice

sorry you are not feeling well


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## B&B Happy goats

Feel better soon mike  must of been that boat ride...?


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## CntryBoy777

The cold from the boat ride, breathing that cold air can affect ya....hope ya get thawed and warm very soon.....


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## Mike CHS

Thanks all.  I don't feel bad but I'm not used to shivering.


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## Bruce

Sorry the trip didn't work out as planned. Just makes you long for the farm all the more I guess.



Wehner Homestead said:


> If I had the time, I’d put them through their paces. Just don’t have any to spare.


Now THERE is an understatement!



Baymule said:


> A boat ride across open water at 25* is usually not something people think about. If you think it's cold, get in that boat and you'll learn a thing or two about COLD!


And then add in the 60 MPH "apparent wind". That has to be some wind chill!



Mike CHS said:


> We or rather Teresa, are working on fecal samples this afternoon.  She just finished Ringo's and he is showing zero parasite eggs.


I'm sure Bay is happy he won't be bringing any "little friends" to their place. 
Yep, sounds like you are doing really well on the parasite front. Probably a lot better than others in your area.



Mike CHS said:


> I love to watch him work but this is different than what he is used to.  That piece of pasture is 800' long but that section of fence is only 100.  Lance does pretty good at an outrun but when the sheep have no boundaries he has to move super slow (slow enough that they can keep on grazing) while he drives them.  When they get to the opening going back to our place I let him go.


Smart and well trained!


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## Mike CHS

Wehner Homestead said:


> Too bad Lance can’t have more fun. We could have used him in this mud when we were sorting. Our Aussies don’t have any training when it comes to herding. If I had the time, I’d put them through their paces. Just don’t have any to spare.



Our Aussie has had as much training as Lance but she is too goofy to try and work sheep outside of a fence like the Border Collie.


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## Mike CHS

I have our vet coming to the farm tomorrow to check out Ringo for his Health Certificate before heading to Texas.  It costs a bit more to have him come here but it took me almost a month to regain his trust and quit being leery of me after going to the vet the last time.


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## Bruce

And you surely want him in a good mood for @Baymule !


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## Goat Whisperer

I bet Baymule will appreciate that. 

She has to be so excited to get Ringo!


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## Mike CHS

I'll quit griping now but it turns out this bug is the flu.


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## Bruce

short duration flu I hope ... be stingy with it, no sharing with Teresa!


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## CntryBoy777

Need to make sure @Baymule brings some of that elderberry syrup up with her.....hope ya get to feeling better and ya can stay on top of it.....


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## frustratedearthmother

Mike CHS said:


> I'll quit griping now but it turns out this bug is the flu.


Oh man, that stinks.  Hope you can kick it quickly!


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## B&B Happy goats

Sorry Mike....get well soon...


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## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> I have our vet coming to the farm tomorrow to check out Ringo for his Health Certificate before heading to Texas.  It costs a bit more to have him come here but it took me almost a month to regain his trust and quit being leery of me after going to the vet the last time.


Then he is going to be really mad at me when we stuff him in the back of the truck and haul him to Texas. We put the camper top on the truck, took those pretty chrome rails off....BJ is whining that his truck looks ugly.  That man must really love me for all I put him through. 



Bruce said:


> And you surely want him in a good mood for @Baymule !



Since he holds a grudge, that good mood will be certain to evaporate. 



Goat Whisperer said:


> I bet Baymule will appreciate that.
> 
> She has to be so excited to get Ringo!


I sure am, just wonder how long he will be mad at me? I'll give him LOTS of animal crackers!



Mike CHS said:


> I'll quit griping now but it turns out this bug is the flu.



I am so sorry that you have the flu. I hope you feel better soon. @CntryBoy777  I sure will bring Mike some Elderberry syrup!


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## Mike CHS

He is only stand-offish for a few days.  I'll send a bit of sweet feed home with you and that makes him pretty forgiving.


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## Bruce

Baymule said:


> We put the camper top on the truck, took those pretty chrome rails off....BJ is whining that his truck looks ugly.


Not as ugly as it will look full of Ringo poop!


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## Baymule

Bruce said:


> Not as ugly as it will look full of Ringo poop!


Ringo pellets will clean up easy!


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## Bruce

And the cap will come off and chrome rails back on just as easily. No harm, no foul and you'll have a nice ram.


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## Mike CHS

Ringo is actually pretty easy.  He loves to spend a lot of time being brushed which is how I first got him tame.


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## CntryBoy777

Wonder if he'll like that "mule washing" song that @Baymule knows??....she used to sing to horses, I think.....


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## Mike CHS

One thing I need to tell @Baymule is to not turn a water hose on Ringo.  He will do a bath but the hose on high pressure returns him to ram status.


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## Baymule

I am looking forward to "Training With Ringo" lessons.


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## Bruce

Sounds like "Ringo trains Baymule" lessons!


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## Mike CHS

What has always been nice about Ringo, he never pushed for attention.  He is a typical ram but without any aggression (unless you are at the vets)


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## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> She is an awesome young lady and has quite the following in Atlanta with her tiny doors.


Wow, I love what she's doing! So cool!



Mike CHS said:


> I hope I'm not starting with a cold bug bit I have a low grade fever. I'm sitting here on the couch with a blanket over my legs, a stocking cap on and my heavy thermal jacket and I'm still cold.


I'm very behind in reading posts on BYH. I hope you have recovered from your flu. 



Baymule said:


> I am looking forward to "Training With Ringo" lessons.





Bruce said:


> Sounds like "Ringo trains Baymule" lessons!


 Really, who's training who? And I wonder who is more stubborn?


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## Goat Whisperer

RollingAcres said:


> Really, who's training who? And I wonder who is more stubborn?


Oh, Baymule for sure!


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## Wehner Homestead




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## Bruce

Goat Whisperer said:


> Oh, Baymule for sure!


Have you met Ringo? Maybe he's even MORE stubborn.
However, all kidding aside, I know @Baymule knows animals and knows how to talk to them. They will get along fine.


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## Mike CHS

They don't get any more laid back than Ringo.  Vet came out and drew blood for the last tests and he will be good to go. Thor tore Ringo's ear in the latest temper tantrum that he threw.


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## Bruce

Thor won't mind seeing Ringo head out. You and Teresa might have a little twinge in the heart. But you know he's going someplace wonderful.


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## Mike CHS

Thor isn't going to be seeing much of anything in the next day or so.  I'm going to miss the boy and the only stipulation I would like to make is that if he gets turned into sheep burger, I don't want to hear about it.


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## CntryBoy777

Sorry to hear about Thor.........I agree and understand the decision, but I just hate that it developed to that point and not leaving ya much choice.....and with the birthing coming the draw of predators will be strong....hope ya can find Maisy a good partner......


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## Bruce

I don't think Mike meant he was getting rid of Thor, just that Thor wouldn't be out much until Ringo moves to Texas.


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## Mike CHS

Thor has become dangerous.  We have done months of controlled field entry, isolated unless I'm out there and even only long lead lines.  He is smart enough that he knows if he is in my line of sight he has perfect manners but he has gotten agressive enough the I'm going to put him down.  I'm pretty sure it's resource guarding (with me being the resource) but he can't be trusted.  This afternoon is the first time I have seen the psycho dog.  In the past it had been just lunges if they get in his space but it's getting worse all the time.  I'm pretty sure what set him off today was I was calling the sheep in so I could get Ringo ready for the vet.  It should have told me something when they refused to walk past him.  When they finally did start coming to me is when he went nuts and tore into them.


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## Bruce

Oh no


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## HomeOnTheRange

So sorry to hear that!!


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## RollingAcres

Oh no! Sorry to hear about Thor's behavior.


----------



## misfitmorgan

That really sucks Mike  sadly some dogs are just beyond what can be called safe. I had a husky mix I was working with for biting and aggression about 5 years ago now i think, even after working with him for 8 months he still didnt hesitate to bite. I had him put down. 

Do you think Thor's aggression is related to him being an Akbash or just him specifically?


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## Mike CHS

Akbash are more agressive but I have never heard of one turning into Cujo.


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## High Desert Cowboy

I’m sorry you have to get rid of Thor that’s never an easy decision.


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## B&B Happy goats

Mike i am so sorry you had to make that decision,  ....I feel for you .....often the best decisions  are the hardest to deal with....


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## Mike CHS

We met my young artist cousin at Opryland this afternoon for lunch.  I got a bit of sticker shock when I pulled into the parking lot and it said $32 for 20 minutes.  

She was in Nashville as a guest on the daytime entertainment show Pickler and Ben.  She told us about a childrens book that she has a commission to write that centers on imagination and her "tiny doors"


----------



## B&B Happy goats

$32.00 for 20 minutes   ......thievery


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## Mike CHS

They validated the ticket after we ate but the meals were even more of a sticker shock.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Mike CHS said:


> They validated the ticket after we ate but the meals were even more of a sticker shock.  [/QU
> 
> And that is why you get all thoes sad country songs about being broke, can't  fix the truck and the wife left me with the kids ...and we can't  afford to eat out...........


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## CntryBoy777

I've had a few experiences like that too, and I just had to focus on the reason I was in that place....because, if I thought too much about the "shock", I'd ruin everybody's day.......I'm sure it was hard to swallow, but ya only live once, so might as well enjoy it.....


----------



## Mike CHS

We got used to it when we lived in Charleston which isn't exactly a low cost of living area but I have never paid that much for parking.


----------



## Bruce

Who is going to park for only 20 minutes???? And $32 for the privilege? You're gonna have to sell a lot of lamb to pay that one off.

Montreal airport charges CAD 7 for 20 minutes at the terminal. And of course you use 5 of it at least driving around looking for a space. Another ripoff.


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## Baymule

That's just crazy.


----------



## Mike CHS

Morning chores are finished so we are going to check out an estate auction that will be going on a couple of miles from us.  There are only a few things that we are interested in but if it works out it is close enough to home to go get the trailer if needed.


----------



## Baymule

Sounds like fun!


----------



## Mike CHS

We had a couple of things on our wish list that we went the auction for.  One was a commercial sized chest freezer that we wanted because we will be getting our USDA Certification to sell meat from the farm and you need a dedicated freezer. 

We bought several smaller item that Teresa wanted and I just had to make at least one impulse buy.  I don't know how many people remember Nipper the RCA dog but they had a large one that I had not seen before that wanted to come home with me.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Ohhhhh....I remember  it well...nice purchase!


----------



## Mike CHS

The house was originally built in 1850 but added on to several times and professionally.  It was completely updated and move in ready. I don't know the square feet but it was huge 5 bedrooms and 10 rooms total not counting baths and pantries. The house didn't seem to be moving so I bid on it and 5 acres until it started climbing so I dropped out.  They had 3 larger acreages of 30-40 acres that wound up going for 6-9000 per acre and 8 five acre parcels that went for an average of 9400 an acre.  I hope not but I have a feeling a developer bought it which probably means a subdivision may be going up 1/2 miles from our place.  It was bound to happen sooner or later but we are only 3 miles off I-65 and less than 50 miles to Franklin.  Land on our road 5 years ago when we bought 5 years ago for flat land was $1,500 an acre.  At least most of the developments that gone up have been on the higher quality side so far.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> The house was originally built in 1850 but added on to several times and professionally.


I think I missed something.

Given the prices, I think you are correct, sold to developers. What are the lot size zoning regs for those "lots". I sure hope they don't chuck in bunch of 1/4 acre homes.


----------



## Baymule

That’s what land prices are around here. It’s crazy. We got a steal on our place. I hope if it’s a developer, that they put in “gentleman@ farms of 5-10 acres. You’ll still have neighbors but not as many.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Love Nipper!!

Hope you don't get a whole bunch of new neighbors...


----------



## Mike CHS

The only deed restrictions they put on the tracts was no mobile homes, no professional hog or chicken operations and no junk yards. Other than that the only requirement is for County approval on septic plans and electrical inspection of the initial electrical hook up with a least one light functional.  The electrical is all I had to do for my shop.

The land and house sold for a little over $2 million.

There might be some neighbors but they won't be in our valley. We have four families that own the hole thing and our deeds have a provision of "rights of first refusal" with each of us in case one of us wants to sell.

5 acres and under has always been higher and I guess it is in most places. 15 acres and up drops to $2000 or a little over an acre.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Mike CHS said:


> There might be some neighbors but they won't be in our valley. We have four families that own the hole thing and our deeds have a provision of "rights of first refusal" with each of us in case one of us wants to sell.


That's great and gives you a measure of protection.


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## CntryBoy777

I think that certification will/can be a really nice setup.....sure hope it goes well for ya with it.....


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> I think that certification will/can be a really nice setup.....sure hope it goes well for ya with it.....



We have a good number of people that we have given samples to that have asked about buying individual cuts.  Not wanting to get on the wrong side of the state, we will do it the legal way.  It isn't hard, all you need is a dedicated space and an inspection certificate from the state (which is actually done by UT). We have sold several halves and quarters but we can offer more at better prices by the cut. Our locals want to support but we want to keep it legal.


----------



## Bruce

1/2 mile isn't that far, how can the potential development not be in your valley? 1/2 mile is the distance from my house to the the neighbor 1 over, 1 property between us.


----------



## Mike CHS

I know we are likely to get more frost between now and the first of May but the weather this past week has been perfect.

@Baymule do y'all like Gumbo?  I don't make it overly spicy.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> 1/2 mile isn't that far, how can the potential development not be in your valley? 1/2 mile is the distance from my house to the the neighbor 1 over, 1 property between us.



Ummm because it is not in the valley we live in.


----------



## Baymule

Yes we like gumbo, my Mom's family is from Louisiana. I love spicy foods, BJ, not so much. LOL So I keep it within the range of edible for him and spice it up for me with Tobasco. LOL LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

I remember you saying something like that and I do the same for Teresa.


----------



## greybeard

> We have four families that own the hole thing and our deeds have a provision of "rights of first refusal"


There have been several states in which their state courts have thrown those kind of proviso out..as being a discriminatory practice if it can be shown that the contract on the deed is shown to purposely exclude any person or demographic group..the "We don't want your kind round heah".

ROFRs can be gotten around several ways and the most common is the first offer (3rd party) being so high that the holder of the right can't/doesn't meet or exceed that offer.
ROFRs are basically just right of first negotiation, and most land owners put their land on the open market because offering it only the the right holder(s) limits the amount they can be offered for it. 

It's ironic that ROFRs comes up in this context here at BYH, considering how many times it has been said here by town people wanting to move out in the country can't get their foot in the door because landowner families and groups don't want to sell to anyone outside family or neighbors.


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm sure there are many ways to get around it but there are also several provisions pertaining to market rate and several other things.  Ironically, 3 of the 4 owners involved here are not locals.


----------



## greybeard

Key thing to remember is the property owner(s) almost always want to maximize their own ROI, regardless of whether a ROFR or ROFO is in place or not. They may not have thought that way back when they granted the right, but they always think that way when it comes time to sell.
In most cases, that first offer by the rights holder makes the right null if it isn't accepted by the rights grantor and that rights grantor most times has no legal obligation whatsoever to accept the rights holder's first offer.
I can't really think of one good finanicial reason for granting ROFR to anyone.


----------



## Mike CHS

I guess it depends more on the integrity of the people that enter into a contract.  Just for info, the only original holder in this group has been offered all of the other remaining parcels. He did buy one 5 acre parcel that adjoins his yard but he didn't want or need the others.  Since he has what he wants, the owners listed them on the market.  All of the three non locals bought from those that had the agreement.  I'm sure there are enough holes in these kind of agreements to make them worthless but I'll stick with my hand shake.

I'm glad I don't have your view of the human character.


----------



## greybeard

I tend to look at the world as it really is and not as I would like it to be, think it should be, and certainly not, as I am. I do lots of business on a handshake, verbal, etc, but I know those kinds of agreements won't hold a single drop of water if a 3rd party gets involved and wants to challenge. 
Seen it happen right here at BYH more than once.
A good 'almost' airtight real estate agreement including a ROFR is many pages long.


----------



## Mike CHS

We bought smallish round bales last year because of lift limitations on my tractor but we now have a great source for large round bales to get us through in the event of any drought this summer. Our closest neighbor offered the use of his tractor to move them around as needed since we help each other with odds and ends projects.  This will be our winter hay if we don't need it this summer. The ram lambs will get weaned in the next couple of weeks and moved to the dry lot until they go to market.

Looking at the calendar, we could be seeing the next lambing as early as tomorrow.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa and I went down and brought the breeders in to give two of the twelve a dose of garlic concentrate and two that had a high enough egg count that we went ahead and wormed them. Of the other eight, the worm count was still zero in four of them and marginal in the other four and they haven't been wormed since the fall. All of the senior ewes except one is gaining condition and should gain even faster when we pull lambs next week. This group doesn't have a catch pen area but the girl we want to pull a fecal from is one of the original and hand tame. The way things are working we will put the ram in with the whole herd in September.  We are planning on taking more head into winter but the actual number is unknown at this point since we still early on the cull list of this years lambs.

I'm heading down to Ardmore in a few minutes to pick up 1000 lbs of feed.


----------



## Southern by choice

We need to run some fecals too. 
How has the weather this year affected you all? I know many are seeing an increase in fecal counts. 
So sick of rain here.


----------



## Mike CHS

I've been comparing notes with several farms in our area and the ones that run fecals are running higher than last year which was high already.  Two of the farms that don't take regular fecals are also reporting record losses so I don't understand why they continue on that same road.

Our numbers are way down now compared to early fall but we have done so much to get them under control I would have been disappointed if they weren't down.  Those egg counts are the main reason we have a two month gap in lambing groups. I wasn't going to breed that last group at all until we got a handle on them.

Poor Teresa has been doing the fecals and we are taking 10-12 at a time then a follow-up a week or so later.


----------



## Southern by choice

My Dh bought me a new scope! 
We suspect the one field has flukes. It is the one that has so many low spots, standing water and the geese can't get to it. There are only a few goats in that one. They get picked on so they are in there. They are thinner than I like and they eat the best feed and hay. Flukes are a PITB! 
The problem is two are bred. One looks like she may have slipped. Which NEVER happens here. We are going to send a blood test out. The other is pregnant but looks like a single. I really cannot treat for flukes while they are pregnant. So it stinks but I have to wait.

We aren't having any issue but many farms are having coccidia problems on their adults. We saw that on a lot of farms in 2012... that was another horrible year with constant rain... and it is worse this year.


----------



## Mike CHS

Congratulations of the new scope.  I really hope the two girls systems hang in there till they kid.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Mike CHS said:


> Teresa and I went down and brought the breeders in to give two of the twelve a dose of garlic concentrate and two that had a high enough egg count that we went ahead and wormed them. Of the other eight, the worm count was still zero in four of them and marginal in the other four and they haven't been wormed since the fall. All of the senior ewes except one is gaining condition and should gain even faster when we pull lambs next week. This group doesn't have a catch pen area but the girl we want to pull a fecal from is one of the original and hand tame. The way things are working we will put the ram in with the whole herd in September.  We are planning on taking more head into winter but the actual number is unknown at this point since we still early on the cull list of this years lambs.
> 
> I'm heading down to Ardmore in a few minutes to pick up 1000 lbs of feed.



what is the name of the garlic concentrate that you are giving?  We need to start running fecals here too.


----------



## Mike CHS

What we have is called Garlic Barrier that was originally marketed as a pest control.  I can't validate how effective it is since we are also doing several other things but we have quite a few ewes who have a small egg count that has stayed small through nothing other than the garlic and DE  added to their food.

I think Teresa bought it through Amazon.


----------



## Mike CHS

Hens and Roos said:


> what is the name of the garlic concentrate that you are giving?  We need to start running fecals here too.



The uselessness of the Famacha method on our sheep is why we started doing fecals. More often than not, we would do a good Famacha score on one or more of them and not worm, only to do a fecal a few days later to find out they were dangerously high.


----------



## Southern by choice

We don't really have the barberpole so the FAMACHA isn't that effective for us either. We typically just have the stomach worm.
What is a high load on your sheep?  
Have you considered sowing the lespedeza?


----------



## Mike CHS

We have barber pole but our sheep seem to handle them pretty well.  We culled any that needed multiple treatments for them and this latest batch of lambs seem to be stronger than previous.  We do multiple fecals if they seem to be holding over 500 but will give garlic and DE. Over 1000 we may continue to watch depending on condition but definitely will treat at 1200.

I have already ordered some lespedeza seed.  We saw some good reviews during a "Pasture Walk" sponsored by U of KY last summer.

What is funny about Famacha scoring is the ewes I was worried about showed 1's and 2's according to the Famacha card.  The condition on the ewes was nowhere near where they should have been so we ran fecals anyway.  The barber pole load was high enough to be worrisome even though they showed no signs of anemia.  Most of the producers that we know don't even bother looking, they just score body condition and run fecals (and these aren't new or small producers).  The barber pole population in Kentucky and Tennessee has been good for the microscope companies business.


----------



## misfitmorgan

Mike CHS said:


> We have barber pole but our sheep seem to handle them pretty well.  We culled any that needed multiple treatments for them and this latest batch of lambs seem to be stronger than previous.  We do multiple fecals if they seem to be holding over 500 but will give garlic and DE. Over 1000 we may continue to watch depending on condition but definitely will treat at 1200.
> 
> I have already ordered some lespedeza seed.  We saw some good reviews during a "Pasture Walk" sponsored by U of KY last summer.
> 
> What is funny about Famacha scoring is the ewes I was worried about showed 1's and 2's according to the Famacha card.  The condition on the ewes was nowhere near where they should have been so we ran fecals anyway.  The barber pole load was high enough to be worrisome even though they showed no signs of anemia.  Most of the producers that we know don't even bother looking, they just score body condition and run fecals (and these aren't new or small producers).  The barber pole population in Kentucky and Tennessee has been good for the microscope companies business.



What is the purpose behind planting lespedeza seed? i did an internet search and only came up with this
https://www.drovers.com/article/sericea-lespedeza-not-just-southeast-kansas-problem which makes it seem like something you don't really want to plant for ruminants but maybe small scale or sheep are different? Also found some sites that noted it as highly invasive.

Seem the invasive part is only for some types...the non-native types of course but we do have native lespedeza. Says it is also in michigan but i have never seem it that i can recall. https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=LECU


----------



## Mike CHS

UT and U of KY have been doing research on several farms with lespedeza as it has natural worming properties.  Sheep love it and on the farm we visit in Kentucky he has to close off fields that has it until it gets some growth on it.  The Gregg Bann farm in Kentucky is owned by one of the Ag department heads (and lead researcher) that has been doing the studies.  He doesn't have goats but he runs several hundred head of sheep with cattle on rotation.


----------



## Southern by choice

@misfitmorgan  & Mike The ASRPC has done a great deal of research on this. This link gives quite a few studies.
https://www.wormx.info/sl

Years ago when we got into Kikos (after talking to Dr. Jean-Marie Luginbuhl) we went to one of the conferences he was teaching. He is a really neat person too, but anyway the slide show and the info was fantastic. When the goats/sheep eat the lespedeza it isn't really a dewormer, but it coats the parasites and makes it impossible for them to feed or reproduce. The slides were incredible! Really cool slides!!!
We have wild lespedeza here and our goats do not eat it unless they need it and it must be fresh. They won't eat the hay or pelleted form. Just fresh cut stalks.


----------



## misfitmorgan

Mike CHS said:


> UT and U of KY have been doing research on several farms with lespedeza as it has natural worming properties.  Sheep love it and on the farm we visit in Kentucky he has to close off fields that has it until it gets some growth on it.  The Gregg Bann farm in Kentucky is owned by one of the Ag department heads (and lead researcher) that has been doing the studies.  He doesn't have goats but he runs several hundred head of sheep with cattle on rotation.


Good to know, thank you for the info!


----------



## misfitmorgan

Southern by choice said:


> @misfitmorgan  & Mike The ASRPC has done a great deal of research on this. This link gives quite a few studies.
> https://www.wormx.info/sl
> 
> Years ago when we got into Kikos (after talking to Dr. Jean-Marie Luginbuhl) we went to one of the conferences he was teaching. He is a really neat person too, but anyway the slide show and the info was fantastic. When the goats/sheep eat the lespedeza it isn't really a dewormer, but it coats the parasites and makes it impossible for them to feed or reproduce. The slides were incredible! Really cool slides!!!
> We have wild lespedeza here and our goats do not eat it unless they need it and it must be fresh. They won't eat the hay or pelleted form. Just fresh cut stalks.



Thank you SBC!


----------



## Southern by choice

misfitmorgan said:


> Thank you SBC!


Your welcome... but this is cool... as I went to look up the link for you one of the articles caught my eye. I had not seen the one on coccidia control!  I just read through it. I had no idea about this. 
This, right here is what I love about our BYH forums! Without questions, without each other I would not have even seen that. 
There is more info than I remember being on there. I'm going to scope it out now! 
Sorry Mike for hijacking your journal.


----------



## misfitmorgan

Southern by choice said:


> Your welcome... but this is cool... as I went to look up the link for you one of the articles caught my eye. I had not seen the one on coccidia control!  I just read through it. I had no idea about this.
> This, right here is what I love about our BYH forums! Without questions, without each other I would not have even seen that.
> There is more info than I remember being on there. I'm going to scope it out now!
> Sorry Mike for hijacking your journal.



Haha that was actually where i just went too. I think Oreo needs treated for Cocci which means everyone probly does. Still reading it and thanks for mentioning the cocci kiling adults a few years ago because I wouldn't even have though of it otherwise.


----------



## misfitmorgan

Southern by choice said:


> Your welcome... but this is cool... as I went to look up the link for you one of the articles caught my eye. I had not seen the one on coccidia control!  I just read through it. I had no idea about this.
> This, right here is what I love about our BYH forums! Without questions, without each other I would not have even seen that.
> There is more info than I remember being on there. I'm going to scope it out now!
> Sorry Mike for hijacking your journal.



I also, by proxy got lead here when searching for pellets.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S187114131300468X


----------



## Mike CHS

Southern by choice said:


> @misfitmorgan  & Mike The ASRPC has done a great deal of research on this. This link gives quite a few studies.
> https://www.wormx.info/sl
> 
> We have wild lespedeza here and our goats do not eat it unless they need it and it must be fresh. They won't eat the hay or pelleted form. Just fresh cut stalks.




Thank you.  Gregg covered so many topics with so many different speakers that day that it all ran together.


----------



## Mike CHS

I never mind a hijack since most of the time they are full of info.


----------



## Mike CHS

We had been looking at possibly using the new Bioworma product until we sat down and crunched the numbers now that Premier1 has prices listed.  Based on the recommended applications for a herd of 30 sheep, you would be adding $540 a month to the cost of the those sheep.  That comes out to the equivalence of 3500 pounds of feed for our custom blend so the already narrow profit margin just went negative.


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Mike CHS said:


> We had been looking at possibly using the new Bioworma product until we sat down and crunched the numbers now that Premier1 has prices listed.  Based on the recommended applications for a herd of 30 sheep, you would be adding $540 a month to the cost of the those sheep.  That comes out to the equivalence of 3500 pounds of feed for our custom blend so the already narrow profit margin just went negative.



Yeah, just breed for parasites resistant sheep!


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Mike CHS said:


> We had been looking at possibly using the new Bioworma product until we sat down and crunched the numbers now that Premier1 has prices listed.  Based on the recommended applications for a herd of 30 sheep, you would be adding $540 a month to the cost of the those sheep.  That comes out to the equivalence of 3500 pounds of feed for our custom blend so the already narrow profit margin just went negative.




Don't  you think in time the price  of the Bioworma will go down..??? ..it does on most every new product. ...how many farmers can afford to use it at the current pricing.  Ummm not many, ...darn, i was really looking forward to using  it


----------



## Mike CHS

If I was only raising a few sheep to train dogs I would probably use it but on our scale you would lose something on every animal you sold.  I love the concept though.


----------



## Baymule

That Garlic Barrier looks better and better, doesn't it?


----------



## misfitmorgan

I'm sure the price will go down once Premier isnt the only place selling it.


----------



## Mike CHS

I stopped by TSC yesterday since I needed a bit of 14 gauge wire to use on some repairs around the fence line. I don't need a lot but I did notice the 1/2 mile roll was on sale for $46.95.  I didn't need anywhere near that much so picked up the smaller 1/4 mile roll and didn't check the price since I assumed it would be under $20. The cashier rang it up and surprised me when the total came out to $49.95. I asked her to double check the price and she said that's what came up.  I was the only one in the store so asked her to hold up a minute while I went back to check the prices.  She was correct so I put the short roll on the shelf and took the larger 1/2 mile roll to the counter.  Math isn't my strong suit but it doesn't take much math to figure that one out.


----------



## Bruce

Nope. I don't know why but often the smaller quantity is far more expensive per unit of measure though I don't know that I've seen it where the smaller package costs more.


----------



## misfitmorgan

Mike CHS said:


> I stopped by TSC yesterday since I needed a bit of 14 gauge wire to use on some repairs around the fence line. I don't need a lot but I did notice the 1/2 mile roll was on sale for $46.95.  I didn't need anywhere near that much so picked up the smaller 1/4 mile roll and didn't check the price since I assumed it would be under $20. The cashier rang it up and surprised me when the total came out to $49.95. I asked her to double check the price and she said that's what came up.  I was the only one in the store so asked her to hold up a minute while I went back to check the prices.  She was correct so I put the short roll on the shelf and took the larger 1/2 mile roll to the counter.  Math isn't my strong suit but it doesn't take much math to figure that one out.



That is weird. Redbrand 1/2 mile 14 gauge is on sale here for $45(normal price $50) but 1/4 mile 14 gauge is normal price $31. 17 gauge is $30/$16.50


----------



## Mike CHS

I looked on the net this morning and it wasn't a fluke and prices are all over the place.  I expect to pay more for smaller sizes as a convenience factor but I guess I have never bought the shorter rolls.


----------



## promiseacres

yep... our rural king stores are TERRIBLE about this.. my kids hate b/c I'm always pulling out my calculator to double check the unit prices....Walmart is bad too... toliet paper can be one of the worse ones...


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> I stopped by TSC yesterday since I needed a bit of 14 gauge wire to use on some repairs around the fence line. I don't need a lot but I did notice the 1/2 mile roll was on sale for $46.95. I didn't need anywhere near that much so picked up the smaller 1/4 mile roll and didn't check the price since I assumed it would be under $20.


What type wire is this?
Net?
Single solid strand? 
HT or low carbon?


----------



## misfitmorgan

Those we


Mike CHS said:


> I looked on the net this morning and it wasn't a fluke and prices are all over the place.  I expect to pay more for smaller sizes as a convenience factor but I guess I have never bought the shorter rolls.


Those were the prices at our TSC...weird your TSC has the 1/4 mile roll priced so high. I know smaller you pay more per length or unit but that much more is ridiculous.


----------



## Wehner Homestead

@Mike CHS you’ve mentioned using garlic and DE for your sheep. Would you mind sharing more details? I’m thinking that making these a part of our program would be helpful. I realize that they can’t be solely relied on to eliminate worms BUT if I can keep counts down without actual wormers that means more milk for DD2 as I don’t have to worry about withdrawal times.


----------



## Mike CHS

@Wehner Homestead we use the garlic concentrate (drench) when fecals show up to 700 and if they hold steady there we don't worm.  When fecal shows climbing we do worm those.  I add DE to our bulk feed as I empty it out of the bags not only to use for the sheep but it kills any bugs that might have come in with the feed and I add enough to lightly cover the feed when I put it out. 

When we bring them in to check hooves, we drench every one of them and we also add the garlic to the feeders about once a week and I put feed right on top of that.  They really seem to love it as none is left behind. We do fecals in batches driven as much by body score as anything else and we now have enough history on the adults that we mostly do those that have shown high counts and random on the others.  I like to maintain our ewes as near to prime as possible without letting them get fat and it seems to work for us now after that last never ending rain cycle.  Those that have shown a high worm load over the last couple of cycles will be culled when the lambs go to market.

What we are doing is not the least bit scientific but it seems to be working after turning my white hair even whiter with the parasite loads late last summer.  We have only had to worm a few of the 32 adults in the last 6 months.


----------



## Hens and Roos

So what dosage amount are you using per pound of sheep?  Wondering if the garlic will end up in the milk and give it a garlic taste as we milk our does.


----------



## Bruce

Garlic milk, best way to keep the vampires away at night!


----------



## Baymule

I can vouch for the great condition their ewes are in. Their sheep are healthy and well cared for. And Teresa showed me how to run fecals! @Devonviolet asked me to show her, so Teresa’s teaching is already spreading out to teach others!


----------



## Baymule

Bruce said:


> Garlic milk, best way to keep the vampires away at night!


Not to mention getting a good dose of wormer for yourself and family LOL


----------



## Bruce

Oh, good point!


----------



## Mike CHS

Hens and Roos said:


> So what dosage amount are you using per pound of sheep?  Wondering if the garlic will end up in the milk and give it a garlic taste as we milk our does.



We give a tbs each plus whatever they pick up with the feed.  I don't know about the garlic taste but I know when I was a kid and if there were a lot of wild onions sprouting, that milk could pick up an onion taste. Considering how big our sheep are though that is a smaller amount than Teresa and I eat on average.  I use garlic by the scoop almost when I'm cooking.


----------



## misfitmorgan

Mike CHS said:


> We give a tbs each plus whatever they pick up with the feed.  I don't know about the garlic taste but I know when I was a kid and if there were a lot of wild onions sprouting, that milk could pick up an onion taste. Considering how big our sheep are though that is a smaller amount than Teresa and I eat on average.  I use garlic by the scoop almost when I'm cooking.



Where do you pick up the concentrate?


----------



## Mike CHS

We get if from Amazon and I'm pretty sure we use the same brand that @Baymule uses.  - It's called Garlic Barrier


----------



## Wehner Homestead

All wonderful information! Thank you!!


----------



## Baymule

http://www.garlicbarrier.com/

read about here, then go find your best price.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Baymule said:


> http://www.garlicbarrier.com/
> 
> read about here, then go find your best price.



We use this same product to spray our yard to help keep mosquitoes and ticks away, looks like I will be trying it out with our goats(maybe not the milking does during the time we are using the milk).


----------



## HomeOnTheRange

So I was reading the article on how you could fed your sheep the Garlic Barrier and came across a term I did not understand.  Maybe someone could help me out:
"Once the kelp is coated with the cooking oil and garlic mixture - get enough salt (sea salt is preferred) and coat all the kelp that you have just mixed with the cooking oil and garlic mixture. Do this only in she shade - not in sunlight. Feed this to the sheep."
What exactly is "she shade"?


----------



## Baymule

Looks like a typo, THE shade, not SHE shade. LOL


----------



## misfitmorgan

Thank you Bay and Mike


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa had a long conversation this morning with the farm I'm going to pick up Max the ram.  It's funny that they got into raising sheep almost exactly like we did. and have had them for going on 8 years.  They also had never had sheep before they bought their 25 acres and immediately stocked it with registered Katahdins.  He is my age and she is the same age as Teresa.


----------



## Bruce

Twin farms!


----------



## misfitmorgan

Holy Crud $75 for a gallon 

It's just garlic juice why are they marking it up so much? I think I'm just going to buy a bag of garlic at walmart for $5 and food processor it, then strain and mix in 0.08oz citric acid and 1 gallon of oil. 20oz bag of garlic should make 16oz of puree or something close. Should be the same or really close, as long as it has 12.5% garlic per teaspoon it should work.


----------



## misfitmorgan

Mike CHS said:


> Teresa had a long conversation this morning with the farm I'm going to pick up Max the ram.  It's funny that they got into raising sheep almost exactly like we did. and have had them for going on 8 years.  They also had never had sheep before they bought their 25 acres and immediately stocked it with registered Katahdins.  He is my age and she is the same age as Teresa.



That's irony for you. When does Max get picked up?


----------



## CntryBoy777

I know ya are anxious to bring Maxwell to his new home....


----------



## Mike CHS

misfitmorgan said:


> That's irony for you. When does Max get picked up?



They are just north of St. Joseph, MO.  I'll drive up Sunday and load him up on Monday.  There are a ton of sheep closer but the bloodlines are almost all the same.  Ringo originally came out of Virginia to his first home for the same reason.


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> I know ya are anxious to bring Maxwell to his new home....



I'm anxious to get him here and settled in.  He will be with the cows for awhile until the ewes get back into shape.  The oldest lambs get weaned this week and the ewes have already started to look great.


----------



## misfitmorgan

Can't wait to see him at your place on all that nice green grass and beautiful pastures.


----------



## greybeard

Baymule said:


> http://www.garlicbarrier.com/
> 
> read about here, then go find your best price.


https://www.amazon.com/Insect-Repellent-Garlic-Barrier-Concentrate/product-reviews/B001FFTGP4


----------



## misfitmorgan

greybeard said:


> https://www.amazon.com/Insect-Repellent-Garlic-Barrier-Concentrate/product-reviews/B001FFTGP4



You can't use the 32oz


----------



## B&B Happy goats

misfitmorgan said:


> You can't use the 32oz




I get the same garlic barrier as @Mike.....we have 8 goats, the garlic barrier is SUPER concentrate and lasts for a long time.I keep it in a large zip lock bag in the fridge...
Not sure if you would the same results if making it yourself.....well worth the price


----------



## misfitmorgan

B&B Happy goats said:


> I get the same garlic barrier as @Mike.....we have 8 goats, the garlic barrier is SUPER concentrate and lasts for a long time.I keep it in a large zip lock bag in the fridge...
> Not sure if you would the same results if making it yourself.....well worth the price



The ingredients are 99.3% garlic 0.05% citric acid 0.02% preservative...not sure how the results could be different. The citric acid is for freshness and color preservation. The 32oz is 10% garlic juice thats why you have to buy the gallon size it is 12.49% which is the one used in the studies.

The 10% probly helps but the site itself clearly says you must use the gallon size. It's is not a concentrate really at all, it's just diluted to be used depending on application. 32oz bottle is 10% garlic and 90% water, they have simply partially diluted it for you. Raw garlic is of course 100% garlic so technically if you just made your own out of raw garlic you would be getting a higher % of "concentrate" at 12.5%

It's only diluted because the actual dosage is less then 1/16th of 1 drop of garlic


----------



## Mike CHS

I don't see how it could hurt to do your own since the percentages are broken out already.


----------



## misfitmorgan

Mike CHS said:


> I don't see how it could hurt to do your own since the percentages are broken out already.



I'm certainly going to try it. Atm $5 fits into the budget a lot better then $75, so we shall see. I'm going to take a fecal to the vet before I start the garlic and then i will do one after, maybe a month later


----------



## Mike CHS

That's how we have been checking the results except Teresa processes the stools.  Of our 32 (at the time) only 3 didn't show positive results and they have had weak immune systems all along.


----------



## Mike CHS

We got most of our raised garden beds weeded and tilled today and really enjoyed a little taste of spring.


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> We got most of our raised garden beds weeded and tilled today and really enjoyed a little taste of spring.


Can't do much with the garden yet here. It snowed again yesterday, not much but the ground is covered.


----------



## Bruce

Same here. It is melting now.


----------



## Mike CHS

I was happy to see the sun go down and all of the racket slow down.  When we talked to our neighbors to tell them why there was so much noise they were happy to hear that we weren't slaughtering all of our sheep.  They had no idea how much noise a weaning bunch of sheep can make.  Not to mention the ewes standing at the gate yelling at the top of their range hoping to get back through the gate.

Y'all have a great rest of the weekend as I'm heading north tomorrow morning after chores and will probably be back on BYH Monday night.


----------



## Baymule

Going to go get Maxwell!!! I hope you have a good trip and come home safely. Can’t wait to see pictures of Maxwell in those lovely green pastures you have.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Safe trip!!.....I know ya are anxious to get him settled.....


----------



## misfitmorgan

I hope the trip to get Max went well!

Yes weaning lambs and their moms can be very loud


----------



## Mike CHS

The trip was long but we got here safely.


----------



## Baymule

A hard trip, but well worth it for what Maxwell can bring to your flock.


----------



## Mike CHS

I miss Ringo!!!  When you want to rotate to another paddock, you just go to a gate and call his name.  He would head that way and not long after, the ewes would follow along and we would all walk through the gate or gates depending how far we were moving.  Max ran through the netting while we were setting up and in with the senior ewes so I had them follow me into another paddock while I moved Max back to the original one.  This time I left Teresa at the gate where the hot wire was connected to make sure it was hot this time.  He tested it three or four times and finally decided it hurt enough to leave it alone but he still wasn't in the paddock where I wanted him.  I went and got some feed but he was obsessed with staring at the ewes and not paying any attention to me.

The better graze is in the paddock I wanted to move him to, not to mention the water so I went and got Lance.  Max's home farm has a Border Collie so he knew that game and after getting pushed up the field a bit, he decided enough was enough and butted the heck out of Lance. Max got bit for the effort and I'm pretty sure that was a first since he backed off and started playing the game a bit better but still not going where I wanted.  About this time Teresa came home so we got both Sassy and Lance in the field and started pushing him up the field. Max decided enough of that two dog stuff and went trotting up into the paddock where I wanted him. 

Tonight we start working on getting his trust (without the dogs).


----------



## frustratedearthmother

The dogs sure do come in handy and I'll bet they were happy to have some work.  But, I'm sure  you'd like Max to be as well behaved as Ringo was so you don't have to use the dogs.  Has he discovered animal crackers yet?


----------



## Mike CHS

He hasn't gotten that curious yet but I'll start putting a couple of Animal Crackers in the feed bowl. It takes time.  Even Ringo wasn't the way he is now when we first got him.  It was only a month or so when he discovered that a brush felt good and he just kept getting better from there.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I guess Max was sizing up the new routine....and Lance and Sassy aided in his decision making.....I'm  sure it won't take too long before he knows the gates and gets with the "program".....


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm pretty sure Max has never been bitten before.  Sassy won't counter attack but Lance will every time and most sheep don't try it a second time.  He has worked cattle so he's pretty tough.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

It's  going to be fun following your journey training Max......


----------



## Mike CHS

B&B Happy goats said:


> It's  going to be fun following your journey training Max......



It's more a matter of Max training me as to what he will tolerate and what he won't.    I already learned he doesn't like to be double teamed by dogs so that's a plus.    The dogs work well as a team and I haven't seen a sheep yet that won't go in the opposite direction when both of them are working.


----------



## Baymule

It may take Max awhile to come around, but he will. He may not know it, but he just won the Ram Lottery and he has a great home.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> It may take Max awhile to come around, but he will. He may not know it, but he just won the Ram Lottery and he has a great home.



I'm patient and he so far seems to want to be a partner so it should work pretty fast.


----------



## misfitmorgan

I definitely think time is the key. Max will get better esp after he gets used to the scent of the Ewes around and is done staring at them all the time. Everything is new after he settles in a bit he should be easier to work/train. Whenever we got new horses we used to let them go out on pasture for 3 days before touching them...as the older peoples used to say, it lets them get all the piss and vinegar out.


----------



## Baymule

I must be old people too, cause I say “full of piss and vinegar”.  LOL


----------



## B&B Happy goats

@Baymule  I say that too


----------



## misfitmorgan

If I'm honest I use it too, I just recall my grandparents and more knowledgeable horse people saying it when I was young...so thats how I think of it. Most of the "my generation" and down don't know the saying it seems.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

I'm  almost 67 and full of piss and vinegar. .....and i love it and feel great


----------



## CntryBoy777

Don't get to "twisting and shouting" just yet, ya may just spill some of it out....ya are so Full!!..........


----------



## B&B Happy goats

you sure are a funny guy...


----------



## Mike CHS

We got the latest lambs ear tagged.  I've been cutting grass on the neighbors property to feed the lambs in the dry lot and also taking some to the ewes in the lambing pen.

I put the last of our beef ribs on the smoker to cook while we do other things and they are smelling yummy.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I bet they are worth "traveling" for....I know the company sure is.....


----------



## Rammy

Im close. Be there in a hour and a half!


----------



## Mike CHS

I put two of them in the freezer but there is enough of the third one left.


----------



## Mike CHS

The beef ribs were delicious.

We have made some progress with Max.  At least he now acts like I'm not going to kill him when I go out and he will come down to take feed.  I don't have a mineral feeder in the field he is in so I'm adding mineral to the feed that he gets.  The cows try to take charge of the feed bowls but I keep them off of his.  He is pretty smart and is figuring out that I'm not as bad as he originally thought since I haven't brought back the evil dogs. He will never be tame but that is OK since he is a ram.


----------



## Baymule

So when do we get to see pictures?


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> So when do we get to see pictures?



I haven't taken the camera out since I wasn't sure if Barney and Max were going to be friends or deadly enemies.  Barney would lay his head across Max's back and kind of nuzzle but then Barney would push Max away.  I was watching and Max would do a back move like he was going to head butt Barney but it was slow mo and no action so it was all play acting.  Barney does the same play move so it seems they have set up a behavior that works for them. They are all together all day long so it appears to be working so far.


----------



## Baymule

That sounds cute, you ought to get a picture of that.


----------



## Mike CHS

We are making a bit of progress with Max.  He comes running down when I come in the gate to see what I'm bringing.  He acts calm when I offer up the bucket and lets me put a hand on him without freaking out.  I don't do anything other than a light touch and he seems to accept it.  We still have a month or so to go before he goes in with the girls as we are still waiting on three of the yearlings to lamb so we can finally get back to a single herd instead of three.  I have one paddock that has rye grass knee high that I need to let sheep on before long.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Yay for progress!


----------



## Rammy

Mike CHS said:


> We are making a bit of progress with Max.  He comes running down when I come in the gate to see what I'm bringing.  He acts calm when I offer up the bucket and lets me put a hand on him without freaking out.  I don't do anything other than a light touch and he seems to accept it.  We still have a month or so to go before he goes in with the girls as we are still waiting on three of the yearlings to lamb so we can finally get back to a single herd instead of three.  I have one paddock that has rye grass knee high that I need to let sheep on before long.


Yeah, that nice pretty green grass I saw when I was there. They're going to love that!


----------



## Mike CHS

A little touch of spring picture.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Does the RIR still lay on the porch by the door...in the flower pot?......


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> Does the RIR still lay on the porch by the door...in the flower pot?......



Unfortunately, that is one of the hens we lost to the racoon last fall before I took care of it.


----------



## CntryBoy777

The tulips are nice!!...but, when I saw the hen....my mind "flashed" the pic of the one sitting in the pot....so, I had to ask....


----------



## Baymule

You have beautiful grassy pastures! Looking out over your pastures, the sheep grazing peacefully, that is living! The tulips are so pretty!


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> A little touch of spring picture.


Looks just like my place! Minus the green and the flowers. The daffodils are starting to poke up though.


----------



## Mike CHS

The grass is growing in overdrive.  The lambing paddock has been eaten down pretty low but I have been cutting fresh grass for them and the lambs in the dry lot so this is a time of bounty.


----------



## Mike CHS

When I went out to give the senior ewes some feed, I started pulling out clumps of shedding hair off of them.  A couple of them enjoyed it so much that they ignored the feed to give me time to pull out long strips of hair.  Even the big black ewe stood still while I worked on her and she normally doesn't like to be handled a lot.


----------



## Bruce

I bet that shedding hair gets pretty itchy. Clearly they were appreciative.


----------



## Mike CHS

It's time to break out the chain saw.  This poor tree may need to come the rest of the way down since this is the second time that over half of it broke.  The first time was several years ago when a tornado through our old stock trailer into it.

The bottle lambs were in this pen but laying at the other end of it.


----------



## Rammy

Mike CHS said:


> It's time to break out the chain saw.  This poor tree may need to come the rest of the way down since this is the second time that over half of it broke.  The first time was several years ago when a tornado through our old stock trailer into it.
> 
> The bottle lambs were in this pen but laying at the other end of it.
> View attachment 61069


Is it a Bradford pear? That happened to me with a tree I had. Several storms happened that snapped off one part, then another, til I finally had it removed. Thankfully no damage from the storms last night. The last bad one we had, which was when I was down to meet you and Bay, it ripped off the chicken coop roof tin right over thier roost poles.


----------



## Mike CHS

It is a Bradford Pear.  I had several others that I have already taken out.  This one survived the storms last night but gave it up with the gusts we are having today.


----------



## Mike CHS

About half way through getting the wood off of the fence we heard some cracking and another of the big forks in the tree let go and came down.   Since we had the fence clear we decided to not try and fight with the wind anymore today.


----------



## Rammy

Probably a good thing. Certainly not something worth getting hurt over!


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Are you going to remove the whole tree ?  We had water oaks, and topped  several and cut some down, sure can causes alot of damage with falling branches.


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm going to take it all down but it's tall enough to hit the fence in two directions so we're going to have to work it a bit at a time.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Can't say I blame you, as much as i don't  like taking trees down. Sometimes they just got to go....ones i know we can do are ok...it' the ones I have to pay to have taken down that make me crazy...


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## CntryBoy777

I had Gabbie out this afternoon and she was hanging around under one of the huge oaks here.....seabreeze was kicking 15mph....and the limbs 50-75' swaying above us had me a little uneasy.....I told her to come go over here to play with the stick....


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## Mike CHS

We had gusts up to 45 mph for most of the day and steady at 15-20.


----------



## Mike CHS

I was cleaning up the stall since I left it open last night for the sheep to use if they wanted out of the wind and when I left the shop I looked over to the porch area and there was a racoon sitting there.  At least this one I was able to dispatch before it got any chickens. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to be full grown so there is probably more of them around so I'll start setting the trap out again.


----------



## Mike CHS

We had been looking at getting our CWPs for Tennessee since our South Carolina permits are no good anymore.  You can legally carry a weapon in your vehicle in the state but of course that doesn't do any good once you cross the state line.  We found out today that our country Sheriff's Department provides the CWP course and range for the low fee of $50 which goes to an abused children's fund.  The classroom portion is held Friday night and the range time happens starting on Saturday morning.


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## CntryBoy777

My brother in Tn has one and he mentioned to me that it was honored by 20 something other states....so, transporting wouldn't be an issue as long as the state accepts it.....


----------



## Baymule

I am not a fan of Bradford pears. They are pretty in the spring, but that's about it. They have gone wild here and they bloom in the spring, pretty, but useless. The wood is hard, with your woodworking skills, is it a wood that you would want to make something out of? 

We had a lot of huge, dead, rotten trees here, from the 2011 drought. We paid to have them cut down, they were too dangerous for us to tackle.


----------



## Mike CHS

I have tried using some small pieces to turn ink pens and knife handles but it is too wild and never stops twisting (even when it dries).  There may be a trick to making it usable but there are too many other stable woods to make the pear worth the effort.  Not to mention it is not a pretty grained wood.


----------



## Bruce

CntryBoy777 said:


> My brother in Tn has one and he mentioned to me that it was honored by 20 something other states....so, transporting wouldn't be an issue as long as the state accepts it.....


Just have to make an appropriate route when you travel. Vermont has no CWP, it is legal regardless outside of schools, state offices and the like.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Ms is an "open carry state"....so, there isn't a need to get one, unless ya have the desire to "conceal".....


----------



## Mike CHS

The Bradford Pear tree mess is all cleaned up.  There was so many branches after they got cut up that I added 4 separate piles to the area around my burn pile.  That way I can push small batches at a time into the fire with the tractor.  There was almost a cord of firewood that I took to a neighbor since they have a wood burning furnace.

I was hoping to start burning this morning but the wind forecast was high enough that they weren't issuing burn permits.  I was surprised when I tried to get a permit since there was no wind but evidently they had a better weather guesser than my TV one since the wind really came up today.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I fed 2 fires today and got most of the brush stuff burned today, by doing so....trying to get prepared as we can for hurricane season....I have to have some place to store the fallen limbs....they are much bigger than most trees and 50-75' in the air.....


----------



## Mike CHS

I went online and got a burn permit this morning and got all of the Bradford Pear debris gone.  Teresa called the feed store in Alabama the other day and ordered another 1000 lbs of feed so I went down this afternoon and picked that up and  wegot it all out of the bags and into the storage cans. On the way back I stopped at our favorite Vietnamese restaurant and got us a couple orders of Shrimp Spring Rolls so that was supper.

I have been cutting and giving the yearlings and their lambs some of the rye grass for the last several days to get them used to the lush growth since I wanted to put them on that field at least a few hours a day until the ewe that I lost track of has her lamb(s) in the nursery pen.  I was surprised when I called them back into the other pen that they came.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Just Beautiful!!!....such a good contrast of colors.....


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> Just Beautiful!!!....such a good contrast of colors.....




They were in heaven.  The other group was let out on the deer plot graze that I put out in September.  They were also happy.


----------



## Bruce

CntryBoy777 said:


> they are much bigger than most trees and 50-75' in the air.....


Those suckers are HUGE!


----------



## CntryBoy777

And ya really wonder "why" they come running when ya show up??......


----------



## Baymule

You gotta get a burn permit? Here, they issue burn bans when it is dry, but as long as there is not a burn ban, we can light a fire any time we want to. We usually watch the news the night before to see what winds are predicted, get up early and light 'er up. There is only one place that we put a burn pile. Everywhere else is too close to trees or forest. 

Your grass is so lush and gorgeous.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have to get burn permits from late November through mid May.  During those months the wind is prone to a lot of gusting and since people don't think anything of it, they start a fire and the next thing you know, there is a major brush or forest fire.


----------



## Baymule

Yeah, there are some real stupid people out there. Last year, we had worked all day and jumped in the mule to go to the neighbor's for some pineapple upside down cake. When we went out the driveway, right down the road was a grass fire. Nobody in sight. We went up the driveway and finally found the home owner, he was looking for a rake to fight the fire with. Hint #1. Fighting fire with a rake? We finally got it out of him that he had called the fire department.

Across the road was hundreds, if not thousands of acres of forest that would have been difficult to fight fire in, had the fire jumped the road. While the owner was raking around his driveway culvert, we bailed out of the mule and beat flames with sweat towels. Hint #2. 25 MPH winds. This guy is a moron.

The huge pile of brush the moron was trying to burn, didn't even catch fire, but his pasture sure did. He lives in Dallas, leases out the 97 acres to cattle and shows up once in awhile to spend the weekend.

We went up and down the road, beating out flames, sure were glad to see the fire department show up. The moron neighbor never spoke to us, thanked us for keeping HIS fire from jumping the road, nothing. That has been our only interaction with the moron in the 4 years we have been living here. I hope he stays in Dallas and never retires here.


----------



## CntryBoy777

It is scary these days and times, just how many are simply "clueless" when it comes to "reality" and the consequences of one's actions and decisions.....not many will accept their own "responsibilty" for such....it is too "tough to Chew on".....


----------



## Rammy

Some idiot here started a fire when it was windy. Fire department came and put it out. It came within 200 yards of my barn from ten or so acres from me. I was beating it with a shovel and spraying with a hose as far as it would reach to put it out. Dumb a$$.


----------



## Bruce

We don't need a permit if there is snow on the ground.


----------



## Rammy

Permit? I dont need no stinkin' permit.....


----------



## greybeard

No permit needed here either, tho the Forest Service does want us to advise them in advance if we are going to do a burn of any size. 
The foresters all told us at one of the SE Tx cattle symposium, that at least or even more important than watching wind velocity, is humidity. Wet or moisture laden grass won't burn and moisture in humid air extinguishes flying sparks and embers well before they can fall back to the ground hot. 
(watch a brush pile burn at night and the amount of sparks going up hundreds of feet in the air can be downright scary...more so when you see how many make it back down to ground in low humidity periods)

FS does thousands of acres of National Forest prescribed burns here every year, even near housing developments and farms  and they don't care what the wind is doing, but have a definite go-nogo limit in regards to relative humidity.


----------



## Wehner Homestead

We are supposed to report controlled burns if we are burning anything of decent size. This keeps the fire department from being called out by every person that sees the smoke. When in doubt, the fire department calls to check in and make sure that the burn is still under control before calling the crew out.


----------



## Mike CHS

We are in a wildfire prone area so I don't mine following the few rules that are in place. Most of the brush/forest fires we have had around us are usually something silly on a day when nobody should start a fire.


----------



## High Desert Cowboy

Every spring everyone starts burning their irrigation ditches and generally there’s never a problem.  Outside of that it’s recommended that you inform the county so that if someone calls in a fire they know it’s contained.  Of course last year with so many fires in the state and being so dry there was no burning outside of the irrigation ditches period.  I understand a burn permit but like most permits I feel like they’re just trying to get a little more money out of you


----------



## Mike CHS

High Desert Cowboy said:


> I understand a burn permit but like most permits I feel like they’re just trying to get a little more money out of you



Not in this case as they cost nothing.  It just keeps the state and county folks from having to chase down every report of smoke.


----------



## greybeard

Phone calls to forest service and nearest fire dept are cheap. There's no reason NOT to let them know. None of us should ever do anything that endangers or puts at risk neighboring property, assets or other people's livestock. It's just part of being good neighbors and good stewards of the land..ours and theirs.

When I had all those huge burn piles after cleaning up after the loggers, I called Tx Forest service and they came out to look at it all since I live right next to the National Forest. They said I was good to go, and if needed, they'd drop a little dozer off here and put a crew on standby if anything got out of control. The day before the burn, I called them back and they said the humidity was high enough they didn't think a dozer would be needed on my place and they were doing a big burn of their own on other side of the county and might need it there anyway.

One of my nearest neighbors let a leaf pile fire get out of control and into the National Forest and they had to come out and extinguish it. They let her off the hook, but did tell her they could have fined her and make her pay restitution for Govt property damage.
(for those not familiar with the prescribed burns, it's to burn off underbrush in the forest...not the trees. I wish they would do a burn in the forest area right next to me, but they probably won't.)


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Not in this case as they cost nothing.  It just keeps the state and county folks from having to chase down every report of smoke.


I think that is the case here as well.


----------



## High Desert Cowboy

A permit that doesn’t cost anything? That’s a great idea!


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Your right about people being stupid with fire....... (and what they burn)  All our neighbor burn thier houdehold trash and we have two that  burn plastic, a radio, anything ! And the one that makes goat sounds had disembodied  a motor home, the burned everything they tore out.
I t was so toxic and discusting. ....oh the stupidity of humanity sometimes


----------



## greybeard

Anyone that burns household/kitchen garbage is burning plastic. It's all but impossible not to nowadays, considering everything except can goods now comes in 'plastic' of some kind.

I'll burn anything except a tire or a garden hose, and I can tell ya, pound for pound, vinyl garden hoses smoke WAY worse than any tire.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Around here , the dump is only three miles away....most people are too lazy and dump trash on the side of the road or burn it, i have no problem with burning paper, cardboard or wood....but vacume cleaners, old radios, motor home interiors give off  some nasty smells that we can't  even stay outside in, and i am pretty sure it's  not a healthy smoke to inhale for humans or animals..
I just would like people to have some consideration for the people around them and the animals that have to breath .


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa and I had a fun day at the county sheriffs headquarters on their gun range.  I have to give it to our country Sheriff's organization.  They made the classroom and range time safe and enjoyable as well as informative.  There was 12 people in the class and interestingly all except one person had moved here from other states and had a CWP issued by those states.


----------



## Mike CHS

Feeding time on the dry lot was a lot easier tonight with all of the ram lambs gone to the sale.

The bottle lambs have figured out they are faster than us so we put up some electric netting around the 10x10 kennel they use at night.  That way we can let them stay out all day if they want and graze in the yard.  Other than at feeding time we aren't handling them much and are letting them in with the main herd when they are up.  They are getting plenty of interaction with the other lambs so it won't be too much of a shock when we wean them.  They still come running when they see the milk bucket heading toward their pen.

They found out pretty quick that it hurts when they put their noses to it.


----------



## Baymule

Those bottle babies are pretty darn smart. But they aren't as smart as y'all are.


----------



## Mike CHS

I love spring. The two flocks are finally settling into a routine. The senior ewes pretty much stayed off by themselves for the first couple of days but they quickly got back in the habit of joining the others to see if there might be some treats at the stall.  The lambs are getting a small amount of creep feed but the grass is so lush out there at the moment they only get enough to keep them coming when I call.

The other picture is 'just because' she is so cute.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Her markings are so unique - she almost looks like she stepped in a bucket of paint on that front leg.


----------



## Mike CHS

There is a ram lamb with identical markings from the ewe that we are pretty sure is her mom


----------



## Mike CHS

Max is coming around.  When I went out to feed him and the cows, I reached down and pulled loose a big patch of shedding hair.  Evidently he liked the way it felt and stood there while I got the majority of the shedding hair pulled off.


----------



## Rammy

Mike CHS said:


> I love spring. The two flocks are finally settling into a routine. The senior ewes pretty much stayed off by themselves for the first couple of days but they quickly got back in the habit of joining the others to see if there might be some treats at the stall.  The lambs are getting a small amount of creep feed but the grass is so lush out there at the moment they only get enough to keep them coming when I call.
> 
> The other picture is 'just because' she is so cute.
> 
> View attachment 61464
> View attachment 61465


Mike's little buddy!


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> There is a ram lamb with identical markings from the ewe that we are pretty sure is her mom


She is gorgeous, I love her ears! Your pastures are beautiful, so green!


----------



## Mike CHS

We went to the Amish auction this afternoon.  They have only been open for two weeks now but carry hanging flower baskets, garden bedding plants and some early food items like onions and strawberries.

We picked up two flats of tomatoes, a flat of Crimson Sweet Watermelons, a flat of yellow squash and a couple hanging baskets of flowers.  We still have 40-50 pounds of chopped bell peppers in the freezer so I just got a few of them to use fresh and a few Jalapeno peppers.  Both flats of tomatoes were a bigger version of the Mountain Fresh tomatoes that we grew last year.  They had great taste but were on the small side.  We got nice healthy plants for right at 60 cents a plant.


----------



## HomeOnTheRange

True pasture envy!   The boar goats would be monstrous on that!  Incredible job Mike!


----------



## Baymule

Nothing beats fresh veggies from the garden! Pouring down rain here, been raining since last night, going to rain all night. It will be good for my garden and especially the WEEDS!


----------



## Mike CHS

If you are getting it now we should get it tomorrow.  We have actually had perfect weather for the last week or so.


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## Baymule

I dumped 1 1/2" from the rain gauge at 2 PM, it will rain all night. The news showed parts of Tyler with flooded streets, we are under flash flood watch. Don't matter to us, we ain't going nowhere! said in my best Texas drawl.....


----------



## Mike CHS

The rain got here earlier than forecast.  We went in to the CO-OP and bought a pallet of pelleted lime to put on a couple of the paddocks.  I got 45 of the 60 bags spread when the sky opened up.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Did ya mark the spot ya left off at?.....


----------



## Rammy

CntryBoy777 said:


> Did ya mark the spot ya left off at?.....


----------



## B&B Happy goats

X2.


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> Did ya mark the spot ya left off at?.....



The two fields I'm working in are going to get seeded so I'm cutting it as I'm spreading the lime so it's pretty easy to see where I stopped.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Oh how I admire someone  who works smater than harder


----------



## CntryBoy777

Are ya seeding it with a mix or ya adding to what ya already grow.....oh, now I remember...the red crabgrass, right?....can't wait to see how that turns out.....gonna basically watch and see what presents itself here....for now, and look to head in a direction by fall.....


----------



## Mike CHS

The paddock I'm adding it to already has some good cool season grasses and the Crab Grass is more hot weather.  I'll over seed with some clover later on in the fall.  The paddock I put the deer plot mix on has come in great on really marginal soil.


----------



## Baymule

What are you using to spread the lime?

We got a total of 3 1/4" of rain. Tornadoes struck San Augustine, south and east of us, About a couple hours away.


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> The paddock I'm adding it to already has some good cool season grasses and the Crab Grass is more hot weather.  I'll over seed with some clover later on in the fall.  The paddock I put the deer plot mix on has come in great on really marginal soil.


The last deer plot I put in was mostly Austrian peas, ryegrass, brassica, and oats. Might have had some chicory and soy in there too but it grew really good and stayed green thru the hot spring we had. Did some wheat one year but wasn't impressed with it.


----------



## greybeard

Baymule said:


> What are you using to spread the lime?
> 
> We got a total of 3 1/4" of rain. Tornadoes struck San Augustine, south and east of us, About a couple hours away.


Bryan too.
https://www.click2houston.com/weath...ornado-damage-after-storms-roll-through-texas

We didn't get any weather at all except the temps dropped a little. No rain, no wind.


----------



## Mike CHS

We had a lot of wind (still do) but most of the storms went around us.  Nashville and the NFL draft got plenty wet.

I have a pull behind seed broadcast spreader that holds three bags at a time so it's not fast but it works.


----------



## Mike CHS

greybeard said:


> The last deer plot I put in was mostly Austrian peas, ryegrass, brassica, and oats. Might have had some chicory and soy in there too but it grew really good and stayed green thru the hot spring we had. Did some wheat one year but wasn't impressed with it.



This has pretty much similar but also has a lot of red clover.  The sheep don't seem to care for it but the cows do. The sheep would probably like it more if they weren't getting so full of the rye grass in the next paddock over.


----------



## Baymule

Red clover (it's really kinda pinkish) or crimson clover? We have the crimson, it gets tall and thick. It reseeded from last year and we got even more of it. It is a good soil conditioner too.


----------



## Mike CHS

It's Crimson Clover.


----------



## greybeard

I can never get Crimson to grow long enough to go to seed and it barely flowers. The deer keep it eaten down almost to the dirt.


----------



## Mike CHS

I got the lime put down but still need to get another pallet full next week.  It's nice and sunny out but the wind is steady at 15 out of the WNW with gusts so it never did warm up above the low 70's.

One of us (probably me) failed to latch the chain on the gate to the dry lot this morning and shortly I came in out of the field to eat lunch, I started hearing lambs yelling outside from a direction I should not be hearing them from.  I went out to the back door and all 8 of the ewe lambs are looking in the back storm door from the driveway yelling for me to come out.  I walked out and walked them all back down to the pen and gave them some food as a reward and they were happy.  They can see us whenever we go in or out that door so at least they knew where to come to find their humans.


----------



## Bruce

Smart lambs.
We are going to warm up to the low 40s the next 3 days. Then to the upper 40s.


----------



## Baymule

That's funny. I forgot to latch Ringo's gate this morning. We let the girls out in the yard to graze and before too long, he joined them. We got them put up and foiled his romantic ideas.  Not yet, big boy, no yet.


----------



## Mike CHS

The grass that I cut yesterday evening to give this morning had started to ferment and had an off smell so I dumped it out. Since we had a heavy dew this morning it's too wet to cut this morning so rather than give the lambs in the dry lot hay, I just let them out and stayed with them till they had their fill.  When they had enough, they headed back toward their pen on their own but I gave them a small bit of feed to keep them in the habit of doing so.  Even in a dry lot I try to keep them satisfied which makes them so much easier to handle.


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm ready for the weekend to be over.  Yesterday I got caught up on all of the perimeter grass in the lanes and the driveway.  Plus I spent about an hour and a half mowing the neighbors grass that I cut for the sheep when needed.  We have an arrangement where he doesn't cut the section bordering our property because he has no way of knowing how much I can use for feed.  Up until two weeks ago I was cutting for our entire herd but now that our pastures are able to support most of the sheep I am not feeding the main herd.  The ewes on the dry lot eat a big portion of it and of course we will be weaning the younger lambs fairly soon so that will up the grass I can use.

I spent a little over three hours this morning with the weed eater trimming from the county road and along our driveway back to the house which is a little over 1500' long.  I'm getting ready to start spraying herbicide along the driveway but I wanted it short before spraying it.  Dead, brown grass is pretty unattractive but tall, dead brown grass is REALLY unattractive which is why I used the weed eater for the full length of the ditches.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Just reading that has my shoulders burning, forearms shaking, and legs screaming.........how is Max settling in and are ya searching for a partner for Maisy?.....


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> Just reading that has my shoulders burning, forearms shaking, and legs screaming.........how is Max settling in and are ya searching for a partner for Maisy?.....



That Stihl does get heavy but I use a shoulder strap that holds most of the weight.

Max is settling in well.  He patiently stood in one spot the other day while I pulled off about 10 pounds of winter coat.  

We aren't looking for another dog.  I haven't seen or heard a coyote in a long time and Maisy hates those Black Vultures so they don't land anywhere that she is.  Between her and the dead Vulture that's hanging from the flocks old roost the Vultures have gotten scarce.


----------



## Baymule

For us, today, back to dragging branches to the burn pile today.


----------



## Mike CHS

I need to trim some trees on the property line but we are going in to get another pallet of lime to do the paddocks that I haven't done yet and that takes most of the day the way I do it.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Baymule said:


> For us, today, back to dragging branches to the burn pile today.



That stinks if it's  really hot out....but take a picture when your done and just pat your exhausted self on the back for getting that job done


----------



## Bruce

And roast some wieners and marshmallows when the fire calms down a bit.


----------



## Rammy

Mike CHS said:


> I need to trim some trees on the property line but we are going in to get another pallet of lime to do the paddocks that I haven't done yet and that takes most of the day the way I do it.


What kind of lime and how much do you pay for a pallet?


----------



## Mike CHS

Rammy said:


> What kind of lime and how much do you pay for a pallet?



It's pellitized calcitic (I think that's what is on the bag.  It was just under $160 a pallet which is 60 40 lb bags. I'm only about 2/3 the way done but had to come in and drink some water.  It isn't as cheap as buying bulk but bulk isn't an option the way I'm set up now.  I didn't do a soil test this year but did one last summer and I wasn't to far off where it should be.


----------



## Baymule

B&B Happy goats said:


> That stinks if it's  really hot out....but take a picture when your done and just pat your exhausted self on the back for getting that job done


 I posted pictures on my I HATE Greenbriars thread. 



Bruce said:


> And roast some wieners and marshmallows when the fire calms down a bit.


Expecting rain starting tomorrow through the weekend for east Texas. We may or may not get the great deluge, when everything is good and wet, we'll burn it. Hotdogs actually sound pretty good.


----------



## Rammy




----------



## Mike CHS

I let the sheep out on some fresh spring growth.  The paddock that they have been in for the last month is starting to get some woody stems as it gets hotter so I'll wind up cutting that.  We are hoping to let the 8 ewes that are in the dry lot back in with the rest in another week or so since their dams are drying up.  We will be weaning the younger lambs in a couple of weeks after we bring in the whole herd to check hooves and give shots to those that are due.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

That is so green and pretty with the sheep and dog, love the rolling hills Mike...nice farm


----------



## greybeard

You definitely got better grass (or at least taller) than I have here........that or my cows are just really hungry after a dismal winter. 
I see lots of comments elsewhere about the grass heading out already, (mostly in the South, SE and up the coast into Va), without much leaf growing...getting too stemmy too quick and just going to seed. KY 31 and most bluegrass. That doesn't bode well for hay production. I haven't seen it happening here yet, but it wouldn't surprise me.


----------



## Mike CHS

That is why I moved them off of the field they were on.  It's a mix of Kentucky 31 and bermuda under rye grass. It's getting about the time to cut the rye and let the bermuda and orchard grass come up.  We are on a small enough scale that it is actually easier for us to buy hay for the winter but we don't use but 5 or 6 round bales.  At $30 a bale it isn't worth it to cut any hay on our place and not use it all for grazing.  At least so far, we have had enough cool season grass to not need a lot of hay but we stock it just in case we don't get the usual heavy rains.


----------



## Mike CHS

Our new ram Max is coming around and hopefully will someday be close to what Ringo is.  He is really close to our smokey steer Barney but him and Fred aren't friendly.  Fred is a bit of a bully but Max has shown him how hard a rams skull is so it doesn't get out of hand. I posted before that Max has had very little hands on contact but we are working on it.  I go out and give the steers and Max some feed twice a day.  I have three bowls out where they are and go out with a bucket of feed and make sure the steers stay off till _I'm ready for them to come in. _I let Max come in for some hands on contact.  He has liked it since the other day when I rid him of all of that shedding hair.  Several days ago I was feeding Max out of a smaller bowl by hand and Fred (Angus) came up and was going to bull (pun intended) Max away from the feed.  I slapped Fred on the neck and he moved off.  Max was almost immediately more susceptible to me.

I am probably adding a lot to his thought process but he went from tolerating touch to actually appearing to want it.  For the last few days, I have been going out and putting feed in the three bowls out there and then moving several feet away from wherever Max is and held a small bowl of feed in front of me.  Max has left the food in the bowl to come over to eat out of the small bowl I'm holding.    That is the same way I worked with Ringo but Ringo had been handled more but so far it seems promising.


----------



## Baymule

Your pastures are beyond beautiful. Love the pictures! 

Maxwell is in good hands. He will come along just fine. Ringo is a pretty good indication of your ram training talents.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Your pastures are beyond beautiful. Love the pictures!
> 
> Maxwell is in good hands. He will come along just fine. Ringo is a pretty good indication of your ram training talents.



_I have said it enough but I'm still happy for where he is.  _


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> We are on a small enough scale that it is actually easier for us to buy hay for the winter but we don't use but 5 or 6 round bales. At $30 a bale it isn't worth it to cut any hay on our place


Understandable. I buy all my hay as well but not anywhere close to $30/roll last couple of years. I couldn't even get my own cut and baled for $30/roll.


----------



## Bruce

greybeard said:


> I see lots of comments elsewhere about the grass heading out already, (mostly in the South, SE and up the coast into Va), without much leaf growing...getting too stemmy too quick and just going to seed.


And then there is here where the grass is just starting to grow.


----------



## Mike CHS

We weighed the two bottle lambs this morning.  They were a month old on the 30th.  Princess is 25 pounds and Taffy is 28 pounds.


----------



## Mike CHS

We weighed the two bottle lambs this morning.  They will be a month old on the 30th.  Princess is 25 pounds and Taffy is 28 pounds.


----------



## Mike CHS

Quick story to note how sheep are NOT so dumb.  I called the sheep back in to the main paddock this morning.  I looked around the other paddock to make sure they all came in and didn't see any.  An hour or so later, our ewe name GeGe came in to the little pen right by the living room window and started bawling.  We looked out and immediately noticed that her lamb was not with her so Teresa went out toward her.  As soon as Teresa got near GeGe, she ran down toward the gate of the paddock that they had been in and she saw GeGe's lamb on the wrong side of the gate.  She evidently had enough thought process to know that she needed help and came to where she knew someone would hear her yelling.


----------



## CntryBoy777

That sure speaks volumes!!.....and reminds me of Lightning, when we had the goats.....on more than one occassion he stood in their yard looking towards the house and crying very loudly until he saw me coming out the door to see what was going on.....it always amazed me, but sure made me feel pretty good that they knew that I would take care of the issue....he really was disturbed when Star was hit by the falling limb and was lying on the ground....the only time there wasn't a good resolution to the situation.....I know ya enjoy having that relationship with your animals, too....it even happens when Callie....the cat.....needs "assistance".....


----------



## Mike CHS

They are awesome critters Fred.  Maisy even often tries in her own way to let us know we are doing something the sheep don't understand.  I don't know if you remember our layout and in the joining fences I have gates on both ends of all of the paddocks.  Yesterday I was calling the sheep in and knowing the shortest distance to the stall is the gate closest to the shop.  Of course I had the far gate open since they had been in the north field straight out from the shop so when I called them, they came to the gate that was closed rather than the one they had been using.  Maisy was in the stall with me eating and heard the sheep bawling because the gate they wanted to go through was closed. Maisy went running out and around through the gate that was open and then went all the way around to the closed gate where the sheep were.  She just looked at me and sat down in front of the gate that needed to be opened and I could almost see the caption over her head that said something like "You called them, the least you could do is open the right gate".


----------



## Baymule

Haha, that is funny. Maisy was clearly telling you, DUH.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Yeh, I remember....and often think back on that short visit on that day.....course I missed out on the "grand tour" cause y'all left me sitting at the table.........the food was sooo Good and Joe had stopped and got something to eat before we got there, but I didn't....can't say that I blame him for being in a rush, cause he did some serious driving that day....sure enjoyed the day tho....and talking to Teresa and a personal tour was really nice.....I still have hopes of getting back up there to visit and spend a bit more time than the last one.....


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Haha, that is funny. Maisy was clearly telling you, DUH.



That girl is special.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have been using our electric netting in a way that was better suited to more permanent fence so yesterday we ran some Intellirope fencing from Premier1. We used that extensively in what is now our lambing paddock but setting up the gates with the Intellirope is less than ideal.  Teresa saw some netting gates on the Premier1 web site and ordered some to set up to replace the netting.  We ran 4 strands of the rope and put a 21' netting gate on each end.  We ran the steers in the electric rope fence without an issue.  It seems every animal touches it once and sometimes twice but unlike me, that is usually all it takes and they don't hit it again.

For those using electric netting, this "gate" adds a good bit of convenience: https://www.premier1supplies.com/p/electronet-gates

The pictures don't clearly show everything but the post on the right has a receiver plate on the ground and we will still use alligator clips to carry the electricity.  The netting on the inside is coming down this morning so we can use it in our rotation.

We have enough High Tensile woven wire to use for this but it only took a little bit over an hour to put the Intellirope fence up and in this state it can be semi-permanent while we make sure we like this layout.


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> The pictures don't clearly show everything but the post on the right has a receiver plate on the ground


Is that similar to using these wedge-loks, but without the 2nd vertical posts--iow, just using the single post where the diagonal posts terminate at the top?
I've never used but I never build temporary fencing.


----------



## Mike CHS

We used Wedge-loc hardware in a couple of small pens that have more rock than dirt.  In those sections post spacing could be anywhere from 5' to 15' depending on whether we could drive posts or not.

The Intellirope we have in one field has T-posts with no bracing at both ends or in this case is anchored on both ends just by tying it to existing fence.  It doesn't take much stretch to keep it tight enough but if a critter decided to go through it, they could.  We have been using it for two years with no issues but it has to be hot all of the time.


----------



## Mike CHS

With our youngest lambs we have one that has really bright blue eyes.  That's the first time that I've seen this trait.


----------



## Baymule

According to the goat ads I see on Craigslist, blue eyes are highly desirable and cost more money. The price on that lamb just went up!


----------



## CntryBoy777

Hope she is a keeper!!....maybe something she can pass on to her young.....


----------



## frustratedearthmother

That's so cool!


----------



## Mike CHS

We need to plan on pulling the younger lambs in a few weeks and integrating the first borns back with the herd.  These girls are so bonded with humans that I'm curious how this all works out.


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> We need to plan on pulling the younger lambs in a few weeks and integrating the first borns back with the herd.  These girls are so bonded with humans that I'm curious how this all works out.



Lucky you are, that they work easy. Sometimes it goes that way here too..........sometimes not.


----------



## Mike CHS

I looked down at the stall and saw one of the lambs standing on Maisy eating out of the creep feeder but by the time I got the camera it had gotten off.  It made for a cute picture even without that.


----------



## CntryBoy777

She is such a pretty girl, too....I've always loved her eyes....it is like she has eyeliner on and it really sets them off....


----------



## Baymule

Brains and beauty too! Don’t you love what these dogs can do.


----------



## Bruce

She loves her sheep!


----------



## Mike CHS

Her eyes are even prettier from about 6" away.    I have always loved the way she can communicate.  I don't always read the signs right away but she is persistent enough to make sure you can figure it out eventually.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Gabbie is the same way, Mike.....when she was young she wet the floor and got "punished" for it...before I realized she was demanding to go out....I had to apologize and told her to make sure she gets my attention.....boy howdy!!....she only had to be told once..........I've learned to "listen" to her much sooner than her staring nose to nose with me.....


----------



## Mike CHS

We got all of the weeds out of three of our raised beds today and got all of the tomatoes planted that we have room for.  I didn't count but there should be 30 something plants in there.  We only planted a dozen bell pepper plants since I have a feeling we won't run out of last seasons peppers till mid summer or later.  If that's the case we will dehydrate the leftovers from last summer and make bell pepper powder.  We only planted a couple Tabasco pepper plants but I only use that to make a vinegar sauce for putting on top of greens.

I have a flat of Crimson Sweet Watermelons started and ready to transplant but I haven't got the big bed weeded yet so it will have to be another day.


----------



## Mike CHS

I just got back in from feeding.  I'm finding it hard to believe that Max was never handled at his old home.  He is gentle and likes scratches and shows literally no sign of aggression toward people.  I'll still keep an eye on him but so far I can see another Ringo type boy.  He comes when I call his name and waits patiently for me to put food out but prefers when I hold a bowl out to him since that's when he gets his scratches.  He did come out of a ram lamb testing program though and they get handled daily so that may still be in his memory.

His winter coat is all gone now and he looks like a different boy.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

That's  a picture of the week photo....


----------



## frustratedearthmother

B&B Happy goats said:


> That's a picture of the week photo....


Agree!


----------



## Mike CHS

I haven't submitted any before but I went ahead and did this one.


----------



## CntryBoy777

He sure is a "looker" and should be a great "centerfielder"....


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> He sure is a "looker" and should be a great "centerfielder"....



I wish I had taken some pictures of his lambs in Missouri when I went to get him.  There is every color in his lambs that Katahdins are capable of having.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

It'll be hard - but we'll have to wait patiently for pictures of the lambs he produces at your place.


----------



## Baymule

I just showed Maxwell's picture to BJ and said, "well, in a few years when Mike replaces Maxwell, I guess we'll go get him." BJ said, "You're kidding, right?"


----------



## Mike CHS

He will have the same kind of attitude so we can cook some more steak.  

Ringo was 231 lbs the last time we had him on a scale and he is heavier than that now.  Max was 169 when weighed before I picked him up but he is just over two years old.


----------



## Baymule

Yesterday after I turned them out in pasture #2, they were all full, fat and happy. Last year, after the sheep tore up the clovers, rye and fescue, the bermuda we sprigged came up and took off. We mowed the left over clovers down and got a fine mat of humus, which tremendously helped that soil. The Bermuda put out runners and got knee deep. I never grazed it again until yesterday, so hoping to have a good stand of Bermuda for the summer, after the sheep graze down the fescue and clovers.


----------



## Mike CHS

I let the ewe lambs out to graze for about an hour this morning.  I just have to start walking down the drive way and they come like magnets. Lance would love to be herding but they aren't stressed this way.


----------



## Baymule

I open a gate to the pasture I want them in, calling SHEEP! SHEEP! SHEEP! They start bawling, I open their gate and they RUN to the other pasture. Ringo just strolls......he looked at me yesterday and I told him he'd better catch up, so he broke into a trot.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> I open a gate to the pasture I want them in, calling SHEEP! SHEEP! SHEEP! They start bawling, I open their gate and they RUN to the other pasture. Ringo just strolls......he looked at me yesterday and I told him he'd better catch up, so he broke into a trot.



He never got to a trot unless there was something he wanted.   It looks like you have completely figured him out at this point. 

It will be awhile before I let Max go outside of a perimeter fence but we are getting there.


----------



## Baymule

His balls hang down nearly to his ankles.  The way they bounce around when he trots, I can see why he never runs.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Poor boy could end up with a black eye...slow trot Bay....s l o w


----------



## Baymule

B&B Happy goats said:


> Poor boy could end up with a black eye...slow trot Bay....s l o w


You do know that they aren't on the same end as his head, right? They are big, but to hit his eye, they'd have to drag the ground three feet behind him!


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Baymule said:


> You do know that they aren't on the same end as his head, right? They are big, but to hit his eye, they'd have to drag the ground three feet behind him!



Give him time, he's  still young....at least when they start  draging ...your such a good sheepople you will carry them for him


----------



## Baymule

Nah, I'd just rig him up a bra. Or would that be a braa-braa?


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Baymule said:


> Nah, I'd just rig him up a bra. Or would that be a braa-braa?


It would be a braa braa 
That sure would be one set of rocky mountian oysters to cook !


----------



## CntryBoy777

Since he is a sheep....it would be "sweetbreads".....but, when it comes to beef, they are called "fries".....and that would give new meaning to the Tim MacGraw song...."You want Fries with That".......


----------



## B&B Happy goats

CntryBoy777 said:


> Since he is a sheep....it would be "sweetbreads".....but, when it comes to beef, they are called "fries".....and that would give new meaning to the Tim MacGraw song...."You want Fries with That".......


----------



## greybeard

Out in West Texas, that's a problem. cactus spines injuring the more 'delicate' parts of livestock.cattle, sheep and goats. 
Low hanging sheath, lazy prepuce (cattle) and low hanging testicles all a cull factor in cattle and/or sheep out there. Prickly pear, huisach, mesquite and other cactus like plants causes frequent udder problems as well.

Saw several good registered rams sent to slaughter because of injuries to their reproductive organs.


----------



## greybeard

CntryBoy777 said:


> Since he is a sheep....it would be "sweetbreads".....but, when it comes to beef, they are called "fries".....and that would give new meaning to the Tim MacGraw song...."You want Fries with That".......


From my own experience, B&B is correct. Lamb fries are often called Rocky Mountain Oysters, as are calf fries tho I've also seen RMO used when talking about fried pig testicles.
Sweetbreads are different and is a name for internal organs like pancreas and a couple others like thymus. I stay away from eating most guts, liver being an exception and I'm pretty picky about liver.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I just know it was the "terms" for those parts at the packing plant that I worked in.....having to pull orders and load the trucks for delivery....


----------



## HomeOnTheRange

Baymule said:


> The way they bounce around when he trots


Do your ears hang low?
Do they wobble to and fro?
Can you tie 'em in a knot?
Can you tie 'em in a bow?
Can you throw 'em o'er your shoulder
Like a continental soldier?
Do your ears hang low?
In this case you can do some substitution...


----------



## Mike CHS

We are getting odd and end things done now that the grass is growing faster than the sheep can keep up with it and the only mowing I'm doing now for feed is for the 8 ewe lambs in the dry lot.  We try and let the bottle lambs in with the main herd every day.  I think Maisy remembers them as "hers" from the night she cleaned them off. Ever since we have been letting them in with the sheep, Maisy goes wherever they go and if she isn't following them, they are following her.


----------



## Mike CHS

This morning when we let the chickens out we saw where something had been trying to dig in the fairly small gap under the gate.  We walked around and found a similar dig at the other end of the pen.  From the size of the scrapes in the dirt, I suspect it's another coon so we set up the trap again.


----------



## Baymule

Maisy is the bottle lambs momma.  

That raccoon better go find another chicken coop to mess with.....


----------



## greybeard

One rarely realizes just how big of a population of raccoons there is just about everywhere, since they are so nocturnal.

Even as few trees as I have ON my property, there are plenty surrounding me and I have a big population of the ringtails. I see the empty mussel shells along the pond edges frequently and have caught them on the deer feeders and even in the calf creep feeders. 
5 in this picture but I've got other pics of this same feeder with twice this many on and around it.


----------



## Mike CHS

We made appointments to get our finger prints done at Spring Hill and while we were there we had an early Mother's Day lunch at a new Mexican restaurant that is there.  Excellent meal but like usual, it was way too much so we brought a big box of food home to give to the chickens.  

Spring Hill used to be a sleepy little town before GM opened a huge plant there and several other major plants opened up there.  It is close enough to Franklin that it will be non stop building from there up through Franklin.  Fortunate for us is that most of the real estate between there and our area would literally require moving small mountains of solid rock to make them usable.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Get em Mike...get em.....i sure understand where you are comming from with the racoons , they will drive you crazy ...


----------



## Rammy

Mike CHS said:


> We made appointments to get our finger prints done at Spring Hill and while we were there we had an early Mother's Day lunch at a new Mexican restaurant that is there.  Excellent meal but like usual, it was way too much so we brought a big box of food home to give to the chickens.
> 
> Spring Hill used to be a sleepy little town before GM opened a huge plant there and several other major plants opened up there.  It is close enough to Franklin that it will be non stop building from there up through Franklin.  Fortunate for us is that most of the real estate between there and our area would literally require moving small mountains of solid rock to make them usable.


Why are you getting your finger prints done?


----------



## Baymule

Rammy said:


> Why are you getting your finger prints done?


Because they want to grow up and become FBI informants.


----------



## Mike CHS

We had to get finger printed as part of the background check to get a Handgun Carry Permit.   Our South Carolina permits became invalid when we switched to Tennessee drivers licenses.


----------



## Mike CHS

When I was coming up the driveway this afternoon I saw a small fox on the slope by the drive.  We called to let the neighbor know that what we figured was a coon is probably a fox instead.  Turns out they have already lost 4 ducks.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Get em Mike...get em....


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Fortunate for us is that most of the real estate between there and our area would literally require moving small mountains of solid rock to make them usable.


Sadly, if there is tax money to be had from development, it will happen.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Sadly, if there is tax money to be had from development, it will happen.



The area east of Franklin is like ours.  They considered it but abandoned the idea since it made it a complete loss.   Of course that could change at any time.


----------



## Bruce

I hope it doesn't change!


----------



## Baymule

As long as they go around your valley, you're good. But the traffic is nutso now, can't imagine what it will be with more development.


----------



## Bruce

Worse! It was bad in So. Cal when I moved 40 years ago. Substantially worse now.


----------



## Mike CHS

In the almost 6 years we have owned our place the area around Franklin has increased its population by over 30%.

We have had non-stop rain all day so I'm going to pull the mower deck from the riding mower and replace the belt that broke yesterday.  I have a new set of blades so they will get replaced while the deck is off.

I have a flat of yellow squash that is getting almost too large to plant with damaging the plants so we'll see how well that goes.  I have a flat of okra that just popped the surface but it will be a couple of weeks before they go into the ground.  I have always grown Clemson Spineless Okra and doing some this year also but I have around 20 plants started from Park Seed that I got back in 2016 and never tried from a brand called Bulldog.  They are supposed to be a red pod that grows on a smaller plant than the Clemson.  They are also supposed to last better on the plant without getting hard like the Clemson so I'm hoping for good things. I was reading the see saver distance requirements to avoid cross pollination in okra and since it says a half mile or more, I won't be saving any seed this year.


----------



## Mike CHS

It finally quit raining for a spell but is due to start up again.  One advantage to all this rain is I didn't have to fill any water troughs today.  Yesterday I hauled more than 40 gallons of water out there.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

You haul it ? .....and i complain  about dragging the water hose ......sorry


----------



## Mike CHS

Most of the stock are in the far paddocks now and that's over 600' away to one and 900' to the other.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Mike CHS said:


> Most of the stock are in the far paddocks now and that's over 600' away to one and 900' to the other.



I think you need a BYH bbq so we all can come and run you some water lines so you don't  have heat stroke carrying that much water ! I can help dig a water trench !


----------



## Mike CHS

B&B Happy goats said:


> I think you need a BYH bbq so we all can come and run you some water lines so you don't  have heat stroke carrying that much water ! I can help dig a water trench !



I had planned on running water to both paddocks but there is ledge rock between them both so that isn't going to happen.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Mike CHS said:


> I had planned on running water to both paddocks but there is ledge rock between them both so that isn't going to happen.



Bummer.


----------



## Bruce

Maybe you need to get some of those water tote things that @Devonviolet gets. Put them on a trailer and pull them to the troughs with the tractor. And get a 12V pump to move the water from the tote to the trough.


----------



## Mike CHS

I have 6 five gallon water cans that works and I don't want to tie up a machine or a trailer with the water totes. That plus you couldn't maneuver a trailer in that outside lane.  I have three of them but no use for them yet.


----------



## Baymule

I hope you get some clear weather. We had a sunny day today after storms yesterday. It will rain and storm tomorrow and Saturday.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have more of the same forecast for tomorrow so the dry lot lambs get hay.  We are heading down to Huntsville in the morning after chores to meet some friends for lunch and pick up a delivery of some crab grass seed.  It's funny how we combine business and friend trips.


----------



## Rammy

Mike CHS said:


> I had planned on running water to both paddocks but there is ledge rock between them both so that isn't going to happen.


Dynamite. Just sayin......


----------



## Mike CHS

We are buying some crab grass seed from a friend in Alabama and they are kind enough to meet us half way in Huntsville.  We will treat them to lunch at Big Ed's Pizzeria (which we all like). We are heading there early so we can hit an Asian food store to stock up on a few things we need, hit COSTCO and another store then head home before it's time to do chores this afternoon.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Sounds like a good day!


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> and pick up a delivery of some crab grass seed. It's funny how we combine business and friend trips.


I think it's funny how MOST people try like heck to get rid of crabgrass in their lawns and you are planting it on purpose


----------



## Mike CHS

Red River Crab Grass isn't like the grass people get in their laws and try to get rid of.  In this part of Tennessee, it is becoming one of the preferred pasture grasses.  The link tells a bit about it if you're interested:

http://redrivercrabgrass.com/index.html

It was a good day and had some quality visiting time with friends.


----------



## Baymule

Sounds like y’all had a great day.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Sounds like y’all had a great day.



Teresa and I were good though and both of us had salads.


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> Red River Crab Grass isn't like the grass people get in their laws and try to get rid of.  In this part of Tennessee, it is becoming one of the preferred pasture grasses.  The link tells a bit about it if you're interested:
> 
> http://redrivercrabgrass.com/index.html


Same here. Grows like crazy and all the stock loves it. I prefer the Quick-N-Big® variety over RR. Seems to do a little better in our dry summers. 
Noble Institute has released a new variety targeted for the S & SE US  but I don't remember the name of it.


----------



## Baymule

I have some of the common crabgrass in one pasture and it dies back in the hottest part of summer. How do the improved varieties perform in the hottest part of summer?


----------



## Mike CHS

I have only seen it and not grown it until this year.  The grass that I broadcast 6 weeks ago is already more lush than the existing grass.  The grower where ours came from advertises it as "taller, full season, bigger types of forage crabgrass compared to the usual "natural" crabgrass."  I'm only doing strips in our natural grasses in two big paddocks rather than planting it in all of them.


----------



## Mike CHS

Another damp and dreary day with the cloud ceiling right about the house. But a good day to do some cooking as I'm smoking a couple of pork shoulders for Jay's 18th birthday party tomorrow.  He seems to be maturing and we hope it's not just appearances but he still hasn't fully regained everyone's trust. He graduated High School a couple of months ago and is going to Tech school to be a diesel mechanic.  He doesn't have a tool set of his own so we decided that would be a good birthday present for him.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Smoked pork shoulder sounds good...Jay maturing sounds even better!  Hope he's on the right path.


----------



## Mike CHS

Most of the people in the school he is going to are older adults looking for a better/different career and we think that is a plus (so far anyway).

The pork shoulders are on.


----------



## CntryBoy777

That's really good to hear about, Jay....none of us ever "stood" in life without difficulties, but ya do have to "choose the path" by which ya travel.....he'll be very grateful 10-15 yrs from now....if he holds to it.....all I can say about the food........having seen it, tasted it, and smelled it "in person"...I relive them each time ya show the grill and meat....even tho, we ate lamb that day and not pork....and I have smelled plenty of pork on a grill....I always smell the aroma of lamb....not mention the aromas coming from the Kitchen and Teresa's cooking....


----------



## Mike CHS

See if you can smell it yet Fred.  I slowed it down a bit.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

?ohhhh Mike ...


----------



## Ridgetop

We ate pork chops cooked on a Traeger grill when we went to Utah to pick up our LGD puppy.  I had ever heard of the Traeger grill till then.  The pork chops and steaks were fabulous and the idea of setting the timer to make them perfectly instead of guessing was incredible.  Our SIL is looking for a new grill - where do you get them?


----------



## Mike CHS

I got mine from COSTCO during one of their promotional sales. It was the same price as one of the clones as I couldn't justify the kind of $ they get for them full price.  There are a couple of other brands that are supposed to be as good but I do know I really like being able to turn it on and forget about it till the alarm goes off.

There are quite a few vendors - ACE Hardware is one of them in our area.


----------



## Ridgetop

I will check it out - maybe Costco will be having them since it is spring.  What kind of fuel do they take - do they run on propane or pellets?


----------



## Mike CHS

They use pellets.  I've tried the cheaper priced ones that are sold but I have found I can get the Traeger brand online at the same price as the cheaper ones if there were to be any difference.


----------



## Ridgetop

Great - Thanks!


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> He doesn't have a tool set of his own so we decided that would be a good birthday present for him.


Very nice present! I hope he can keep on the good path. Having a career plan will help with that.


----------



## Mike CHS

The pork shoulder was a pain in the rear today with the weather not helping. I thought I had a big enough window to get it mostly done before the heavy winds got here but I misjudged.  I had the shoulders almost ready to foil but they hit a plateau just under the right temp and the thunder was going in the not to distant south.  I went ahead and foiled the shoulders and brought them in to put in the oven.  They wouldn't be getting any more smoke at that point so it didn't make sense to fight the rain to keep the smoker at the right temps.  They turned out perfectly and once they cool a bit we will go ahead and pull them for tomorrow.  There is a good 3/4" of smoke ring and it tastes divine.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

That's a heck of a smoke ring - they look delicious!


----------



## Devonviolet

That looks delicious!!!


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa made some low carb buns to take with us when we deliver the pulled pork for Jay's Birthday party and some breakfast muffins for later on.  When I wrapped the shoulders in foil to finish cooking I added a mixture of apple juice and saved juices from the smoker and some of my rub and Worcestershire sauce.  When the meat hit the right temp and all of the fat had cooked out of the meat, I poured all of the juice in a jar and put in the fridge so the fat would be congealed on top so I could remove it this morning.  I poured the remaining juice on the meat that we pulled this morning to reheat.  It is awesome tasting!


----------



## Bruce

Good thing you cooked 2 so there would be some left for Jay's party


----------



## Mike CHS

We got almost a flat of straight neck squash planted.  We had 4 large plants left from the flat but we will give them to Jay's Grandma.  Teresa worked up another raised bed and planted some zucchini,  Butternut and Spaghetti Squash and weeded her Snow Pea bed.  We should be getting our first Snow Peas in another week or so.  The chickens were destroying my Bell Pepper plants but we had not seen them pulling the leaves off until today.  I thought we were getting hit by grass hoppers but just not seeing them.  We took some short chicken wire around that bed and the bed Teresa planted today.  They are attached to step-in posts so it didn't take but a few minutes to set up the fence and we didn't want to stop them from free ranging.

Our biggest raised bed is going to be all Crimson Sweet Watermelons and Hale's Best Cantaloupe which will get planted tomorrow.

Our tomatoes already have some fruit on them so we need to get chicken wire around them fairly soon.


----------



## Mike CHS

Some random garden pictures.  The step in posts work great with the short chicken wire and hopefully they don't try to fly over it but we shall see.  We were going to run electric netting around the garden but it would make maintaining a bit of a pain.

The cherry trees are covered in cherries.  We don't use netting so I have to pick them as soon as they ripen or the birds will get them.

The peach trees are mostly full of fruit and for the first time we have plums, nectarines, apples and pears.  This is also the first year we haven't had a late frost.  The far bed is our Asparagus that has been giving us a couple of pounds a week for almost a month.  We will probably stop picking before too long since we are getting burned out on it.  The asparagus crowns in that bed are close to 10 years old that we had transplanted from our garden in South Carolina.  Even then the crowns were huge and looked like some kind of space aliens.

You can't really tell it from the picture but the 2nd one is our bell peppers that the chickens did their best to kill.  They weren't eating the vegetation, they were just pecking the leaves and taking big chunks out of them.  They they would just drop them on the ground.  Like I said before, the step in posts work great since you can hook the wire directly to them without needed any other means of securing them.

The last square bed will get chicken wire around it after I weed eat the grass around it and then kill the grass to make it easier to maintain.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

It all looks great!  I can't even imagine having so much asparagus.  I've never had any luck growing asparagus...


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> The far bed is our Asparagus that has been giving us a couple of pounds a week for almost a month.


That is terrific production in a small space!

Do you use PT for the raised beds or just replace the untreated wood every 'X' years as it rots?


----------



## Mike CHS

The landscape timbers in the one bed are pressure treated but the other beds are just poplar that I milled.  Most of the beds have been in for almost 4 years and are the original lumber.  I take that back - I caught one end board with the front end loader and had to replace it.


----------



## Bruce

Some years back I made a raised bed with cedar along the driveway at the old house. Figured it would last forever. Turns out that cedar rots quite well when in contact with soil. Even the 4x4 posts rotted.


----------



## Mike CHS

That's one of the good things about being in Amish country.  I don't have a whole lot of 12" lumber but I can get it for around 50 cents a foot for poplar.


----------



## greybeard

Bruce said:


> Some years back I made a raised bed with cedar along the driveway at the old house. Figured it would last forever. Turns out that cedar rots quite well when in contact with soil. Even the 4x4 posts rotted.


Depends on the type cedar, and where it's grown. The good cedar posts are grown in a relatively dry climate, where the tree's grow slower. 

I have a lot here and have cut some for posts some years ago. They all rotted in the ground, but if I had gotten the cedar posts that grow 200 miles west (the same variety) they would last years and years.
The difference? Precipitation/annual rainfall. We get so much rain here, that the cedar grows too fast to develop a good red heart. The posts I cut were 4-6-7"" diameter, but the heart was 'maybe' 1-1 1/2" diameter at the most...the rest was just white sapwood.


----------



## Baymule

I planted a row of Maestro English peas, they bore early and are done now. I also planted 2 rows of Sugar Snap peas and they bore more peas than we could eat, so I picked them as shell peas and put them in the freezer.

I picked this plastic bowl twice on Wednesday before switching to the wash pan. 













Today I picked about the same amount in the wash pan again. I don't know if they will bloom again and put on more peas or if they are done. 

Do y'all freeze the snow peas or eat all you can while they are bearing?


----------



## Ridgetop

I used plain doug fir 2 x12 for manure pits in our original rabbitry.  After 15 year there was no rot on any of them.  But other than washing down the rabbitry paths (made of redwood laid on top of the manure pit boards between the rows of hanging cages) the only moisture in the manure pits was from the urine.  Maybe watering the raised beds causes the boards to rot faster.  This year I had 3 heavy duty extra large storage bins where the lids had cracked.   I drilled holes in them, filled them with soil, and am using them for raised planter beds for strawberries, cherry tomatoes, and bush beans for the grandkids..   I told DH that if we moved our corral fencing over one panel, we could use the area between the house fence and the corral to dump our manure and barn waste.  Then next year we will rototill it in and plant.  It would give us a 16' x 40' garden.  Not large but we could use it for row crops like peas and beans.  Then the raised beds can be cut with sand and used for beets.  Come to think of it, unless we ine the garden with wire under the ground the gophers may eat everything!  However, we can build wire enclosed raised beds in that space too. 

On the other hand, maybe we will find our dream ranch when we go to Texas this summer.  Your garden looks beautiful Bay!


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> y'all freeze the snow peas or eat all you can while they are bearing?



We just plant a single 10' row so we pretty much eat them as they grow.

We actually get more produce out of our raised beds than we got out of 4 times the space planting conventional garden.


----------



## Ridgetop

Mike CHS said:


> We actually get more produce out of our raised beds than we got out of 4 times the space planting conventional garden.



That is really good to hear since with our gopher problem we need to do raised, wire lined beds.  Our old place had fabulous loamy soil and no gophers.  Here terrible red clay and shale with 9 ph score means 30 years of improvement of soil with minimal results.  LOL  And pesky gophers surprisingly!

Gopher problem here is no vegetation = no gophers;  plant something and they show up.  Then the dogs dig up and kill the gophers resulting in a minefield and no vegetation.  Back to no gophers, but -   LOL

Thus the only solution is raised, wire lined beds, fenced off from dogs.  Hearing that you do better with your raised beds is good.  With raised beds you can use old windows from Habitat to make cold frames during the cooler months of the year or to start plants earlier.  So Cal goes from cold but sunny to hot with no warming period.  By using raised beds we can plant seed in cold frames and have it sprout and harden off before the intense  heat hits the young plants.

Definitely going to put in a bunch of raised beds when we move our corral fencing over 10'.  Love sugar peas straight from the vine!  Can only plant them in the fall for a winter crop here.


----------



## greybeard

Time to call The Gopher Guy
One morning's work:





Or, just call "Caddyshack" Carl Spackler....


----------



## Baymule

Thanks @Ridgetop but I have so many weeds in the garden that BJ mowed them. LOL


----------



## Ridgetop

greybeard said:


> Time to call The Gopher Guy


What is his number? 

I think I already told this story, but a friend in Bishop had so many gophers in his new home that he and his neighbor were at their wit's end.  They would spend time with their air rifles waiting for the pesky beasts to show their noses.  Finally after a few drinks they decided to get creative and poured gasoline into the holes.  This brought the creatures out and they were able to kill several.  However it was not enough, so a few weeks later, again over a few beers, they poured a couple gallons of gas into a large gopher condo under the roots of a large tree.  When nothing happened the neighbor decided to light a match and throw it in the hole.  JUST IN TIME OUR FRIEND REALIZED THIS COULD BE PROBLEMATIC AND STOPPED HIM.  

My own sweet mother who wouldn't even kill a fly had to mow the lawns at her parents' house when she was a child.  She got tired of stomping the gopher divots back into place and when she was around 13 as she mowed the creature poked his head out of the ground and stared at her.  A couple times of him popping in and out and she had enough.  She went in and loaded her .410 shotgun,  waited until he popped out again whereupon she shot him.  Apparently he "looked at her in a sneering manner".  My brothers and sister couldn't believe it!  She wouldn't even let DH and I give my younger brothers a BB gun!


----------



## Baymule

Alcohol brings out the stupid in people. One of the funniest "after the hurricane" pictures I ever saw was a piece of plywood proclaiming;
LOOTERS! Drunk Rednecks With Guns Will Shoot!!


----------



## Bruce

Baymule said:


> Alcohol brings out the stupid in people.


Hold my beer!

I remember having gophers where I grew up in So. Cal. Kill traps placed down the holes took them out.


----------



## Baymule

Bruce said:


> Hold my beer!
> 
> I remember having gophers where I grew up in So. Cal. Kill traps placed down the holes took them out.


Or honkin' big ol' Great Pyrenees that dig like a John Deere excavator can catch and kill them......and the grass.....shrubs.....small trees.....step in the hole and never be seen or heard from again.....HEY! I'm getting hungry down here.....WAIT! was that a gopher?


----------



## Bruce

I hope you always carry something with you that could cook that "dinner" when you end up down the hole.

The gopher traps were a lot easier on the terrain than a GP.


----------



## Mike CHS

A couple of pictures from the get together yesterday.  Jay didn't have a tool kit of his own so we got him a basic one that has most of the commonly used tools.  He was all smiles.  The other is of Teresa and I with Jay (our hopefully changed young man).


----------



## Rammy

Baymule said:


> Or honkin' big ol' Great Pyrenees that dig like a John Deere excavator can catch and kill them......and the grass.....shrubs.....small trees.....step in the hole and never be seen or heard from again.....HEY! I'm getting hungry down here.....WAIT! was that a gopher?


----------



## Baymule

When you went to pen up Ringo the morning that we left with him, I told Jay that we appreciated him getting up early to come help. He said that he didn't mind. I also told him that y'all thought a lot of him. Jay said, they sure have been good to me. So you see, he does appreciate you and Teresa and what y'all do for him. I know that your gift touched his heart.


----------



## Mike CHS

Our only hope is that we made a bit of difference with him.  His Grands don't do a lot of constructive things with him and he had no accountability when he did things.  We have treated him like our own and also talk to him like our own and it has made him closer to us than just a "neighbor".


----------



## Mike CHS

We pulled fecal samples on 4 of the lactating ewes that are losing condition.  Some is to be expected since they are nursing some big lambs.  I weighed the ram lamb that we think is the sibling of one of our bottle lambs and he is a little over 41 pounds and 45 days old.  He has Ringo's attitude and doesn't seem to let anything bother or spook him.  It is yet to be seen if that is a good or bad thing.  I pick him up and put him on the scale and he just stood there waiting to see what I would do next.  I put him out with the others and he stood there waiting on some brushing.  Teresa doesn't like the name but I've been calling him Percy.   I have never known anybody/anything else named Percy so I have no idea where that name came from.


----------



## Mike CHS

I want to do another soil test but the lime I put out last month is already showing some results.  The small paddock in the picture was pretty bare up until a couple of years ago when I started adjusting the ph.  I moved the main herd on to it this morning and also opened the gate where the bottle lambs stay.  Maisy was in with them for awhile and when she headed out to be with the sheep, the lambs followed her on out.  The lambs have spent some time with the herd in a small pen but they seem comfortable today being with the rest.

The senior ewes whose lambs we pulled last month seem to be drying up finally so we should be able to move their lambs back with the main bunch soon. 

I cut the paddock in the upper right yesterday since the rye grass was getting woody enough the sheep wouldn't eat it.  I'm going to over seed some of the crab grass on it after the grass dries out a bit and then run the harrow over it.  There is a good stand of Fescue on part of it and I'll leave that along.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Looks pretty good to me!!....I enjoyed sowing and growing stuff for the goats, chickens, and ducks....even tho I grew way more than we had animals to eat it and I had to cut it more...but, always liked the smells of the different things blended together....especially when it starts waving in the breezes.....


----------



## Ridgetop

Love the smell of cut hay.  Alfalfa is best, but any grass after that. 



Mike CHS said:


> There is a good stand of Fescue on part of it and I'll leave that along.



Do your sheep like the tall fescue?  I read somewhere (Ulf Kintzel?) that his sheep don't like the fescue and won't eat it until it dries out.  Hos article also said that dried forage was higher in nutrition that green growing pasture.  Apparently the green growing stuff has more water in it which diminishes the amount of nutrient that the sheep can take in - lb. for lb.  The _dried _grass, pasture or forage has a lot less water so the nutritional value increases.  I might not be saying it correctly, but hopefully it makes sense.


----------



## Ridgetop

I like the name Percy.  it's different.   But maybe she would like something more distinguished like Sir Percival, and he could be Percy for short.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Percy Sledge....singer in the 50'to late 60' s...if i remember  the dates correctly


----------



## Mike CHS

I'll have to check out Sir Percival for his registration name if we do register him.

Fescue isn't the favorite for our sheep but it keeps a good winter stand here so it has it's place.  The only hay that they eat well is orchard grass but they waste more hay of all kinds than they eat.


----------



## Baymule

If you ever watched the movie, The Green Mile, there was a squirrely wacko named Percy in it. Maybe that's why Teresa doesn't like the name.

Sir Percival sounds much better-he was one of King Arthur's Knights of the Round Table. 

BJ grew up with Percy Sledge. He was working as a janitor because his record label wasn't doing anything with him. BJ introduced him to another label when his contract was up, and his career took off. He was taken advantage of, he sold his music rights for one million dollars. For someone raised as poor as Percy Sledge was, that was a huge fortune. Sadly, his music catalog is worth much, much more than that and would have paid his heirs for a long, long time. In his later years, Percy Sledge did small venues, night clubs and such, playing his music to make a living.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have the bottle lambs cut down to about 16 ounces twice a day and they have spent most of today in with the herd.  Maisy follows them around and stays close to them so there hasn't been any bullying going on from the older ewes.

Just before dark it was time for their last feeding and Teresa went out and just said in normal voice "Princess" and the Ma started as they came galloping back into the yard.  We are leaving the gate open between the yard and the pasture so they can go whichever way they want to go.  We were a bit concerned about them being accepted but it appears Maisy is taking care of that end.  I don't know how "Dog to sheep" communication works but her following the lambs around has let the rest know that the lambs are off limits.


----------



## Baymule

Aren't they fun? I sat in the lamb's night pen with a little feed, slowly getting them to eat from my hand. Now they are pretty friendly and will come to me, some for scratches and rubs. 

Maaa! Maaa! (lamb talk for Teresa)


----------



## Mike CHS

I had to go out and do a final check since this is the first time we have left the kennel gate open but I did plug in the heat lamp since that is what they are used to.  The bottle lambs didn't bed down with the herd but came back into the yard.  Maisy is staying in a position where she can see them and the herd which bedded down just below the yard.


----------



## Baymule

Maisy will help them make the transition. After all, they are_ her_ lambs.


----------



## Mike CHS

I was hoping to get a picture of Maisy with "her" lambs but she was tired from patrolling all night and didn't want to get up to pose. She does a natural pose though that always makes you smile. I have had dogs for my whole life time but she holds the heart.

The bottle lambs are free to stay in their pen in the back yard but the gate is always open so they have started mingling with the herd. Maisy keeps them in sight at all times so they are in good hands.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

What a good girl.  Maisy rocks!


----------



## Mike CHS

The bottle lambs still aren't sure they fit in with the others but often when they don't go out, the others come to visit.  Isn't this the way a back yard is supposed to look?  

The rain is starting again but this weather cell isn't as large as the last few.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Maisy is a Beautiful girl!!....she has come a long way with her maturity.....that is a "perfect" backyard scene....


----------



## Mike CHS

This has become Maisy's favorite spot during the day so she won't be a happy camper when we wean the bottle lambs and pull down the netting.


----------



## Bruce

I'm sure glad you were able to give Maisy a new working home. She seems better than perfect.


----------



## Baymule

That is a beautiful scene. I've been putting Ringo and the ewes in pasture #2, they have cleaned it up. Time to mow it so the Bermuda grass can grow and come through. I'll put them on the pipeline. The lambs have been let out in the yard, so I get it on how a yard should look. Minus daylilies, minus amaryllis, minus the black eyed susan wildflowers, PLUS the serenity and beauty of watching lambs graze the yard. Ain't that the good life?


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Ain't that the good life?



I have people that have known me most of my adult life that comment on how I seem so content now vs when they knew me before.    I was pretty intense for most of that life but I can't even imagine being part of that life now.


----------



## Baymule

BJ and I sat out in the yard (I use that term loosely, it's just a big open spot) watching the lambs this afternoon. We're both happier than we have ever been. 

Who knew that 8 or 20 acres and a bunch of sheep could bring such joy?


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Who knew that 8 or 20 acres and a bunch of sheep could bring such joy?



We do and knowing you both a little bit I can completely relate.


----------



## Mike CHS

We pulled fecal samples on 4 of the ewes that have scours.  They have been on some lush graze but the fecals showed some coccidia surprisingly since these ewes are 19 months old.  We treated them with a dose of Corid and will do so each morning for the next several days.  They being so tame makes it easy except Wild Thang was one of those that needed treated and she isn't much tamer now than two years ago.

Teresa and  went in to Lewisburg to our favorite diner and enjoyed their Friday night fish/seafood buffet.  Their whole fried catfish always blows my low carb routine but it sure tastes good. 

We had another young man (a High School junior)  come by tonight to see what he might be able to do to work for us occasionally.  Jay hasn't been available as much as we would like so we started looking for someone to help.  When the grass is growing the schedule gets a little bit pushy the way I set up my paddocks.  I like to be able to slow down or quit about 2-3:00 but for the last month, it's been about 6 or so in the evening before it became shower time.


----------



## Baymule

Sometimes you have to eat something that you really enjoy. Fried catfish sounds pretty darn good. 

Wild Thang.....reckon she will ever settle down?

I hope the high school young man works out for you. A little help is always nice.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Wild Thang.....reckon she will ever settle down?



She is a calm baby now compared to when we got her.  She is the first in line to hit a bucket but she can't be caught without a shepherds crook.  I can move her in with several others in the crowd pen and she is calm but she will never be content to be handled. That's OK since she makes some beautiful lambs and trusts me enough to do what I need to do with her.


----------



## Mike CHS

The bottle lambs aren't real curious and seem content to stay by themselves.  I do call the rest of them up so at least there is some interaction and hopefully not too much pecking order events when we wean them.  They are well on their way to being weaned.  They are only getting about 6-8 ounces each twice a day and free choice feed and graze.  The gate is open to the other pastures and they might go out for a few minutes but then they come back to their safe zone in the yard.  I don't blame them if for no other reason it is really shady and cooler than out in the paddocks.  Maisy still keeps track of where they are and will come back in quite often to check on them.


----------



## Baymule

Maisy is such a good girl. Maybe she's a little too much of a good girl during lambing......so helpful!


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Maisy is such a good girl. Maybe she's a little too much of a good girl during lambing......so helpful!



That was my fault. I did the math and wasn't expecting lambs for a couple of weeks or she would not have been in there with them.  

Either way she is being as good of a Mama as she can be considering.


----------



## Baymule

Paris was such a wacko dog, that lambing made me nervous. It took a year for her to not want to bulldoze and attack the sheep, so lambing presented with a whole new set of problems. But she made me proud. She kept her distance, was respectful and protected them. I went to check on the sheep one morning and one was missing. Paris came up to the lot and gave me that gaze. I asked her where they were and she led me to a ewe with still wet twins, even looking over her shoulder to make sure I was following. I found a huge dead possum nearby that made the mistake of getting in the same pasture with the ewe. 

These dogs are beyond the best dogs ever, even with all their quirks.


----------



## Mike CHS

The lambs have about another week and they will be fully weaned.  They are only getting about 6-8 ounces two times a day.  When they were getting fed the milk mixture we would put half of their daily milk in the bucket in the morning and the other half in the evening.  We used frozen water bottles to keep it cold and never fed them warm milk. They would drink it slower and eat less at a time but more often like they do naturally.

I have 3 pork shoulders on the smoker and I cut the majority of the fat cap off before it goes on the smoker.  The shoulders get a better smoke ring and Maisy gets a whole bunch of cooked pork treats when the fat cooks down.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Don't forget Prof Lance and Ms Sassy....I'm sure they deserve a pc or 2......


----------



## Mike CHS

We just finished processing the shoulders.  We vacuum seal one pound portions so we are probably good till pork shoulders go on sale again.  One of the shoulders went to a neighbor who loves my BBQ and recently did a bit of welding for me.  He wouldn't take anything for his time as expected but he was happy to get the shoulder unexpectedly when we took it over tonight.


----------



## Baymule

You give the cracklin's to the dog? oh NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa and I brought the sheep in this morning to give them all a garlic drench and a few of them are getting pulled down by the nursing lambs so we gave them a dose of vitamin.  A couple of times after I pushed more of them into the crowd pen to load the chute again it looked like the number left to go was growing instead of getting smaller.

All of the lambs also got their CDT shots and we marked those that will be sold soon.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have one lamb that has swollen knee joints.  From our reading we are pretty sure it is a bacterial infection and we have meds to treat it.  I'm just posting in case anyone else has this issue crop up as this is the first time that we have had it.


----------



## Bruce

That lamb has 6 legs!!!! And two of them aren't like the others. I hope you can get those front ones fixed up quickly.



Mike CHS said:


> and Maisy gets a whole bunch of cooked pork treats when the fat cooks down.


And she deserves those treats!


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Hope he gets better fast!


----------



## Baymule

Poor lamb! Good thing that y’all are right on top of it. I bet y’all will be glad when you get your covered work area!


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Poor lamb! Good thing that y’all are right on top of it. I bet y’all will be glad when you get your covered work area!



Hopefully it will get done in a couple of weeks.  The contractor had to order metal struts and the manufacturer wasn't able to get them done quickly because they had to be custom engineered.  It was 92 degrees out today and it took us almost 3 hours to run them all through but the sheep make it fairly easy. All of them except Wild Thang and her sibling will walk into the crowd pen and straight into the chute as soon as I open the gate.


----------



## Mike CHS

Some random pictures around the garden beds.  I'm not sure why but the chickens have never been a problem in the garden before this year but this spring they have been doing more damage than ever.  We wound up putting chicken wire around every bed or we might as well not garden.  We could pen them up but we don't want to do that.

The pepper plants are starting to show signs of recovering and the tomatoes are putting on fruit.  The dwarf cherry trees are covered with fruit but they are small.  I have been eating my fill of them as I'm working around the yard.

The peach, apple and pear trees are covered in fruit.  There are two that don't have anything on them so they are going to be cut down.

You can't see them well but there are 3 raised beds terraced between the fruit trees and another outside the garden that holds a bunch of yellow squash.  Since they don't get beat up with the sun and it stays a bit cooler in them, they have zucchini, Sugar Snap Peas and cucumbers.


----------



## Baymule

Beautiful garden! That cherry tree really catches my eye, cherry pie is my favorite. All I've ever had is the frozen-heat-em-up-kind. I planted a cherry tree here, but it didn't survive. I guess it didn't like the sand. I'll have to try again. The picture of your loaded tree inspires me.


----------



## Mike CHS

These are dwarf varieties. I like the tart taste  but the cherries are so small.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa and I just went down to the shop stall and called all of the sheep in so we could do the final drench with Corid for the 6 ewes that had scours and to give the first of 3 Penicillin shots for the ewe lamb with the swollen stifle joints.

I came across the first negative to the low carb life style we have adopted. I've lost 35 pounds and some of our largest ewes are about all I can do to control if they decide they don't want to be caught.  The long Shepherds Crook still let me use leverage on our bigger girls but it's about all I can do to hang on to Wild Thang and her sibling (just like the other day).  Being the wildest, they are the last to get caught every time and the fact that most of the girls don't care when I enter their space, those two can't get away since they have no movement.


----------



## Baymule

Maybe you need a big plate of spaghetti...….muscle up!


----------



## Mike CHS

The handling chute makes it easy but you hate to have to crowd 45 sheep in there just to get to two of them.  All of the others I can just walk up to and give them the drench.


----------



## CntryBoy777

May work better by targeting them first....get the jump on them....and then do the rest.......that way they can't see it coming and work up the anxiety level.....I had to do that with the goats....always had to catch Lightning first, cause he was the hardest to catch....especially if he had fore warning.....


----------



## Mike CHS

Those two start out with a high anxiety level.  

They will come up and eat out of a bucket that I'm holding so they are getting better.


----------



## Mike CHS

Parasites

We pulled fecals on all 20 of the senior ewes this afternoon.  Teresa did the analysis on 6 of the ewes that had the highest parasite load over the last year.  4 of the 6 had zero eggs today and those four had a decreasing egg count over the last 3 times we pulled fecal samples.  The paddocks these girls are in have had no special treatment since I sprayed nitrogen late last summer.  Those 4 have not received a wormer since August 2018 and the only treatment has been the garlic drench once a month.  The other two have also decreased down to the acceptable level but both of them had been wormed in February.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Sure sounds like ya are getting a step ahead on them and seems enough varification that what ya are doing is certainly doing the job.....


----------



## Mike CHS

I hope so but we will keep checking from now on and keep a handle on them.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Just now caught back up.  Regarding



Mike CHS said:


> I had planned on running water to both paddocks but there is ledge rock between them both



did you see my posting on Mr. @Bruce's journal about small charges to clear out rock?  (If you didn't, see https://www.backyardherds.com/threads/bruces-journal.34651/page-250#post-608336)  You may have so much ledge that what I posted may not work, but if you have only a small amount, maybe it is something you can consider.

Senile Texas Aggie


----------



## Bruce

It would at least be fun to blow up all the rock if it weren't so expensive.


----------



## Mike CHS

This rock covers such a large area just under the surface that even a skid steer jack hammer that we rented wouldn't touch it. Thanks for the idea though.


----------



## Bruce

@Senile_Texas_Aggie REALLY wants someone to blow up some rocks. Who is available?


----------



## CntryBoy777

I gotta get some rocks first.....


----------



## Bruce

True, you already have the likely results of blowing up rocks a whole bunch of times until there is nothing left but .... sand.


----------



## Mike CHS

We are still giving the one ewe lamb a Penicillin shot daily for a couple more days so I put out a bit of feed and called the whole bunch in.  The lambs all go to the creep feeder which makes it easy to see the numbers and give her the shot.
We will be bringing everyone in tomorrow to work on hooves and then move them to new pasture since our contractor is starting on our working area roof extension next week.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

What a pretty picture of them all comming to you ......I call my goats and I get maaaa maaaa running to me to get fed, lol. But I love them


----------



## Baymule

That is a beautiful sight. I love it when the sheep run to me.


----------



## Mike CHS

They do a lot of things that make me smile but that is one of the best.  One of our registered ewes was getting pulled down by her big twins so I have been sneaking her more food than the others get.  When I call them in the herd will go to the PVC troughs and I will go inside the shop door and partially close it.  She will step up in the shop so I can close the door where the others can't see it but then I give her a bucket with feed.

On another note - Max has come a long way.   He comes when I call even when I don't have a bucket.  He likes to get scratches and will come stand next to me when I'm putting water in the troughs.  He still hasn't figured out that Animal Crackers are edible but I have no gripes about anything else.  He is laid back and waits patiently when I'm putting feed out.  I intentionally walk around the feeding area not putting anything out just to see what his reaction might be but he moves with me with no aggression shown so far.


----------



## Baymule

Good boy Max! Doesn't it make you smile to make such progress with him?

I walked Ringo and the girls to the pipeline this morning and I kept getting a sheep head up my butt, pushing me to go faster. I looked to see who it was, it was Little Cutie who wasn't being so cute at the moment. LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

Ringo was close to that way when we brought him home.  We just fine tuned him. 

Max will be the same way before long though as he doesn't show any negatives and is confident without being pushy.


----------



## Baymule

Ringo loves his scratches. He loves eye rubs too.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

OK, I am about to show my ignorance, but it won't be the first or last time.  Regarding



Mike CHS said:


> creep feeder



why is it called that?  Does it mean it says to the sheep "Would you like to come to my place?"  Is it like Miss @Rammy's goobermooch neighbor?


----------



## Mike CHS

No more ignorance than on my part.  I never tried to find out where the term originated but I always used it as: a pen or feeder that the lambs can get to and the adults cannot.  In our case we have feeders that the lambs can get their heads in until they are 3-4 months old and after that they can't.  The idea in our case for having creep fed lambs is to accelerate their weight gain prior to going to market. We can have close to 90 pound market lambs in time to get them out of the pen before the ram lambs are able to breed without them being castrated.


----------



## greybeard

Creep feeding generally means there is a barrier to keep the adults away from the feeder, with a low or narrow opening that only the juveniles can get thru. It's not a fully direct open to everyone feeder. Most people use a creep gate as entry to a small pen with narrow vertical openings The animals have to 'creep' under or thru the bars to get to the feed...they can't just go running straight up to the feed.

You can buy a creep feeder as a unit, with the barrier already made on to it, but I can state from experience, it doesn't work well with mix sized cattle. The bulls and mature cattle just flip the whole dang thing up on it's side or upside down and eat all the feed that spills out.

creep gates

Pretty typical of a creep gate. Both the Vertical (B) and Horizontal bar (A) are movable or removable to allow different sizes thru the gate while excluding anything larger.


----------



## Mike CHS

Sheep will tip the creep feeders we use if they aren't anchored.  I mount ours on a plywood over 2X4 frame that doesn't tip over.

I've posted this picture before.  A lot of these are used with sheep producers in Mexico and are imported for sale here.  The lambs can use these till they get close to 60 pounds before they can't get their heads in.


----------



## Mike CHS

We just came in from working sheep today.  We started a bit before 9:00 this morning and quit about 1:30 since we were all tired of sweating.  I have this thing going on that if I let myself get dehydrated my blood pressure drops down pretty drastically but I can feel the signs and know when to knock off working.  We got 33 sheep hooves trimmed including the 8 ewes that were in the dry lot until today.  We still have 12 sheep to work tomorrow so he is coming over around 8:00 in the morning after morning chores so we can finish up.

We had a new young High School Sophomore helper start working with us today and Teresa and I were both impressed.  He hasn't worked sheep before but he has worked goats and cattle.  He decided sheep were alright when I opened the gate on one side of the lane and walked them across and into the main paddock not to mention, he showed up on time.  Jay can still work with us some but his Tech School keeps him busy until 3:30 in the afternoon so by the time he can start working, it's about time to start doing afternoon chores.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> He still hasn't figured out that Animal Crackers are edible but I have no gripes about anything else.


Perhaps he would prefer Froot Loops?



Baymule said:


> I walked Ringo and the girls to the pipeline this morning and I kept getting a sheep head up my butt, pushing me to go faster. I looked to see who it was, it was Little Cutie who wasn't being so cute at the moment.


Better than getting bit in the butt by someone's LGD!


----------



## Baymule




----------



## Mike CHS

The ewe lambs that we put back with the herd today got spoiled having their grass brought to them instead of having to work at grazing.  I would give them fresh cut grass several times a day plus a little feed for the first few weeks. Now that they have to get their own grass,  they come running to the gate bawling for food every time I go by the fence.


----------



## Bruce

Just like people who don't know that food at the grocery store isn't in its original state. No, shelves to NOT grow vegetables! I bet the lambs figure it out soon enough. Tell them it is "tough love" and that making them get their own hurts you more than it hurts them.


----------



## Mike CHS

They have it figured out but they think that making enough racket will get me back on the mower.  

The dry lot has a layer of 2-3" of composting grass that the chickens will love messing with.


----------



## Baymule

Haha, that's funny. Poor little lambies, have to rustle up their own grass...… 

I've been turning out our lambs in the yard for several weeks, why mow? I go outside and they run to me. Dit-Dot has an endearing habit of running between my legs and looking up at me like I'm going to drop treats for her. Brat.


----------



## CntryBoy777

When Gabbie gets overly excited she will do that to me and when ya aren't ready....and when ya think she is making another turn.....that danged nose will dot your britches where the good Lord split ya.....


----------



## Mike CHS

We got the rest of the sheep's hooves trimmed but it still took 2 1/2 hours because we had to bring them all in to sort and get those that still needed to be done.

Teresa was helping a friend at their kennel so we had our new helper helping me.  He's a big farm boy that picked up most of them to put them in the trimming chair.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Mike CHS said:


> He's a big farm boy that picked up most of them to put them in the trimming chair.


Those big strong farm boys sure do come in handy!  I had one for awhile - but he grew up, joined the Army and is now a Ranger.  I miss him!


----------



## Mike CHS

I have officially decided I have had enough labor for one week and need to rest out of soreness.  My repaired shoulder got pulled when I was wrestling Wild Thang into the chair but it's still better now than it was before I got it "fixed".  The sun just beat us up and for the first time in months we had no wind but it still felt good to get it done.  The contractor is scheduled to start our new working area cover Wednesday so we had to get the sheep done so we can break down our handling chutes.  I won't hold my breath that they will get started then since this is Tennessee which is not known for meeting deadlines.

We will move them one paddock over tomorrow and then get the cows moved the next day to give that paddock a break. I'm hoping our ram Max remembers how much the hot wire hurt and doesn't try to break out this time.


----------



## Baymule

While it feels good to get a chore or a project done, it sure can take the wind out of you. A little rest is good for you.


----------



## Mike CHS

I did take it easy today.  I cut about half of my neighbors grass that I use for feed but other than that, I made a big pot of Cajun sausage and shrimp Gumbo.


----------



## Baymule

YUM! I know that is good!!!


----------



## Mike CHS

I started early this morning to beat the heat but wound up doing today what was planned for tomorrow.  I sprayed the gravel drive and all of the interior and perimeter fence lines and cut the grass in the lanes around the fences.  To get ready for the contractor (on Wednesday hopefully) we broke down our handling chute and removed about 20' of fence around the stalls that is in the way.


----------



## Baymule

And now it is air conditioning time!


----------



## Mike CHS

It was air conditioning time until I went out to feed Maisy. I noticed one of the lambs was under the low hot wire so obviously it wasn't hot.  This is telling on myself but I can blame it on Teresa. I spent the next half hour looking for a break or short in the wire and finally went back to the house to get some water.  I told Teresa the fences weren't hot and she told me she had unplugged it for a short while so she could change some wiring. I went back out to check again and the digital tester was showing nothing but would put up some zeros then fade to no reading at all.

I went down to the charger and could hear it cycling but it was not showing a read-out on the tester.  I had one of the "light comes on" moments and went up to the shed to get the tester that we first bought and it was showing a power reading.  I put a fresh battery in the Zareba tester and checked the fence and it was hot. Evidently Teresa had unplugged the charger about the time the lamb was touching the wire and the tester needing a battery cost me a little sweat but all is good now.


----------



## CntryBoy777

That shoulder must of felt better this morning than it did last night for ya....having done all of that.....glad it was just a little sweat and not a big jolt.....


----------



## Mike CHS

It doesn't hurt nearly as much as it used to and when it does,  it is fairly minor.


----------



## Mike CHS

The two bottle lambs are now in with the main group and had their last milk from us yesterday but they had been weaned down to just a few ounces a day.  The creep feeder is in the shelter in that paddock so there is feed available every morning.


----------



## Baymule

How many joule is your fence charger?

The two orphan, thanks Maisy, lambs are getting all grown up now! LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

Our charger 4 joule.  It's a 75 mile charger and packs a wallop.  Even the cows only had to touch it once so that's another critter that learned faster than I did.


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm glad I got all of my projects done yesterday because when I opened the blinds this morning, I saw that another 1/3 of the Bradford Pear tree is laying on the ground.


----------



## Baymule

We just got a 3 joule charger, look out Mr. Smart Alec Trip. 

You are not having any luck with that Bradford pear are you? Maybe rethink that tree and plant something else. Ringo is adjusting well, he does seek out the cooling shade now. Yesterday I walked through the woods, pulling down tree branches for him and the girls. They strip the leaves and young twigs, I let go and the branch springs back up to grow again. He loves sassafras, young oak leaves, cedar, not so much on elm. The girls love it all. He learned real quick to follow me to the next tree.


----------



## Mike CHS

I used to bring them a trailer load of branches when I trimmed the trees in the outer lane.  I have never liked Bradford Pears and have never planted any.  There are only three left of the ten that were here when we bought the place. Storms took out two and the tractor and chain saw took out the rest. Most of those were growing in what is now the garden beds.  I planted several trees when we first bought with the intention of them replacing the Pears for house shade at some point but they are coming down earlier than planned.  

Teresa asked me if I thought the tree would land on the fence if we cut it down and I told her I didn't think so.  The longest branches fell about a foot short of the fence.  This is todays project:


----------



## Mike CHS

Before I go see if the chain saw will start here are a couple more "makes you smile" pictures.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

YEPPER...GIVES YA A BIG SMILE .......thank you.


----------



## frustratedearthmother




----------



## Mike CHS

The crew showed up and got a bunch of ledge rock moved out of the way.  They hope to take off the things that need it and will set the poles on both sides today.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Looking forward to the progress  pictures....very excited for you


----------



## Mike CHS

I have them using the same kind of metal trusses as seen in the picture except they will be 14' long rather than 10' like the porch is now.  The two support posts I'm having them cut them down to 5' above the porch since that is part of our alley coming out of the chute.  A cattle panel cut down to size closes it off perfectly so we will keep that.

The only obstructions out there is our septic drain line and a water hydrant but we used some marking paint yesterday to make sure they would know where they are.


----------



## Baymule

Maisy is taking good care of her lambs. Yay! Getting started on the building!


----------



## Mike CHS

They ran into some solid slab rock and are using a jack hammer.  They have a driver for their skid steer so I'm not sure why they aren't using that.  I left to go to Ardmore, Alabama to pick up some feed (about 35 miles) and they had just started on the 1st post hole.  When I got back with the 1/2 ton of feed, they were working on the 3rd hole.


----------



## CntryBoy777

That one of Maisey should be on a Calendar.....
I know with all the heavy work involved, it is much Better at this "stage of life" to be the supervisor instead of the "grunt"....especially in the heat....and with extra hands it sure gets done much faster also......


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> That one of Maisey should be on a Calendar.....
> I know with all the heavy work involved, it is much Better at this "stage of life" to be the supervisor instead of the "grunt"....especially in the heat....and with extra hands it sure gets done much faster also......



There is no way that I would attempt this as a do it yourself project.   I like the way these guys work so I just stay out of the way.  If it wasn't for the rock they could just about have it done tomorrow but considering how long it has taken to drill three holes, we shall see.  They are coming back early to get started before the heat.


----------



## Mike CHS

They finally got the rock holes deep enough to set posts with concrete so hopefully it will go up fairly fast.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Yay for progress!  Can't wait to see the finished product.


----------



## Bruce

Real PITA when it takes as long to put in the posts as it will to do the rest of the build. Rock does have it's purposes but RIGHT where we want to put a post isn't one of them.


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm going to offer the builder the chance to change his labor estimate since he didn't know what he was running in to.  One thing I hadn't planned on was being as close to the hill as it has turned out to be but it needs to be there to meet the state's requirement for the minimum height at the outside corner.  They already let me drop from 10' height to 9' so I wasn't going to ask for another waiver.


----------



## Mike CHS

They just started putting up the metal trusses and then will cut off the excess on the poles.


----------



## Mike CHS

They have one section left on the long leg and then they will have it all framed.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

This is so cool to see your progress going so quickly,


----------



## Mike CHS

B&B Happy goats said:


> This is so cool to see your progress going so quickly,



If they didn't have to spend half a day drilling holes, it would be done except for the metal roof because it isn't here yet.   

The first picture is the end truss (the inner one is already attached.  The second picture was about 20 minutes late.  I just looked out and the supports are set on that side also.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Well you know your posts are setting on a solid foundation,


----------



## Baymule

That is awesome!


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> They just started putting up the metal trusses and then will cut off the excess on the poles.


That sure looks a lot easier than carrying stuff up an extension ladder!



B&B Happy goats said:


> Well you know your posts are setting on a solid foundation,


Sure is, it will take a MAJOR earthquake to move that foundation.


----------



## Mike CHS

It looks like they are about to quit for today but got the left side framed in.  Teresa did the math and we more than doubled the animal handling area plus when we get done, we will have two more options for sorting than we do now.  Once these guys are done with the roof Teresa and I will finish up the lower mods.


----------



## Baymule

That is going to make things so mush easier!


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> That is going to make things so mush easier!



It gives us a whole lot more options for sorting also once we finish the lower mods.  We had had over 50 sheep in there the way it was and it worked but it was time consuming because they had to be handled multiple times to get them out in the right direction.


----------



## Baymule

Sometimes temporary is a good way to go, so you can figure out what works before you permanently set something up. Now you and Teresa know what works and how you need it set up.


----------



## Mike CHS

Our setup was built for the 4-6 sheep we thought we would be having.


----------



## Baymule

Sheep math.


----------



## Bruce

You have 4-6 sheep (if you fall asleep while counting).


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> You have 4-6 sheep (if you fall asleep while counting).



The plan changed a little bit.


----------



## Bruce

Yep, and you two are doing a great job with your "hobby".


----------



## Mike CHS

This was definitely not a DIY project but as I was down looking at the build I was all smiles.  I'm planning on putting the chute system back pretty much like it was but once the builder gets finished I'm going to post a couple of pictures about how I plan on using the new area but I also want to solicit some ideas to do it better.  I already have a couple of 8' gates available and all of the lumber and fencing that I might need so there are a lot of possibilities.


----------



## Bruce

That is quite a nice large space! Are you going to give the sheep a key to the workshop?


----------



## Mike CHS

There are a few that will follow me into the shop if I don't  close the door when I'm out there but no keys for them.


----------



## Mike CHS

We went up toward Nashville for a run to COSTCO and Sam's Club. Our favorite of the two is COSTCO but Sam's has quite a few things that COSTCO doesn't so we hit both.  They are only about a mile apart and then on the way home we stopped at a Greek Cafe and had Gyros.


----------



## Bruce

And the gyros were the hit of the day I bet.


----------



## Mike CHS

This place is about as good as it gets for that kind of food.


----------



## Mike CHS

One of our Buff Orpingtons decided yesterday that she wants some chicks but she was only sitting on 5 golf balls.  Since she was still sitting this afternoon, we took the golf balls out and replaced them with a dozen eggs.  She wasn't happy about being messed with but she stayed on the nest.


----------



## Bruce

21 day countdown. I hope she sticks to the nest.


----------



## Mike CHS

I just put some ribs on the smoker a few minutes ago.  Anyone that happens to be around Exit 22 on I-65 around 2:30 this afternoon, stop by for a late lunch.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Dang,  even if I'd already left,  I wouldn't make it....      But, thanks for the invite!


----------



## CntryBoy777

I certainly will be there in "spirit"....we don't have one of those 300+mph bullet trains from here to there........so, ya don't have to set a place for me....just know that I'm with ya....


----------



## B&B Happy goats

oh how I wish we could make it


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> I just put some ribs on the smoker a few minutes ago.  Anyone that happens to be around Exit 22 on I-65 around 2:30 this afternoon, stop by for a late lunch.
> 
> 
> View attachment 62689


Are they 'smoke only' or do you have fire/coals under the meat too?


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Anyone that happens to be around Exit 22 on I-65 around 2:30 this afternoon, stop by for a late lunch.


Rats, just saw this at 1:40, no way I can make it to Tennessee in 45 minutes!


----------



## Mike CHS

greybeard said:


> Are they 'smoke only' or do you have fire/coals under the meat too?



This is a pellet smoker so the heat is indirect but fairly low smoke cooked at 225.


----------



## Mike CHS

I got the downed tree all cut up and hauled out of the yard. I fought with my Husqvarna chainsaw the other day and finally said to heck with it and went in to the COOP and bought a Stihl.  I have had issues with the Husky every time I've used it literally from the day I got it.


----------



## greybeard

Which model Stihl did you get? I have 2, both the same. One I have had since about 2006 and the other about 2 years. 290 Farmboss. (I think the model # has changed recently)
Absolutely trouble free and I have abused the crap out of the older one from day 1. Always tho, use Stihl 2 cycle oil, if yours is a 2 cycle machine.
Everyone I know that uses other brands of mix oil has had problems with their Stihls. (I've also never had a bit of problems using gasoline with ethanol in them)


----------



## Mike CHS

This one is mid sized - Model MS170.  I agree about the Stihl oil  It's about as good as it gets.


----------



## Mike CHS

The ribs are ready to eat a few and the rest will be divided up into meal portions and vacuum sealed for the freezer.  It doesn't take any more fuel to cook several racks so we always cook at least four rack and sometimes six.  We do the same with pork shoulders and chicken.  The meat looks like I put sauce on it but all that's on them is the rub.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Those look absolutely scrumptious!


----------



## Mike CHS

Just talked to our shop mod contractor and he said the metal for the roof will be delivered tomorrow and they will be back Monday to finish the job.  I need to order a load of gravel before we put everything back together so I can level everything off again.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa came up with a good idea today but my girl is always coming up with good ideas.  We have been wanting to build a canopy of some sort over the area where I use my BBQ grills and smoker.  We have the trusses, lumber and metal roofing material that came off of the porch down at the shop so we can use that to make me a 10'X10' covered area at the house over the cooking area.  That's also where we run a big camp stove for a lot of our food canning to keep the heat out of the house but it's always in the sun and gets HOT.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> This one is mid sized - Model MS170.  I agree about the Stihl oil  It's about as good as it gets.


The MS170 is the smallest gas saw Stihl sells. I have the 180 CB-E and it really isn't up to the task of cutting a lot of wood. I bought an Echo CS-590 for the more heavy duty work, it is about equivalent to GB's 290.

Those ribs sure look good!


----------



## Mike CHS

The only wood I cut is the ones storms bring down.


----------



## Baymule

Those ribs sure look good! We had lamb/pork chili tonight.


----------



## Mike CHS

Today was actually pleasant weather wise.  Nice breeze and low 80's which was perfect for getting my grass cutting caught up.

I needed some more shorts for working outside so we went shorts shopping at the Goodwill store.    I found 4 pairs that looked new and since it was half price day they cost a whopping total of $8.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Congrats on the great bargains!  We just got a nice GW store in town - I need to go check it out!


----------



## Bruce

Apparently the quality and price of goods at Goodwill varies greatly across the country. I've heard of places where things, like Mike's shorts, are a deal and others where they charge nearly new price and places where the goods look too well worn and not even clean.


----------



## Mike CHS

This Goodwill almost always has something if I'm looking for work clothes and they only display decent looking. Shorts were listed at $4.98 and two Dockers slacks were listed at $6.98 but everything is half price on the first Saturday of the month.


----------



## Mike CHS

I found out today that if an animal touches one of the hot wires and you have your hand on that animal, it hurts you as bad as if you touched the wire yourself.  I already knew that but wasn't paying attention to where the rams butt was.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

....sorry, ........I have done that myself


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Oops!   I once got shocked by watering a plant next to the fence.  I got careless where the water stream was and it traveled up that stream of water and got my thumb which was on the end of the hose.  

Now I know why they always tell little farm boys to ...ahem... be careful if they relieve themselves near an electric fence.


----------



## Bruce

What's the count now Mike? I'm up to 3 as of this week.


----------



## Mike CHS

This is the first time I've gotten hit in awhile but I've lost track of how many times there have been.


----------



## Baymule

That's funny. So.....petting Max is  a shocking experience?


----------



## greybeard

frustratedearthmother said:


> Oops!   I once got shocked by watering a plant next to the fence.  I got careless where the water stream was and it traveled up that stream of water and got my thumb which was on the end of the hose.
> 
> Now I know why they always tell little farm boys to ...ahem... be careful if they relieve themselves near an electric fence.


Proving once again, that no matter how much pressure or flow is involved, electrons always travel faster than the flow of liquid coming from a hose...or from anywhere else. 

There was once, a myth that if you were touching or holding someone else's hand, and touched the hot wire of a fence, that only the last person in line would be shocked...especially if the person touching the fence was completely insulated from the ground.... don't try it.


----------



## Mike CHS

I have a pile of cut tree branches piled about 10' high and 20' around.  I had been piling in smaller stacks so I could burn but our contractor brought his cherry picker back yesterday and parked it about 5' from the brush piles.  I doubt he would care to have a charred machine when he shows up tomorrow so I used the tractor and pushed all the piles together.  It has been too windy to safely burn considering no more rain than we have had in the last few weeks.  He said they should get started early and get it knocked out.

I spent today on my perimeter access lanes reclaiming area where the trees are stretching out over the lane.  I would just pull the side-by-side under the branches, climb up on the dump bed and drop the branches.  It was fairly slow going but I got most of one side completely cut back and the brush hauled. I don't try for that 'tidy' look but I keep them cut back so when I mow, I'm not becoming tick bait running the mower under the tree branches.  I'll have my new helper come over this next week for a day and we can knock out the longer side.


----------



## Mike CHS

They are just about to finish up the long south side and the next picture I take will be of the finished mods. I still have a lot of work to do because they had to cut into off the hill next to the poles.  And I need to have a load of gravel brought in to smooth it off and put the handling chute back together. This time I will lay a small concrete pad for our weight scale to sit on.  We got weight readings all over the place trying to use plywood over the gravel.  I still need to dig a couple of holes on the west end but I'm not sure how I want to do that so it will have to wait. The building/area under roof now is just under 72'X48'.


----------



## Mike CHS

They finished up the shop roofs except for some trim on the corners where they tried to reuse some of the original and it didn't match and they just got back awhile ago to finish that up.  Teresa and I have most of the working area smoothed out and will finish putting the fence panels back in place.  While we are waiting on them to finish I threw some chicken on the grill.


----------



## Mike CHS

The chicken is good and we almost forgot it while working at the shop.  I used different spices on the various groups but I lose track of which is which.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Looks great!


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I used different spices on the various groups but I lose track of which is which.


I'm sure they are all good so it doesn't really matter.


----------



## Mike CHS

We got most of the gravel smoothed out and several trip hazards removed.  Most of the chute is back in place but I need to find a couple spots that I can drive T-posts in to anchor cattle panels.  The 12' extension that we added on the back now gives us a 24'x32' cover/shade.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> but I need to find a couple spots that I can drive T-posts in to anchor cattle panels


Good luck!


----------



## B&B Happy goats

That looks awesome !


----------



## Baymule

That looks really good! I know y'all are going to enjoy that roof over you when you are working your sheep. That is so nice......having some barn envy here......


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm happy


----------



## Baymule

I bet you are! I'd be happy too!


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa is heading to Missouri tomorrow to visit family but we are going to bring the sheep in this afternoon to give a dose of wormer to the 6 that had a high count last time and give a booster CDT to those that are due.  When she gets back we are going to pull the lambs that are still nursing.  There are a couple ewes that need a break and some extra nourishment so we can see how they recover.  Four of our yearlings are going to be sold and 3 of the youngest are also going to be on the market.  The 8 ewe lambs that were in the dry lot are the tamest sheep I have ever seen and will ignore feed to get some scratches but two of them were runts at birth and look to be staying that way so they need to go also.


----------



## Mike CHS

I went out to do some grooming on Maisy and when I went into the pasture, one of the ewes heard the chain on the gate and started the whole herd running for feed (which they weren't getting this morning).  As soon as I started on Maisy, they figured they weren't getting anything and went running back to the fresh grass.  I never thought about turning on the video on the camera till afterwards.  This is some of the Red River Crab Grass broadcast over our native grasses that I seeded a month or so ago and I'm curious to see how it holds up to grazing.  We are only leaving them on the new sections for  a few days at a time.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Mr. @Mike CHS,

When are you going to start reading Mel's New Adventures to Maisy so that she can comment as well?

Senile Texas Aggie


----------



## Mike CHS

I do read it but I don't let Maisy get on the computer.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Mike CHS said:


> I do read it but I don't let Maisy get on the computer.


.....


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> one of the ewes heard the chain on the gate and started the whole herd running for feed


 Even with the stills it is pretty funny. My chickens do the same thing.



Mike CHS said:


> The 8 ewe lambs that were in the dry lot are the tamest sheep I have ever seen and will ignore feed to get some scratches but two of them were runts at birth and look to be staying that way so they need to go also.


Petting zoo animals!


----------



## Mike CHS

It was time to give a second dose of wormer to the 5 ewes that had a fairly high egg count so we brought the whole herd back to the handling area.  We wormed the 5 then let the whole bunch loose and walked them back to their paddock.


----------



## CntryBoy777

The grass looks like it is coming on pretty well....hope ya keep getting a good response with it.........tell Teresa to be Safe and Enjoy her "time" with family.....guess ya will be having some rib "leftovers" while she is gone........


----------



## Mike CHS

She said Thank You Fred.    We have enough pre-cooked things in the freezer that there is always some variety.


----------



## Baymule

That grass has really taken off! I have two runts too, they will go to slaughter. 

I hope Teresa enjoys her trip and has a good time!


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> That grass has really taken off! I have two runts too, they will go to slaughter.
> 
> I hope Teresa enjoys her trip and has a good time!



She is taking the long route to avoid all of the flooding out there.


----------



## Baymule

The flooding is insane! All those poor people, farms, animals, crops.


----------



## Mike CHS

I had a visitor in the lane around my pasture.  It is covered in mud so I'm assuming it was buried in mud somewhere but I have no idea where since there are no water holes on our place or the two next to us.

Presenting Mr. Snapping Turtle.  I took an additional picture with it in front of a corner post. That post is one of those 7" posts that they sell as 8" for a size reference.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Dang - he's BIG!


----------



## CntryBoy777

They will eat Anything they can swallow...they only get bigger....looks like a pretty good wad of mud on the shell....maybe traveled some to lay ya some eggs...ot try to steal some....that size can put a burtin on ya, if it gets ahold of something....the louder the "hiss" the more agitated it is....ask me how I know?.....


----------



## Bruce

Obviously it just came back from the spa and it's mud treatment!
That sure is a load it is carrying.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Found something for ya, lol.

Here ya go:  
https://honest-food.net/turtle-soup-recipe-creole/


----------



## Mike CHS

I've had turtle soup but I'm not sure I would want to mess with that thing.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Don't blame you one bit!


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

I think 1 shot with a 22 would take care of it.  Then you can what Maisy would do with it.


----------



## greybeard

Likely came from a waterhole that was getting low. They burrow into the mud to stay cool when the water starts evaporating.

I passed a pickup truck sitting on the side of hiway 90 in La one time, and saw a guy standing by it and another one in hip waders down in the muddy ditch where it crossed under a side road. I stopped to see what they were doing, and the guy in the ditch was digging in the mud with a pitchfork and was chunking snappers up and out to the guy up on the shoulder.  Probably had a couple dozen big ones in the bed of the truck. They'd been stopping at every intersection that morning and getting 2-3 out of every hole of water and mud. They had a market for them somewhere close I guess. That old mud stunk to high heaven tho.

I used to have a LOT of turtles in my pond and they would come swimming up by the dozens and steal the catfish food I threw out every evening. That high protein catfish food runs about $30 for 50lbs. 
One day I had enough of feeding the dang things and went down there that evening with my .22 and 2 boxes of hp and that was the evening of The Great Turtle Massacre.
Dunno how many I killed but a couple days later, I had to paddle out there and pick up all the dead smelly things with a dip net. It was an awful mess. 
Still have some, but their numbers have never recovered from that slaughter.


----------



## Devonviolet

I’ve been catching up on your journal Mike.  WOW! You’ve been busy.   Love all your sheep.  That’s a far cry from the 4-6 you originally planned. I only planned two. But now have seven. I probably won’t go much above that, though.  

Your sheep work space looks awesome.  That is going to make a huge difference, when working on your sheep!



Bruce said:


> Some years back I made a raised bed with cedar along the driveway at the old house. Figured it would last forever. Turns out that cedar rots quite well when in contact with soil. Even the 4x4 posts rotted.


As I was reading, I couldn’t help but reply to Bruce’s comment about cedar and how it isn’t as water resistant, as it’s cracked up to be.  I have to concur.  The previous owner, here, used cedar trees, for the fence around the chicken yard.  I’m guessing every single one has rotted off.  But, in all fairness, we have clay about 6-8” down, and during rainy season (at least six months of the year), the clay stays wet, so I’m guessing most posts would rot off.  We have even had Tractor Supply 6” PT posts rot off. After talking to a friend, we bought some black (tar type) paint, so we can paint the ends of all our fence posts from now on.  Hopefully, they will last longer, in the future.


----------



## Mike CHS

Devonviolet said:


> I’ve been catching up on your journal Mike.  WOW! You’ve been busy.   Love all your sheep.  That’s a far cry from the 4-6 you originally planned. I only planned two. But now have seven. I probably won’t go much above that, though.



We only have 4 of the original 10 left and they aren't going anywhere soon. We have taken 9 to market awhile back but still have 45 so we will be market bound again soon.  We also wethered one ram lamb for us.


----------



## greybeard

Devonviolet said:


> As I was reading, I couldn’t help but reply to Bruce’s comment about cedar and how it isn’t as water resistant, as it’s cracked up to be. I have to concur. The previous owner, here, used cedar trees, for the fence around the chicken yard. I’m guessing every single one has rotted off. But, in all fairness, we have clay about 6-8” down, and during rainy season (at least six months of the year), the clay stays wet, so I’m guessing most posts would rot off. We have even had Tractor Supply 6” PT posts rot off. After talking to a friend, we bought some black (tar type) paint, so we can paint the ends of all our fence posts from now on. Hopefully, they will last longer, in the future.



I've seen cedar from out in West Texas that have stood for 30+ years. A lot depends where the tree grew and even what time of season it was cut.

The pressure treated stuff isn't worth a crap if the soil stays wet very much. I just swapped one out for an old creosoted power pole last week. I had put that PT post in the ground no less recent than 2015 and it failed just below ground level. Of course too, it was one that was less than 200' from the river and had been under water countless times since 2015...


----------



## Ridgetop

I love your barn area.  I really want an alleyway and chute for working the sheep!  I told DH if we had a chute system, we could do all the stuff ourselves without having to catch and hang on to individual sheep! 

Got to figure out how to set one up - with a scale in the chute too, so we can weigh the lambs without having to lift 80 lb. lambs and larger onto the hanging scale!


----------



## Mike CHS

If we only have a few to do something to we just call them all into the stall. There are so many right now and they are so tame, I can walk right up to them to give a drench or things like that.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Sure beats having to wrestle each one and makes it waayy more Enjoyable to be out and about!!........you'll have em "falling in" for "roll call" before too much longer....


----------



## Mike CHS

It's been a long time since I've had to work at getting them in.  I just open the gate to the squeeze chute and have the magic bucket.  Once I get a good size group in there we open the sliding gate to the chute and they will start going in on their own.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Thats really nice!  Nice that they’re so cooperative.  Goats aren’t bad until they see you doing something to one of their buddies - then they head for the hills.  (‘Cept we don’t  have any hills around here!)


----------



## Mike CHS

frustratedearthmother said:


> Thats really nice!  Nice that they’re so cooperative.  Goats aren’t bad until they see you doing something to one of their buddies - then they head for the hills.  (‘Cept we don’t  have any hills around here!)



We center most things we do with them around feed and especially in and around the handling chute.  They all get a bit of feed when they come in the stall.  A few get feed from a bucket when a group of them goes into the crowd pen.  There is a bucket of feed being held in the chute itself for the first one to go in. And we make sure all of them get some feed as they are finished and in the last section of the chute.  All of that adds a bit of time but they never get stressed out and don't mind coming back in again the next time.


----------



## Baymule

Amazing how a feed bucket makes you SO attractive!


----------



## Mike CHS

It's kind of like with people.  You make an experience pleasant and they don't mind doing it again.


----------



## Mike CHS

All of the ewe lambs that were on the dry lot are especially tame.  They are all paired up with their dams again but still come to me for petting.


----------



## Mike CHS

Our drought is definitely over (at least temporarily).  It has bee thundering and heavy rain all evening and that is after a little over 2" today.  There was a break of about three hours today that I managed to get most of the grass cut that needed cutting.  It was funny because I went around yesterday on our place and the neighbors to see what needed cutting and there was very little.  The growth just went into hyper growth after all of the rain.

I have the sheep in an area where there is very little shelter since they need the rain to clean up their coats.


----------



## Baymule

Glad you got some rain. We have been getting some rain, it sure has cooled off the heat!


----------



## CntryBoy777

We got right at an inch over nite and early morning....and there is a big difference in falling rainwater and groundwater, in the growth of plants.....course, that water is Enriched with the "sheep tea".....over there..........I remember an elderly lady that worked in the school office....back in the 6th grade....and she would get on the intercom and announce that we were on a "Rainy Day Schedule".....I hear her voice quite often, in my head...on these kinds of days......


----------



## Mike CHS

We got an inch and a half yesterday and another inch last night.

I was sitting here having a cup of coffee and something starting bothering me.  I couldn't put my finger on it but then it hit me.  I have a routine that no matter how sure I am that a gate got latched, I will literally put a hand on the chain before leaving that spot.  As I sat here, I couldn't remember touching the chain on the gate after I fed the cows and Max. Sure enough, I went out to check and the chain was not attached.  That gate will stay closed as long as nothing touches it but a good wind would open it.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Isn't it funny, and cool, the way the subconscious mind works?  I can't tell you how many times I've woken up in the middle of the night because I suddenly "remembered" that I'd left a faucet open and water running...


----------



## Mike CHS

@Senile_Texas_Aggie inspired me to reclaim some treeline on our long perimeter fence. It wasn't as bad as his since I make it a point to clean it up once a summer. It's right at 1000' and I won't get it done today since I can see more rain showers on the horizon but I got about 2/3 of it done and the brush hauled to the burn area.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

I hope you got before and after pictures!  Getting ~660 feet of fence in 1 day is quite an accomplishment.  Right now, we are working on the small drainage ditch that runs between the east pasture and the northern one of the 3 south pastures.  We are lucky to get 30 feet in a day.


----------



## Mike CHS

I don't have the multiple years of growth that you have.  I got that beat back the first year we had our place.


----------



## Baymule

That is work. Sure makes you feel good to see it all cleaned up. The new area we cleared of green briars was sprouting back up, but I knocked them down today with the tractor, dragging the disc. I limed it yesterday, today I sowed giant Bermuda grass seed. Pasture #1 (that inspired the I Hate Greenbriars thread that brought @Senile_Texas_Aggie to join our forum) sprouted up green briars, but the sheep nipped them off, they no longer come up. I think those big wads of bulbous roots and just biding their time, waiting...…. I hate them.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> I think those big wads of bulbous roots and just biding their time, waiting...…. I hate them.



I agree with that.  I only had one section of a little over two acres that was nothing but briers and I make it a point to let the sheep graze that closer than anywhere else.  I still wind up cutting it at least once a summer so it takes them a long time to die.  No idea how long.


----------



## Mike CHS

I just talked to Teresa and she is having a great time with her older sister.  That sister gets very little time on her own and this is probably the first time in several years she was able to have this much free time.


----------



## Bruce

That is great to hear Mike.


----------



## Baymule

I'm glad that Teresa is having a good time. I love her. She is a wonderful woman and you are one lucky man!


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> I'm glad that Teresa is having a good time. I love her. She is a wonderful woman and you are one lucky man!



I tell myself that several times just about every day.


----------



## Mike CHS

I got almost all of the rest of the tree line back to the property line that joins with a wedge of CSX property that has the railway tunnel entrance.  It took me most of the day because I would wait for a rain shower to pass and go out to start again.  All day I would get 20-30 minutes and then there would be another shower.  The humidity is so high I was soaked anyway but the rain is cold so I would go back to the house.


----------



## Mike CHS

The grass has gone into growing overload after 3 weeks of no moisture so I need to catch up on mowing in the morning.  Our helper (J.Mike) is coming over around noon so he and I can put the chute back together so we can pull the younger lambs off of their dams and wean them.  This time, rather than use the smaller pen as a dry lot we are going to put them in the acre and a half pen right behind the house.  That has more rock and hopefully won't get as wet as the smaller pen although it will still be considered a dry lot situation.

In case anyone is wondering, J.Mike doesn't like his first name plus he lives with a family where the head of household is also named Mike (Mike not being his first name either) so the younger became J.Mike.  Every one I know that goes by Mike, the name is their middle name including me.  Why do parents name their male children with first names that they will refuse to use when they also give a perfectly normal middle name (Michael/Mike) that they will have a preference to use?


----------



## Baymule

J. Mike. That's so Southern. 

My maternal grandfather always went by Mac. He used A.R. McCants as his name (hating his first name) but everybody called him Mac. The A. R. stood for Arve Robin. He was the only person I have ever known named Arve. I wouldn't like it either. My Mom had a cousin named Lurleen. What, was her mother drunk when she gave birth? Horrible name.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Let's just say that I'm elated that Mom didn't get her way...totally....in naming me.....it would've been  an absolute Horror growing up with her "choice" during the 60s-70s.....


----------



## Baymule

CntryBoy777 said:


> Let's just say that I'm elated that Mom didn't get her way...totally....in naming me.....it would've been  an absolute Horror growing up with her "choice" during the 60s-70s.....


And what was her choice?


----------



## B&B Happy goats

I was almost named Mildred....WTF were they thinking .... mildred the goat lady yo Milly, hows it hanginmild to moderate....instead i got Barbara Jean after two of my fathers sisters who died as teenagers..., that was kinda a drag, and its a big secret how they died !  Well i made dang sure i lived enough for all three of us...and we had some crazy fun times


----------



## Mike CHS

There is no doubt in my mind that you did as you say.


----------



## greybeard

Baymule said:


> That is work. Sure makes you feel good to see it all cleaned up. The new area we cleared of green briars was sprouting back up, but I knocked them down today with the tractor, dragging the disc. I limed it yesterday, today I sowed giant Bermuda grass seed. Pasture #1 (that inspired the I Hate Greenbriars thread that brought @Senile_Texas_Aggie to join our forum) sprouted up green briars, but the sheep nipped them off, they no longer come up. I think those big wads of bulbous roots and just biding their time, waiting...…. I hate them.


Yep. Tho I hope you live to a very ripe old age, they will outlive you too.


----------



## greybeard

B&B Happy goats said:


> I was almost named Mildred....WTF were they thinking .... mildred the goat lady yo Milly, hows it hanginmild to moderate....instead i got Barbara Jean after two of my fathers sisters who died as teenagers..., that was kinda a drag, and its a big secret how they died !  Well i made dang sure i lived enough for all three of us...and we had some crazy fun times


I had an aunt named Mildred. A wonderful woman too.

(Her and her husband lived out in West Texas as dryland cottn farmers and he also raised cattle. It is hot out there of course, and they would leave the doors and windows open in the summer time. Rattlesnakes were everywhere and one day, she called Uncle Richard to come hurry. A rattler had gotten in the house, and was curled up in the window sill. Uncle was a little irritated that she called him away from his work on the windmill, and when he got in and saw the snake, he just pulled the double barrel 12 ga off the pegs on the wall, walked into the bedroom, let go with both barrels and blew snake and window right out of the old house..good thing no one or anything was walking along the outside of the house)


----------



## B&B Happy goats

@greybeard,  Mildred was my grand mothers name....the story about  your uncle is a riot.....wonder if he was mad when he had to replace the window ?


----------



## Baymule

That's one way to kill a snake. LOL Yes, I'll live to a ripe old age, past 100. It runs in the family. Those green briar roots will have to wait a loooooong time!


----------



## Bruce

So Mike, what did your mother call you when you were in trouble. You know, where she used your full "3 name" name?


----------



## Mike CHS

That's what has always been funny to me.  Nobody ever used my first name until I moved to live with an uncle in rural Missouri when I was starting 10th grade in High School.  Mrs. Crawford (teacher for most of my classes) refused to use anything other than my first name._ When my mom was perturbed by some trivial thing (I never did anything major) she called me Michael.  Otherwise it was always Mike.

That trivial thing mentioned above isn't true though as there was a reason I went from St. Louis to Campbell, MO._


----------



## Mike CHS

I trimmed the last of the over hanging trees on my access lane and got all of the branches pushed up in a pile and mashed down with the front end loader.  I would like to burn it but it's too windy.

I cut the neighbors 2 acres next to our drive then called J.Mike to come over and finished putting our handling chute back in place.  When we originally put it up we couldn't find enough gaps in the rock to fully sink more than two T-posts so we had two cattle panels to make it more rigid.  We found enough gaps in the rock this time to sink a post every 5 feet to support the cattle panels leading to the squeeze chute.

I didn't do a 'before' picture of the handling area outside the chute but there was a slop that was over a foot down that I was able to build up enough to make it level now.  I still need to build a short block retaining wall and build a gate on the doorway pad to keep the sorted sheep out.  The two posts that are on the edge of the concrete pad will be cut down and a 2x8 board nailed horizontally to them to make a shelf to hold things when we are working sheep.

We need to have the head gate attached to the chute when the state comes out to inspect but we never use it after having had it for over 3 years. The sorting gate gets used every time though.


----------



## Baymule

That sure does look nice. Shade! No more hot sun beating down on you, Teresa and the sheep.


----------



## CntryBoy777

That will be really nice to handle the sheep in and keep ya out of the sun, when it is hot....and shelter if ya get caught out in a downpour.........I've got caught in the goathouse before...


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Looks like your plan came together ! Congradulations,  hope it makes life easier for all


----------



## Mike CHS

Just working down there putting everything back together was a whole lot more comfortable considering the time of day.


----------



## Bruce

Looks great Mike.



Mike CHS said:


> That trivial thing mentioned above isn't true though as there was a reason I went from St. Louis to Campbell, MO.


And you are going to let us hang on that???


----------



## Mike CHS

Sure.  I was almost 15 and found myself hanging out with a bunch of 19-25 year olds.  These guys were into stealing and stripping cars for $.  I didn't actually do anything other than be around them but they had a car in a garage across the alley from our house. If caught I would have been in as much trouble as them whether I actually did anything or not.  The police showed up one day and was telling Mom that they had reason to believe some men were using that garage (which belonged to one of their Grandfather) and the police wanted to use our kitchen area to stake out the garage.

I went into the living room where the phone was and called one of the guys and told them what was going on.  When I hung up and turned around my Mom was standing in the doorway with a look I had never seen before.  She didn't say a word but went to the phone and called my uncle who owned a pool hall and package store on the Missouri/Arkansas state line.  They had talked to Mom about my possibly going to live with them when I had gotten into several fights the year earlier so she asked if that offer was still open.  It was and I was down there the next day and it was without doubt the best thing that had happened in my life up to that point.


----------



## Bruce

Oh my, I can only imagine the look on your mother's face. Sure glad it worked out at your Uncle's!


----------



## Mike CHS

If I had stayed in St. Louis there is no telling how my story would have ended but probably not good.  I had some good teachers that tried to get me in some programs that helped kids in that part of the city (not a good place) and I wasn't a bad kid but I had a tendency to want to be part of the group. Those kind of kids usually get lead down the wrong path so the move was good.

Campbell had then (and still does according to the sign) has just under 2000 people and nothing to do back then to get in trouble.  Being a city boy enrolling in a country school had a few adventures but I learned pretty quick that they were good people and most became and still are good friends.  In a couple of years I went from almost going to the juvenile detention center at Booneville to Student Council President so it worked OK.  

My uncle was a pretty smart man and made sure I stayed busy.  I got hired by every farm customer he had that needed a big strong young man to do every farm labor bit imaginable but it made me want a farm some day which stayed with me.  

I really didn't mean to write a book but that move is what made the rest of my life very enjoyable compared to what it could and probably would have been.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Change can be good, and in your case it was perfect, ......loving mom........smart uncle .... equals a good guy named Mike with a fantastic  farm .....I love happy endings ....you done good dude


----------



## Mike CHS

B&B Happy goats said:


> Change can be good, and in your case it was perfect, ......loving mom........smart uncle .... equals a good guy named Mike with a fantastic  farm .....I love happy endings ....you done good dude



It worked for me and I have tried to pay it forward knowing how close I came to being completely different.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Mike CHS said:


> It worked for me and I have tried to pay it forward knowing how close I came to being completely different.



That is exactly what we all should be doing in life...pay it forward.....


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Mike CHS said:


> I really didn't mean to write a book but that move is what made the rest of my life very enjoyable compared to what it could and probably would have been.



Mike, thank you so much for sharing that story.  It is such things that help us understand one another.  And thanks to Bruce for encouraging more of the story.


----------



## Mike CHS

When I was moving the sheep this afternoon, I took the camera with me to see if I could get a few pictures of them.  A couple are getting pulled down by their lambs but overall I'm pleased with how most are maintaining or even improving condition.  I mentioned earlier that we are going to pull all of the lambs that are still nursing and move the dams to some fresh pasture.

The first picture is just to show a part of the ledge rock goes in a circle around this paddock.  It starts at just about by the shop and runs in a semi circle for almos 500'.  There is plenty of soil above and below the ledge but you can tell that the ledge was used as a deer trail for who knows how long before we cleared it out.

The second picture is the bottle lambs and 5 who is the most affectionate sheep I have ever seen and we have a bunch that are right behind her. 

The 4th pic is Percy who is intact, registerable and down right attractive.  He still has Ringo's attitude and personality and if his growth continues as it is, he will be destined for sale as a ram.

The last picture is Wild Thang who has finally decided that being handled does not lead to sudden death.


----------



## B&B Happy goats




----------



## frustratedearthmother

Very nice!


----------



## Baymule

Percy is a very handsome boy!


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Percy is a very handsome boy!



I've said it before but he has the same personality as Ringo.  He will follow me around in the pasture to get scratches and I've never seen him butt any of the other lambs.


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> I've said it before but he has the same personality as Ringo.  He will follow me around in the pasture to get scratches and I've never seen him butt any of the other lambs.


You got a winner there. I sure hope whoever gets him appreciates what they have.


----------



## Mike CHS

There is a nice big shade tree in the paddock that I put the sheep in this morning but they prefer to crowd into a hoop house shade closer to the house.  I don't know if the picture will show it well or not but there must be a dozen sheep or more crammed into that space. I had to take the picture from the house because if I went out they would come running.


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> She didn't say a word but went to the phone and called my uncle who owned a pool hall and package store on the Missouri/Arkansas state line. They had talked to Mom about my possibly going to live with them


"Booze, pool halls and beer joints made me what I am today" isn't something many people can very often say in a positive light .


----------



## CntryBoy777

At least the "evidence" is already in the paddock....that shade is of high "value" it appears.....


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa and I got the chute ready to handle sheep tomorrow.  I put them on a paddock next to where the steers will be soon so I wanted them to eat this one down a bit before I let the cows move.  I'm positive that most of the ewes are cycling again so I doubt electric netting would stop the ram from going to them.

We attached a gate to the front of the sorting gate and we added a gate to the shop porch. We had been using cattle panels but since we already had the gates, we used them instead.  The area on the right is our loading area plus we can put sheep in there till we get everyone sorted and moved.  Once out of there they can go to my choice of 4 gates to different paddocks.  We put netting in the area to the left that goes up the hill and back into the main paddock.  From there they can be called to any paddock on our place.

The picture of the critters grazing was just because I could get most but not all of them in one picture.

We had some WedgeLock gate hardware left from several years ago so we will hang an 8' gate to a T-post at the loading gate.  We had to use some cement to anchor the posts since we hit solid slab rock at about 8".


----------



## CntryBoy777

A truly Beautiful site!!.....are they liking the crab grass?


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> A truly Beautiful site!!.....are they liking the crab grass?



That paddock is mostly Bermuda and Orchard Grass but they have been on the crab grass and like it.  It hasn't been planted all that long so I didn't let them graze it down too much.


----------



## Baymule

My sheep think I am a terrible sheep Mommy. They are all on dry lot. I planted giant Bermuda in 3 pastures and locked them up. I am watering it every day until it is up  a couple of inches, then I'll drop to 3 times a week. Then I'll plant the patch I have ready on the pipeline. Dragging water hoses every hour takes awhile. About the time that they can graze_ a little,_ I'll plant rye, more clovers and start all over. But next year should be good!


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> My sheep think I am a terrible sheep Mommy. They are all on dry lot. I planted giant Bermuda in 3 pastures and locked them up. I am watering it every day until it is up  a couple of inches, then I'll drop to 3 times a week. Then I'll plant the patch I have ready on the pipeline. Dragging water hoses every hour takes awhile. About the time that they can graze_ a little,_ I'll plant rye, more clovers and start all over. But next year should be good!



I am as happy as I could be with our pastures the way they are now.  I have sprayed nitrogen for parasites but the graze has obviously benefited from that and especially the lime.  This crop of lambs is going to be rough thinning out since they are about as close to petting zoo type lambs as you can get.  They are so tame that whenever I go out I get mobbed with them wanting to get petted.  I'm making it a point to ignore the one we castrated for butchering but even he is super friendly.


----------



## Baymule

I limed the areas I planted with seed, so that ought to help. When it is up a couple of inches, I'll spread fertilizer.


----------



## Mike CHS

We started working sheep right at 10:00 this morning after getting set up and critters taken care of.  We finished up a little after 5:00 and we are tired and sore backs from bending over for most of that time working on hooves.

Our new helper is an excellent worker and doesn't wait to be told what to do.  I'm glad he was here since we have several that are over 170 pounds and it's a bear getting them in the chair to check hooves.

It was also awesome to be able to do all of that without the Sun beating us up.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I wouldn't straighten up for a week...I tell ya....an energetic "helping hand" is certainly handy to have available....really Glad the setup worked out so well for ya, too........so, how did the hooves do this time, any issues?.....


----------



## Mike CHS

We had a couple that were really bad last time that were still bad but not as bad.  We need to work up a cull list anyway and those two are on it.  We had two that were bad enough last time that we gave shots shots of Nuflor which really helped and they were fine this time.

We also castrated another ram lamb that was the last born so that gives us two that will be processed for meat for us.


----------



## Baymule

That looks so nice! All under cover, no hot sun beating down on you. That's just freakin' awesome.


----------



## Mike CHS

This is one of those TMI posts so don't read further if the results of working sheep hooves all day bothers you.  











We use the regular hoof trimmers on the sheep but in most cases if it is a sheep that is fairly calm, I will use an angle grinder.  It only takes a half minute or so per hoof and does a super job.  I was finally able to blow my nose and the results were gross.  What came out looked like a batch of sheep manure and hoof dust.  I go in and sweep up their manure in the holding pen every 20 minutes or so but they still have a lot of stuff on their feet.


----------



## mystang89

Mike CHS said:


> This is one of those TMI posts so don't read further if the results of working sheep hooves all day bothers you.
> We use the regular hoof trimmers on the sheep but in most cases if it is a sheep that is fairly calm, I will use an angle grinder.  It only takes a half minute or so per hoof and does a super job.  I was finally able to blow my nose and the results were gross.  What came out looked like a batch of sheep manure and hoof dust.  I go in and sweep up their manure in the holding pen every 20 minutes or so but they still have a lot of stuff on their feet.



Mmmm, yummy! Lol

I've seen people on YouTube use an angle grinder and thought about it myself but since I don't have one of those chairs, and it's just me trying to last then down and maneuver them, I haven't tried it.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Ahhh yes, the yucky nose blow after cleaning up goat house and animal pens.....and breathing the dirty lime rock dust that floats toward us in clouds from  the un paved roads around us...gotta love it....and the dust that settles inside the house.....yikes


----------



## Baymule

So what you are saying is, if you value your lungs, wear one of those annoying, hot, hard to breathe through, face masks. Or you can snarf all that crud deep into your lungs. I worked in a welding shop, making oil field pumping units, when I was in my 20's. It took a 3 day weekend of blowing my nose before all the black nasty boogers cleared up.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Lungs sure do put up with a lot of crud, thank god we get two of them !


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Our new helper is an excellent worker and doesn't wait to be told what to do. I'm glad he was here since we have several that are over 170 pounds and it's a bear getting them in the chair to check hooves.


Yay for J. Mike!!! How old is he? Can you "keep" him a few years or will he be heading off to college?



Mike CHS said:


> This is one of those TMI posts so don't read further if the results of working sheep hooves all day bothers you.


Yep, good time to be wearing a respirator. I've finally gotten to where I remember to do it when I (rarely) sweeping out the little rooms down in the lower part of the barn. Light dust a quarter inch thick will mostly end up in my nose and lungs. And I was REAL sure to use tit when I cleaned out the coop before the chicks arrived. Can't imagine the ammonia smell I would have had otherwise.



B&B Happy goats said:


> Lungs sure do put up with a lot of crud, thank god we get two of them !


Except that you are doing them both in at the same time!


----------



## Mike CHS

The young lad is a Sophomore and likes to work.  He is in demand by a number people so he just about works full time during the summer. We were having trouble getting Wild Thang backed up to the chair so he just picked her up and put her in it.  That ewe weighed in at 164 pounds.


----------



## mystang89

Young people who know want to work!? Send him this way! That is a rare commodity.


----------



## Mike CHS

It may just be because it is so rural here and these boys all grew up on farms but we have used several young men on our place and they have all been good.  There are a couple that we won't use again but they were the exception overall.


----------



## Bruce

So how do you get on the top of J. Mike's list of where to work? 2 full years plus a summer whoo hoo!!


----------



## Mike CHS

We just had dinner of the best side benefit of raising sheep and that is eating the meat. I made a quick marinade this morning and then cooked them on the grill awhile ago.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> So how do you get on the top of J. Mike's list of where to work? 2 full years plus a summer whoo hoo!!



We will have to wait and see how it works out.  He has worked with goats but said he much prefers working the sheep since they are less hassle than what he is used to.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Awesome, sign that young man up....he likes what he is diong with you


----------



## Mike CHS

We are still getting Asparagus but will let the bed rest in a couple of weeks.  We have had a lot of Sugar Snap Peas and Yellow Squash  and it's nice to be getting something out of the garden beds.  I sprouted some okra and we planted it today and put chicken wire and step in posts around it to keep the chickens out until it gets established and then we will remove the wire.


----------



## Mike CHS

The lambs that we separated last week have quieted down and are getting into a routine. I'm working on getting them used to being handled now that their protective moms aren't around.  It's only been a couple of days but they are already coming up to get scratches.  The bottle lambs Princess and Taffy made it easy since they are so calm and showed the other lambs that they had nothing to fear.  

The Buff Orpington that has been sitting on eggs should be showing some newly hatched chicks in the next day or two and we put a bunch of eggs under a Barred Rock hen yesterday who has been sitting on golf balls for a couple of days now.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa and I decided to spend a good part of the day in Nashville at one of the malls and grab a bite to eat at a Vietnamese deli that is also a market.  We need to pick up some things that aren't carried in the stores in our little towns around us.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Mike CHS said:


> Teresa and I decided to spend a good part of the day in Nashville at one of the malls and grab a bite to eat at a Vietnamese deli that is also a market.  We need to pick up some things that aren't carried in the stores in our little towns around us.



Happy father's  day and I hope the two of you have a great time


----------



## Mike CHS

We got to the deli we wanted to eat at and they were closed so we decided to hit the Food Court at the mall in Franklin.  It's upscale as over half of that city has been built in the last ten years. The Food Court has offerings in a dozen ethnic types of menus from Mexican, Greek, Italian and a bunch of others.  We chose the French deli that specializes with various types of filled crepes as that was something new for us.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

When I was visiting in Denmark, I was introduced  to filled crepes, very popular there also....and very  yummy!


----------



## Baymule

Crepes filled with what?


----------



## Mike CHS

They have a huge selection but ours was stuffed with ground beef, spinach, some Italian meat I can't pronounce, Mozzarella cheese, tomato, and olives.


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## CntryBoy777

No "adjectives" or "exuberations", had Thai on the mind and "buds"....but, got crepes instead....maybe one of those "nice places" ya never seem to gwt back to....


----------



## Mike CHS

We try to have something we never had before as often as possible.  That's kind of hard to do where we live but the Nashville area makes it easier.  Having lived in Charleston, SC for so many years, you get spoiled about the dining.


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> They have a huge selection but ours was stuffed with ground beef, spinach, some Italian meat I can't pronounce, Mozzarella cheese, tomato, and olives.


that sounds like a rolled up pizza!


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Mike CHS said:


> who has been sitting on golf balls for a couple of days now.



There was one episode on _The Beverly Hillbillies_ where they tried to boil and eat golf "eggs".  Have you worked out a recipe for those yet?


----------



## Mike CHS

Senile_Texas_Aggie said:


> There was one episode on _The Beverly Hillbillies_ where they tried to boil and eat golf "eggs".  Have you worked out a recipe for those yet?





No but we will take what replaced the golf  balls.


----------



## Mike CHS

The garden is doing great so far.  We have let the asparagus go so it can build energy for next spring.  We should have some ripe tomatoes in a week or possibly two and there are plenty of them. We planted a couple of "Mild" jalapena plants that are anything but mild but they have a good flavor.  I put in 20 bell pepper plants so we will be doing some pepper relish soon.  We are getting yellow squash now about every day.  That works since I like to eat it raw or we add it to salads.  I didn't have a bed ready for okra till a few days ago so I pre-sprouted the seeds and planted them three days ago.  Since they were already germinated when I put them in it only took a couple of days for them to pop up.  We picked the last of the Sugar Snap Peas so I'll plant some bush green beans in that bed now.

Both the watermelons and cantaloupes are putting on fruit so it won't take long before we have some of them.


----------



## Bruce

I'm surprised you've still got asparagus, must have a very healthy bed.


----------



## Mike CHS

We ate Asparagus last year till July but that was too long.  All of our beds had sheep manure worked in before we ever planted anything.  We don't put any fresh manure on the Asparagus though now.


----------



## Mike CHS

We are hoping to see some new chicks in the morning.


----------



## frustratedearthmother




----------



## Baymule

Hope you have little fluffy chicks in the morning!


----------



## Mike CHS

We didn't hear any chicks and as she puffed up to about twice her size when Teresa went to touch her, it seemed wiser to leave her alone.


----------



## Bruce

Good plan. You didn't see them but they might be under cover. I bet those little ones start showing up out from under soon.


----------



## goatgurl

so you are afraid of a little puffy chicken??  put on your big boy panties,  poke that hand under there and take your hen pecking like a man.   I am always way to curious to wait for them to get off the nest so I gotta look.  do I get pecked, you betcha but I look anyway.  
 your sheeple look great as always and your garden looks wonderful too.  I've been munching on sugar snap peas too, love them straight of the vine.  
I do have some serious barn/shed/working pen envy.  just so's ya know.


----------



## Mike CHS

goatgurl said:


> so you are afraid of a little puffy chicken??  put on your big boy panties,  poke that hand under there and take your hen pecking like a man.   I am always way to curious to wait for them to get off the nest so I gotta look.  do I get pecked, you betcha but I look anyway.
> your sheeple look great as always and your garden looks wonderful too.  I've been munching on sugar snap peas too, love them straight of the vine.
> I do have some serious barn/shed/working pen envy.  just so's ya know.




I had to go back and see when I posted about putting eggs under the hen.  Teresa didn't write it down till a couple of days later but she thought she had did it a couple of days earlier so they aren't due for another day or two.

We had originally had some different and cheaper ideas about how to add some shade at the shop but since we had spent so much time, labor and $ giving our place a professional 'look', we decided to bite the bullet and do it the best way rather than the cheapest.


----------



## goatgurl

well you did good because it looks clean, strong and professional. 
 I've had black snakes back in my hen house again.  cleaned out 3 broody hens nests in 2 days.  I was so ticked off!!!  and no, it won't be back.


----------



## Mike CHS

The chicks have started hatching.


----------



## Mike CHS

We called the 15 lambs into the chute so we could orally worm those that had a high egg count in the fecals we just did.  We have one ewe lamb that is looking really "off" and we gave her injections of Dectomax and Iron (the iron is off label for sheep).  They all got a drench of B12 and Nutridrench.  This group of lambs have only been off their dams for a little over a week but the two bottle lambs have trained them to come when called.  As soon as Princess and Taffy see us at the shop they come running and sheep being sheep, they all follow into the stall and right into the chute.  It only took about 45 minutes to do all of the 15 and nobody was hot or stressed out,  including us.  We discovered another benefit for the new roof.  Now that we don't have to worry about rain coming in the windows since the extended roof keeps it out, we can leave the windows open all of the time.  We keep our canned goods stored there and have less of an issue of keeping the shop a bit cooler.  

Tomorrow the paddock the lambs are in gets a spray of Nitrogen and then we will run fecals again on the ones with the highest count in about two weeks to see what the counts are then.


----------



## Baymule

Do you take the sheep off the pasture when you spray it? 

That's nice about being able to keep the windows up and the shop cooler now.


----------



## Mike CHS

I open up the paddock next to the one they are in but the nitrogen doesn't bother them.  I also cut several bags of grass during the day so they get plenty to eat.  

If I was doing it for the grass I would take them off but I'm doing it to kill parasites so it's a toss.


----------



## Baymule

A friend's horse grazed her yard right after her Dad spread fertilizer on it. The horse died. It made me gun shy on letting any animal on a fertilized area. The nitrogen doesn't affect the lambs?


----------



## Mike CHS

What I use is Haymaker which isn't a concentrate and I don't apply it heavily. I have sprayed it when they wander around the tractor a couple of times and it isn't a problem.  ]

Teresa said "Hi" by the way.


----------



## Baymule

Give her a big hug, say Howdy and tell her it's from me. LOL


----------



## CntryBoy777

Do ya treat the neighbors area that ya cut grass from?....just thought about "transfer", if ya don't....just my curiosity....


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> Do ya treat the neighbors area that ya cut grass from?....just thought about "transfer", if ya don't....just my curiosity....



I did spray their pasture with 2-4-D but not the nitrogen. Since they moved in the deer seem to have found another place to lounge around in as they have 5 well mannered dogs but deer don't know about manners.


----------



## Mike CHS

The storms that came through early this morning brought down a couple of trees and bent one over so much that I had to cut it to get through to the others. One of the branches came down on the fence but a couple of large branches hit vertically  both inside and outside the fence and held up the rest so the only damage was to a hot wire insulator and some minor bending of the woven wire.  We worked on cutting them up for about an hour and a half and the sky opened up with heavy rain so it will bet finished later.  The one tree that is left blocks the land on the perimeter but I have other ways to get around.


----------



## greybeard

Mike CHS said:


> What I use is Haymaker which isn't a concentrate and I don't apply it heavily. I have sprayed it when they wander around the tractor a couple of times and it isn't a problem.





Baymule said:


> A friend's horse grazed her yard right after her Dad spread fertilizer on it. The horse died. It made me gun shy on letting any animal on a fertilized area. The nitrogen doesn't affect the lambs?



Horses are generally less suseptible to the effects of fertilize than ruminants, but it can still happen.
It's a form of nitrate toxicity..actually nitrite/ammonia poisoning. In ruminants most of it takes place in the rumen, but with equines it also happens in the hindgut.

The normal process for non problematic forage conversion is as follows:

Nitrate (NO3) —-> Nitrite (NO2) —-> Ammonia (NH3) —-> Amino Acid —-> Protein
The nitrates (nitrogen) in the fertilize are converted to nitrites, which then is converted to ammonia, and then to amino acids and to protein.

If high levels of nitrogen is in the water, forage or hay, an imbalance occurs.
Nitrates can be (and always are) converted to nitrites faster than nitrites can be converted to ammonia. Thus, a high level of nitrites occur leading to nitrites being absorbed directly into the bloodstream, and those nitrites change hemoglobin into methemaglobin, which does not have the ability to transport oxygen. The animal basically suffocates, and it can happen very quickly.

You can graze pastures right after fertilizing, but you MUST know how much N you are applying per acre and how much is a safe level. It varies with different animals and the calculation for safe application and consumption is fairly complex.
One aspect that always has to be adhered to is to increase grain intake anytime nitrate levels are increased in the case of non-ruminants especially.
You can do the research to determine what is safe, but just know that nitrite toxicity is a very real risk when fertilizing.
Otherwise, the rule of thumb is to always wait until a few days after fertilizing AND a couple days  AFTER  rain has fallen on the fertilized forages/pastures.

The Haymaker I looked at a couple years ago was a concentrate and recommended mixing rate was 1 gal Haymaker/50 gal water per acre.
It was not cost effective for me.


----------



## Bruce

Mike, I don't know if you've seen this but thought you might be interested - 2016 Katahdin show with judge comments. 1H 17M so get a cup of something before you start watching 





Full disclosure: I didn't watch a lot of it since I have no sheep, it was posted on another forum I follow.


----------



## Mike CHS

Thanks you - I have seen that one.


----------



## Mike CHS

I am easily pleased it seems but we sliced up the first ripe tomato out of our garden tonight and was reminded that I have not had a tomato that good since we picked our last ones last summer.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa is braver than I am and checked out the broody hen tonight.  It looks like so far eleven of the twelve eggs have hatched.  Guessing she will bring them out in the next day or so.


----------



## Baymule

Fresh tomatoes and chicks! I call that a good day!


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Fresh tomatoes and chicks! I call that a good day!



It just keeps getting better.


----------



## CntryBoy777

They sure make a Big difference in that all time Favorite BLT....I've eaten plenty of balogna and tomato, and just plain tomato sandwiches...Great with Miracle Whip!!......


----------



## Mike CHS

The hen hatched 11 of the 12 eggs that we put under her.  We weren't able to get pictures with all of them in it since they are moving around so much.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Congrats!!


----------



## greybeard

Baymule said:


> Fresh tomatoes and chicks! I call that a good day!


That, solicits a somewhat ribald phrase from the late 50s/early 60s.

I'm not sure what it means....  
_"Look at the tomatoes on that chick!"_

(I guess youda had to been there...)


----------



## Mike CHS

This seems to be my week for cutting wood for my neighbor.  The Bradford Pear tree that had 1/3 of it come down last month lost almost all of the rest of it in the storm we had last night.  We lost power about nine but it came back on around midnight.  The second round of storms came in about one in the morning and that's when the tree let go.  I heard it crack since it's right behind the house but I wasn't going to worry about it till morning.  Come to think about it, my shoulder hurts more than it has since I got it "fixed" so we are going to Nashville.


----------



## Bruce

No more guessing when that pear will come down now. I hope your shoulder gets fixed again quickly!


----------



## Mike CHS

There is still a small amount that didn't come down but I'll cut that tomorrow when I do the rest.  It did get a section of fence in the holding pen.


----------



## mystang89

Wow, small stemmed tree. I was thinking you might be able to use it for fire wood if you heated that way but not with that. Either way, glad you don't have to worry about that tree now lol


----------



## Mike CHS

The Poplar tree I cut up yesterday was fire place quality but I haul it all to my neighbor who does have a wood burning furnace.

I did a Beer Can Chicken on the smoker this afternoon except I don't use a beer can.


----------



## mystang89

Like yummy!


----------



## Baymule

You need to plant some different kinds of trees! 

That chicken sure looks good! I have a hankerin’ after some BBQ chicken. After we finish butchering the CCX I’m going to spatchcock one for the pit.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Hope it didn't damage it too bad, and cause ya some setback....I know ya are glad that it is no longer an issue, but had that wind zagged instead of zigged....it could have laid it down another direction for ya........would that be a pineapple end that Chick is sitting on?.....sweet and sour smoked chicken?....I know if it came off your smoker...it is sure Fine eatins........I'm still tasting Teresa's fried okra and those squash were Awesome!!....


----------



## Mike CHS

The chicken is sitting on a container sold by Traeger made for holding Beer Can Chicken.  You just fill it almost full of beer or just about any liquid flavor and it simmers and really makes the chicken moist.

There is one Bradford Pear tree left after this one.  Originally there was 9 but I cut down the rest of them since they were in places that I had other plans for.


----------



## Bruce

Sounds like you might want to strike the remaining one before it too strikes you!


----------



## Mike CHS

We had a whole day without rain so I got caught up on my mowing.  I cut the neighbors 2 acres and all of the grass outside the fence which takes a little over three hours.  I wanted to get that done so I can tackle the pear tree that is down tomorrow in the morning before it gets hot and humid.

On a side note, we have one ewe lamb that I was about ready to write off as she was showing all of the signs of being within hours of death.  We gave her a shot of Dectomax and iron three days ago and she is acting completely normal now.  She will be a cull anyway for several reasons but I would rather sell her at market as burn her. This is the third time we have used that med to save a sheep that was close to passing.  It is pricey and about the price of what you will get out of one lamb but it does do the job when the other wormers don't seem to do anything.  It is off-label for sheep though.


----------



## Mike CHS

I wonder if any tree has as many branches as a Bradford Pear.  Teresa and I worked on it for a couple of hours this morning and got about 75% of it cut up and hauled to the burn spot.  It was slow going because so many limb were on the fence and of course want to spring in a direction opposite to what I was expecting when the branches were cut.  

Teresa has some sort of ear infection going on so she's going to her Doc to see if she can get a referral to an ENT.  Her Doc tried to clear it out a few days ago but they didn't have much luck and probably just packed it worse.


----------



## Bruce

I hope she can get that infection cleared up fast. Probably just needs the proper antibiotics.


----------



## Mike CHS

They gave her a RX for something the other day but it has steroids in them which she can't take so we'll ask for something different today.

The proud momma Buff brought her chicks out for the first time today.  We need to sell some chickens because with these and the eggs her Barred Rock are sitting on, she will have more than 30 chickens.


----------



## Baymule

Chicken math!  Teresa has been adding up numbers again! Mo' chickies! 

I hope she gets that ear infection under control, that hurts! I woke up one morning with a sore throat, by that afternoon I knew I had an ear infection, so I told BJ we were going to the feed store. I bought fish antibiotics for $26, took the first round in the car and took my 10 day course. I knew what I had, I knew what to take....like maybe I've been there before....

Isn't Teresa allergic to antibiotics?


----------



## Mike CHS

She is on Amoxicillin now which doesn't seem to bother her.  She has an appointment with an ENT Doc Wednesday.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Hope she can get some relief!!....that pain will drive ya slap-dab nuts......


----------



## Bruce

Unless you are my DD2! She seems to not notice ear pain. Burst both her eardrums when she was a kid, never fussed a bit. DW only knew something was wrong because her ear was leaking fluid. She had operations on both ears 1 and 1.5 years ago due to damage caused by her ear infections.


----------



## Mike CHS

That is what her doctor said yesterday.  The color of the fluid indicated a burst eardrum so we shall see.


----------



## Mike CHS

We had a full day planned after Teresa's ENT appointment but we wound up spending most of the day in Columbia waiting on the doctor. We got there at 11:00 for an 11:15 appointment but she didn't get seen until almost 1:00.  They explained that they had "fit" her in the schedule since it seemed serious but we are OK with that.  The doc thinks her ear problem is some kind of allergic reaction causing the inflammation but we went to the hospital and had blood work done and they will do more tests in a couple of weeks.  Hopefully the allergy isn't to sheep or dogs or chickens or I will be busy.  

Then we had to drive to Lewisburg for several things including sheep minerals so by the time we got home, it was 4:00 and time to go out for chores.  A completely wasted day but it was spent with my best friend so not a waste at all. 

We wanted to move the lambs in the nursery paddock where the chute is over to the next pen and then move the big bunch over to the chute since we have one lamb that needs worming.  She decided she wasn't tame anymore in the paddock they are in.  My girl Notag also needs to be treated for an open sore that she has.  She had a puncture wound that we treated and we gave her Penicillin but we need to put some treatment over it to keep the flies off of her.  I can spray her with Blu-coat out in the field but the flies don't seem to mind that plus she keeps scraping it off on the gates.  We picked up a spray on bandage that we haven't tried before so hopefully it will work better than the ointment.


----------



## mystang89

Mike CHS said:


> We had a full day planned after Teresa's ENT appointment but we wound up spending most of the day in Columbia waiting on the doctor.


There is nothing that stresses me out more than planning to get a days work done after an appointment and then getting stuck out all day, finishing nothing. I can't stand it.


----------



## Baymule

Is Teresa any better?


----------



## Mike CHS

She is using ear drops and has some medication that has eased the sharp pain.  She just has the annoying blockage now but it does seem to be getting better.  And Thank You for asking.


----------



## Mike CHS

We are rotating both groups of sheep today so I can worm the lamb that decided she wasn't going to be touched and then we will move both groups to a fresh paddock so we can let the cows and the ram follow up the sheep.  I'm hoping to be able to separate the ram lambs in the next week or so along with two wethers.  The ram we named Percy is getting huge but so far is showing no signs of any aggressive ram like behavior.  I may change his name to Ringo2 since he acts just like his sire and his dame is one of the registered ewes that will walk up to me and raise her head up high.  She will just stare at me until I make eye contact then she will lay her head against me for petting.

I had Lance waiting in the field in case any of the sheep decided not to cooperate but the move only involved opening gates and calling them.  I went ahead and took him in to work the lambs for a few minutes just to keep his confidence up.  He got to the point that not giving him time with the sheep was causing him to be more aggressive than normal so I make sure he gets a little time on the sheep every time I take him out.


----------



## Mike CHS

We went to our vet the other day to get some meds and they have this cat who has never seen a stranger.


----------



## Mike CHS

We just finished working the big group of sheep in the chute.  Since we had to bring the whole herd in to worm the one lamb, we went ahead and worked them all through the chute so we could pull fecals on seven of the ewes that aren't getting back into as good condition as the rest.  I have had to stop feeding the whole herd since so many of them are getting fat and we want to put the ram in with them next month.  Summer breedings are iffy anyway and their being fat won't help any.  I'm still smiling at working under cover even though it's 90 degrees.


----------



## Bruce

Running them all through the work area even though only a few really needed to be there probably gets them more used to it and for many, no discomfort!


----------



## Mike CHS

They don't mind going in but they always get rewarded too.  Accept for a couple of them, I can open the first gate on the chute and they will start filing in.


----------



## Baymule

I am glad that Teresa is doing a little better. I hope she continues to improve. 

I bet both of you had a big smile, working sheep in the shade! That is a good picture of you and the cat. Who can resist a friendly cat?


----------



## misfitmorgan

I hope Teresa feels good as new soon!


----------



## Mike CHS

misfitmorgan said:


> I hope Teresa feels good as new soon!



Thank you. She still has the blockage but no longer has any pain.


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> Thank you. She still has the blockage but no longer has any pain.


I'm glad it doesn't hurt anymore. That is a miserable pain.


----------



## misfitmorgan

Mike CHS said:


> Thank you. She still has the blockage but no longer has any pain.


No pain is definitely an improvement


----------



## Mike CHS

The two lambs that were bottle lambs weren't seeming to want to join the others so I moved the entire bunch to another paddock several days ago.  Getting the bottle lambs away from the shop (where the expected us to be) seems to have worked and they are wandering around with the herd of lambs finally.

After having rested up some random body parts for a few days I felt good enough to go work on that downed tree again.  I got all of the trunks that had come down and I'll get the little bit that is still attached tomorrow.  I think I must have sweated a gallon or more of fluid.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

I can relate to the sweating part,  it sure is a hot summer


----------



## Baymule

Just going out to feed and move some chickens around this evening, had both of us soaked.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

I don't  mean to wish my life away ,but I sure am looking forward to November when it's  nice out again ,


----------



## Mike CHS

Something got one of our hens last night and I'm suspecting a racoon since it got it in one of the coops.  We locked the chickens down and set out two traps.  It seems if you get rid of one or two predators that others just move in but I'll get rid of those one or two also. I guess that's how the cycle works.


----------



## Mike CHS

B&B Happy goats said:


> I don't  mean to wish my life away ,but I sure am looking forward to November when it's  nice out again ,



I'm actually not griping yet.  We had a nice spring that gave the garden beds a boost and if it waits till the end of June to get hot, I'm happy. The sheep are miserable though and I'm taking cold water out to replace the hot water in the troughs.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Baymule said:


> Just going out to feed and move some chickens around this evening, had both of us soaked.


Saving ya from having to drag Hoses!!.........and to hear "Ma" tell it....ya needed a shower anyway.........I grew up with some real "nuts" I tell ya....sorry ya got soaked, but that's why we live in the "country"......just in case ya run around "commando"...........like some may tend to do.........glad the temps wasn't 40°......


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Lol, water change here is 3x day...in the shade for the goats, but it isn't  bad since cutting down the number of  goats....


----------



## Baymule

We slaughtered the last of the Cornish Cross chickens yesterday and I processed them today. They drank about 9 gallons of water a day, we were out there watering them 3 times a day.

Sorry about your hen, I know Teresa loves her chickens.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Mike CHS said:


> Something got one of our hens last night and I'm suspecting a racoon since it got it in one of the coops.  We locked the chickens down and set out two traps.  It seems if you get rid of one or two predators that others just move in but I'll get rid of those one or two also. I guess that's how the cycle works.


This is about the time juveniles are forced to move on and establish another territory....the more "foodsource" that is available, the #s are supported....since they will eat any and every thing....they will never be eliminated.....my thoughts have been along the lines of your way of thinking....I dealt with them when they showed up to....


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> This is about the time juveniles are forced to move on and establish another territory....the more "foodsource" that is available, the #s are supported....since they will eat any and every thing....they will never be eliminated.....my thoughts have been along the lines of your way of thinking....I dealt with them when they showed up to....



I still have about 10 tree rats to get rid of.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Tree rats are also called squrials , am I correct ? Those stinkers get in the chicken area and eat everything, really getting ready to go postal on them myself....I think i will make them a "racoon" dinner and set it on top of rabbit hutchs....


----------



## CntryBoy777

The ducks I had were some Great watchdogs....since they were behind wire instead of wood...they could see...and would hollar if anything disrupted them....most were possums and coons....a few times for owls and plenty of deer....but, if they sounded, I went out ready.....


----------



## Baymule

Fried squirrel, squirrel and gravy, squirrel and dumplings.....


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Baymule said:


> Fried squirrel, squirrel and gravy, squirrel and dumplings.....


Really ? I will shoot em and overnight them to you, lol...squrrisl here are little ....


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## CntryBoy777

You'll never get a squirrel to eat tain't meat....they eat nuts, seeds, grains, fruits, berries and plant material....get a pump BB gun, BBs and/or Pellets.....have "target practice" and some wonderful squirrel dinner....don't worry so much about your aim....cause, even a "blind" squirrel finds a "nut" evey now and then.....


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## Baymule

My grandmother fried them, even the heads. I remember seeing the orange teeth, empty eye sockets and her cracking the skull open and eating the brains.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Fried squirrel, squirrel and gravy, squirrel and dumplings.....




One of my favorite foods but these squirrels are too small to even mess with other than shooting.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Southern squirrel  are wee little things....the cold areas of the country have the nice fat big ones with meat...I never ate one so can't  comment on taste, but the thought ....


----------



## farmerjan

Squirrels may be "rodents" but they are pretty clean meat. Nuts, other stuff...nothing like a hog that will eat anything you give it to clean up....chickens too are very cannibalistic and will eat rotten stuff.  I can't make myself eat a groundhog, but again, they are vegetarians, so pretty clean meat.


----------



## Mike CHS

I really like squirrel meat but where I grew up, they had a lot more size than here.  We do have some good sized Fox Squirrels but there aren't any on our place.

We got a possum in one of the traps last night but I don't think it's the varmint that took out the hen the other night but either way it was where I don't want them to be.  We will keep setting the traps out for several nights.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Size depends on the breed of the squirrel....grays are the smaller of the common breeds....and I think that the black squirrels are the larger of them.....size can be indicative of age also.....they may be small, but so is a quail, and people eat them without hesitation....sometimes a tad smaller can be more tender, too.....


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Hey, I got all I can do to get my chickens that I want gone done....no time for prepping squrials


----------



## Mike CHS

I had Lance out with me while the sheep were grazing.  I can work Lance on a 'walk up' and then send him around to flank the sheep for several minutes at a time when it's this hot out.  It gives him some decent working time and the sheep don't get stressed but they keep moving while they are grazing.  They have gotten so complacent when he's out there that I went ahead and let him go after a couple who were ignoring him to let them know he's there. Lance and I were going through a gate after we were through and I always hold him so I'm always the first one through any gate and when I called him through, he backed into the low hot wire.  Of course he thinks I was the cause of the pain and he tucked his head and tail down and went trotting to the far side of the pasture.  He wouldn't come to me the first several times I called but he still responded to the 'That'll Do' that always ends working sessions and went running back to the house with it all forgotten.  I'm sure glad they don't remember things like that.


----------



## greybeard

Fox squirrels are the largest squirrel species in N. America by average length and weight. 
We have some small ones here in East Texas which we call 'cat squirrels' but I'm pretty sure they are really a Red. Not much meat there.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa has been moving freezer goods around and taking inventory of what is in the freezers.  We have three large freezers but usually use one of them to receive frozen goods from one of the other two so we can defrost one of them.  I was just told that I need to give the Traeger smoker a break and instead eat what I have already cooked or there won't be enough room left to receive one of the wethers and especially not one of the steers for quite awhile. I told her that I guess I shouldn't be buying any of the T-Bones that Kroger has on sale this week.


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## Arnaki

Have you found a good supplier for the seeds?  I can't find one?


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## Mike CHS

Arnaki said:


> Have you found a good supplier for the seeds?  I can't find one?



I'm not sure what seeds you're asking about.


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## Bruce

B&B Happy goats said:


> I don't  mean to wish my life away ,but I sure am looking forward to November when it's  nice out again ,


 My beans and cukes just barely came up!!!!!



CntryBoy777 said:


> Size depends on the breed of the squirrel....grays are the smaller of the common breeds.


Around here the grays are the big ones, reds smaller by about 1/3. In general the reds are at higher elevations and the grays lower. 

Mike, sure sorry you lost a hen, hope the perpetrator gets what it deserves soon.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Mike, sure sorry you lost a hen, hope the perpetrator gets what it deserves soon.



If it was the possum, that is taken care of but the traps are baited again.  We had not been locking them up at night since we had not been having issues but we are now.

We have Crimson Sweet Watermelons trying to take over the yard but they should start to be ready to eat in a couple of weeks.  I have a few of my tomato plants starting to wear out so I started a half dozen new plants from suckers of the healthy plants. I planted too many bell pepper plants considering I still have about 20 pounds of chopped peppers in the freezer.  I guess it's time to break out the dehydrator and brew up some pepper powder.


----------



## greybeard

B&B Happy goats said:


> Southern squirrel  are wee little things....the cold areas of the country have the nice fat big ones with meat...I never ate one so can't  comment on taste, but the thought ....


They're "ok'. Most of the time, I've had them in some sort of a stew like dish. Squirrel and dumplings seem to be the favorite around here. 
I have not shot, killed, cleaned, and cooked one myself in several decades tho there are many hundreds of them around here. I could shoot 3-4 a day off one of the bird feeders.


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## Baymule

You better have one of those freezers empty when you take a steer to slaughter. It will fill up fast! The only beef we buy is rib eye and T-bone steak when it goes on sale. With the lamb, pork and chicken we raise, there is not much need for beef. If we had the room and pasture, I would have a steer, I like cows, just not enough pasture for one. 

I went to Walmart and bought plastic storage tubs, after measuring the height, width and depth of the shelves in the freezers. I organized the frozen vegetables and meats in the tubs. All those unstackable packages that threw themselves at me when I opened the doors stayed in place, in the tubs. I can't stack peas, corn, okra, greens, etc. No matter what I do, they just slide around.  It went from a mess where I couldn't find anything, to neat organized tubs that I could pull out and get what I wanted. Why didn't I think of that years ago? 

Before







After


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## Mike CHS

We use the plastic containers also but it works out that the boxes our butcher uses to pack the finished product fits perfectly in our largest upright freezer and three of them fit perfectly on the shelves. That lets us label the type of product in the boxes.  We asked the butcher to let us know when he has someone wanting to split a beef since we can't use a whole one.  We still have quite a bit of the one we processed last spring left.


----------



## Baymule

we still have a whole lot of Wilbur the 820 pound boar left. I'm thinking about thawing out a bunch of that meat, making stuffed sausage and smoking it. We love smoked sausage and would eat it up a lot faster. But I need to get over processing all those durned chickens first. LOL I ran the pressure canner all day yesterday, making dog food with all the chicken backs, necks, wing tips and other pieces that weren't important to me. Over all, I got 34 quarts of dog food and 5 quarts of rich broth for the dogs. We processed 38 chickens, sold 20, gave a couple away and put 15 in our freezer. I need to go outside and play for awhile before I tackle processing any more meat. LOL LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

We brought the 16 younger lambs in to worm those that have a high egg count and to give all of them except Taffy and Princess, their 2nd CDT shot. We firmed up our cull list (sort of).  We had three on the list that are Ringo's grand daughters (line bred) but I talked her out of two of them because they are female versions of him and they are going to be some big girls.  The two wethers we are keeping for us are also Ringo's grand sons and they have his personality also and are among the tamest of all of this years lambs.  I'm really looking forward to how his lambs in Texas turn out.


----------



## Baymule

We are looking forward to it too! Can't wait to see how his babies turn out.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Arnaki said:


> Have you found a good supplier for the seeds? I can't find one?



Miss @Arnaki,



I don't know if you posted on the wrong thread or not, but even if you did -- WELCOME!  Please take a bit of time to introduce yourself.  You will find the folks here to be mighty friendly and helpful.  So stop in and say hello.

Senile Texas Aggie


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## Mike CHS

She is welcome to post here all she wants but she does have an Intro thread going.

https://www.backyardherds.com/threads/thanks-for-having-me.39796/


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## Mike CHS

We have had really mild weather till the last week or so.  Teresa was getting ready to run the fecal samples we pulled the other day but she does them on the porch which is sitting at 94 degrees.  Then I remembered we had a window AC unit that we used in the bedroom the first 3 years we had our place since the bedroom was the only room that was livable.  Everything else was in some form of renovation but the AC unit made the nights pleasant so we went and started looking for it and then mounted it in the window in the porch.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa said that the temp was 90 and not 94 when she turned the AC on but it got down to 79 (where it is set for) and turned off.  I'm not sure why we haven't been running it out there in summer except I think both of us forgot we had it.  We also have a refrigerator and a chest freezer out there that should run a lot less now so electricity use should be a wash or even less.  The temp on the refrigerator has dropped 3 degrees in the time the AC has been running.


----------



## Baymule

Do you feel like one of those DUH! moments?  I know Teresa is liking the AC on the porch so she can get those fecals done.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Do you feel like one of those DUH! moments?  I know Teresa is liking the AC on the porch so she can get those fecals done.



I think we both did.  We took the window unit out after we had the HVAC installed, wrapped it up and evidently forgot about it but that was three years ago.  It's a small unit but even though it was in the window for three years, it only got used 3-4 days a month so it has very little wear.


----------



## Baymule

And it's the perfect size for what you need it for now.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa just got off the phone with her son who asked if she would fly out and help them get ready for a household move and then help get things settled in.  They have been to our place a couple of times since we got it renovated and have wanted a small acreage of their own ever since they saw how much their sons love it here.  They have a decent sized home in a fairly nice neighborhood in North Charleston, SC.  They found a place that satisfied all of their 'wants' a couple of weeks ago and listed their house the same day.  It also got an offer for the ask that same day so they will need to get their act toget and her pretty quick.  Teresa will fly out and when they get everything moved and more or less in place, they will drive her back home and spend a few days before heading back to Charleston.

It helps them and Grandma will get some Grandson time with the two boys.


----------



## Baymule

Her son is a smart man. If anyone can get it all together, pack it up and move it out, Teresa can! She will hit their house like a hurricane, but in a good way. She is super organized and a whirlwind of activity. They'll be moved, unpacked and settled in before they can say SCAT CAT!


----------



## CntryBoy777

Oh Boy!!....just think of it....those nasty "leftovers" again!!........and ya was sayin that it was time to thin out the freezer room.....I sure hope your "sacrifice" ia well noted....and she has Safe travels.....I know those boys will have a Big time having her there.....


----------



## Mike CHS

Her son is a pretty sharp cookie but I hope they don't think having a bit of acreage will equate to better behaved boys that they saw the last time they were here.  They were better behaved because Grandpa doesn't tolerate a lot and it didn't take them long to figure it out.  Either way, her son is a great father and he will hopefully make their growing up years something to build on.  The boys had a ball the last time they were here and the sheep weren't nearly as tame so they should really love this time.

Fred - you would have loved the smoked ribs we thawed out and had for lunch today that I did several months ago.


----------



## Baymule

Got a question for you, how long after lambing do you leave the ram in with the ewes? I know some take the ram out immediately after breeding, but I noticed that Ringo was with lambing ewes and like you said, he doesn't want to be alone. 

We had an OOPS lamb yesterday, a little ram lamb. I knew she was pregnant and that Ringo was not the Baby Daddy, the days didn't add up. So I waited for her to lamb to figure out when she got bred. I feel really bad for her, I counted backwards and she bred back less than a month and a half after birthing twins. That is fast! I usually leave the ram in for one to two months after the first ewe lambs. The ewe is Ewenique, she always has twins, but didn't this time, no wonder. She and her lamb are in a pen by themselves and I will put her with the two ewe lambs that I am keeping from this year's lambs. She needs some time off! I always hand feed her a little extra, before and after lambing, she puts it all into her lambs and milk. With only one lamb, I'll keep an eye on her udder. 

Anyway, she will get a rest before being bred again. Ringo can stay with the ladies until they start lambing, then off to exile until the two young ewes are ready to breed. Poor Ewenique.


----------



## Mike CHS

Ringo never messed with the lambs but we pulled him out when the first born was about a month old.  We always had other ram lambs or wethers so he always had companions.


----------



## Baymule

I guess I was about 2 weeks past due for getting the ram out.


----------



## Mike CHS

It's sort of a pain but that is one reason why we keep the lambs separate.  Ram lambs get capable of breeding early but the ewe lambs aren't receptive as early (at least it has worked that way so far).  We have several ram lambs that will be going to auction soon and we will dry lot the two ram lambs that we are going to grow out.


----------



## Mike CHS

Today was an exciting day cutting grass.   Luckily we have a decent talk radio station out of Nashville that I can listen to with a headset_ and stay up on events.  I need to spray the interior fences tomorrow and then let the steers on some fresh pasture.  All of the rain we have been having let me keep them in their current paddock for several more weeks than planned.  They get some feed twice a day so they come when I call them now.

I want to run the senior group of sheep back through the chute again since I'm thinking of putting two ewes that are  slower getting back into condition back with the lambs since they are still getting feed.  I had to stop giving the senior group feed since most of them were putting too much weight on.  Our cull list is complete so most of them will go to market (and I'm keeping Ringo's line bred ewe grand daughters).  

I have three paddocks now that I can spray nitrogen on that don't have sheep on them after seeing greybeards post about potential problems of spraying while they are on it.  It hasn't caused issues in the past but I won't chance it._


----------



## Mike CHS

I have gotten out of my routine over the last few weeks and the grass weed eating that I usually do a bit at a time, took a little over 2 hours this morning to get it all done.  But that included the biggest part of the pen that the tree came down in.  I didn't want to use the mower in there since there were so many chunks of tree branches in there plus a lot of stones that got uncovered working around the tree.

I usually take water breaks but today I just wanted to get it done.  When I get dehydrated my eyes will often get a little blood shot the next day but today they just went ahead and got red.


----------



## Bruce

Now Mike, you know you need to take better care of yourself! More bad things can happen to your body from dehydration than just red eyes.


----------



## RollingAcres

Bruce said:


> Now Mike, you know you need to take better care of yourself! More bad things can happen to your body from dehydration than just red eyes.


Yeah, what @Bruce said!


----------



## Mike CHS

I know.  I usually do take more breaks but I wanted to get it done.


----------



## Baymule

I do that sometimes. Then I come in and drink water all evening and have to get up in the night to let it out.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Glad ya survived!!....I understand the "get-it-done" mindset, but if ya are by yourself and passout.....how long would ya lay there before ya was found?....Teresa doesn't need to get a call from a hospital asking questions about ya.........I used to take a half gallon thermos jug with me to keep me hydrated while I worked....it was something to keep up with, but it always reminded me to stop and get a drink as I moved to a different location....just be careful!!....we care about ya too much for anything to happen to ya like that.....


----------



## Mike CHS

We are getting enough tomatoes now to start canning some.  I already have another half dozen suckers rooted in pots to replace some of the determinate plants that will start slowing down now that the heat has got here.  If I timed it right the plants I just started should be starting to bear in late August when the weather normally turns a bit milder.

We have peaches that should be ready in the next week or so and since we sprayed this year, I hope we have a bunch of worm free fruit.  We are getting all of the squash we can handle so the neighbors are getting plenty also.  My big bed of melons has a bunch of Watermelons about ready to pick.  I'm seeing lots of blooms on the cantaloupe but not much in the way of fruit but I haven't looked real close yet.

Bell Peppers are being processed for the freezer and I found that Mild Jalapena peppers are anything but mild.
My Tabasco Peppers aren't as hot as the "Mild Jalapena".


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> If I timed it right the plants I just started should be starting to bear in late August when the weather normally turns a bit milder.


That's about when ours are doing really well too .... just before the first frosts in September.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I asked a guy that I worked with about jalapenos...he was of Mexican lineage....and how he could tell the difference about the heat from the skin, while picking them out....his answer was, if the skin has cracks or small splits in it, then it is Hot....if it is smoothed skin...red or green....then it will very by size....unless it is a hybrid variety......I've followed that advice since then, and have found it to be correct....there may be other ways to tell, but that is what I know.....I'd sure buy some of that squash from ya....sure wish I could get back up there again....maybe, one day.....


----------



## Mike CHS

Fred - you and Joyce are welcome anytime.  We had a bunch of roasted yellow squash tonight with some lamb and it was super.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Joyce wanted me to be sure and tell ya....that in her growingup in Michigan.....and having lamb and mutton there and 13yrs on foriegn land where they eat mutton and lamb....that she has Never tasted lamb or mutton anywhere Close to what we got from ya....thru ......she is looking forward in hopes of meeting y'all.....


----------



## Mike CHS

We can make that happen.


----------



## Baymule

Road trip!


----------



## Mike CHS

I put a beef brisket on the smoker about a half hour ago.  It won't need much attention until this afternoon so I'll get the grass on my perimeter lanes cut.  We need to swap paddocks with the youngest lambs and the main herd so we can pull out three ewes that are being culled.  All three of them have needed multiple treatments for parasites while the majority of the herd has needed occasional to no treatment.  We will pull the ram lambs while we are moving everyone around since they are plenty big enough to breed the adult ewes.


----------



## Baymule

And you can sing the theme song to the old show Rawhide while you're moving them along 

Move 'em on, head 'em up
Head 'em up, move 'em on
Move 'em on, head 'em up, rawhide
Cut 'em out, ride 'em in
Ride 'em in, cut 'em out
Cut 'em out, ride 'em in, rawhide
Rollin' rollin' rollin' 
Rollin' rollin' rollin' 
Rollin' rollin' rollin' 
Rollin' rollin' rollin' 
Rawhide
Rawhide


----------



## Mike CHS

The brisket is about an hour away from being wrapped in foil and I'll finish it in the oven.  While the smoker is doing it's thing we will run into town to pick up a few things.


----------



## Bruce

What is the reason for finishing it in the oven rather than the grill?


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> The brisket is about an hour away from being wrapped in foil and I'll finish it in the oven.  While the smoker is doing it's thing we will run into town to pick up a few things.
> 
> View attachment 63933


I'm over here


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> What is the reason for finishing it in the oven rather than the grill?



Because once it hits 160 degrees I wrap the brisket or pork shoulder in aluminum foil so it's not going to be getting any more smoke while it heats up to around 200.  Electricity is cheaper than pellets.


----------



## Mike CHS

We had to change plans since I forgot Teresa wants me to make our neighbors my Worlds Famous Meatloafs so the oven is taken.    Jay's Grandma fell off the pool deck several days ago and broke her arm in a place that had previously been broken so she had surgery on it the next day.  We are making dinner for them tonight and a couple of make ahead other dishes to use over the next few days.


----------



## Baymule

Nothing says good neighbors like home cooked meals when the family is in a crisis. No matter what is going on, people still have to eat. I’m sure knowing there are meals to eat is a great comfort to your neighbors.


----------



## Mike CHS

She was happy to see the meals as right now she can barely move her fingers.  Her husband Roger was even happier.  

He was especially happy to get the plate of brisket.

I didn't foil it but went ahead and pulled it off the smoker and sliced it since it was already so tender.


----------



## OneFineAcre

The brisket looks great.


----------



## Baymule

That brisket looks so good! What if I broke my arm? LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> That brisket looks so good! What if I broke my arm? LOL




If you wanted one we would bring it to you.


----------



## Baymule

Yeah, but I'd have to break my arm...….


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Go for it @Baymule... I'll come up there and share that brisket...I mean share the workload if ya break your arm, lol!  I did break a fingernail today - does that count?


----------



## Baymule

My left shoulder is really sore......I'm halfway there!


----------



## Mike CHS

If you asked you could have some without breaking an arm.


----------



## Baymule

Well alright! Wrap some up and y'all come on! Or save me some, we'll come back and see y'all!


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa is working at a friends kennel this week while they go on vacation so I made her a hearty breakfast of Hash using some of the brisket I cooked yesterday.  It also has potatoes, chopped onions, Monterrey Jack Cheese and topped with eggs.

This may not appeal to some but it is sooooo tasty!


----------



## Bruce

Sounds good to me!



Baymule said:


> Yeah, but I'd have to break my arm...….


I was going to suggest that you just hold Mike's offer in your back pocket, accidents happen. BUT since he said you could have one without damaging yourself, I guess you don't need to wonder how long it might take before you could collect.


----------



## Baymule

That breakfast looks good to me!


----------



## Mike CHS

I went down to the shop pen to give the lambs some fresh water around noon and evidently I didn't secure the shop door well enough.  I looked out the window a couple hours later and didn't see 15 lambs in the spot they should have been in.  I got to wondering if the gate down there had been left open again but I had not used it.  I went down and through the shop and saw all of them laying and pooping and peeing as normal only they were doing it inside my shop.  The bottle lambs were used to coming in the shop so when whatever caused the door to release I'm guessing they jumped in and the rest followed. Fortunately the feed is in large barrels they can't get into but the bucket of minerals, salt and lime was turned over and all walked through.


----------



## CntryBoy777

They thought they had found a "secret hiding place"........glad they behaved and didn't do anything too drastic....


----------



## Bruce

Aha! They DID have a key to the shop


----------



## Mike CHS

I moved the girls to some fresh grass this morning.  Actually I didn't "move" anything as all I did was open a gate.  I had brought a chair so I could spend some time grooming Maisy and as I sat there looking around, I got up and went back to the house to get the camera so I could share the sight that we have never taken for granted.  The trees in the last picture are mostly Maples with a couple of Crepe Myrtles at the far end that Teresa and I started from seed back when we first bought our place but still lived in Charleston.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

I know you never get tired of that - it's simply beautiful!


----------



## CntryBoy777

It sure is!!.........has the crabgrass done pretty good for ya?


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> It sure is!!.........has the crabgrass done pretty good for ya?



This paddock has more Crabgrass than the others and it is doing great.  The others I had made a couple of paths by cutting the existing growth and broadcast.  This one I cut it all and over seeded it.


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> I moved the girls to some fresh grass this morning.  Actually I didn't "move" anything as all I did was open a gate.  I had brought a chair so I could spend some time grooming Maisy and as I sat there looking around, I got up and went back to the house to get the camera so I could share the sight that we have never taken for granted.  The trees in the last picture are mostly Maples with a couple of Crepe Myrtles at the far end that Teresa and I started from seed back when we first bought our place but still lived in Charleston.
> 
> View attachment 64092 View attachment 64093 View attachment 64094 View attachment 64095


Mike, your place is gorgeous and looks so peaceful!


----------



## Mike CHS

Thanks.  We do feel Blessed.


----------



## Baymule

And Blessed y’all are. That’s a beautiful view. So the lambs went shopping in your shop? They aren’t stupid!


----------



## Mike CHS

We lock the chickens in at night and haven't lost any during the night but something got into the coop today and ate several eggs.  Something even dragged one of the fake eggs our of the nest and you could see teeth marks all over it. I'm suspecting possum again but could be a racoon. Our pen fence is on the property line with a small bit of woods next to it but I maintain it for the neighbors since it affects the way our place looks.  We can't set out the traps on our side during the day because the chickens would get in and trip them but since the critter (whatever it is) is coming from the neighbors side, I'll set two baited traps on their property.  We did ask permission of course in case anyone has a problem with that.


----------



## RollingAcres

I hope you catch whatever it is.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have a loft that serves as a spare sleeping space but also has oversized cabinets that I built for storage but I rarely go up there.  I was on my way out for chores and I looked up and saw the little sign that we had put up there several years ago and I figured some pictures would show a bit more about our home.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Mike CHS said:


> We lock the chickens in at night and haven't lost any during the night but something got into the coop today and ate several eggs.  Something even dragged one of the fake eggs our of the nest and you could see teeth marks all over it. I'm suspecting possum again but could be a racoon. Our pen fence is on the property line with a small bit of woods next to it but I maintain it for the neighbors since it affects the way our place looks.  We can't set out the traps on our side during the day because the chickens would get in and trip them but since the critter (whatever it is) is coming from the neighbors side, I'll set two baited traps on their property.  We did ask permission of course in case anyone has a problem with that.



Same battle going on here...like you don't  have enough to do already during the day....now let's  fight with racoons  eating our eggs and chickens


----------



## CntryBoy777

It is really nice!!....and it took a lot of hard work to get there from where ya started....ya sure should be proud of what ya have "built" there....inside and out.....


----------



## Baymule

I tried to like the pictures, but instead my internet booted me off. Such are the joys of satellite internet. don't even get me started on satellite TV. 

I miss having an Aussie. We dog sat DD's new pup, a 7 month old Aussie/Blue Heeler for a week. She was fun. She is very smart, minded well and I enjoyed her. Carson and her played and played and played. We took her home yesterday and he was crushed. He looked for her, how do you explain to a dog that his playmate was only visiting?


----------



## Mike CHS

We got our Aussie after reading about how much easier to train them they were over Border Collies. That book in hindsight was obviously written by an Aussie fan.  We love ours and have never regretted getting her but if we had gotten the Border Collie first, we would have never gotten the Aussie.  The Aussie is by far the smartest and an ideal pet dog but we never work her hard headed self anymore.


----------



## Mike CHS

The hen that hatched 11 chicks still has 9 alive and doing well.  The Barred Rock only managed to hatch one out of 10 eggs and that chick was found dead the second morning.  She is following the Buff around and helping her with her chicks but at least she isn't trying to steal them.

I got my grass cutting and weed eating caught up today but the grass is growing about as fast as I can cut it.  I'm trying to cut back the perimeter property line a bit at a time now that I have all of the undergrowth cleared out.  I've reclaimed about 5 feet toward the CSX fence and the way things are going I'llbe ready to fence that in with woven wire once the weather gets to be a bit milder.

The Navy ATC reunion that I didn't go to has resulted in a whole bunch of old friends reconnecting.  I had posted a couple of times on the Facebook page that was used for the reunion and I wound up with a little over 130 contacts from old friends. These are all folks that were actually good friends but when you transfer every two years it's easy to loose contact.  I guess now that we are all getting older and are settled, it might be a good time to renew contact.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Yeh, gotta get the fence up, so the "mowers" can make a few passes thru........hope the "reconnect" works out....I wonder about some of the ones we new here or there, but they were kids like us, so never know where they ended up.....our dads worked on the bases....


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> Yeh, gotta get the fence up, so the "mowers" can make a few passes thru........hope the "reconnect" works out....I wonder about some of the ones we new here or there, but they were kids like us, so never know where they ended up.....our dads worked on the bases....



Most that I have met in the last many years are still pretty much who they were when we were together.  I was in the same field with the same people for almost 50 years so there is some history there.


----------



## Baymule

You would enjoy meeting up with old friends. My brother in law got in touch with an old Air Force buddy and he and his wife come to Texas at least once a year and spend a week with BIL and my sister.


----------



## Mike CHS

There is already 5 that plan on coming in the next few months.    They want to figure out how I wound up doing what we are doing.


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> There is already 5 that plan on coming in the next few months.    They want to figure out how I wound up doing what we are doing.


They might catch the bug from you and go start farms of their own.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have froze a couple of one gallon bags of peaches so far and it looks like we need to pick the majority off of the tree that has the most.  The branches looked like they were going to break so we put some two by fours under them to hold them up plus keep more of the fruit off of the ground.  That mass of vines to the right of the tree is my melon bed trying to take over the yard.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

That peach tree is an overachiever, lol!  Looks like ya'll will get quite the haul this year.  And melons too!


----------



## Mike CHS

When we thinned it out we threw away four five gallon buckets of fruit and evidently it should have been more.


----------



## CntryBoy777

That reminds me of cutting the "jubilee" vines when I'd cut the field...they would spread well beyond the CPs that surrounded it....and climbed it....we took what we wanted and let the others grow for bird "treats" the goats would eat some, but really didn't devour them....those little KCs never got tired of them....the chickens would only eat so much....loved growing them tho....and eating them.....


----------



## Baymule

Peaches are so good! That tree is giving y'all a bounty!


----------



## Mike CHS

I had been leaving the inner stall open since the lambs liked the security but even though I clean it every morning they were starting to look filthy.  After I fed them this morning I moved them into the squeeze chute and gave all of the dirtiest a hosing down before I let them back out.  This isn't the first time so they take it pretty good and when I let them out I closed the stall gate.  About a half hour ago when I looked out they were all in the little catch pen outside the bedroom window staring at the house.  The next time I looked they had quit begging for another feeding and started playing around the dog house.  I didn't have the camera at the time or I could have got a video.  I saw one of the lambs looking out the door of the dog house and then it came out.  Behind that one came another, and another and another.  They reminded me of the circus clowns and the VW Bug where they start coming out and just keep on coming.


----------



## Mike CHS

Our Barred Rock only hatched one egg out of the ten we put under her and that one didn't make it.  We think she spent too much time off of the eggs since every time she hear the chicks in distress that the Buff Orpington hatched, she would come running to the rescue.  It worked out as she is co-parenting  the chicks that are with the Buff.  The Buff doesn't seem to mind and her chicks responds as well to the Barred Rock as the Buff.


----------



## Bruce

Co-parenting seems the way it goes here as well. Anais co-parented the 2015 chicks with Zorra and when Zorra kicked them to the curb at 8 weeks, Anais stuck with them for another month. Now Angel has kicked this year's group to the curb at just under 6 weeks. Hopefully Anais will hang with them another month or so. Makes it a lot easier for the littles to squeeze into their spot in the hierarchy if they have some protection. 

There is one difference this time though. Zorra kept her group away from all the other hens the entire time and once Anais left them, they were a flock unto themselves for the longest time. Angel didn't separate from the existing flock. Of course with the fox attack necessitating the electronet "pen" there is a MUCH smaller area for the entire flock of 24. Not so easy to keep separate.


----------



## Mike CHS

Today was just a grass cutting day and cleaning out the lambs loafing area.  It has only been a week since I last cleaned out that area but I took out 4 twenty gallon trash cans full of fertilizer for the garden.


----------



## WolfeMomma

Mike CHS said:


> I had been leaving the inner stall open since the lambs liked the security but even though I clean it every morning they were starting to look filthy.  After I fed them this morning I moved them into the squeeze chute and gave all of the dirtiest a hosing down before I let them back out.  This isn't the first time so they take it pretty good and when I let them out I closed the stall gate.  About a half hour ago when I looked out they were all in the little catch pen outside the bedroom window staring at the house.  The next time I looked they had quit begging for another feeding and started playing around the dog house.  I didn't have the camera at the time or I could have got a video.  I saw one of the lambs looking out the door of the dog house and then it came out.  Behind that one came another, and another and another.  They reminded me of the circus clowns and the VW Bug where they start coming out and just keep on coming.
> 
> View attachment 64312


I like the markings on the one staring at the camera  so flashy!!


----------



## Mike CHS

WolfeMomma said:


> I like the markings on the one staring at the camera  so flashy!!



She is one of the bottle lambs and seems to know when either of us are around even though I took that picture from inside the house.


----------



## Mike CHS

I decided awhile back to put up a perimeter fence on our property line that joins with the CSX railroad tunnel and is from 30-50 feet from the existing perimeter fence by a bit over 900 feet long.  I have been keeping it cleared of undergrowth by spraying but in order to put up fence on the line I need to bring down a bunch of trees which I started on this morning.They don't have a lot of size but most are probably in the 5-8 inch diameter and in most cases aren't tall enough to to hurt the fence that is already up.  This will give me an area big enough to add to the pasture rotation and can be entered from any of the 4 paddocks that are in use now since they all have gates already.


----------



## Bruce

Improvements keep coming!


----------



## Mike CHS

We processed a bunch of tomatoes today for the freezer but we will can a bunch in the morning.  Just off of the smaller bed Teresa picked an almost full 5 gallon bucket and there are that many left on that bed.  We have enough squash coming on that we will make some relish with a bunch of them.  The Crimson Sweet watermelons are getting ready and we picked our first one today.  It looks like there is another dozen or more but the vines are so thick I can't really tell for sure.  We aren't able to pull many weeds out of several of the beds because the chicken wire we put around them makes it difficult to get in and the vine plants are starting to pull it down anyway but the fences served their purpose in keeping the chickens out of the beds.


----------



## Mike CHS

From the spots that are starting to itch, I'm guessing I got into some Poison Ivy today but I didn't see it.  There was enough vines through the tops of the trees that I cut, that when the chain saw broke through the trunks, the trees were still standing.

I took some random pictures around the house this afternoon.  The first is my okra that I planted a few weeks ago and to the right is a bed of Yellow Squash.  The next picture is actually two beds but you can't tell it in the picture.  The front is a variety of squash in front and cucumbers behind it.

The next is about half of the main herd with Fred, Barney and Max on the top of the hill.

The wild mass of vines is the melons and the last is my bed of peppers, with Tabasco Peppers on the left and Bell Peppers on the right.


----------



## Mike CHS

I need to work on setting our camera for low light conditions.  There was a magnificent layer of clouds here tonight that I didn't do justice to.  I still think it is worth posting.


----------



## Baymule

I break out bad from poison oak or Virginia creeper, whatever it is, it hates me. Wash with a weak bleach solution. It will dry it right up. If you know that you got into the poison oak, wash with the bleach solution, let it air dry and you probably won't even break out. With my chemical issues, bleach does a number on me, but I'd rather have a chemical reaction than be clawing at poison oak blisters. 

Your gardens are prolific and looking good! Your pastures are gorgeous, as always. Getting that strip along the fence line fenced will help on pasture rotations.


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> I need to work on setting our camera for low light conditions.  There was a magnificent layer of clouds here tonight that I didn't do justice to.  I still think it is worth posting.
> 
> View attachment 64376


Beautiful! Sometimes you just have to stop and just stand and admire the beauty around you.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Beautiful! Sometimes you just have to stop and just stand and admire the beauty around you.




I do that several times daily my good friend.


----------



## farmerjan

Very nice picture of the sky.  Your garden beds look really good too.  Just got home from a friends', who gave me a bunch of peaches that I will have to cut up and freeze quickly.  That will be the fastest way to get them done right now.  I have to get in a few of my cows in the morning to be moved to a small pasture and I have to leave before noon to go test a 200 cow herd that starts milking between 1:30 and 2 .  Actually want to leave by 11 and return a couple things to Walmart on the way.  So I may just bring the peaches in and cut them up tonight.  She leaves the skins on and freezes in bags with a little sugar and then serves just as fresh peaches right out of the freezer.  I have room in the "chicken freezer" so that will be easy.  It was MUGGY and STICKY today, hit barely 90 but I was sweating up a storm.  Got to haul water to the meat birds in the morning and fill the waterer here for the few chickens left.  
Oh, I meant to tell you @Bruce that the hen that disappeared with the eggs .... I said chicken wire was torn off.... but it was 1x1 sq. mesh like welded wire. (hardware cloth) I always use that on all my runs and usually refer to it as chicken wire since it is on the chicken pens.  But I forgot that "chicken wire" isn't what I usually use.  Doesn't matter, she is gone.  But I had been locking them in the coop at night then it was just so hot and this is an older bought A-frame type coop; Like a portable chicken tractor, with no windows and not much for ventilation so hadn't been locking them in at night because it was so hot. I had redone the wire on the "run part" a couple of years ago when the original chicken wire got bad. Been fixed since then and nothing else has happened and nothing in the trap.  I also had gotten several possums, and skunks and then nothing for weeks,  so thought the predators were cleaned out somewhat.  Hadn't had a coon in months.  Oh well, done and over.


----------



## Mike CHS

I don't think you are ever over predators.   You can get rid of some and others will move in to fill the void.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Rubbing alcohol will cut it too....wash your hands and arms to wash the plant oils off, let the alcohol evaporate wipe hands on paper towel and ya can sink wash with soap and water then...the oils will float and spread with water, but the alcohol breaks them down....it has worked on us and the grand kids without a hitch....and many have "sensitivity" issues....

One thing about it Mike....I never get tired of "seeing" your place there, either.....and I really appreciate ya "sharing" so much here, with us!!.....


----------



## Mike CHS

Fred,  You have been a big help in our place from just about the start.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> There was enough vines through the tops of the trees that I cut, that when the chain saw broke through the trunks, the trees were still standing.


OK, that is downright scary!!! Which way do you run when it starts to move?



farmerjan said:


> Oh, I meant to tell you @Bruce that the hen that disappeared with the eggs


Hmmm, I wonder if they can get through the 1" squares because they can get a claw or tooth grip on it? I think I would wrap the entire run in 2x4 knotted wire with a band of the 1" stuff low to keep coon paws out.


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> I need to work on setting our camera for low light conditions.  There was a magnificent layer of clouds here tonight that I didn't do justice to.  I still think it is worth posting.
> 
> View attachment 64376


Wow such a beautiful picture!


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Mike CHS said:


> I need to bring down a bunch of trees which I started on this morning.



We want pictures!


----------



## Mike CHS

It started to rain every time I went out to work so I said to heck with it and we went to Kroger.  On the way home we spotted a white raptor of some sort perched on a power pole.  I'm not finding anything resembling this bird (at least not in Tennessee).


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> On the way home we spotted a white raptor of some sort perched on a power pole. I'm not finding anything resembling this bird (at least not in Tennessee).


Could be a hawk that is leucistic?


----------



## Mike CHS

RollingAcres said:


> Could be a hawk that is leucistic?



That is definitely possible.  I'm finding nothing that's all white.


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> That is definitely possible.  I'm finding nothing that's all white.


Me neither. While looking for all white bird of prey, I did come across Grey Goshawks but they are not found here in the United States. They are found in Tasmania and Australia. Grey Goshawks are the only bird of prey that are all white. Learn something new everyday.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Whatever it is - it's pretty cool!


----------



## Baymule

That is a pretty bird. How awesome that you got a picture of it. Maybe you could send the picture to the zoo for identification.


----------



## Mike CHS

I've already sent it off so we shall see.


----------



## Mike CHS

It looks like we won't be getting tomatoes from the auction this year since we already just about have enough to get us to next harvest season. The picture is todays haul and we have picked almost double that so far.   We use bell peppers a lot and we have already put away several gallon bags of chopped peppers.   We wanted to leave a bunch on the plants till they turned red but there were so many on the plants that we were afraid the plants would start falling over. 

We also got a pleasant surprise in the mail today from the state.  It was the check for the cost share on the roof over the handling chute.  I was surprised how easy the state made it.  You have to submit detailed drawings with the application and of course you have to follow their specs but other than paperwork, all we had to submit with the documents was before and after pictures.  We figured at a minimum they would come out and verify what they were helping with.


----------



## CntryBoy777

We have found a farm around the corner from us, that sells what they grow....gonna go by there tomorrow to see how "proud" they are of it....


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> We have found a farm around the corner from us, that sells what they grow....gonna go by there tomorrow to see how "proud" they are of it....



We keep telling ourselves that we could cut back on what we grow since we can buy it from the Amish so cheap.  Then I start messing around the garden beds that were more rock than dirt 5 years ago that now will grow anything thanks to the sheep.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I don't mind growing some things, but to grow corn, peas, and beans ya need some room to make it worth while.....and with it just being us, the demands of volume isn't high....wanna see what kind of corn and price on a bushel....wouldn't mind some yellow squash either........those tomatoes and peppers look really good....I'd be proud to can the "runts" if'n ya don't want them....


----------



## Baymule

That is a haul! Beautiful tomatoes and peppers!


----------



## Bruce

Fred, I think you'ld have trouble with corn unless you've hacked down a bunch of trees. Corn needs to be in a block for wind pollination. Beans and squash you could do easily.



Mike CHS said:


> We keep telling ourselves that we could cut back on what we grow since we can buy it from the Amish so cheap.


Not only yourselves, you've told US that was the plan. Too bad your garden is so fertile


----------



## Mike CHS

I have room on the old garden bed but the soil won't be built up enough for a long time and we are getting ready to fence it in and turn it into pasture.  Besides, I can buy Peaches & Cream sweet corn from the Amish for 25 cents an ear so it's hard to make myself want to bother.  We have all of the okra, melons, cucumber and several different kinds of squash in the raised beds and planted close so they keep the weeds down for us.

That reminds me - we have two squash plants producing a squash that I have no idea what it is.  We treat it like any other squash and it's good but I think the seeds came as something else.


----------



## Baymule

It looks like a winter squash. I wonder if it would keep. Have you tried leaving one on the vine to see if it would "ripen"?


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> It looks like a winter squash. I wonder if it would keep. Have you tried leaving one on the vine to see if it would "ripen"?



We haven't left any yet but it tastes and has the skin resembling zucchini.  I like it I just never knowingly bought the seed.   I've looked on the sites of the vendors I use and it isn't showing up.


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm posting a "just because" picture.    The youngest group of lambs are amazingly easy to handle.  I'm still giving them feed since several are going to market soon.  I keep the gate closed until I'm ready to feed and then call them in.  I'll go feed the cows while the lambs are eating and by the time I get back they are pretty much through and just hanging around.  I'll put hands on those that I'm watching for growth and especially two of the rams that I think I'll register. They are docile and know not to be pushy or their nose gets popped.  I've only had to do that once with each and they accept what they can get and don't ask for more.  This whole group is well behaved and zero skittish except for one who I think has some missing cells but she's going to market also.  As usual and I haven't figured out why, the sweetest of the bunch are the two that are going to wind up in the freezer.  I mentioned before that our ewe lamb #70 was going to be a cull but she is literally puppy dog sweet and will follow me around for scratches.  She must have heard us talking about her being a cull!!
There are 3 ewe lambs that will go based on size but the rest of the culls will be those that have had to have multiple treatments for parasites no matter their age.  Wellllll, all except one of our original girls that isn't going anywhere.


----------



## Mike CHS

We had an anti-low carb evening.  We had some pasta with ground lamb in tomato sauce and some fried green tomatoes.  The tomatoes were dipped into flour, then an egg and buttermilk bath, followed by a dip in some Zattarain's fish breading mix..  Awesome


----------



## Baymule

It's hard to beat fried green tomatoes.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Mike CHS said:


> We haven't left any yet but it tastes and has the skin resembling zucchini.  I like it I just never knowingly bought the seed.   I've looked on the sites of the vendors I use and it isn't showing up.


Ya may have a cross pollenation of plants.....I can't remember which they are, but squash is one that will cross pollinate and produce a blended fruit.....I thought in looking at it that it may be zucchini and spaghetti squashes....melons will do that too....


----------



## Beekissed

RollingAcres said:


> Could be a hawk that is leucistic?



We saw an albino red tail hawk the other day close to our place...first I'd ever seen.  I think you hit the nail on the head with this guess.  

Very pretty birds, those.


----------



## Baymule

found it ETA well maybe not, I went back and looked at your picture again

https://www.rareseeds.com/zucchini-gray-/


----------



## Mike CHS

The color is the same but not the shape.  I gave up looking since we like all of the squash that we grow anyway.


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> The color is the same but not the shape.  I gave up looking since we like all of the squash that we grow anyway.


Did you plant the squash from the seeds you saved? Like @CntryBoy777 squash plants will cross pollinate.


----------



## Mike CHS

RollingAcres said:


> Did you plant the squash from the seeds you saved? Like @CntryBoy777 squash plants will cross pollinate.



I use new seed every year except for things I only plant one of like my okra.  I have been using the same strain of okra seed for almost 30 years.


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> I have been using the same strain of okra seed for almost 30 years.


Wow nice!


----------



## Mike CHS

Maisy has upped her human training program.  One day last week it was pouring rain and didn't look to be letting up for quite a time and it was Maisy's feeding time.  Maisy won't eat when I go out to feed her until she has what she considers to be enough loving.  Then she will eat but if I leave she will stop eating so I stick around till she's done.  That day I let her out and went down to the house for her to eat and I groomed her while we were there. Ever since then when I take her food out she will walk up to the gate and sit there waiting for me to open the gate. Then she will walk down to the house and sit by the lawn furniture waiting for me to feed and groom her.  When we finish up she will walk back up to the pasture and wait for me to let her back in with her sheep.  I was trying to get a decent picture of her this morning and when she came up for a closeup I swear she was laughing at me.  She has been keeping her jaws muddy digging for a Ground Hog who has had the audacity to come in her pasture.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

She's awesome!  They really do have us trained, lol!


----------



## CntryBoy777

She has always been a Beauty Girl!!....she is very "deserving" of her "attention"....


----------



## Baymule

That is funny. You'd better not do anything that you don't want to keep doing for perpetuity. Maisy is waaaaay too smart!


----------



## Bruce

Yep, and so is Mike, he learned the lesson the first time Maisy taught it to him. Such a good student.


----------



## RollingAcres

Maisy is so pretty and sure had you trained well @Mike CHS !


----------



## Mike CHS

Today will be a full day.  We are going to separate the rams out of the younger flock of lambs so we can consolidate all of the ewes and move them to fresh graze.  It looks like the Tennessee Katahdin Association may be having their fall meeting and sale in Pulaski which is close to us so we will save some of our commercial ewes and the two registerable ram lambs for that sale.


----------



## Mike CHS

We got the ram lambs separated and on fresh pasture and rotated all of the ewes to some fresh grass so they are happy.  We also pulled fecal samples from quite a few but even those that were looking a bit out of condition at the last check were looking much better and they have been on grass only.  We didn't run them all across the scale except for the lambs that we will be selling.  We did run the ewe senior ewes across and there were several that were 160-to 175 pounds.  The first born lambs have the size to breed but they aren't old enough yet so they get a couple more months of growing time before letting the ram in.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Speaking of which...how is Maxwell doing?....


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> Speaking of which...how is Maxwell doing?....



He has settled right in and bonded with the cows.  He is actually an easy keeper.


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## Baymule

I showed BJ the picture of your lush pastures, right before I went outside to move water sprinklers on my Bermuda grass seedlings...….


----------



## Mike CHS

For those that have Netflix, we watched a documentary about Ted Williams that was outstanding.  When I was a young aspiring ball player, Ted Williams was my hero so I'm biased.  It's called American Masters: Ted Williams


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> I showed BJ the picture of your lush pastures, right before I went outside to move water sprinklers on my Bermuda grass seedlings...….



I'm sorry.    That paddock is a mix of our native grasses but I seeded it all with the Red River Crabgrass after cutting it several months ago.  We have gotten 6" of rain in the last three days so no sprinklers needed.

Even Maisy got a bath this morning as she was so muddy.  I actually thought she was going to bite me but she restrained herself.


----------



## Baymule

We got scattered showers for awhile, so I didn't have to water. The grass has been up for a month and a half, so it still needs help.


----------



## Mike CHS

Having spent half my life in Pensacola with the same "soil" you have, I know you have to be pleased with what you have going on.


----------



## Baymule

I am beyond thrilled.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I have to open the canopy to get more sun to the ground to grow some grass, but thinking about puting in a couple of "rain gardens"....to help with the waterflow and get some enjoyment from it while it does that....I'm sure a few ducks, wouldn't mind....


----------



## Bruce

A rain garden would be lovely.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa has a touch of OCD when it comes to freezers so she checks every day to make sure they are working right.  Yesterday, one of them was not working right and fortunately there was only a lot of water bottles and several packages of chicken that had just started thawing out.  Rather than re-freeze them we will just cook them for meals for those days we don't feel like cooking.


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> Teresa has a touch of OCD



 ya'think?


----------



## Bruce

Plenty of dinners on the BBQ right there!


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Plenty of dinners on the BBQ right there!



All of the smaller pieces are done and the breasts and whole chicken has a ways to go.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Nuthin like the thought of "leftovers" putting a smile on your face....and having so many "options" on the list also....


----------



## frustratedearthmother

I like to "cook big."  I cooked a pork shoulder low and slow in the oven overnight.  There was enough to take a portion to DS, plenty for us to munch on for a couple days and the rest will go in the freezer until I have a hankering for pulled pork.  Love not needing to cook every day.


----------



## Mike CHS

We had a gully washer of a rainstorm start up a little over an hour ago.  I don't remember when I heard and saw so much lightening and thunder.


----------



## Baymule

Your grass is getting watered again!


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Your grass is getting watered again!



The storm finally passed but we can still see a pretty impressive light show to the north.  Checked the rain gauge and we got just a bit over 3"  out of this one.


----------



## Baymule

Anytime you get tired of all that rain, you can send it my way! LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

I post about all our rain but it is never griping.    I'm just wondering if the morning spent spraying the grass in the driveway was wasted.   

Did @Beekissed ever say how much they spent on the sheep they got.  I looked back over the thread we were posting in but didn't want to hijack it anymore than we already had.  I'm not being nosey but there are some surprises in the cost of some real nice commercial ewes.  I was going to send a PM but this topic might help a few more people.


----------



## Mike CHS

I took a couple of pictures of the ram lambs when I was out giving them a bit of feed.  They are on nice grass and don't need it but we are taking a couple to our Association meeting and sale in November so we want to keep them coming to us.  The first picture is Percy and his shadow 66 who would make an awesome pet but he is slated for the freezer.  I've said before but all except one of the group has their sire's calm manner.  They like attention but have never been pushy and were fairly easy to work with halter training.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Beautiful pictures.  Say, if you don't mind, could you post a Google Earth picture of your place?  Oftentimes, when you post pictures of your beautiful pastures, I wonder just where on your property the picture is taken and where the view is pointing.  If you don't want to do that for privacy or other reasons, I understand.  I would have a better idea just where we are looking when we see a picture posted.  Also, can you post some pictures of your property boundaries as they look at the moment?  You mentioned that you are starting to clear out around the boundaries and I am wondering just what kind of battle you are facing, such as if you must battle Miss @Baymule's favorite plant -- green briars. 

Senile Texas Aggie


----------



## Mike CHS

Senile_Texas_Aggie said:


> If you don't want to do that for privacy or other reasons, I understand.  I would have a better idea just where we are looking when we see a picture posted.  Also, can you post some pictures of your property boundaries as they look at the moment?  You mentioned that you are starting to clear out around the boundaries and I am wondering just what kind of battle you are facing, such as if you must battle Miss @Baymule's favorite plant -- green briars.
> 
> Senile Texas Aggie



I'm not concerned with privacy since we aren't that hard to find.  @greybeard came up with a map of our place once even though Google Maps thinks we are on a different road.    I'll take a couple of pictures today from a couple different angles as you can see from one end to the other from the south drive.  I can't use Google Earth but Maps still has the satellite image from before we moved here.

I have already started cleaning out the property line but it's nothing near as bad as Bay or you had to deal with.  I have kept the fence line sprayed 2 or 3 times every summer so the only thing I have to deal with is saplings and trees (most of which are from 3" to 8" in diameter).


----------



## Mike CHS

As I was going around the perimeter, I took a few pictures that are typical of what needs to be taken down.  The first picture is my northwest corner adjacent to my neighbors barbed wire.  It doesn't show well but looking east is what used to be a big garden (a little over an acre) that we will fence in this fall.  It was almost barren but I have limed it and been treating it so now there is some decent graze.

The second picture is about where I took the picture of the ram lambs this morning.  I have 6 paddocks starting at the north end.  The last picture is adjacent to my paddock


----------



## Mike CHS

@Senile_Texas_Aggie let me add this so it makes better sense.  Our paddock numbers start at the north end with P1 being the northeast end and P2 the Northwest.  Heading south we have the dog training pen and Paddocks 3 and 4.  South of that is paddock 5 and 6.  6 is divided into 3 paddocks with hot netting and poly rope.  Paddock 7 is our south most paddock and right now contains the steers and the ram.


----------



## Mike CHS

We went to town this afternoon to pick up a few things and when we got home, the chickens were having a fit. We went around and didn't see any of the chicks so we figured something had gotten them all,  I wandered around looking for sign of what might have happened and found nothing.  About a half hour later, Teresa was outside and heard chicks peeping.  The  Barred Rock hen was in one of the shelters and she had the chicks up under a concrete ledge hiding.  We didn't lose any of the poultry but something scared the bejeebers out of them.  I found it interesting that the hen that had adopted had stayed with the chicks.


----------



## Baymule

That hen is a good foster Momma! No soup pot for her! Hope you find what scared them so bad, it might have been a hawk.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Sounds like ya arrived just in time to send them running, or flying off.....glad she is a Great momma....whether she hatched em or not.....


----------



## CntryBoy777

Oh, @Senile_Texas_Aggie , I can atest that the pictures, just don't do it "justice"....nuthin like having your feet on the ground, itself.....


----------



## Beekissed

Mike CHS said:


> I post about all our rain but it is never griping.    I'm just wondering if the morning spent spraying the grass in the driveway was wasted.
> 
> Did @Beekissed ever say how much they spent on the sheep they got.  I looked back over the thread we were posting in but didn't want to hijack it anymore than we already had.  I'm not being nosey but there are some surprises in the cost of some real nice commercial ewes.  I was going to send a PM but this topic might help a few more people.



Mike, I paid $125 ea. for those sheep.  I know, I know....you get what you paid for, but I'm hoping to breed up a little with a good ram lamb I'm getting from another flock.  Or, if it produces nothing I really think worthy of keeping, I'll sell those girls and use the money to buy one good ewe and start over.


----------



## Baymule

Beekissed said:


> Mike, I paid $125 ea. for those sheep.  I know, I know....you get what you paid for, but I'm hoping to breed up a little with a good ram lamb I'm getting from another flock.  Or, if it produces nothing I really think worthy of keeping, I'll sell those girls and use the money to buy one good ewe and start over.


Sometimes you just gotta get started with what you can find. It's better than not doing anything. I am happy that you now have sheep, I know how badly you have been wanting them.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Mr. @Mike CHS,

Thank you so much for the pictures!  That helps quite a bit.  You definitely have a beautiful place.  All of your hard work shows.  I know you and Teresa must be proud AND feel blessed.

Do you think you could include a Google Maps satellite view of your place?  That helps me understand just where everything is.  Thanks again.

Senile Texas Aggie


----------



## Mike CHS

Beekissed said:


> Mike, I paid $125 ea. for those sheep.  I know, I know....you get what you paid for, but I'm hoping to breed up a little with a good ram lamb I'm getting from another flock.  Or, if it produces nothing I really think worthy of keeping, I'll sell those girls and use the money to buy one good ewe and start over.



I'm also happy you now have sheep.  The only reason I asked was you might be surprised at the price for some good commercial sheep.  Our weaned lambs go for market cost (auction) up until they are around breeding age.  Then the cost goes up a bit but it still isn't far above market cost so that same $125-$150 can still get some nice sheep.

Some of ours weren't in the best shape when we got them but those that are left of the original girls are my favorites so enjoy your new flock.


----------



## Mike CHS

Senile_Texas_Aggie said:


> Mr. @Mike CHS,
> Do you think you could include a Google Maps satellite view of your place?  That helps me understand just where everything is.  Thanks again.
> 
> Senile Texas Aggie



Our property is to the right of the railroad tracks that has the house with the red roof.  It runs to the north to right at the mobile home and storage trailer.

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.3043479,-86.8611017,589m/data=!3m1!1e3


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Mr. @Mike CHS,

Thank you SO MUCH.  I guess that your place is somewhere in this picture, and that the paddocks you described are somewhere around I have placed them, more or less?  The picture is almost certainly before you removed the brush and improved the pastures, right?






I'm sorry, I don't know why it is important to me, but when I see all of these beautiful pictures of your property, I try to get oriented and am unable to do so.

I am glad you had no losses of your chickens.  Poor Miss @rachels.haven is having to deal with that at the moment.

Senile Texas Aggie


----------



## rachels.haven

Yay! Found a new journal to follow along. Thanks @Senile_Texas_Aggie .

Good adoptive momma hen!


----------



## Mike CHS

@rachels.haven it can be some pretty dull reading.  

@Senile_Texas_Aggie Paddock 7 is the only one that covers the whole width.  3 & 4 are side by side as is 5 & 6. There are holding pens and training pens that I didn't show that are used to graze also but it just confuses a post.  The chicken pen is a wedge shaped pen to the right of the driveway and contains the wooded area shown in the satellite image.

The rock ledge that goes around our house is pretty clear in that image also.  It runs in a semi circle all the way around the house.  I guess it shows how rural we are as that image is over 6 years old.


----------



## Beekissed

Mike CHS said:


> I'm also happy you now have sheep.  The only reason I asked was you might be surprised at the price for some good commercial sheep.  Our weaned lambs go for market cost (auction) up until they are around breeding age.  Then the cost goes up a bit but it still isn't far above market cost so that same $125-$150 can still get some nice sheep.
> 
> Some of ours weren't in the best shape when we got them but those that are left of the original girls are my favorites so enjoy your new flock.



Mike, if you had lived closer, I would have been stalking your flock like a mad woman!   The worst of your flock are better than the best of the 4 flocks I've traveled in this area to see....one flock as far as 4 hrs away.   The culls from the "best" of those flocks were going to cost me $180-$200, so when these girls were offered for this price, I jumped on it a little too fast, figuring that was the lowest price I'd get for the culls in this area and, if one is going to have to deal with another person's culls, then they may as well be cheaper ones that are proven breeders/producers.  

I'd sure love to source the sheep wisdom on your thread and that of others who also have hair sheep, if I may, about many things sheep....the last small flock I had wasn't for longer than a year or so and I didn't get to learn much at all.


----------



## Mike CHS

We still consider ourselves newbies but if we can't get the answer to something on BYH we have several other sources to go to.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

rachels.haven said:


> Yay! Found a new journal to follow along. Thanks @Senile_Texas_Aggie .





Mike CHS said:


> @rachels.haven it can be some pretty dull reading.



You're welcome, Miss @rachels.haven!  And Mr. Mike, you are too modest in your assessment of what is going on in your life and how interesting it is to others.



Beekissed said:


> I'd sure love to source the sheep wisdom on your thread and that of others who also have hair sheep, if I may, about many things sheep



Miss (Mr?) @Beekissed, you will find a wealth of information here on a lot of topics, especially sheep.  If you decided to go back to the start of your journal, please be forewarned: I was exhausted just from reading about all of the work he and Miss Teresa put into the place, especially fencing.  And don't be faked out when you think you have gotten to the end of the fencing story -- there is more to come, such as "well, I went out and pounded in 1000 T-posts before breakfast" (or something like that).  I started to wonder if Mike was Superman and Miss Teresa Lois Lane!  The only journal I read that rivaled Mike's story was that of Miss @babsbag in her building the goat dairy.

So I do encourage you to read Mike's journal, as well as Miss @Baymule's postings, as both of them know a lot about sheep.

Senile Texas Aggie


----------



## Bruce

Senile_Texas_Aggie said:


> And Mr. Mike, you are too modest in your assessment of what is going on in your life and how interesting it is to others.


I agree!

It is Ms. @Beekissed  She's had sheep before and has had chickens since (almost) before forever. She is an interesting and "well versed in many things" person in her own right.


----------



## Mike CHS

I cut the neighbors grass and one of my paddocks today.  Just as I got the mower parked at the shop the wind started and the sky opened up again.


----------



## Bruce

Great timing!


----------



## Mike CHS

Today the temp is supposed to be in the low 80's and right now it is absolutely perfect outside.  The rain has passed and there is a nice breeze and even the sheep are loving it. They have gotten so tame that when we work them, I have to get out of the way and have Teresa drive them from one stall and into the chute since they just look at me and wonder why I'm not scratching them.  

We have gotten a bunch of watermelons out of the garden and have given away squash to most everyone we know. We aren't making any relish this year since we still have a bunch from last season.  Cucumbers have started putting on fruit at a good pace and we should be able to start putting up some pickles in a few days.  The best thing is that we have more bees around the garden than we have had in several years.

We went into town for some minerals and had a breakfast pretty close to what we could have had at home at Shoney's but we haven't eaten out in awhile so it's always nice for a change.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I have to get out of the way and have Teresa drive them from one stall and into the chute


Say, isn't it Lance's job to move the sheep? He might complain to the sheep herding union about this.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Say, isn't it Lance's job to move the sheep? He might complain to the sheep herding union about this.



No dogs allowed in the stalls. a 175 lb ewe can do a lot of damage to a 50 pound dog in confinement.


----------



## Baymule

Thank you for the compliment @Senile_Texas_Aggie but I also consider myself a relative newbie to sheep. I guess Mike and I just talk a lot about our sheep!  I have more pictures on my phone of my sheep than I do the grand children!


----------



## Baymule

@Beekissed you gave me the idea of using cow panels for a hay ring. You stored your hay bales behind cow panels and your sheep ate hay through the holes in the panels. I thought that was pretty darn smart, so I made a cow panel square for a round bale and put a tarp over it. Now I put it under their barn and it can be accessed by the lambs on one side and Ringo and his girls on the other side.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have one ewe that is limping so we will call them into the nursery paddock in the morning.  I have the ram lambs out of the way so I can bring them in through the two paddocks from where they are.  They need to be moved to different grass anyway so I can let the cows follow on that paddock.  We have been going through our records and we have pretty much decided that we are going to go with mixed breed sheep and back off of the registered sheep. We have registered ewes from several of the most prestigious farms in our area and they don't maintain condition like our mutts.  We have sold some of our mutts for about the same price as the registered stock since they have a documented history of growth, parasite success (both tolerance and resistance) and just plain being healthy.  Not to mention they like human contact and are never aggressive.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I will tell ya the truth....I was wanting to get Hoss from ya, along with a couple of more....to help out with the previous place....but, things fell apart on me....so, I had to bite my tongue, when ya started talking about selling him....
I think your attention to "detail" is being revealed....and as the old saying goes.....the Proof is in the Puddin'.....


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> I will tell ya the truth....I was wanting to get Hoss from ya, along with a couple of more....to help out with the previous place....but, things fell apart on me....so, I had to bite my tongue, when ya started talking about selling him....
> I think your attention to "detail" is being revealed....and as the old saying goes.....the Proof is in the Puddin'.....



You had enough going on that it was never a big deal,  I lost track of who got which one but Joe got the sibling of Hoss.  I think Hoss wound up in our freezer after he threw my shoulder completely out of shape.


----------



## promiseacres

[QUOTE="Mike CHS, post: 617235, member: 8491"?   We have been going through our records and we have pretty much decided that we are going to go with mixed breed sheep and back off of the registered sheep. We have registered ewes from several of the most prestigious farms in our area and they don't maintain condition like our mutts.  We have sold some of our mutts for about the same price as the registered stock since they have a documented history of growth, parasite success (both tolerance and resistance) and just plain being healthy.  Not to mention they like human contact and are never aggressive.[/QUOTE]
Do you know what they are crossed with? Just curious. Sometimes I miss my sheep...but I like my camper better...  miss the lambs and spots.


----------



## Mike CHS

The original 10 were a Dorper/Katahdin cross with the ram being the Dorper but even  the Katahdins had been crossed with a Dorper a couple of generations earlier.


----------



## Mike CHS

We brought the ewe herd in for routine checks and a couple of them needed some work on their hooves.  We pulled fecal samples on 18 of them that we have been tracking egg counts on for the last several months.  We usually put electric netting up at the end of the chute to guide them back into the paddock but we already had 10 or so in the holding pen before we thought about it.  It was faster to put a couple of our PVC feed troughs inside the gate so I put some food out while Teresa opened the gate to let them out.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Y'all are so Brave to venture in with such "vicious" animals............I'm surprised ya neighbors haven't turned ya into the TWRA.....


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> Y'all are so Brave to venture in with such "vicious" animals............I'm surprised ya neighbors haven't turned ya into the TWRA.....



We treat them rough so they stay scared of us.


----------



## B&B Happy goats




----------



## Mike CHS

We put up 10 quarts of tomatoes this morning and picked enough today to probably be close to another 10 quarts but the determinate plants are about to quit on us.  The cherry tomatoes are still going strong so we will have them probably until frost.

We're giving as many squash away as we are keeping so the neighbors are all happy.  There is quite a few melons out there double the size of the one in the picture.


The picture is from this afternoon.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Just..wow!


----------



## Mike CHS

It definitely was not a low carb night at the McCoy's tonight.  Some of the fresh zucchini and green tomatoes made it to the frying pan to go with supper.


----------



## Baymule

It's hard to beat fried squash!


----------



## CntryBoy777

I tell ya what...I've had that camera angle on that exact spot....watching the same exact thing....and Teresa looked just like a conductor directing a finely-tuned orchrestra.....and when they reach yo mouth...it ain't nothin but sweet "music" to the taste buds.........


----------



## Mike CHS

I got my grass cutting caught up this morning then we went into Pulaski to have lunch at a Chinese Buffet that we really like.  After lunch we went over to Ethridge to visit our favorite Amish farm to buy our corn to put up for the season.  The have the best bi-color corn every year and we started buying from them several years ago.

The tomatoes that I attempted to start from suckers off of our plants didn't take.  One out of 10 starts started rooting and that one isn't doing well but the Amish farm usually has tomatoes and a few other things for the fall garden and happily they had plants about 8 weeks old and ready to plant.  This is the first time I've had trouble rooting clones from established plants but this is also the first time I tried it using Determinate tomatoes so that be be a factor.

We got a dozen healthy Church heirloom tomatoes that is a beefsteak type tomato.


----------



## Bruce

We've kinda caught up to you garden wise, there is 1 nearly ripe sungold cherry tomato on the plant   Several bell peppers on the 4 plants, one getting to size but not yet turning orange.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> We've kinda caught up to you garden wise, there is 1 nearly ripe sungold cherry tomato on the plant   Several bell peppers on the 4 plants, one getting to size but not yet turning orange.



Having lived in Michigan I know what it's like to have short seasons, which is why our northern limit when we were looking for a place to retire was southern Tennessee or the South Carolina northern border.  South Carolina was too flat plus a whole slew of other things we didn't like so that left Tennessee.  We have enough of most things put up but we still need a fall crop of tomatoes.  We should be finishing with our melons in a couple of weeks and the cucumbers are putting on enough to start canning.


----------



## Beekissed

Hey, Mike, ever had peanut butter and fried squash sandwiches?   I know, sounds repulsive!!! But...someone made me try one years ago and they are strangely delicious!  I couldn't believe it.


----------



## Mike CHS

Beekissed said:


> Hey, Mike, ever had peanut butter and fried squash sandwiches?   I know, sounds repulsive!!! But...someone made me try one years ago and they are strangely delicious!  I couldn't believe it.



I have but it has been so many years ago that I had forgotten how it was.  I'll have to put that back on the list to try again.


----------



## Mike CHS

I have a lot of grass to cut today so I just put a brisket on the smoker to cook while I'm out there.  It should be done around 6:00.


----------



## rachels.haven

That's the best kind of slow cooker meal.


----------



## Baymule

Delicious looking!


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Delicious looking!



It's getting there.  I put a couple of ground lamb patties on there for awhile and they were awesome. I'm using apple wood pellets this time and the taste is perfect.


----------



## Mike CHS

For those that have the pellet smokers, do yourself a favor and try a brisket using apple wood pellets.  I still like my other woods but the apple gives a nice smoke ring but with a milder almost sweet smoke taste to the meat.


----------



## CntryBoy777

It is really good on pork, too....I've used green branches on charcoal and it was very tasty....too bad I can't get a taste over the phone....


----------



## Mike CHS

We had one of our neighbors who is a heavy equipment contractor come by and give us an estimate on filling in the big usually dry pond.  He is pretty reasonable and we will have him add a couple of hours to knock back that treeline that I'm working on a bit at a time.  He can probably do in a couple of hours what it would take me a couple of weeks.  Plus he can knock down some of the bigger trees and just push them over the old fence.


----------



## Baymule

Equipment makes a huge difference.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Mike CHS said:


> We had one of our neighbors who is a heavy equipment contractor come by and give us an estimate on filling in the big usually dry pond... knock back that treeline...



Do you think he could dig up some of the ledge rock you are having to deal with?  As for the treeline, PLEASE get some "before" and "after" pictures!



Baymule said:


> Equipment makes a huge difference.



Amen to that!  I shudder to think just how little my Beautiful Gal and I would have gotten done without a chainsaw, a pole saw, a tractor, a shredder, a grapple, etc.  And for Mike a bulldozer will definitely make short work of those trees, both small and big!


----------



## Mike CHS

Senile_Texas_Aggie said:


> Do you think he could dig up some of the ledge rock you are having to deal with?



That wouldn't be practical.  Right now the ledge is an area about 5' wide and intermittent in a couple of areas but I have grass growing right up to them so they are a minor inconvenience.  Under the surface is solid rock going down no telling how far and how wide.


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> It's getting there.  I put a couple of ground lamb patties on there for awhile and they were awesome. I'm using apple wood pellets this time and the taste is perfect.
> 
> View attachment 64749


Remind me not to come here(@Mike CHS journal) hungry (just like never go to the grocery store hungry)!


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I have a lot of grass to cut today so I just put a brisket on the smoker to cook while I'm out there. It should be done around 6:00.


And you were probably done (in) before that!



Mike CHS said:


> We had one of our neighbors who is a heavy equipment contractor come by and give us an estimate on filling in the big usually dry pond.


What is the purpose of filling it in if it is usually dry?


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> What is the purpose of filling it in if it is usually dry?



Because it is a 1/4 acre hole in the ground with sides that are too steep to mow.


----------



## Mike CHS

I forgot to post something about the corn we bought at the Amish farm the other day.  One thing we found a couple of years ago is like a Baker's Dozen is 13 donuts, an Amish bag of corn is sold as five dozen ears and usually winds up being six dozen ears.  By the time we got it all processed, we put a bit over 16 pounds of corn in the freezer which will last us through the winter.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

That's awesome!


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> I forgot to post something about the corn we bought at the Amish farm the other day.  One thing we found a couple of years ago is like a Baker's Dozen is 13 donuts, an Amish bag of corn is sold as five dozen ears and usually winds up being six dozen ears.  By the time we got it all processed, we put a bit over 16 pounds of corn in the freezer which will last us through the winter.


Do you just blench the corn then freeze them? I didn't have good luck freezing corn before so I just buy frozen ones when they are not in season.


----------



## Mike CHS

We blanch then cut the corn off of the cobs. We first freeze the corn spread out on cookie sheets then vacuum seal for the freezer.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa and I worked the fecal samples today and the readings were mostly in the acceptable range but six of the ewe lambs need to be wormed.  A couple will get another month or so then retested to see how they level off.  Two of our senior ewes who also happen to be my favorites haven't been wormed for over a year and still don't need it.  Three of our first group born here are going on the cull list not only for parasite resistance but also they don't fit our confirmation and feet issues.


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> We blanch then cut the corn off of the cobs. We first freeze the corn spread out on cookie sheets then vacuum seal for the freezer.


I might give that another try this year.


----------



## CntryBoy777

We just take and cut the kernels off the cob, then scrape it with the backside of the knife, then put in ziplock bags and put in the freezer....it is cream style corn, but if ya put it in a skillet to cook it...it is thicker than canned cream style and we call it skillet corn....ya can thin it with some milk or water....really simple, easy, and good....stores well in the freezer up to a year at least....


----------



## Mike CHS

I made a pot of chili this afternoon and it's simmering to have for supper tonight.  This recipe also works with grilled chicken breast and is the best tasting chili I have ever had.  I lost track of where it came from but I haven't changed a thing.

Smoked Beef Brisket Chili

A great use for leftover smoked beef brisket.

Ingredients

3 slices of bacon, diced
1 large onion (about 2 cups), chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely diced
2 ½ cups leftover smoked beef brisket, cut up into 1-inch cubes
3 tablespoons chili powder*
1 tablespoon cumin
½ tablespoon dry chipotle seasoning** (or the equivalent in canned chipotle in adobo sauce, adjust amount to your heat preference. A little goes a long way)
½ tablespoon smoked paprika
1 (12 oz) bottle beer
¼ cup coffee (cold leftover coffee from your morning pot)
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
½ can black beans (drained and rinsed), used a standard 15 oz can
½ can kidney beans (drained and rinsed), used a standard 15 oz can
½ can corn (drained and rinsed), used a standard 15 oz can
1 small (4 oz) can diced green chili
Instructions

In a large pot over medium heat, sauté bacon until crispy. Add onions and cook until soft (about 5 minutes). Add bell pepper and garlic; cook 1 additional minute to soften. Add the meat and all dry seasonings. Add beer and allow it to deglaze the pan and cook off the alcohol (about 1-2 minutes). Then add coffee, tomatoes, beans, corn, and green chili. Bring to a low simmer, cover, and cook for a minimum of 30 minutes. The longer it cooks the more integrated and concentrated the flavors get. My recommendation is at least an hour for a nice rich chili. If the stew starts to get too thick, you can add water ½ cup at a time to thin it out.

Optional toppings:

Sour cream (or my preference Greek Yogurt)
Shredded cheddar cheese
Chopped cilantro
Notes

Note on the spicy seasonings: I've received some feedback that this can turn out a bit spicy! Not all dry spices are created equal. The fresher the dry spices the more potent they tend to be. So if your dry chili or chipotle seasonings are rather fresh or new, then they will be more potent. My tablespoon of dry seasoning may be different than your tablespoon of the same spice. 
So if you're sensitive to spice go easy on the spicy spices at first. You can always add more later! I find that chipotle and cayenne tend to add the most heat. So go easy on them and add slowly.

*
*


----------



## Mike CHS

We are going to make a Costco run this morning and then bring the ram lambs up for a check up.  It looks like it's getting time to spray the fence lines again and the paddock the boys are in needs to be cut back some. I already have the sprayer on the tractor so I'll do that first then put the cutter on the tractor.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

That recipe sounds .  Don't know why I've never thought of making chili out of left over brisket - but thanks for the nudge in that direction!


----------



## Mike CHS

I think you will like it.  Chili is one of the only reasons I keep beer in the fridge.


----------



## RollingAcres

I only keep beer in the fridge for pulled pork.


----------



## Bruce

I only keep beer in the fridge until it's gone 
I buy the 32 oz growler (or growlette depending on where it comes from) twice a week. Ale only, no "water beer" for DW and me. Each bottle lasts 2 dinners. And it is a "too danged hot!" summer thing don't buy it in most of the year.


----------



## Mike CHS

We usually don't do much in the afternoon other than feed and water but one of the ram lambs has started looking less energetic as the others so we brought all 8 in to the chute to pull fecals and check them over.  The leaner one got a shot of Dectomax as well as B12, Nutridrench and iron.  The other 7 will stay in this paddock until we run their fecals tomorrow and see who needs what.

We also did some interesting halter training on the 2 biggest boys. Both of them are only 90 pounds but their calm manner disappeared for that short time.


----------



## Mike CHS

We saw a kitten a couple of times in the last couple of days but it would run as soon as it saw us.  For who knows what reason when Teresa saw it this afternoon, she squatted down and the kitten came right to her.  When I went out to it and did the same, it came to me also so it hasn't been on it's own for long.  It is skin and bone but we put a bowl of cat food out that it tore into.  It can stay if it decides to since it has been hanging out by the chickens and it hasn't bothered any of the chicks in spite of it's starving.


----------



## Mike CHS

It definitely isn't feral and it is a female.


----------



## Bruce

Aw a new mouser! Seems more cat size than kitten size.


----------



## Mike CHS

She is plenty old enough to have been weaned awhile but her teeth shows that she is pretty young still.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Cute kitten!  The friendly ones certainly have a way of growing on you.



Mike CHS said:


> they don't fit our confirmation and feet issues



Huh?


----------



## Mike CHS

We moved the ram lambs into a holding pen and brought the ewe herd into the handling chute to worm 12 of them that had high egg counts.  All of the sheep have gotten conditioned to moving to the various paddocks that I don't even carry a bucket anymore.  We make sure they get fed at the destination of wherever they are moving to so all I have to do is open gates and they gang up around me.  We moved the boys, then moved the ewe herd, worked them all through the chute for sorting and then moved them across the paddock on to fresh graze and it took a few minutes short of an hour.

I went on to cut grass and Teresa and JMike worked on fixing a runoff problem we had in the chicken pen. There isn't a gig slope but it is 3 or 4 degrees with a whole lot of 10 degree beyond that that really brings a lot of water through the pen.   We had a piece of 10" lumber to divert the water but the runoff had brought enough dirt down that the dirt was level with the top.  They dug out part of it then put T-posts with palets to make a crude but effective retaining wall.  That 10: lumber is on the back of the pallets and if that starts to fill in we can just add more lumber.  That lumber has been there for a couple of years so it should work for awhile.

The cat has appeared to have claimed a spot in the hay shed and will get a name at some point when we are sure she is going to stick around.


----------



## Bruce

My bet is she has no plans to move on, she's found a great home.


----------



## CntryBoy777

She is a real Cutie!!....hope she does stick around....


----------



## RollingAcres

She is cute and I think she won't be leaving anytime soon.


----------



## Mike CHS

Fingers still crossed but our sickly ram lamb that we threw the medicine chest at yesterday seems to be on the mend.  He came running today when I called them in for feed and he is grazing and eating normally.  I'm going to move them to the dry lot tomorrow to make sure they all put a bit more weight on to go to the sale barn for a few of them and the registered boys will be going to the KHSI sale coming up (assuming they get better on halters).

The Watermelons out of the garden are some of the best tasting yet.  We gave quite a few away since there is more there than we can eat but we have been going through two or more a week.


----------



## Bruce

Great news on the ram lamb!


----------



## Baymule

Cute kitty, I like the smudge on her nose. That’s a pretty good retainer wall for the chicken coop. 

So those calm easy going lambs disappeared when you brought out the halters?


----------



## CntryBoy777

Something that mom would do is to cut it up and freeze it in ziplock bags and then thru winter would put some in a blender to make watermelon slushes every once in a while....they liked em pretty good....


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Cute kitty, I like the smudge on her nose. That’s a pretty good retainer wall for the chicken coop.
> 
> So those calm easy going lambs disappeared when you brought out the halters?



We just did two of the registered boys but they are already over 90 pounds at three months old. I didn't push it since I have yet to create any fear in these boys but the big boy with all of the color just lay down after figuring out he couldn't get loose.


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> Something that mom would do is to cut it up and freeze it in ziplock bags and then thru winter would put some in a blender to make watermelon slushes every once in a while....they liked em pretty good....



I'll have to try some of that but we can't do a bunch since freezer space is going to be at a premium.  We are going to pick up another freezer in the next week or so to replace the one that died.  But we are also going to have one of the cows processed in the next couple of months.  We haven't found anyone yet that wants a half and over 600 pounds of beef is more than we can handle.


----------



## farmerjan

@Mike CHS , just for you to think about.  If the animal weighs 1,000 lbs the hanging weight will be between 5-650 lbs.  When they get done with the cutting, trimming etc. you will be getting in the neighborhood of 300 + lbs. of actual meat back.  USDA says 63% hanging of live weight and 60% of that will be edible meat.  Our butcher says to figure 50% hanging of live, and 50% of that as edible meat in the freezer.  Any over that is bonus.  So, you will not have as much as you think in actual meat coming home..... and yes you still have to plan for it.  When you think of how much is hide, head, guts, and feet, you lose alot of the animal's weight right off the bat.  Don't think your steers will be overly fat, but we have most of our cuts as "boneless" and it saves on freezer space too. I like the bone in the sirloin steaks, and get back alot of the bones for soup and the dogs/cats to have.  If the steer is under 27 months, then you can get back the backbone which has alot of meat on it.  But if over, you cannot get back anything that has the spinal column due to the BSE rules.  (Mad cow disease).  Even though I know your animals are healthy, as ours are that we raise for meat.  But it is federal regs to stop any possible contamination.  So we just try to kill before that so we can get more of the parts.  The t-bones are okay under 27 months, but otherwise if older than that they have to be NY strips, and filets;  no bone.  Sirloin bone is not part of the spinal column so not an issue.

Try asking your butcher if they know of anyone looking for a quarter or a half.  Our local guy usually has one or two people looking for "local" home grown beef and maybe yours would know of someone.


----------



## Mike CHS

Thanks Jan.  We actually have more time to play with and I actually can wait for as much as six months.


----------



## Mike CHS

I just got the email back for the Codon tests for the 3 registered ram lambs and they are all RR.  This company is fast as it shows they got the blood samples on the 29th and the test results was dated this morning.  We never had Ringo tested but the results would suggest he is RR also.


----------



## Bruce

What is RR? Besides Rail Road, which I assume has nothing to do with your ram lambs.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> What is RR? Besides Rail Road, which I assume has nothing to do with your ram lambs.



It's tests done to determine scrapie resistance.  This is from the test site and explains it better than I could:  “R” is the gene most resistant to scrapie, and “Q” is most susceptible. So sheep that are “RR” are very resistant, and there have been no known cases of scrapie in “RR” sheep in the U.S. Sheep that are “QQ” are the most susceptible to scrapie, and almost all known cases of scrapie have been in “QQ” sheep.


----------



## CntryBoy777

That sure gives ya peace of mind and gives ya a plus in selling the reg rams.....


----------



## Bruce

That's great Mike. Again shows the results of all your careful breeding and parasite control.


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> I just got the email back for the Codon tests for the 3 registered ram lambs and they are all RR.  This company is fast as it shows they got the blood samples on the 29th and the test results was dated this morning.  We never had Ringo tested but the results would suggest he is RR also.


Did y'all draw the blood or have the vet do it?

You could advertise half a steer on Craigslist, cash only.


----------



## farmerjan

Didn't know about the test for the sheep.  Very interesting.  Great that yours have tested the "best" .  Thanks for the info.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Mike CHS said:


> “R” is the gene most resistant to scrapie, and “Q” is most susceptible



Is the "R" an allele of one gene, and "Q" a second allele of the same gene?  And are the two letters indicative of there being two chromosomes on which the gene lies?  If so, then I guess there are also "RQ" and "QR" options as well.


----------



## Mike CHS

Senile_Texas_Aggie said:


> Is the "R" an allele of one gene, and "Q" a second allele of the same gene?  And are the two letters indicative of there being two chromosomes on which the gene lies?  If so, then I guess there are also "RQ" and "QR" options as well.



That question if out of my league but I've never seen anything other than the 3 listed.


----------



## AmberLops

I have a question for you @Mike CHS
What are winters like here? This is my first year in TN.


----------



## Mike CHS

AmberLops said:


> I have a question for you @Mike CHS
> What are winters like here? This is my first year in TN.



They are normally fairly nice temperature wise but winters are wet.  We normally have some periods of cold where it might get down in the 20's but they are few and far between.  We have lambed from November through February and we lamb with a minimum of shelter other than wind breaks.  We had 2" of snow a couple of times but there are times when we get some freezing rain.  When that happens we are pretty much stuck at home till it thaws out.  I love it because this is one of the few places I've lived that actually had a fall and spring.


----------



## AmberLops

Mike CHS said:


> They are normally fairly nice temperature wise but winters are wet.  We normally have some periods of cold where it might get down in the 20's but they are few and far between.  We have lambed from November through February and we lamb with a minimum of shelter other than wind breaks.  We had 2" of snow a couple of times but there are times when we get some freezing rain.  When that happens we are pretty much stuck at home till it thaws out.  I love it because this is one of the few places I've lived that actually had a fall and spring.


Sounds nice! Thanks for the answer 
I'm definitely looking forward to fall weather! When does it start to cool off?


----------



## Mike CHS

The cat/kitten is comfortable with her living space in the hay barn but since I have never seen her leave it, I have to assume she is going out during the night.  She is a bit strange as when you pet her she is almost aggressive trying to get more and when you walk away, she will strike out at your feet and hiss to keep you there.  I'm not a cat person so I'll give her the benefit of the doubt for that move but we shall see.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Mike, if you want her for a mouser, don't  pet her too much, she will want to be a pet....I m sure you plan on getting her spayed, she may mellow some then, I would feed her e/o day so she hunts....that is what our cat does and he has gotten all the mice at neighbors place.....its a win win for us both


----------



## CntryBoy777

I do believe your feline is either "flirting" with ya....or she is coming into estrus....we've had several that have done that, and Calli does it now....and she is spayed...so, it is a 'faux' estrus....but she will play as rough as I will allow....


----------



## Mike CHS

We had an early supper as Teresa had to go back to the kennel and since her helper wasn't able to be there. I made a butter sauce to go over strip steaks that I haven't made for a long time but it is awesome.  Even Teresa loves it and she isn't a big anchovy person.

It is simple but tastes is perfect. It just has anchovies, capers, butter, minced garlic, lemon zest and salt.  With a couple minor changes it is also a perfect compliment for Salmon.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Anchovies, absolutely  love them ....thanks for the recipe  Mike...will be making some


----------



## Mike CHS

B&B Happy goats said:


> Anchovies, absolutely  love them ....thanks for the recipe  Mike...will be making some



I have used them for several things but never told Teresa until recently since she believed she didn't like them.    She had a favorite butter sauce from O'Charley's where she was a shift manager but she says she likes this one better.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Mike CHS said:


> I have used them for several things but never told Teresa until recently since she believed she didn't like them.    She had a favorite butter sauce from O'Charley's where she was a shift manager but she says she likes this one better.



My DH hates the thought of them, sure will surprise  him after he eats it on his salmon !
He thought he hated spinach,  broccoli,  sushi and salmon...hahhh, loves them now...it's  all about how you prepare it.
I am always in awe when looking at your grill skills


----------



## Mike CHS

The garden this year is the best we have ever had and we are using less area.  The spring planted tomatoes are about done but the tomatoes I planted not long ago are doing well.  The okra that I planted mid June is about 4' tall and I was starting to think I had used too much manure in that bed but it started putting on pods a couple days ago.


----------



## Pastor Dave

The garden I had tilled up the other day is roughly a 40'x25' area and could get expanded some. I plan to set out some asparagus starts in a row this year, and have a place to dump and spread manure. I decided I didn't want just a manure pile to deal with. Next year I plan on sweetcorn, tomatoes, green beans, green onions, and spinach. We have a raised bed closer to the house for some strawberries.


----------



## farmerjan

Since your manure is all rabbit manure, right?, then just start putting it where you are planning the rows for next year.  It won't burn existing plants either.  And I never have a manure pile from the chickens.  It goes on the rows in between the plants, on the paperbag/cardboard that's laid down for walking and covered with more old hay for mulch. Loses the "heat/burning" while it eventually becomes dirt as the worms manage to come up through the rotting paper and take the "fertilizer" down into the soil.  I use it on the areas that the cukes are going to spread to, or the watermelons/cantaloupes and then just cover it with some old hay/straw mulch.  Leaves work good if you have a little old hay to spread overtop to keep the wind from picking them up.  Tried a "compost pile" and it is too much work for a garden.  Just find spots to put the manure, kitchen waste, etc and bury in the existing garden.  Then in the fall, the whole garden can be a compost spot.

Chickens can make short work of all household waste except I do not do meat scraps for them.  Use a deep litter in the coop through the winter and it will all get mixed in and then you have instant "walkway" on top of any discarded paper/cardboard and it won't burn the young plants.  cover with enough hay to keep it from caking on your shoes after a rain and you can work in the garden anytime without getting all muddy like from "walkways that are constantly tilled to keep down weeds.


----------



## Bruce

My chickens get meat scraps and will pick bones clean. They love it. I figure bugs are meat so why would beef, etc be different?


----------



## Mike CHS

I don't do compost piles either and put all of the sheep manure put directly on the garden beds.  All of my planting is fairly close spacing and none of my beds allow for rows (except for the okra but it's not a raised bed either).  When I let them use the big stalls at the shop, I clean up every day and often wind up with two 20 gallon trash cans full each time.


----------



## farmerjan

Chickens are cannabalistic.  Yes, they will eat meat.  Have found over the years that they tend to get more cannabalistic when purposely feeding meat or scraps. One of the reasons so many that fight chickens feed canned dog food and such.    Besides, the meat scraps etc are better fed to the barn cats and such.  The chickens are eating a live form of protein, when they catch bugs etc. It is a different form of "meat"  and protein, than that from a mammal.  There is also some disease transmission situations, and I just don't feel that feeding meat scraps to chickens, or to hogs, is a wise route to go. Since you don't eat meat as a rule, I guess for you it is not a concern.  But really, feeding meat" by products" is not allowed either just as is the rules of not allowing anything over 27 months, in cattle,  to have the backbone allowed into meat products.  I don't want to go buying organic chicken and finding out they are feeding meat scraps off the table to them.


----------



## AmberLops

Beautiful garden!


----------



## Mike CHS

Getting ready to head out and do some spraying but I wanted to throw in a silly picture.  I was cooking some eggs and decided to make them into a happy face with some ham, cheese and tomatoes.


----------



## AmberLops

Yum!! Looks delicious


----------



## Baymule

Breakfast with a smile!


----------



## Pastor Dave

How couldn't eggs, cheese, and tomatoes look happy!?


----------



## Mike CHS

I never did put any info on the fecals we did with the ram lambs this week. Out of the 8, we wormed two based on FAMACHA score and it turned out one of those had only a few eggs. We gave everyone a drench of garlic concentrate and 3 of the 8 had half the number of eggs as the fecal that we ran the month before. The others literally had eggs in the single digits.  This isn't scientific by any means but it makes the garlic drench look better all of the time.  By the way, when we do worm any of the sheep now we are doing two different (different class) wormers (full strength on both) and we are seeing an extremely lower egg count on follow up fecals than we had seen in the past.


----------



## Mike CHS

I had a little over 4 hours of grass cutting today since all of the rain had me behind.  I usually do some cutting each day over a 3 day period so it doesn't take all that long each day.  I had just finished and was putting the mower away as the sky opened up this afternoon.

Teresa said I was a strange man tonight as I was cooking a single pod of sliced okra in some olive oil.  This was the first to be harvested but it's going to be a couple of days before I get any more so it would have been soft by then.  Not to be one to waste the first of a harvest, it got cooked and we both had a couple of bites.   

We have an appointment for a recall on Teresa's Mazda tomorrow so we will make a Costco run for a few things since it's almost next door.


----------



## Baymule

At least going to Costco is better than sitting in a waiting room at a car dealership.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

And one piece of okra is better than none!


----------



## rachels.haven

Getting ice cream/frozen yogurt or whatever they're calling it would make it even more fun.


----------



## Bruce

Baymule said:


> At least going to Costco is better than sitting in a waiting room at a car dealership.


I don't know, could get expensive!


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa had an appointment at a Day Spa (a gift from the daughter) which was going to take around 2 hours which is why we made the appointment with them for 9:00 and the time for the Mazda dealer was set for 9:30.  I dropped Teresa off a little before 9:00 and got to the dealer about 20 minutes early but they got the car right in.  About 15 minutes later the CSR came into the waiting area with a very sheepish look on his face to let me know that they ran out of the needed parts yesterday and we were supposed to be called (we weren't).

He seemed totally surprised when I just said, If that's the worst thing that happens this month, I have no problems.  Sooooo, they will call when the parts come in.  

I got the 3 or 4 things I needed to get from Costco and headed back to the 
Spa.  I only had about a half hour and had a book that I was wanting to finish anyway.


----------



## Mike CHS

I have a file that is nothing but sauteed cucumbers for this time of year when you have an abundance and did this one today.  .  We are giving away a bunch and we still have enough pickles left from last year to see us through until canning time next year.  Radishes are another thing that benefits as a sauteed dish.


Asian Sauteed Cucumber

   Total Time: 20 minutes
   Makes: Serves 4-6

This is a quick side dish, great with just about anything. Just a few ingredients and a light saute and it is done in minutes.

Great with BBQ, grilled fish or just about anything. I love that it is simple and has a clean refreshing flavor. Warm or room temp is fine for this.
Ingredients

   3 medium to large cucumbers (seedless cucumbers)
   1 carrot peeled and shredded
   2 scallions chopped diagonally 1/2' pieces
   3 tablespoons soy sauce
   1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
   1 squeeze or 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice and 1 teaspoon lemon zest
   Salt and pepper to taste
   1 tablespoon sesame seeds
   Vegetable oil to saute
   Dash of red pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions

   First shred the carrots and prepare the cucumber. Don’t peel. Cut lengthwise in thin strips and then in 2" pieces
   In a large pan (non stick) for stir fry, toast the sesame seeds just for a minute or two until lightly brown. Remove and set aside.
   Then heat the oil in the same pan. Add the scallion, ginger, cucumber, soy and cook a couple of minutes. Then add the carrot and lemon juice, salt and pepper. Toss in the sesame seeds and remove from the heat. Serve warm NOT hot or room temp. A great simple side


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa worked at the kennel this morning and I cut our neighbors pasture that joins our drive so it was a fairly routine day.  I have quit giving the ewe herd any feed since they are already fat.  I have one girl that was one of the most flighty ewes that we got from a farm in Georgia that has become as sweet as they get.  I feed Maisy close to whatever gate she is at when I go out to feed the cows and this girl will always run that way no matter where she is.  I'll put the feed bowl down for Maisy and 18-80 (I have to come up with a name) will come up and just stare at me until I give her scratches. Yesterday when she came running I opened the gate and let her out and gave her some of the food I was taking to the cows.  

She was content so when I opened the gate to get Maisy's bowl, she went right back in.


----------



## Baymule

Have you ever been any happier in your life? 
We count our blessings every day.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Have you ever been any happier in your life?
> We count our blessings every day.



If I have it is a distant memory.  I am perfectly happy and content to spend the rest of my days doing exactly this.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have something going on with our kitchen faucet that started all of a sudden. It is a pretty high end Moen faucet and we installed it over four years ago and don't have the receipt so Teresa checked their website.  She found a CSR email address and noted what was going on with the faucet.  A day later (today) she checked and saw that she had emails from Moen with shipping information about when the parts would get here, a PDF with installation instructions and all of the part number info in case we needed anything else.  It looks like they do honor their lifetime warranty and did so pretty fast with no sales info from us.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

That's awesome!  Customer service like that is few and far between these days.


----------



## Mike CHS

I was out trimming some leaves off the okra plants and the ram lambs were getting as close as they could to let me know it's feeding time so I got a decent picture of the two that will be registered.  The other smaller lamb is a wether that will be going in the freezer at some point.  The ram on the right has almost identical markings as the bottle lamb Taffy.  I kept his name as Percy for the time that he is hear since he answers to it.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

They look awesome - and love the markings on the one on the right.


----------



## Baymule

Just look at the hangy-downy thangs on that boy! He’s got lots of baby lambs in there! Whew-doggie! He’ll make a fine flock sire!


----------



## Mike CHS

We moved and brought both herds in to check over and we had quite a few that needed a follow up worming.  Those that didn't need wormer got a dose of garlic concentrate.  We have quite a few that had a minor parasite load over the last few months but we have gotten fecal samples on them twice before and did not worm.  We can hopefully get a better idea of how the garlic is working since we pulled fecals on them again today.


----------



## AmberLops

Beautiful sheep!


----------



## Mike CHS

I did a Pork loin with cabbage stir fry for dinner that turned out great.  I cooked the meat by itself after marinading in a little soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, Five Spice Powder red pepper flakes and a little balsamic vinegar and olive oil

The sauce is chicken broth with some corn starch mixed in for thickener and a bit of brown sugar.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

That looks really good!


----------



## Mike CHS

We are getting ready to start some cool weather plants but they are going in the bed currently occupied by the last of the melons.  I've lost track but we eat 2-3 melons a week and have been picking them for over three weeks.  We still have 4 on the porch and the rest were picked today so we can clear the bed tomorrow before it hits the mid 90's like is forecast next week.  The big melon is right at 30 pounds which is big for a Crimson Sweet and there are several more on the back of the cart.


----------



## CntryBoy777

That is really a XXL Crimson Sweet!!....they are good melons too....I like the yellow meated melons....but, they all are a "share the wealth" item...cause ya can only eat so much...tho, they are so good on an extremely hot day........was that a pork loin, or tenderloin?....and how'd ya cook it?....


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> ...was that a pork loin, or tenderloin?....and how'd ya cook it?....



That was from a pork loin but the marinade made it as tender as a tenderloin.  After marinating for a couple of hours I sprinkled some corn starch over the meat mixture and stirred it in to coat.  Did that several times then sauteed in a wee bit of olive oil so it had a bit of crisp coat.  I didn't add the meat to the veggies till everything was done and the sauce had thickened up a bit.


----------



## Mike CHS

I took the camera out this morning when I was taking a look at the ewes.  We have it narrowed down on who is staying and who is going to be sold.  We have seven ewe lambs that are too young to be bred so they will be pulled next week.  Two of the smallest ewes are going to be culled and one that has good confirmation but I'm pretty sure she has a screw loose so she's going also.  We have one commercial ram lamb that is looking good but right now there is a glut on the market so rather than sell him for market price, he may go in the freezer.  We have two wethers but they are wethers because they were runts and won't be ready to process for several months.

Except for two of the adult ewes are getting back into great condition for breeding but even those two are finally starting to look good.  Both of them had huge twins that really pulled them down plus both have had parasite issues.  One is getting better at handling the parasite load and the second gets one more shot at showing some improvement or she will be gone,

When we had them in the chute yesterday we put the scale in so we could see how they were improving their weight based on the last check.  The majority of the ewes were in the 120-140 pound range but a couple are downright heavy weights and on grass only.  The spotted ewe (Momma) and her daughter and granddaughter are the biggest.  Momma weighs 187 and her daughter is 175.  The granddaughter is just over 150 and she is still a lamb.  You can see Momma in the top of the second picture and her daughter is the black in the middle.  She towers over the rest of the girls.

The close up in the third picture is the girl I've been letting out so she can get some feed without having to give it to all of them so she is always first to the gate.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa is working this afternoon so I'm making some Ground Lamb and Chorizo Chili Cheese Nachos.  I've got everything cooked so all we have to do is throw the chili and cheese on the nacho chips and put it in the oven when she gets home.  Not exactly low carb but it sure is tasty.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Shoot....a "working man" deserves a "reward" for a job well done....


----------



## Mike CHS

I had to take a picture of the Nachos.  Teresa and I agree that these were the best Nachos we have ever had.  It is easy to make but takes some time to simmer the liquid out so the nachos don't get soggy.


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> We are getting ready to start some cool weather plants but they are going in the bed currently occupied by the last of the melons.  I've lost track but we eat 2-3 melons a week and have been picking them for over three weeks.  We still have 4 on the porch and the rest were picked today so we can clear the bed tomorrow before it hits the mid 90's like is forecast next week.  The big melon is right at 30 pounds which is big for a Crimson Sweet and there are several more on the back of the cart.
> 
> View attachment 65086


Nice


----------



## Baymule

Those nachos look so yummy! Beautiful sheep, as always. I love that black spotted ewe, Momma. Her lambs are always so pretty.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Those nachos look so yummy! Beautiful sheep, as always. I love that black spotted ewe, Momma. Her lambs are always so pretty.



Momma is the ewe we got from a farm in Carthage, TN where we got Ringo. They used poly rope as a perimeter fence and she would just run through it knowing it only hurt for a short moment. I'm pretty sure I posted before but they called a couple of weeks after we brought Ringo home that they called and offered to sell her since they couldn't keep her in.


----------



## Baymule

Poly as a perimeter fence?  Smart girl to figure that out.


----------



## Mike CHS

Almost all days start off with a smile but not this one.  I was going down the hill to the shop paddock and could see Maisy by the gate and figured she had come through the jump gate.  But when I got out there I saw three ram lambs when there should have been eight.  I headed down to the next fence and could see the other ram lambs in with the ewes. Percy and one other lamb are definitely ready to breed so we will see how many oops we have later on.  The biggest problem is that the ewes that are most likely ready to breed are their dams so we shall see.  I should have know the day wasn't going to be perfect when the weather station said high of 95 and humid today and not much later Fred the steer licked me in the face when I turned around to shoo him away.

On the plus side, thanks to our sheep being tame, I was able to sort the 8 boys out from the other 40 sheep by myself since Teresa had run into town.


----------



## Bruce

Did you figure out how they got where they shouldn't be?


----------



## Mike CHS

There was a gate open at the far end but I have no idea how it got open.


----------



## Mike CHS

I just finished spraying the interior fences and it's hot enough that I'm not doing anything else till later.  We are heading to the Amish produce auction.


----------



## Mike CHS

We didn't get a whole lot but did get some Concord Grapes and a peck of cucumbers to add to ours for pickles.


----------



## Baymule

Oops.... not much you can do about that. I have one of those, maybe you won't have any oopsies show up. 

Those grapes look good! Making jelly?


----------



## Mike CHS

They are going to be jelly.  We were surprised at how much is there.  Just one peck container filled up an 8 quart pot that we processed tonight.

We stopped in Pulaski on the way home from the auction and stopped by our favorite appliance store.  They have prices as good or better than the big chain stores and we have bought all of our major appliances from them.  We bought a 21 cf freezer to replace the one that we mistakenly bought in an estate auction.  We also talke to him about a washer that he has on the floor.  It's a Speed Queen that doesn't have all of the EPA compliance problems like not enough water, and all of the other modern day wimpy washers have.  This one is classified as commercial and is the same functionality that you get at a laundromat.  It has a ten year warranty (both parts and labor) so that's hard to beat.


----------



## Baymule

yay for new freezer and washing machine! I may be old fashioned, but I sure do love my modern conveniences. That washing machine is just what a working farm needs! I don't know about you, but I get filthy, my clothes look like I rolled in mud. LOL


----------



## CntryBoy777

That's a bunch of juice!!...I bet that pot was pretty heavy too!!....sure hope ya didn't make a "mess" in that beautiful kitchen.........we aren't a fan of the modern day machines, either....but, lordy.....I sure don't wanna get back to wringers for sure....


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> yay for new freezer and washing machine! I may be old fashioned, but I sure do love my modern conveniences. That washing machine is just what a working farm needs! I don't know about you, but I get filthy, my clothes look like I rolled in mud. LOL



I get beyond filthy and it gets to the point that I hose myself down before taking off my clothes on the porch so the wimpy washer can at least have a chance of making it look clean.


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> That's a bunch of juice!!...I bet that pot was pretty heavy too!!....sure hope ya didn't make a "mess" in that beautiful kitchen.........we aren't a fan of the modern day machines, either....but, lordy.....I sure don't wanna get back to wringers for sure....



We got the first batch processed down and strained without a whole lot of mess.


----------



## Baymule

It sure beats the hell out of dressing up to go to work at the office.....


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> It sure beats the hell out of dressing up to go to work at the office.....



I have to smile every time that I think of what I did for the last 50 years.  It was rewarding financially but nothing like what we have now.


----------



## Baymule

My last job was parts lady for a garbage company. I wore a uniform shirt, blue jeans and tennis shoes. I was done working in the public. I donated 5 garbage bags full of high heels. Never again.


----------



## RollingAcres

I still have to go to work but no need to dress up.


----------



## farmerjan

I must've missed it, but what happened to the freezer you mistakenly bought at the auction?  Is that the one that went bad?  I have 3 freezers that were bought 2nd hand and they have paid for themselves.  I do keep an eye on them so that I don't lose any food if they do go bad for any reason.  The one I bought from a couple getting divorced was only 1 year old and it went bad in 2 years.  Got 2 that are probably 20 yrs old and they are still chugging along.  Got one last year from some friends that they were no longer using, so it was a good deal for them as they really needed a little extra cash, and I replaced one that had gone bad the year before.  I like the storage of the chest freezers, but the uprights are so much more convenient.


----------



## Pastor Dave

I like your pic of the blueberries and cukes from the Amish auction, AND that single shot shotgun next to the steps is nice lookin' too. Looks like a 12 guage, but hard to tell.

The earlier pic of the nachos looks good. I always thought they were just chips swimming in a dark yellow, melted cheddar with some hamburger mixed in, but not necessary.


----------



## Mike CHS

@farmerjan that was the freezer we got at the auction and we have had good luck also buying second hand.  Our repairman friend said it looked like it had been sitting and not running for a long time so saving it was questionable.

@Pastor Dave I didn't think about the 12 gauge when I took the picture since that spot is where it always sits.  It ls one of those guns that have been around forever and works for critters that are in the wrong spot at the wrong time.  It gets put away when young ones are around though.


----------



## Pastor Dave

No 'xplainin' necessary. That's exactly what I figured. I've just always been a gun enthusiast and notice them before much else. I have Grandpa's. 22 rifle that sat just inside the basement stairwell. We didn't go down there or even open that door as kids, and it was always ready to go. I have something similarby the bed that the boys just know is a fixture of the bedroom.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> This one is classified as commercial and is the same functionality that you get at a laundromat.


And only having to do one load a week is a real plus! 



Baymule said:


> I donated 5 garbage bags full of high heels.


Did they use to call you Imelda?


----------



## Mike CHS

I was out moving the ewes to fresh grass this afternoon and one of the ewe lambs came up for petting.  She may be a bit bloated on the fresh grass but I'm pretty sure she's two or so months pregnant.  She is our spotted ewes daughter (but solid white) so she has the size to carry if she is pregnant.


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> I was out moving the ewes to fresh grass this afternoon and one of the ewe lambs came up for petting.  She may be a bit bloated on the fresh grass but I'm pretty sure she's two or so months pregnant.  She is our spotted ewes daughter (but solid white) so she has the size to carry if she is pregnant.


Maxwell or oops?


----------



## Baymule

Bruce said:


> Did they use to call you Imelda?



Nope, I just didn't wear them out, took care of what I had and bought on sale. At one time, I dressed up to go to work. I got over it.


----------



## Bruce

Wasn't too hard I bet! I think I have more footwear now than I did when I was working. Need lots of different types when working outdoors on the "farm". For 'real' work, one pair black, one brown covered it all.


----------



## Baymule

Bruce said:


> Wasn't too hard I bet! I think I have more footwear now than I did when I was working. Need lots of different types when working outdoors on the "farm". For 'real' work, one pair black, one brown covered it all.


Haha, females have to have "colors" and "styles" and match this to that and on and on and on.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Maxwell or oops?



This is an oops.  If she is pregnant it's either Percy or the other registered ram lamb which is ok since she is commercial.  She is one we were going to record her lamb when she lambed with Maxwell's lamb though since she is so well proportioned.


----------



## Baymule

Oops happens.


----------



## Mike CHS

I just took some smoked beef brisket out of the freezer and and I'm going to try using it to make some Beef Stroganoff tonight.  We have just about used up the brisket that we have in the freezer so it's time to cook some more.


----------



## Beekissed

Mike CHS said:


> I forgot to post something about the corn we bought at the Amish farm the other day.  One thing we found a couple of years ago is like a Baker's Dozen is 13 donuts, an Amish bag of corn is sold as five dozen ears and usually winds up being six dozen ears.  By the time we got it all processed, we put a bit over 16 pounds of corn in the freezer which will last us through the winter.



We get that around here too!  We normally get two bags of that and can it up each summer.  It's great tasting corn and, when *not *canned in a pressure canner, tastes just like it was cut off the cob.

We HWB/steam can our corn.


----------



## Mike CHS

We don't use the pressure canner for corn.  We just cut it off the ear, freeze it in shallow layers and then vacuum seal it and back into the freezer.  Tastes just like fresh cut.


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> I just took some smoked beef brisket out of the freezer and and I'm going to try using it to make some Beef Stroganoff tonight.  We have just about used up the brisket that we have in the freezer so it's time to cook some more.


Mmmm I bet that beef stroganoff would be delicious!


----------



## AmberLops

Did you have any damage from the storm last night?
It wasn't too bad here thankfully.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Mr. @Mike CHS,

Have you read in the news recently that researchers have figured out a way to separate male sperm from female sperm fairly reliably and (hopefully) inexpensively?  They used mice sperm for their test but saw applications in farm animals as quite feasible.  Just think, if you wanted 4-5 ewes for every ram, you could do that.  Miss @farmerjan could do the same for her dairy cows.  Even Miss @AmberLops could do so for her rabbits.  And yes, it could be applied to humans as well.

Senile Texas Aggie


----------



## Mike CHS

AmberLops said:


> Did you have any damage from the storm last night?
> It wasn't too bad here thankfully.



We had a lot of noise but that's about it.  Total rainfall was under 1/2" and that came down earlier.

@Senile_Texas_Aggie I had not heard about that process.


----------



## Mike CHS

I have to say that smoked beef brisket makes a great tasting stroganoff.  I made it with a red sauce rather than white and although Teresa was skeptical when she saw it, she loved it.


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> I made it with a red sauce rather than white and although Teresa was skeptical when she saw it, she loved it.


Red sauce as in like a tomato sauce for stroganoff?


----------



## Mike CHS

RollingAcres said:


> Red sauce as in like a tomato sauce for stroganoff?



It goes with the smoked meat better.  It's prepared like the white sauce except after the onions are sauteed add sliced mushrooms and garlic. 1 1/2 TBS of Worcestershire sauce.  I add a cup and a half of Chianti and the diced meat and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes then add 2-3 table spoons of tomato paste (as the thickener).  Once that is all mixed in I add room temperature sour cream and it's done.


----------



## RollingAcres

That sounds good. I must confess that I've never made the "sauce" for stroganoff from scratch. We always sautee the onions, mushrooms and garlic, add grilled beef. Up until that part is homemade then the next part is jarred gravy .


----------



## Mike CHS

When I make a white sauce, all I use is white wine to simmer and then add room temperature sour cream as the thickener but I use more for the white than I do in the red because of the tomato paste.  I actually like the red sauce better.


----------



## farmerjan

Just a note @Senile_Texas_Aggie .... they have been offering "sexed semen" for dairy cattle for years.  It is also available for beef cattle, and I'm thinking that it is available for other breeds of animals.... I do know that you can breed hogs and goats artificial  (AI).  So many dairies used "female sexed semen",  that we had a glut of replacement dairy heifers, and it caused prices to really drop.  There are beef farmers that are specifically using "male sexed semen" so that they get more bull calves, as steers sell for more as feeders, and so if you are not trying to raise any replacement beef heifers, you really want a bull calf.  It is known as a "terminal"  breeding since the resulting calf will be going to be raised strictly for beef production.


----------



## Mike CHS

Our main sales of meat is the rams so we don't mind them being born.


----------



## AmberLops

Senile_Texas_Aggie said:


> Mr. @Mike CHS,
> 
> Have you read in the news recently that researchers have figured out a way to separate male sperm from female sperm fairly reliably and (hopefully) inexpensively?  They used mice sperm for their test but saw applications in farm animals as quite feasible.  Just think, if you wanted 4-5 ewes for every ram, you could do that.  Miss @farmerjan could do the same for her dairy cows.  Even Miss @AmberLops could do so for her rabbits.  And yes, it could be applied to humans as well.
> 
> Senile Texas Aggie


Interesting! I could get a whole litter of does...
Any chance they can tell the colors? ha ha!


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa spent a couple of hours rearranging the shed so we could put the two freezers out there side by side.  We ought the new freezer sight unseen and just 'assumed' they would be similar sizes.  When the delivery drivers took out the broken freezer and sat the new one in front of the spot, it was pretty sure the new one was 6" too tall to fit in the slot.  Fortunately they were able to put it in the spot where the other one was originally but the second picture shows where we wanted to put it.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

AmberLops said:


> Interesting! I could get a whole litter of does...
> Any chance they can tell the colors? ha ha!



Miss @AmberLops,

The article didn't mention that, but I suppose you could select the sperm to be sorted from a male that had or carried the desirable colors.  Here is a link to the article:
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/worl...-couples-to-choose-ivf-boy-or-girl/ar-AAFNH3O

Miss @farmerjan,

I was not aware that there were already methods to select the desired sex for a cow.  Interesting.

Senile Texas Aggie


----------



## CntryBoy777

Ain't it just amazing the difference 6" can make?....it looks like it should serve ya well........bet it will look much better when it is full....


----------



## Baymule

We have 2 freezers too. I need to get them cleaned out and organized so we can take lambs to slaughter.


----------



## Mike CHS

Our other one out there is the same cf which is why we assumed they would be the same size.  The new one is just narrower so taller.  Our third freezer is a chest type but it's on the porch.


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm wanting to get some seeds in the ground for the fall garden and that bed is the melon bed that is overgrown with weeds.  JMike called and wanted to work an hour or two this afternoon so I took advantage of his desire to make some $ and saved my back in the process.

Teresa is putting up pickles and it looks like she will wind up with a dozen quarts.


----------



## Bruce

What is your (or maybe it's Teresa's) pickle recipe and is it pressure canned, water bath or refrigerator? My Suyo cukes have started producing. I have no canning equipment.


----------



## Mike CHS

Our method isn't an approved method so I don't list it.    We just used dill weed, dill seed and chopped garlic added to the jars before adding the brine which is salt and sugar.  We still have sweet pickles left from last summer so we just did dill pickles this time.


----------



## Baymule

Bruce said:


> What is your (or maybe it's Teresa's) pickle recipe and is it pressure canned, water bath or refrigerator? My Suyo cukes have started producing. I have no canning equipment.


You love Mamma Wall's Eggnog, want her pickle recipe?


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> You love Mamma Wall's Eggnog, want her pickle recipe?



I'll take that one.


----------



## Baymule

Mamma Wall's Spicy Sweet Pickles

My spicy sweet pickle recipe came from my great grandmother to my grandmother to me. 

Start this process early in the morning so you will have time the next day to process the pickles.

5 gallon bucket of sliced cucumbers about 1/4" thick
cover with water, add 2 cups pickling lime
I put a plate over them to weigh the cukes down in the lime water
Soak for 24 hours, drain, then wash all lime off. ( I put the lime water on the compost pile) 
Put cukes back in the bucket, cover with cold water with 4 cups of vinegar added.
Soak for 2 hours. Then drain.
You need 2 large pots with lids.
In each pot, add 8 cups apple cider vinegar and 10 cups sugar 

In each pot, add 1 box or bottle of pickling spices. I use McCormicks-1.5 oz bottles in the spice section at the grocery store. (you can put them in a bag so the spices don't get on the cucumbers, but I never do because I like the spices in the jars of pickles)

Bring the ACV, sugar and spices to a simmering boil, add sliced cucumbers.

Simmer on medium-low heat until the cucumbers are translucent.

Pack in hot sterile jars, cover with syrup and seal.

The lime makes them crisp. They are so good, makes the best deviled eggs! I can eat 1/2 a jar by myself.

Using this recipe, I got 20 pints and 4 quarts. 

@Bruce, I don't pressure these or water bath them. I fill the jars with boiling water, dump it out, fill with pickles, cover with HOT syrup, wipe rim of jar and seal. As they cool, the lids will ping. Any that don't seal go in the refrigerator to be eaten first.


----------



## Baymule

Let's see if I can reach in the back of my feeble mind to resurrect the fabled "Mock Spiced Apple Rings" recipe from my Grandmother. I haven't made them for several years, so ya'll bear with me.

First off, you use the cucumbers that hid under the leaves and got really big. Yeah, those, the ones that got away, they are big and seedy. You peel them, cut in chunks and then hollow them out. Scrape out all the seeds, then slice into 1/4" pieces.

Now I am trying to remember how many cucumbers to use in the recipe........ For some reason a gallon of sliced cukes is coming to mind. 

Ok, now we have a gallon of peeled, cored, sliced cucumbers. Cover them with water and pour in one cup of pickling lime. Let them set 24 hours. Put a plate or something on top to weigh them down so all the slices are under the water/lime mix.

Pour off the lime water and rinse the cucumbers thoroughly. Soak for 2 hours in cold water and one cup of apple cider vinegar.

While the cucumbers are soaking, make a syrup of 5 cups apple cider vinegar, 6 cups sugar and one pound of red hots cinnamon candy. Add one small bottle of red food color and a half dozen cinnamon sticks. Rinse the cucumbers and add to the syrup. Simmer the cucumbers on low heat until they are translucent. Take out the cinnamon sticks and ladle the pickles into hot sterile jars. Pour the hot syrup over the pickles and seal the jars. 

Put a jar in the refrigerator and pace the floor until they are cooled down. Eat the whole danged jar!


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> @Bruce, I don't pressure these or water bath them. I fill the jars with boiling water, dump it out, fill with pickles, cover with HOT syrup, wipe rim of jar and seal. As they cool, the lids will ping. Any that don't seal go in the refrigerator to be eaten first.



That's about it


----------



## Mike CHS

For the first time this week I don't have grass to cut. I should be working on the tree line but I've only got two days of feed left and we won't be here tomorrow so it's a good day to run down to the feed store in Alabama. It's only 35 miles but their cost is $4.50 a bag cheaper than what it is here locally so it is worth driving there.  The only sheep still getting feed are the ram lambs and they aren't getting much since they were getting fat.  The cows and Max get feed so I've switched over to All Stock for them.


----------



## RollingAcres

Hope the weather is nice there, it will make for a nice road trip - to get feed.


----------



## Mike CHS

RollingAcres said:


> Hope the weather is nice there, it will make for a nice road trip - to get feed.



It's a gorgeous day today. Clear sky and temps in the mid 80's for a change.  I got back early enough I still need to go out and work on trees as soon as I get the feed in the cans.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Mike CHS said:


> I still need to go out and work on trees



Pictures before and after please!


----------



## Mike CHS

I found another use for leftover beef brisket.  I'm making a pot of beef and barley vegetable soup for dinner tonight.  I usually use leftover beef roast for my soup but the smoked meat gives it a great taste.


----------



## Mike CHS

The soup is done and tastes as good as I hoped but I don't think I've ever had a soup using barley that I didn't like.


----------



## Bruce

Beef barley soup - yum!



Baymule said:


> 5 gallon bucket of sliced cucumbers about 1/4" thick


Go big or go home!
I'm a dill pickle kinda guy. Are there substitutions between sweet and dill or are they totally different?


----------



## Mike CHS

I was out picking some of the Tabasco Peppers and the plants are loaded. I was curious about the heat level and bit into one, I did not chewing, all I did was bite it.  Immediately I started sweating, my nose started running, I had the hiccups and my mouth felt like it was on fire.  I won't be biting into any more of those things, they will just be used in vinegar for pepper sauce.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Yeh...and the sauce may be like Brylcreem....a little dab will do ya....


----------



## Mike CHS

We drove up to Cookeville right after chores this morning.  The KHSI did themselves proud as the auction started exactly on time and check-in for the buyers took about 30 seconds per person and there was probably a little over 250 of them.

Prices were about as expected with the top ram going for just under $3000.  The top ewes (and they were top) were running between 700-1200 with most in the $700 range. The majority of the ewes were going for $500-$700.  The reserve on the ewes was $300 and there was only a couple that went for that.  I wouldn't have brought them to the sale as my culls look better.  A couple of yearling rams brought the $250 reserve but again, I wouldn't have brought them to the sale.  Most of the decent rams were selling in the $500 range which is typical even for farm sales.

What made us happy is that Sand Mountain Katahdins out of Alabama overall brought some of the best prices of all the consignments and their ewes sold for a low o $700 with 4 of their best bringing in $1100.  Four of our ewes are from that farm.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

I


Mike CHS said:


> We drove up to Cookeville right after chores this morning.  The KHSI did themselves proud as the auction started exactly on time and check-in for the buyers took about 30 seconds per person and there was probably a little over 250 of them.
> 
> Prices were about as expected with the top ram going for just under $3000.  The top ewes (and they were top) were running between 700-1200 with most in the $700 range. The majority of the ewes were going for $500-$700.  The reserve on the ewes was $300 and there was only a couple that went for that.  I wouldn't have brought them to the sale as my culls look better.  A couple of yearling rams brought the $250 reserve but again, I wouldn't have brought them to the sale.  Most of the decent rams were selling in the $500 range which is typical even for farm sales.
> 
> What made us happy is that Sand Mountain Katahdins out of Alabama overall brought some of the best prices of all the consignments and their ewes sold for a low o $700 with 4 of their best bringing in $1100.  Four of our ewes are from that farm.




Is Cookville a ok area Mike, saw some houses ther for sale ????


----------



## Mike CHS

I don't know a lot about it other than it is home to Tennessee Technical University which is a huge school.  Most of the downtown area is tied to the University in one form or another.  Even the Ag Center where we had the sale today is theirs.  Like any place else it has it's bad parts but overall it looked well kept and the rural area like most places in Tennessee are kept neat unless you get a neighbor like I have.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Mike CHS said:


> What made us happy is that Sand Mountain Katahdins out of Alabama overall brought some of the best prices of all the consignments and their ewes sold for a low o $700 with 4 of their best bringing in $1100. Four of our ewes are from that farm.


Proof that your breeding herd has good bones!


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Mike CHS said:


> I don't know a lot about it other than it is home to Tennessee Technical University which is a huge school.  Most of the downtown area is tied to the University in one form or another.  Even the Ag Center where we had the sale today is theirs.  Like any place else it has it's bad parts but overall it looked well kept and the rural area like most places in Tennessee are kept neat unless you get a neighbor like I have.



Thank  you for the info...sounds a little too busyfor me


----------



## CntryBoy777

Sounds like ya had a good time....yeh, I gotta ask...was Teresa the only passenger ya brought home with ya?....


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> Sounds like ya had a good time....yeh, I gotta ask...was Teresa the only passenger ya brought home with ya?....



We registered as a buyer but every one that I might have considered can be bought at the respective farms for a lot less dollars.  We didn't take the truck but we had enough friends there that they would have transported for us if we got the urge.


----------



## Baymule

Mike, do you think that you and Teresa might take some to the sale next year?


----------



## Mike CHS

No doubt.  Our herd is about as good as it gets and we are going to Record several of the ewes that were born this year plus the registered ewes are as good as any that were there. Every time I go out with them I just smile.

Edit to add We got the fecals done that we last did and the garlic is showing a reduction in eggs for the last 3 cycles.  We have a bunch of ewes that have never needed worming and only have gotten garlic. I wouldn't claim that to be scientific but it works for us.


----------



## Baymule

As nice as your flock is, maybe you and Teresa could sell the top ram and top ewe!

That is great on the garlic. Y'all have worked hard to bring your flock to where it is. Me and Ringo are on our way!


----------



## Mike CHS

We are a whole lot of years away from having a ram like we saw yesterday.  Our sheep are nice but some of those were there yesterday are in a whole different world.


----------



## Baymule

Should have taken pictures!


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Should have taken pictures!



It was standing room only and where we were sitting didn't work for pictures.  This ram is the one that went for $2800 and unfortunately, the picture doesn't do him justice.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa was cleaning up our livestock log this morning.  I don't want to jinx us but we are really pleased with how our girls are handling parasites here now.  We have a good number that have extremely low egg counts that haven't been given a chemical wormer in over a year but they have all been given garlic concentrate whenever we bring them in to the handling chute.

I let the girls in to a paddock that has been idle for 4 months and they are happy.  This is one of the paddocks that was seeded with the Deer Mix last year.  I was happy to see a lot of Lespedeza and other plants from the mix that was coming in as new growth so it had reseeded.   The grass is growing faster than the critters can eat it so I have been cutting small sections so the paddocks keep generating fresh growth.


----------



## Bruce

That's great that the garlic is keeping the worms away.


----------



## Baymule

The lespedeza is a wormer too. What all was in that deer plot mix?


----------



## Mike CHS

It almost read like a garden mix.  It has several types of grasses, turnips, brassicas, clovers, radishes and I don't remember what else.   

We decided to take 32 ewes through the winter instead of 25.  We were going to sell a couple of our original ewes but they aren't going anywhere.  Even Wild Thang and her sister have calmed down and have consistently had big healthy twins.  The biggest plus with those two is that they haven't needed worming in over a year and never got pulled down by nursing large twins.  At the last check they both weighed right at 165 with no fat.


----------



## Baymule

They definitely are keepers!!


----------



## Mike CHS

I need to take the camera out toward the sheep tomorrow.  They are in a paddock now that I haven't cut for 4 months so it's taller than the sheep but they are eating higher than they have been (which is a good thing).  I cut the paddock that they had been in today to generate some fresh growth as that one will be over seeded with rye grass next month.

We have an electric pole in the paddock that the cows are in due to be replaced but the power company hasn't been able to give me any info as to when.  I told them that if we don't get at least one days notice, they won't be changing that pole.


----------



## farmerjan

frustratedearthmother said:


> Proof that your breeding herd has good bones!


 And good "jeans"  Sorry, couldn't resist that.

Didn't you take a couple of rams to the sale?


----------



## RollingAcres




----------



## B&B Happy goats

X2


----------



## Mike CHS

farmerjan said:


> And good "jeans"  Sorry, couldn't resist that.
> 
> Didn't you take a couple of rams to the sale?



I had planned on it but I had the submission deadline wrong so we were late.


----------



## Mike CHS

Jr. ropped off his dozer this afternoon so he can start first thing in the morning filling in that big hole in the middle of one of the paddocks.  Neither of us thing there is enough of a berm to fill it in but there is three trees about 8" in diameter on the berm that he is going to knock down and put them in the pond.  His dozer needs almost 11 feet of opening to get in so I had to have him come in the main paddock that has two 8' gates and then through two of the paddocks that are enclosed with electric poly rope and netting gates. Maisy wasn't quite sure that gigantic yellow thing was so she didn't even bother to bark.


----------



## Mike CHS

He got started filling in the dry pond this morning right at 6:30 and from the looks of it he is about finished.  Unfortunately we had to take out 3 good sized trees but he was able to leave the Maple Tree.

There was some slab stones in there that he asked me how I moved them since I have a fairly small tractor.  I told him it is all down hill from where they originally were and I just pushed them with my front end loader.  

I didn't take any "before" pictures since that is the one part of our place that I made it a point of not showing.


----------



## RollingAcres

Looking good!


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Maisy wasn't quite sure that gigantic yellow thing was so she didn't even bother to bark.


Probably figured it wouldn't take her seriously and run away. Smart dog!


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Nice!  Did you sometimes have standing water there, or at least boggy?


----------



## Mike CHS

Senile_Texas_Aggie said:


> Nice!  Did you sometimes have standing water there, or at least boggy?



It would hold water for a day or two after a heavy rain.  A light rain wouldn't build up at all.


----------



## Baymule

I know getting that done puts a smile on your face.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> I know getting that done puts a smile on your face.



It did and does.  I went up and picked up some seed and I already have some lime to put out.  I'll do that in the morning and then drag it.  It isn't the right time but I'll never have that spot as soft as it is today so right time or not, it goes out.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Looks good from here ....glad you are happy it's  done


----------



## Mike CHS

We are toying with the idea of getting a small fishing boat now that we have time to do something besides work.  Before we bought this place we did a lot of fishing and tourist type day trips. But that was in Charleston, SC where you can see a different tourist spot every week for years and never see the same one twice.  For fishing there were hundreds of places to fish and you didn't need a boat.

We have been visiting some historical sites recently and are planning to go down to the Space Museum at Huntsville next week but we both miss fishing more than anything else.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

We couldn't  wait to get a bass boat when we moved here, used it like crazy at first.....
They say the two best days of owning a boat is the day you get it...and the day you sell it. Boy was that true for me, lol......
We had about 13 k in ours, was very happy to get some of that money back into my account.....
Get your boat and enjoy that first day ....  have fun fishing


----------



## Mike CHS

I have had boats for most of my adult life so it's not a new experience.  That plus most of our fishing will be in small lakes so there is no bass boat involved.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Mike CHS said:


> I have had boats for most of my adult life so it's not a new experience.  That plus most of our fishing will be in small lakes so there is no bass boat involved.



I figured  you wern't  a newbie. ..to much of anything......age does bring life experiences  with it...just wanted to share  my two best days owning a bass boat , lol....glad you both will be getting some recreational  time fishing.


----------



## RollingAcres

I love fishing and some days i wish i have a boat so that we can get to more places to fish. Unfortunately there aren't many public fishing places here from land. The few that we frequent we only catch sunfish. Sure would be nice to catch something else other than tiny sunfish.


----------



## Mike CHS

RollingAcres said:


> I love fishing and some days i wish i have a boat so that we can get to more places to fish. Unfortunately there aren't many public fishing places here from land. The few that we frequent we only catch sunfish. Sure would be nice to catch something else other than tiny sunfish.



We don't have any great Crappie or Bass fishing really close but there is a bunch within 20 minutes or so. We do have a couple of rivers that are only minutes away.   Within an hour is a bunch of TVA lakes but that pushes the limits of time between feedings.


----------



## RollingAcres

What kind of small fishing boat are you thinking about getting? Not that I know anything about fishing boats,  just curious is all.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have looked at 16' with a 30 HP motor and trolling motor that is in line with what we want.  I had a 10'  boat with a small 3 1/2 motor that I used for years.  It gets me into the back waters that I like to fish in.


----------



## Baymule

I used to do a lot of fishing. I lived in Baytown, Tx and went out in the marsh, in Trinity Bay, in the bayous and caught a lot of fish. Sometimes I could catch fresh water fish when the tide was going out and salt water fish when the tide was coming in. 
Haven't been fishing in years.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Mr. Mike,

I seem to recall that you went fishing with a friend or relative last year.  Do you intend on doing that again?


----------



## Mike CHS

Senile_Texas_Aggie said:


> Mr. Mike,
> 
> I seem to recall that you went fishing with a friend or relative last year.  Do you intend on doing that again?



That was with a cousin that I lived with growing up.  Whether I go next spring all depends on what is happening on the home front.


----------



## Mike CHS

I got grass seed broadcast and ran the harrow over the area that was worked by the dozer yesterday.  All of the rain that has been forecast in the last week has passed us by but we got a nice steady rain this afternoon that will hopefully help germinate the seed.  It's supposed to be a bit milder this coming week which will help make up for planting this early.


----------



## Mike CHS

The cat has decided this is home and quickly taught the dogs to keep their distance.  We were going to name her Jekyll and Hyde but she quit attacking our feet if you stopped messing with her before she had enough.  I know there are some that say not to pet too much but I make everything on our place want contact. 

I have to smoke some more brisket as I used the last of it this morning to make some hash.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

She sure is pretty Mike and I bet she will catch mice too if you have any


----------



## Mike CHS

we brought the ram lambs in and gave the registered boys a bath but hosed all of them down.  Feet were good and we pulled fecals on all of them to check.


----------



## Baymule

What is your cat's name?


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> What is your cat's name?



Teresa has been calling her a couple of names, Precious among them.  I just call her Kitty.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Ok - then Precious Kitty it is, lol!  She's a real cutie!


----------



## Mike CHS

A little touch of Fall is in the air.  I went out and hauled water and fed Maisy and never even broke a sweat.  Up until today I've been going through a couple of sets of clothes every day.  We have a rack outside the door that we can put the wet clothes on and with the sun and heat they would be dry in about 30 minutes.  A couple of pictures of a couple of the boys since I had the camera and they were clean for a change.


----------



## Baymule

Those are two darned good looking rams! They sure have grown off nice.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Those are two darned good looking rams! They sure have grown off nice.



What's extra nice about them is both are calm but confident just like Ringo.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

They both sure are handsome, but the first one makes me want a ram...ohhhh that face


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> What's extra nice about them is both are calm but confident just like Ringo.


Do they love animal crackers like Ringo?


----------



## Mike CHS

They do but they are even easier to handle than Ringo but they won't be as heavy as he is.  I don't even need a bucket with these boys.  I just say Let's Go and they follow me to wherever it is.  This morning we worked on them and put them in the holding pen at the end of the chute.  When we were done I just let them back in and opened the shop door and they followed me through there to get out.


----------



## AmberLops

Mike CHS said:


> A little touch of Fall is in the air.  I went out and hauled water and fed Maisy and never even broke a sweat.  Up until today I've been going through a couple of sets of clothes every day.  We have a rack outside the door that we can put the wet clothes on and with the sun and heat they would be dry in about 30 minutes.  A couple of pictures of a couple of the boys since I had the camera and they were clean for a change.
> 
> 
> View attachment 65517 View attachment 65518


They're beautiful!


----------



## Bruce

So Bay, who are you going to sell Ringo to when you have "too much" of his genetics in the herd and which of those 2 rams are you going to buy from Mike?


----------



## Mike CHS

Every ram lamb on our place are sons of Ringo.


----------



## Mike CHS

We cooked a bunch of lamb chops on the pellet grill a couple of days ago.  Most were from a small lamb and a couple of the large chops are from the big boy we processed last summer so I made a Black BBQ Sauce to go with it. I'm posting the base recipe since it also works with goat and venison.  The only place I've seen the black sauce mentioned is in places in west Kentucky where many years ago they were one of the biggest sheep producers in the U.S.  I like to do what we did tonight and sauteed some chopped onion with some canned mushrooms until translucent and I then added the cooked chops and about a cup of the sauce.  Covered the pan and let it simmer for about 15 minutes. The sauce does a decent job of tenderizing the meat.

Black BBQ Sauce
Makes. 3 cups
Preparation time. 25 minutes.
Keeps. Because it has a high acid content, it can keep for months in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

2 cups water
1/2 cup Lea & Perrins Worcestershire
1/2 cup distilled vinegar
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/4 teaspoons table salt
1 1/4 teaspoons lemon juice

Method

1) Mix all the ingredients in a pot and simmer for 10 minutes.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

With all the goodness included in that sauce there's no way it's not absolutely delicious!


----------



## Baymule

Bruce said:


> So Bay, who are you going to sell Ringo to when you have "too much" of his genetics in the herd and which of those 2 rams are you going to buy from Mike?


Ringo is never going anywhere. When Mike is through with Maxwell, he's mine! LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Ringo is never going anywhere. When Mike is through with Maxwell, he's mine! LOL



I almost wish I had added Mama to your trip when you came to get Ringo. She is the spotted ewe that you call Eye Candy.  She and Ringo were bonded and always hung out together along with Maisy.  She has needed worming more than I like but she has some genetics that makes for huge sheep.  She is losing some of the weight now but I think I posted awhile back that she was 187 pounds.

If you had not offered to buy Ringo I would have rearranged my pasture to allow him and a couple of wethers a place to stay for as long as they lived.  If you ever decide you don't need him any longer I'll come and get him.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Mike CHS said:


> If you ever decide you don't need him any longer I'll come and get him.


Ahhhhh - that's so sweet!   And, he might be good to breed back on some of granddaughters. Do ya'll do line breeding?


----------



## Mike CHS

frustratedearthmother said:


> Ahhhhh - that's so sweet!   And, he might be good to breed back on some of granddaughters. Do ya'll do line breeding?



We do.  I have a couple of his grand daughters that we are going to keep,  They have his attitude and excellent confirmation and hooves made of concrete.


----------



## Baymule

One thing for sure, Ringo will never have to worry about having a home. His animal cracker habit is spreading to my ewes. I get "tasted" all over when I go in with animal crackers.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Mike CHS said:


> If you ever decide you don't need him any longer I'll come and get him.


Yeh....when ya get a great "Centerfielder" they are difficult to replace.........I like the spotted one a bit better, but they both are beautiful....since I don't have an "eye" for the finer points....which scores higher?...and which would ya purchase if ya was picking between the 2?....if ya would ratber not say, I'd understand that too....


----------



## Mike CHS

That is a choice I'm glad I don't have to make but there is no contest there due to the age difference.  Ringo has a place in me that no other critter has.  They are all loved but that boy is special for a lot of reasons.


----------



## Baymule

Ringo is an attention hog. If I am petting a ewe, he will walk between us. He will allow strangers to pet and scratch him, it's like if I am relaxed and ok with them, then he is too. I have a tub that I put their feed in. If I don't feed them fast enough, he puts one foot in the tub, then paws with the other foot impatiently while staring at me. He's slowly tearing it up. LOL Guess I need to swap it out for the heavy wooden trough, but he's just so darn cute while he is throwing a fit.  He likes tummy rubs, heck he likes rubs anywhere. What a spoiled love bug. He allows hugs too, which many don't, because it makes them feel trapped. He sometimes tosses his head at a chicken, maybe he is afraid the chicken might eat something that he should get. He is a fine specimen of his breed, but a better love of my heart.


----------



## Mike CHS

That sums it up.  How is he now that you have him in with the ewes?  He was a little skittish the first time because I think he thought I was going to take him away but that didn't last long.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

frustratedearthmother said:


> line breeding



Huh?  Is that like line dancing, only the ewes get in a line and the ram services them one after the other?


----------



## Mike CHS

Senile_Texas_Aggie said:


> Huh?  Is that like line dancing, only the ewes get in a line and the ram services them one after the other?



I wasn't sure if that was a serious question or not.    If it was, line breeding is in-breeding that worked, otherwise it's called in-breeding.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Senile_Texas_Aggie said:


> Is that like line dancing, only the ewes get in a line and the ram services them one after the other?


That's quite the mental picture lol!

This can probably explain it better:
https://georgiaorganics.org/for-farmers/line-breeding-for-better-livestock/


----------



## Mike CHS

frustratedearthmother said:


> That's quite the mental picture lol!
> 
> This can probably explain it better:
> https://georgiaorganics.org/for-farmers/line-breeding-for-better-livestock/




That is one of the better articles that I have seen and I know I have never known a herd that was closed for over 100 years!


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Mike CHS said:


> I have never known a herd that was closed for over 100 years!


That's amazing to me too.   I can say that it is a good way to set some positive traits in your herd if you keep a realistic eye on the outcome and aren't afraid to change course if it isn't working well.


----------



## Mike CHS

It's looking like rain for most of the day today so I decided to give Lance a bit of work since I wanted to move the sheep from the west paddock, through the center paddock and back to fresh grass beside the driveway.  We want to work them Wednesday and it's easier to have them closer to the handling area. I had Lance holding in the destination paddock while I went through the two netting gates to get Maisy (our Great Pyrenees) out of the way.  By the time I turned back around and started to call Lance, the sheep had already gone through the gates and were where I wanted them.  

I went ahead and let Maisy out so I could groom her again.  It seems like once a day isn't enough to keep the mats under control.  Do Pyres shed their summer coat?  She seems to be blowing her coat even faster than this spring.

A couple of "just because" pictures.  The Maple Trees we started in South Carolina are growing really fast.


----------



## Baymule

Yes, GP’s she’d their summer coat too. I think I’m gonna have to cut Paris’s  coat in places. She snuck wads in there on me. 

Ringo is a good boy with the ewes. When I take him out, he will have 2 ewes to hang out with, a young one and Ewenique, who had the “oops” lamb. Her lamb is getting weaned in the next couple of days, then she goes out to pasture with Scottie, Miranda’s ewe lamb. Ringo’s lambs ought to start coming mid October. I’ll give him a few weeks, then take him out to join the 2 ewes.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

You have a beautiful place, Mr. Mike!  All of your hard work is showing!


----------



## Mike CHS

Senile_Texas_Aggie said:


> You have a beautiful place, Mr. Mike!  All of your hard work is showing!



Thank You.


----------



## Baymule

I weaned Ewenique’s lamb and he is not happy. LOL She is with the lambs. Her twins, wethers, are bigger than she is. Need to start taking some to slaughter. I’ll take Ringo out of the big girls pasture the first of November. Miranda is due October 15. 10 weeks ought to give Ewenique time to get conditioned.


----------



## Mike CHS

I made a Cajun dish for supper called Coubion which is a seafood soup.  I used catfish and shrimp but it also works with solid fish like cod.  Teresa didn't like it since the catfish had a slight fishy taste which she doesn't like so next time I'll use cod or snapper.


----------



## Mike CHS

I thought we had something get most of our chickens today when I was closing their pen.  I called them in and went to throw out some chops and the only chickens with me was one rooster, two hens and the 9 chicks.  I went out and walked around the house and didn't see a sign of the rest anywhere.  I figured they were gone so went back toward the chicken pen to close the gate and the rest were running up the hill from behind the shop which they have never gone to.


----------



## Pastor Dave

Glad they were ok


----------



## frustratedearthmother

That's such a sinking feeling.  So glad they came home!


----------



## AmberLops

Glad they're okay!
And your farm is so beautiful


----------



## CntryBoy777

I agree with FEM!!....sure is a great feeling when ya find them tho....bet ya said a few "thank yous" when they came running..........I heard your voice today....all the talk about food here and on other threads, threw a craving on me....so took some steaks from the freezer to thaw and Joyce asked what I planned on using as a marinade....I heard your words ya told me on the visit with Joe up there....Keep it Simple!!.....so, put the steaks in a ziplock bag with worcestershire, soy sauce, basalmic vinegar, montreal steak seasoning and some thyme....fired up the grill and they turned out really good.....Joyce asked me where I got the recipe....I told her Mike.........she said to tell ya thanks!!.....


----------



## Mike CHS

Neither of us felt like cooking tonight so we went into Lewisburg to grab a bite from the buffet at Mildred's.  The tab came to $12 for both of us not counting the tip.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Can't beat a good buffet - if you can find a "good" buffet.  We have one in our area that we frequent occasionally.


----------



## Mike CHS

This one is really good but you had better like country cooking.    They have some of the best whole fried catfish on Friday nights plus they have an awesome variety of vegetables which keeps Teresa happy.


----------



## Baymule

We ate at a place Saturday evening, they had a buffet, plus a menu. I had Mexican food off the menu, BJ had country cooking off the buffet. We both ate for $20


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> We ate at a place Saturday evening, they had a buffet, plus a menu. I had Mexican food off the menu, BJ had country cooking off the buffet. We both ate for $20



We didn't realize Monday was their $5 buffet but it's normally $7 per person and of course you pay for drinks added but it's still great food for the price.


----------



## Mike CHS

The cat learned today that she is not at the top of the pecking order.  We had Maisy out to be combed and the cat decided to do what she had done with Lance and Sassy. She came up hissing and when she got within about 5' of Maisy, there was no holding her and the race was on.  That was about an hour ago and we haven't seen the cat come out of the shed yet.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

The Queen has been de-throned.  I guess she's nursing her wounded pride and will come back when she gets over it.  Lesson learned!


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> I just call her Kitty.


Kitty is such a cute kitty and she has found a good home!


----------



## Mike CHS

We took Pooty Kat into the vet to get her fixed and blood work and shots done this morning so we will see tomorrow, how much she likes living here.  We still hadn't decided on a name for her but my old cat of 17+ years was called Pooty so this one is Pooty II.

I moved the ram lambs out and moved the ewe herd in so we can sort the culls from the breeders and take them to market next week.


----------



## Mike CHS

The girls stood and stared at the feed troughs for the longest time and then they finally decided to lay down but they aren't leaving till they get some feed.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Yeh, and I bet ya being late is the topic of the cud chewing chatter too.....
Pooty Cat=PC=Priviledged Character....yep!...that works for the cat psyche.....


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> they finally decided to lay down but they aren't leaving till they get some feed.


Bunch of virtuous sheep!


----------



## Mike CHS

We finished working the girls and had them moved back to paddocks around 2:30 this afternoon. We pulled a bunch of fecal samples so Saturday will be dedicated to the samples.  There are 6 ewe lambs that are going to be culled and unfortunately Taffy (one of the bottle lambs) is one of them.  There are also 2 of the ewes that are going to be registered in that paddock that are too young to breed.  They have the size and then some but if bred now, their lambs would be born a bit before they will be a year old which KHSI doesn't allow for sheep that will/could be registered.


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> Yeh, and I bet ya being late is the topic of the cud chewing chatter too.....
> Pooty Cat=PC=Priviledged Character....yep!...that works for the cat psyche.....



I wonder if Tweety Bird cartoons are still being shown?  We spelled it different though.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Mike CHS said:


> We took Pooty Kat into the vet to get her fixed and blood work and shots done this morning so we will see tomorrow, how much she likes living here.  We still hadn't decided on a name for her but my old cat of 17+ years was called Pooty so this one is Pooty II.
> 
> I moved the ram lambs out and moved the ewe herd in so we can sort the culls from the breeders and take them to market next week.



Lol...that's  our cats  name .... (puddy tat )


----------



## Baymule

Taffy is so pretty...… But pretty just ain't enough.


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm going to bush hog the paddocks that have been allowed to grow for several months and seed some deer mix seed in a couple others.  We noticed almost all of the senior ewes are cycling which we were pretty sure of since Maxwell has been standing at the top of the hill looking down at the girls longingly. He may have gotten some through the fence based on their weight.  The spotted ewe has put on 10 pounds since the last check and she weighs in at 199.  Her daughter is 185 and her daughter is 180 and they haven't been given any feed for two months.  There was no way to flush since they are all fat already.

I'm heading out to pull Maisy out of the field and move the ewes so Max can quit being stressed.


----------



## Baymule

I think you need to save that spotted ewe and at least one her ewe babies from Maxwell for me.…….


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> I think you need to save that spotted ewe and at least one her ewe babies from Maxwell for me.…….



We can do that.  We seriously considered selling her because she needs worming so often. Her daughter has been better and her grand has been better yet.  I wish she would throw more of her color pattern but her lambs have been solid black or solid white.   I'm curious to see what she throws with Maxwell's red spotted color pattern thrown into the mix.  I have had the genetics explained to me on BYH but it didn't sink in.


----------



## Baymule

I hope she and Maxwell have a beautiful ewe lamb/lambs. Twin girls would be good! LOL
 BJ just said, "Get 'em? What do you mean get 'em?" 
I said, "I mean GO get them."
He shook his head.
I said, "Yeah, I know, I'm nuts, but you like my brand of crazy."
BJ...…"I never win."


----------



## AmberLops

Baymule said:


> I hope she and Maxwell have a beautiful ewe lamb/lambs. Twin girls would be good! LOL
> BJ just said, "Get 'em? What do you mean get 'em?"
> I said, "I mean GO get them."
> He shook his head.
> I said, "Yeah, I know, I'm nuts, but you like my brand of crazy."
> BJ...…"I never win."


----------



## Mike CHS

I did get the neighbors grass cut this morning and got the ram lambs moved back to the shop paddock so we can worm the two boys that have a high egg count.  The other six were acceptable in their egg count but the best of the bunch is the two wethers.  Their egg count was literally ZERO but they had been wormed a month ago.

Maxwell is still with the steers.  I called the sheep up and two of my favorites came up to where I was standing not far from the open gate.  Maxwell was tempted but every time the steers turned away he would go with them.  Then the cows decided coming through the gate was OK but of course I don't want them with the ewes and when I walked them back away from the gate, Max of course would go with them.  He has been in a harness before but since he is bigger than I am, I'll try that as a last resort if I can't coax him through.  He has gotten used to being handled but Ringo like he is not there yet.  I would rather not have to go that route since he is pretty trusting in most other areas and I don't to take a step backwards.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Maybe Lance can keep the steers busy as ya coax Maxwell thru...or sooner or later nature will take its course....


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> Maybe Lance can keep the steers busy as ya coax Maxwell thru...or sooner or later nature will take its course....



That entered my mind but one of the steers killed an Aussie at his original farm.  He has no fear of dogs and he is amazingly fast.  Max will give up when he's ready, he is just smarter than most and even though he normally follows a bucket, he knows something is up.


----------



## Baymule

Time and patience......


----------



## CntryBoy777

Yeh....don't blame ya there, sure don't want something happening to the Professor....


----------



## Mike CHS

I forgot to mention the status of the cat.  Teresa got a call this morning from the vet's office to tell her that they had the cat ready for surgery and saw the scar that told them she had already been fixed.  I didn't get in to pick her up until around 2:00 this afternoon since I had spent so much time telling Max he really wanted to be with the ewes but she didn't seem to be holding a grudge.  I opened the door to her transport cage and put my hand in so she was cuddling all of the way home.


----------



## farmerjan

Well, that was a nice surprise.


----------



## Baymule

Our daughter and family adopted a dog from a shelter. The shelter tattooed a green stripe on the dog's belly signifying that the dog has been spayed. I thought that was pretty smart.


----------



## Mike CHS

We still have no idea where the cat came from since we know everyone that lives on our road.  She is totally tame and obviously handled a lot so who knows?


----------



## Baymule

Maybe someone went kitty dumping.


----------



## rachels.haven

Hi! Just popping in. My first thought hearing that is that it might be a good idea to get her checked for FIV and FIL. People will dump positive pets upon diagnosis to protect themselves emotionally. If she doesn't have either of those, who knows why someone dumped a spayed pet cat?


----------



## Mike CHS

They did all of the blood work on her yesterday.


----------



## rachels.haven

Great! My mom's vet didn't test for those until she brought a very sick cat in. If they tested for those they're a great vet and are not slacking.


----------



## Mike CHS

The weather has been beautiful the last several days.  We have some friends in Columbia that are hosting their annual Labor Day Weekend herding dog trial starting tomorrow so we are going to go up and watch at least for tomorrow.  The trial is USBCHA so it's a pretty big deal for them.

I'm making progress with Max on coming through the gate because that boy is big enough, that I really don't want to have to try to wrestle him through the gate.


----------



## Baymule

Obviously you are using the wrong bait for gate training. A bucket of feed just ain't gettin' it. You need a ewe at the gate wagging her tail at him. I bet he'd go through the gate then! Goodbye steers! Max gotta go!


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Obviously you are using the wrong bait for gate training. A bucket of feed just ain't gettin' it. You need a ewe at the gate wagging her tail at him. I bet he'd go through the gate then! Goodbye steers! Max gotta go!



I had 40 ewes at the gate.    Max has a couple hundred lambs but he may not consider himself a ram now that he has been with the steers for several months.


----------



## Baymule




----------



## Mike CHS

The Shady Acres Dog Trials day 1 went very well.  I don't know the number but their one paddock looked like an RV Park and there was 50 dogs that worked today alone.  We got to see some old friends again and like always at the trials, we made some new ones.

The day ended with a phone call to tell us that a good friend and neighbor had ended his life this morning.  He has had two years of almost non-stop physical things going on with him and it appears that he couldn't handle  any more.  Doug was the kind of man that would drop whatever he was doing at whatever time of day or night to help a neighbor.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Such tragic news...so sorry.  It's so hard to accept when someone chooses to end their life - but we can't judge their pain.  Just so sad...

Hopefully day 2 dog trial is more enjoyable!


----------



## CntryBoy777

I know ya enjoyed the dogs....but, really sorry to hear about your friend and neighbor....I'm sure he will be missed and nobody in that much constant pain is in their right mind, take care my friend and enjoy what ya went for....ya need the distraction.....


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Sorry about the news of your friend


----------



## Hens and Roos

Sorry to hear about your friend


----------



## Mike CHS

Thanks everyone.


----------



## Mike CHS

On a lighter note, we found out where the cat came from. She belonged to one of the neighbors daughters that we didn't know about.  We asked her if she wanted her back and she said an emphatic NO.  They have several dogs and this cat despises dogs which is probably why she ran off or got ran off.  She also said she is mean and doesn't like human contact so the cat changed personalities on her way to our house.


----------



## Mike CHS

Maisy is in the shop paddock with the ram lambs now.  She is always happiest in this paddock because it's most accessible to the house plus right now there are all rams in with her which she prefers.  With the ewes she will find a spot close to them and keep an eye on them. With the boys, she will follow along with them wherever they go.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> She also said she is mean and doesn't like human contact



I guess that only applies when her prior family are the humans.



Mike CHS said:


> plus right now there are all rams in with her which she prefers.


Maybe she doesn't like to listen to the ewes' gossiping about each other.


REALLY sorry about Doug. That is hard on everyone, did he have an immediate family?


----------



## Mike CHS

His wife Brenda found him in the barn this morning.  His son Steve as well as other family is with her now.


----------



## Bruce

That must have been awful for her


----------



## Mike CHS

They are rarely apart for very long and he never goes off without telling Brenda so when she started wondering where he was, she went looking and found him in the barn.


----------



## farmerjan

Condolences for your friend and the families' suffering.  It is something awful to feel that you can no longer deal with things.  Have had some experience with that with friends also, and no one ever knows just how much they are suffering, or how despondent they feel.  It is even more difficult for his wife to have found him as she will continually question herself now ,  "if only".  My heart goes out to them and there is nothing that will make her feel better, or less responsible;  May God grant her and her son some sort of peace to deal with this.


----------



## Baymule

I am glad that y'all had a good time at the dog trials. It is always good to see old friends again, and meet new ones.

So the kitty decided she preferred you and Teresa over her old house? She has probably been lurking, sizing y'all up as a potential new home. She's no dummy. 

I am really sorry about your friend. It had to be a terrible situation for him, sometimes illness and pain can be more than a person can bear. It is just a sad thing for everyone.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> I am really sorry about your friend. It had to be a terrible situation for him, sometimes illness and pain can be more than a person can bear. It is just a sad thing for everyone.



I saw this one coming and I am truly sorry that I couldn't stop it.  I almost did myself in back in the mid 80's and had no idea what I was doing until just before the end that didn't come.  I think Doug had the same thing going on but I didn't see it clear enough to be a be able to help.


----------



## Baymule




----------



## Mike CHS

We almost have enough sliced okra in the freezer to last through the winter so we are going to start doing some pickled okra in 3 or 4 pint jars at a time.  We are going to do a couple of jars of refrigerator pickles this afternoon.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Text deleted.  See https://www.backyardherds.com/threa...or-the-rest-of-you.38161/page-142#post-622357 for explanation.

Senile Texas Aggie


----------



## Mike CHS

I did Strip Steak on the grill for supper.  As a side I did some sauteed pears with Blue Cheese dressing.  This is one of those if you tell someone what you are making, they immediately decide they won't like it but it is awesome and simple to make.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Actually the pears with blue cheese sounds awesome Mike,  ......


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> We almost have enough sliced okra in the freezer to last through the winter


An empty bag in the freezer would be enough to last me through the winter


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Bruce said:


> An empty bag in the freezer would be enough to last me through the winter


----------



## farmerjan

I cannot abide the taste of blue cheese.  Have tried it every way anyone ever has used it, always said that maybe there would be some way I could like it.  But no, never have.  So I do other things.  As much as I am a milk person, I am not a huge cheese eater.  I like mild cheeses, swiss, white american, mild cheddar, provolone, colby, some others,   but don't even care for cheese on a hamburger.  Would rather eat a piece of cheese than have it "mixed " or melted on things.  Maybe because I feel like it masks the taste of the "plain food" ?  I will do some cheese grated on a salad, like it on chili and things like tacos,  but don't like it as a sauce (broccoli w cheese sauce).  Weird I know.  I like alot of my food more plain.  I like ricotta in some things, and like cream cheese, and will eat some things that people make that have cheese in them but probably would not make for myself.

I have also found that I dislike cooking for myself more and more.  I guess it is the eating by myself thing?  Didn't used to mind, but now it just seems like it is a big pain to cook for just one person.  Maybe I need to find a room-mate/housemate?  Actually the joke years ago was that I needed a good "wife" to do alot of the house stuff so I could do the outside stuff.  There are things I like, but the cooking for just myself lately has been on the bottom of the list.   And when I do feel like making something, it usually is something that I don't have everything handy to use......


----------



## Mike CHS

Our log book for the sheep was overflowing so we did a lot of data transfer today as well as work the fecals we took the other day,  That plus we are tracking info going back to our original sheep.  Two of them have not needed worming since we got them almost three years ago and they have passed that immunity down to their daughters.  No data on their ram lambs since they have either gone to market or in the freezer.  Our second generation ewes are doing as well for most of them.  We have had to worm 6 of the 45 ewes but they had an egg count just above acceptable.  We need a few more cycles with those that have been given only garlic to see a positive number there.  Twelve of that group of ewes have not been wormed since early last year and that was one worming when they were young lambs.

Of the current crop of lambs, all of the ram lambs needed worming but they weren't extreme except for one.  We have found that literally all of the lambs need to be wormed from 3-5 months of age and they then develop more immunity.  Of the youngest (8) ewe lambs still isolated, they all have good parasite resistance except for Taffy and she was bad enough to wonder why she was still alive.  She was full of Barber Pole 3 times in a row so we did the extreme worming last time and she is now clean but going to market.


----------



## Mike CHS

We go through around 5 gallon bags of okra a season but I like to make a lot of Cajun dishes plus okra and tomatoes is one of my favorites.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I like okra almost every way it can be fixed...I grew up on it and never get tired of it....must be a southern "thang"....cause Joyce only eats it fried.....whata ya expect from a Michigander..........I know what ya mean @farmerjan , when Joyce was staying with DD3, for over a year, I experience the same issue....and I was raised on "nothing goes to waste".....I started fixing regular portions and freezing some....course, has to be good reheated....but, at least ya won't have to cook that day anyway......I always like "options" when it comes to leftovers for days on end...or a "daily chore"....
That really says alot about your decisions, choices, and "eye" when they are selected for the flock....and the hard work, sweat, and labor of getting there.....cause it sure didn't get like that by "chance".....and it will only get better too!!....


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Of the current crop of lambs, all of the ram lambs needed worming but they weren't extreme except for one.


Where is the dam for that one on the "how often she needs to be wormed" scale? Meaning, is that ram lamb from a "trouble" ewe rather than a "rarely if ever has a high count" ewe?


----------



## Beekissed

farmerjan said:


> Actually the joke years ago was that I needed a good "wife" to do alot of the house stuff so I could do the outside stuff.



I used to say the same thing!   Raising three boys as a single parent and people would say, "You need a husband!" and I'm thinking inside..."No, what I really need is an extra me, a wife".   Doing all the housework and such while I work and do all the outside work...I had, even that long ago, lost trust in men to actually DO all the outside stuff or even to go to work and bring home the income.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Where is the dam for that one on the "how often she needs to be wormed" scale? Meaning, is that ram lamb from a "trouble" ewe rather than a "rarely if ever has a high count" ewe?



We have gotten to the point that we expect lambs (all of them) to need worming but we still don't worm them till we know the load. There was two ram lambs that we didn't worm the previous time since they looked great and the FAMACHA score was also great.  Wrong again but they carried the load with no visible affect. The worst of the bunch are the lambs from two of our registered ewes and our spotted ewe but even they have gotten better.  I would need years to know the cause of the improvement but I'll take what I can get.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Bruce said:


> An empty bag in the freezer would be enough to last me through the winter





CntryBoy777 said:


> I like okra almost every way it can be fixed...I grew up on it and never get tired of it....must be a southern "thang"



Well, Mr. @CntryBoy777, I'm with Mr. @Bruce.  I have never cared for okra in any way, shape, or form.  And I was born and raised in the South, and my mom cooked okra when we were kids.  I must have gotten a defective okra gene.


----------



## Beekissed

I've never really had okra except in gumbo style soups and as powder used in making gumbo.  Liked it fine then but have never tried it otherwise.


----------



## Mike CHS

My favorite okra is fried but we try to do that but rarely.

I have a couple of pork shoulders on the smoker for a luncheon tomorrow and just threw on some Hot Dogs.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Beekissed said:


> I've never really had okra except in gumbo style soups and as powder used in making gumbo.


I've never heard of powdered okra - who knew?  I have used Gumbo File' which is powdered sassafras leaves if I remember correctly.  

One of my favorite ways to eat okra (besides fried) is grilled.  Yum!  

https://www.bunsenburnerbakery.com/spicy-grilled-okra/


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Thanks!


----------



## Mike CHS

We make our own powder.  We even make bell pepper and celery powder so we can get that "cooked all day" taste, immediately.

We like okra on the grill also and have some cooking with the pork butts.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Well, I know what I'll be doing with my excess of okra from now on!  We also like to dehydrate okra and use it for a crunchy snack.  DH likes it so much he calls it "coke-ra."

Good lookin'  butts!


----------



## Mike CHS

I like the okra on the smoker better than the grill as it's easy to over cook them.  I'm running at 250 degrees now which takes about 20 minutes for the okra to start turning soft but still crunchy.


----------



## Mike CHS

We went to the visitation for our friend Doug tonight.  We got there at 5:00 and it was a little after 7:00 by the time we got to talk with the family for a bit.  There was still as many people in line when we left as there was when we got there which says a lot about the man.

The pork butts hit 165 degrees about the time we had to leave so I pulled them off the smoker and put them in the oven at 225 degrees.  One I wrapped in foil and the other I did not hoping to keep some of the crisp "bark" on it.  When we got home, the butt that was wrapped was 205 degrees and ready to pull and the unwrapped butt was still at 165 degrees so I wrapped it in foil and put it back in the oven.  We just won't have any crispy parts of pork.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Ya can slice some off and fry it in a skillet or wok....


----------



## Baymule

How do you keep your records? Notebook, computer program? 

do you think Taffy's lack of resistance is because she was rejected at birth and didn't get her mom's colostrum? I know you bought colostrum, but your ewes are better than store bought! LOL


----------



## Baymule

We bought a half bushel of okra this evening, just picked. I'm going to cut it and freeze it in the morning.


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> We make our own powder.  We even make bell pepper and celery powder so we can get that "cooked all day" taste, immediately.
> 
> We like okra on the grill also and have some cooking with the pork butts.
> 
> View attachment 65821


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> How do you keep your records? Notebook, computer program?
> 
> do you think Taffy's lack of resistance is because she was rejected at birth and didn't get her mom's colostrum? I know you bought colostrum, but your ewes are better than store bought! LOL



Lack of colostrum is a sure possibility.  I forced her dam to let her nurse several times but that doesn't match the normal 24 hours.

All of our records are on paper.  Teresa made up log sheets with all of the tracking items so we can go back to the first ewes for tracking.


----------



## Mike CHS

We tried out the refrigerator pickled okra that we put up the other day and they taste great.


----------



## WolfeMomma

Okra pickled is my favorite way. I find it gooey any other way....I just cant seem to get over it lol


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Love pickled okra - and I've heard that it's really good in a Bloody Mary.


----------



## RollingAcres

I've never had pickled okra.


----------



## Mike CHS

RollingAcres said:


> I've never had pickled okra.



The quart of okra we did the other day only took a few minutes and it's as good as any I've had.  It only keeps a few weeks though since it isn't canned since you just pour the hot liquid over the okra and refrigerate for 48 hours.


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> The quart of okra we did the other day only took a few minutes and it's as good as any I've had.  It only keeps a few weeks though since it isn't canned since you just pour the hot liquid over the okra and refrigerate for 48 hours.


I'd have to give it a try. I have made refrigerated pickles before. Maybe I'll use that same recipe on the okras.


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike, do you keep your steer separated from your sheep? Just wondering if you have looked into co-mingling them.


----------



## Mike CHS

I had them together for a short while.  The sheep weren't bothered by them but one of the steers started bullying them so that was over.  He tried the same thing with the ram but learned why a ram is called a ram.


----------



## RollingAcres

I don't want to get ahead of myself, just starting to read up about raising sheep. Now that we have tasted our own beef, we definitely will do it again and if we can financially do it, we may even raise some sheep or pig in the future. We would have to get fencing fixed and get our "ducks" in a row first.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Miss @RollingAcres,

That's wonderful!  I hope you will be able to do that.  There are a lot of folks on this forum to help you with sheep.  Sorry, I can't help -- like Prissy on _Gone with the Wind_, I don't know nothing about birthin' no sheep!

Senile Texas Aggie


----------



## CntryBoy777

I had a plan to get some and use them for meat and eating grass....and would get ewes and wethers to start with....grow the wethers up and then put them in the freezer and look to breed the ewes for the next season....I will honestly say, that @Mike CHS has convinced me that older bigger meat is very tasty.....I could enjoy supplying my own....and if ya can't find a butcher place, it is better handled.....


----------



## Baymule

RollingAcres said:


> I don't want to get ahead of myself, just starting to read up about raising sheep. Now that we have tasted our own beef, we definitely will do it again and if we can financially do it, we may even raise some sheep or pig in the future. We would have to get fencing fixed and get our "ducks" in a row first.


If you raise feeder pigs, build a set up like mine. I built a Pig Palace with a window (hole in the wall) that I can pour the feed through. I set up a water barrel with a hog nipple and I don't have to go in the pen to find the water tub that they turned over and knocked across the pen. I have had pigs that I didn't trust and went in with a piece of pipe to whack them with. The Pig Palace is hands off care for pigs. 

https://www.backyardherds.com/threads/baymule’s-pigs-2018-herefords.37448/


----------



## Mike CHS

The last of the watermelons and these have been running between 18-22 inches long.  We have been cutting up roughly one watermelon every 4-5 days since early July and I'm sure going to miss going out to the garden bed and getting dessert. We only planted one hill of these Rattlesnake melons and the rest of the bed was Crimson Sweet.  I'm not going to miss the weed patch that the melon bed had become.  It's all cleaned up now but there was a couple of buckets full of vegetation in the front end loader last week.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa just finished running the fecals we pulled the other day.  This is the third fecal we have tested on these 4 sheep.  The previous two tests showed they were in the low 100's range with the most recent being quite a few lower on the count but when they are that low, it's hard to really know how much difference there is.  The slides ran today showed they had zero eggs.  They have not been wormed other than getting a garlic barrier drench.  This still isn't long enough to show a hard trend but it is encouraging.


----------



## Baymule

Those 4 are keepers! 

That watermelon sure looks good. I had volunteer watermelons, have one left out by the burn pile. 

I put Ringo and the girls in the garden this morning for 2 hours. They were full and ready to go home. So I put the lambs in the garden. The ragweed and lambs quarters are over my head. This was not a good garden year. 

Ringo LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

Percy is going to be the herd sire for a small flock in the next few days.  I'm going to miss the boy but he's going to a nice home.  They haven't been raising sheep very long and this is their first experience with a ram.


----------



## RollingAcres

Did you introduce Percy's new family to BYH?


----------



## High Desert Cowboy

All caught up, only took me 50 pages or so.  You guys have had tons to keep you busy, and I’ve been jealous of all the good food you manage to raise.  I learned this year I am not much for gardening, and what I did manage to grow got eaten by jack rabbits.  I’m sorry for your friend, that’s a tough battle and sadly some reach their point.  But the herding trials must have been a blast!  We were set to go to the one here at soldier hollow and then my kids got sick.  Overall good to see your still doing well


----------



## Mike CHS

RollingAcres said:


> Did you introduce Percy's new family to BYH?



I mentioned it to them but I'm not sure if they will look into it.

@High Desert Cowboy I was wondering where you had been.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Mike CHS said:


> @High Desert Cowboy I was wondering where you had been.



So have I!


----------



## Mike CHS

Because there is no shade there we put the dogs in the training pen.  Lance will sit there mesmerized as long as the sheep can be seen.


----------



## High Desert Cowboy

Do you have hot wire to keep the dogs out?  Or is he just a really good boy?  I lent my charger to a friend for a few days and Bella started jumping her 6 ft run fence and then the sheep fence so she could put them in the corner.  Needless to say the charger is back


----------



## Mike CHS

High Desert Cowboy said:


> Do you have hot wire to keep the dogs out?  Or is he just a really good boy?  I lent my charger to a friend for a few days and Bella started jumping her 6 ft run fence and then the sheep fence so she could put them in the corner.  Needless to say the charger is back



There is hot wire on all of our fences but neither of them have ever shown any inclination to climb.


----------



## Mike CHS

We brought the ram lambs in and pulled a fecal on Percy to make sure he's clean for his new home.  He had a zero egg count a couple of weeks ago but this way we can let them know where he stands.  His hooves needed a minor amount of trimming.

We moved the boys out and brought the ewe lambs in to check a couple that have had a high egg count and already been wormed more than we like.  Turns out they both have bottle jaw so they both got a shot of Dectomax, drenched with Valbazen and a shot of  iron.  They are both on the cull list and we were going to take them to market Tuesday but we will make sure they are clean now.  I moved both of them to the dry lot so we can drench them again for the next couple of days.


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> Turns out they both have bottle jaw


What does bottle jaw mean?


----------



## Mike CHS

RollingAcres said:


> What does bottle jaw mean?



That means they have a deadly barber pole worm load.  It thrives there by the thousands by piercing the stomach and sucking blood. That leads to anemia and often death. ... Another sign of infestation with this parasite is the so-called *bottle jaw*, an accumulation of liquid under the *sheep's jaw*.

Both of these ewe lambs have shown a weak immune system since they were born.


----------



## RollingAcres

Thank you for the explanation. 
Sounds nasty. I tried looking up some pics for bottle jaw in sheep. They look like they have "double chin".


----------



## Baymule

That is why shepherds and goaties keep such a close eye on their animals. They can easily die from a severe infestation. That is also why you take such animals with low resistance to sale. Cull out the poor doers and keep the best. Somewhere in the middle, EAT those!! LOL LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

RollingAcres said:


> Thank you for the explanation.
> Sounds nasty. I tried looking up some pics for bottle jaw in sheep. They look like they have "double chin".



Those are the reason we spend several hours a week running fecals. Often by the time they have visible Bottle Jaw they aren't far from death which is why we give the extreme treatment that we do.  It will either cure them or kill them unfortunately.  What's bad is that we ran fecals and wormed both of these twice already.  The Dectomax has a 70 day withdrawal period so they will stay on the dry lot till they go to market.\


----------



## Baymule

I am glad that Percy has found a good home. I know that his new family is going to love him!


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> I am glad that Percy has found a good home. I know that his new family is going to love him!



The husband runs cattle but the wife wanted to get started in sheep to be able to let her grand kids be able to do things with her.  She had looked at several that were more ram acting and she loved it that even a stranger could walk up to Percy with no reaction from him.

His back legs are on a rock so his top line looks off but it isn't.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa just finished with the fecal slides for the problem sheep.  Taffy and Princess are the ewe lambs that were rejected (my fault) by their dams and were raised together from day 1.  Both got replacement colostrum and were together at all times.  Taffy is one that now has Bottle Jaw and Princess has zero worm load.


----------



## Baymule

Percy sure has grown into a handsome boy! Lucky family!


----------



## Mike CHS

We have enough okra in the freezer already and now we are starting to do more Pickled for long term storage. I'm getting between 4 & 5 pounds every couple of days so we will be done with okra soon.  One of our neighbors didn't put in much garden this year and they will take over picking the okra.  I have offered that to people in South Carolina before and they want the produce if you will pick it and take it to them.  That isn't going to happen but these plants will put on enough pods before they are done that the whole community will get some.


----------



## RollingAcres

That's very nice of you to share your abundance from the garden. I always put the invites out to our friends to come pick raspberries and blueberries but no one seems to want to do it. We have so much that we don't have enough time to keep up.


----------



## Mike CHS

Our ram Maxwell must have heard me telling Teresa that if he didn't get in with the ewes and wanted to stay with the steers, he could become one.  I left the gate open after watering everyone this morning figuring that even if the cows came through I could get everyone separated by calling the ewes into another paddock.  The girls helped the issue by coming up to the gate and giving him the "look" and he came on through.  He's been a busy boy today and lambs could start coming by January 30th.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Woo Hoo!  Go Maxwell!   He really didn't want to become a "steer!"


----------



## RollingAcres

Smart ram! Lol


----------



## Baymule

At least now he knows what you went and got him for. LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

It's going to be a quiet day today.  We haven't had any rain for a week and a half so no grass needs to be cut.  I'm going to change the oil in the riding mower and lube the tractor to make use of the slow time.

We will can 3-4 quarts of okra every couple of day until we get around a dozen quarts then that will be it for the garden except for the tomatoes that should start putting on fruit in a couple more weeks.


----------



## Mike CHS

The buyers for Percy have him at his new home.  They have a large cattle trailer but the husband thought he would have trouble on the hill by the shop so he called and said he had a dog cage big enough to accommodate the ram lamb.  When they pulled up, I looked at the cage and told him you aren't squeezing a 130 pound lamb in a cage smaller than the one we use for our 50 lb Border Collie.  They only live about 20 miles away so I hauled the ram in our pickup.  I opened the sliding windows between the truck and the topper so Percy stuck his head inside and stayed calm.  One of the catches on the topper isn't the most secure so I tied it closed to make sure we didn't have a repeat of the great pig escape.


----------



## Baymule

JUST LIKE HIS DADDY!!!!!


----------



## Mike CHS

No pictures of this one but I still had the shirt on that I was wearing when we picked Percy up to put him in the truck when I went to feed Maisy this afternoon. She sniffed me up and down knowing it was Percy's scent but she knew she had not seen him.  I feed her outside the gate so she went trotting down to the shop and across to the dry lot just swinging her head from side to side looking for her missing lamb.  She finally came back and did a bunch more sniffing and then in what appeared to be frustration, she sat and just looked at me like she was trying to decide what she thought of all this.


----------



## Baymule

You should have let her say goodbye!


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> You should have let her say goodbye!



I did, she was in the handling area when we loaded him up.  They are almost too smart sometimes in their care but some things can't be figured out.


----------



## RollingAcres

Oh Maisy! What a good dog she is!


----------



## Mike CHS

We dropped off 3 ram lambs and 3 ewe lambs at the stock yard this morning.  We are going back up shortly to see how the auction will go and grab some Mongolian BBQ a little later this afternoon.


----------



## Mike CHS

All six of the lambs sold well and were all graded prime.  Ironically, the roan ram lamb that tried to die on us a couple of months ago brought the highest price per pound since he was in that ideal weight range.  Lambs in the 90 plus pound range didn't bring diddly so the two that I had planned on taking in will go in the freezer instead so we will have the meat rather than giving them away.

Goats were bringing prices much better than the last time we went and it seemed that most of the animals were healthy and well fed.  There was very few low grades and the majority were choice or prime.


----------



## Baymule

What is the ideal weight range?


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> What is the ideal weight range?



Around here it is in the 50-70 pound range. That is what the restaurant buyers want.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have several things that we were taking to the Methodist Church in the tiny town of Diana for a sale this weekend.  I hauled an Infrared grill in our Polaris Ranger that has had very little use and no use since I bought our pellet grill but the church said they would put it to use.  I've had the Ranger for a year and a half and today was the first time it got up to 40 MPH because I could see a storm off in the distance.

The town of Diana population grows by several hundred people this time of year because of a gospel celebration they have going on there.  There is a bunch of RV hookups and it's quite busy for a short time.  The gospel singing is called "Diana Singing" and can be found on the net if you'r interested in some ol' time gospel.

According some people that have lived here their whole life, Diana was a bit of a Red Light district 50 years ago and had several bars.  It now has none and even though it is only 3 blocks wide, it has 3 churches.


----------



## Bruce

And how many "red light" houses


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> And how many "red light" houses



That one I have no idea but since there is only about a dozen houses there now, there shouldn't have been many.

I just spent 3 hours cutting the neighbors grass so due to the heat, I'm done until watering time later this afternoon.

We discovered a business to NOT get into.  Teresa was calling around trying to find a place that does custom picture frames and found that everyone listed in all of the little towns around us had gone out of business.  She finally found a Hobby Lobby in Columbia that does frames.


----------



## AmberLops

Will you mow my grass too? 
I'm glad Teresa found a place to get the frames. I have to get most everything in Columbia or Spring Hill...not many other 'cities' around to get all the things you need out here.
Did you guys get any rain?


----------



## Mike CHS

We got a little over an inch of rain.


----------



## Baymule

We loaded 4 lambs Tuesday evening  to take to slaughter. At 4:30 I walked outside, it was like crawling into an oven, I was worried about loading the lambs and the trailer being hot. 30 minutes later we got a pop up shower that cooled everything off. Only maybe 1/8 of an inch, but a welcome relief from the heat. We loaded the lambs, and left out at 6:30 the next morning to take them in while it was cool.


----------



## RollingAcres

The night temps around here has been in the 40's and 50's, day time temp 70's. Today is a rainy day, right now is only 57 degrees. Haven't turned on the AC since last weekend. I love it.


----------



## Mike CHS

@Baymule, I think your hot and heavy weather made it up to our place.  The temp today is supposed to be another all time record so the timing was good to take Teresa's car up to Franklin for a recall item.  We stopped at Five Guys burgers and got stuffed. Teresa likes it since you can get a burger and fixin's on leaf lettuce.   On the way back we detoured into Columbia to get the drawing that Sam did of Ringo and Maisy framed.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Whew!  I am glad nothing bad happened to you, Mike, as the previous page of your journal was 666!


----------



## Mike CHS

Senile_Texas_Aggie said:


> Whew!  I am glad nothing bad happened to you, Mike, as the previous page of your journal was 666!



That's why I posted more than usual.


----------



## Baymule

It is September! It is supposed to be cooling off, not heating up! I sure didn't send the heat to you, I wouldn't do that to anybody! LOL 

Hey, take a picture of your picture of Maisy and Ringo! I wanna see! LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> It is September! It is supposed to be cooling off, not heating up! I sure didn't send the heat to you, I wouldn't do that to anybody! LOL
> 
> Hey, take a picture of your picture of Maisy and Ringo! I wanna see! LOL



Our normal temps for this time of year is the low to mid 80's.

Hobby Lobby has the drawing now but I'll take a picture of it when we pick it up around the 23rd.


----------



## Bruce

It is cooling down up here Bay!!!


----------



## Mike CHS

I put some pork on the smoker before I went out to cut grass.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

That's a lotta pork!  When's the party?


----------



## Baymule

Looks yummy!


----------



## Mike CHS

frustratedearthmother said:


> That's a lotta pork!  When's the party?



We're having some neighbors over but I always fill the smoker up whenever I use it.  We get a lot of made-ahead meals that we vacuum seal. I use the same amount of pellets whether I'm doing a shoulder or a bunch of meat.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Mike CHS said:


> I use the same amount of pellets whether I'm doing a shoulder or a bunch of meat.


That's the best way to do it!


----------



## Bruce

Yep, very efficient both on time and fuel.


----------



## Mike CHS

We are buying a boat from some friends of ours.  They bought it and thought they had problems with the live well leaking into the boat hull but had it checked out and fixed (a drain tube).  In the mean time the lady of the mix decided it would not do for what she wanted so she went and bought a boat that fit her needs. This  boat has  been in the shop to check it out so it works for us at what they paid for it.


----------



## Baymule

Now y'all can go fishing!


----------



## Mike CHS

It looks like we have about 10 more days in the mid to high 90's.  I got the two groups of lambs moved to outer paddocks this morning and then brought the main flock into the shop paddock so we can pull some fecal samples and check hooves.  Maxwell seems to have settled in with our girls and myself as he came right across with no hesitation.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Yay Maxwell - he's got it now!


----------



## RollingAcres

Mike CHS said:


> I put some pork on the smoker before I went out to cut grass.
> 
> View attachment 66148


What a beautiful site to see!


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> We are buying a boat from some friends of ours.


Too bad you just had your pond filled in


----------



## CntryBoy777

frustratedearthmother said:


> Yay Maxwell - he's got it now!


In more ways than 1....


----------



## Mike CHS

I put Taffy and our number 70 ewe lamb back with the three keepers this afternoon. I'm a sucker but I want to do one more fecal on Taffy before we send her to the auction. We brought the main herd into the shop paddock to work hooves but after we did a bunch I found myself light headed so we quit and then later found myself nauseous. It night be dehydration again since I had been out for a couple of hours moving sheep around  I checked my blood pressure and it had bottomed out again so I need to figure that out.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Hope you get it figured out as that's not good


----------



## CntryBoy777

Yeh, that is sure something to pay attention to....I can atest to that personally.....


----------



## Baymule

BJ went to his cardiologist 2 weeks ago. He just didn't feel good. For the longest time, he has just been blah. If he bent over, he got dizzy and had to grab something to keep from staggering or falling. We would go outside and work for several hours, then he had to quit. His Dr said to stop taking his blood pressure medication, take his BP 3 times a day, keep a log of it and come back in 2 weeks. So we did. His Dr said he's doing great, come back in a year. So BJ is off his BP medication and feels much better for it. His BP is a little high, according to the desired normal, but it was too low for HIS normal. He feels MUCH better, can bend over, and we can do more outside now. 

I say this to tell you that maybe you need to take a hard look at your BP meds, if you are taking any, under the supervision of your doctor. You also need to make sure that you are drinking enough liquids and eating correctly when you and Teresa are outside working. Your car won't run on an empty  tank, and you won't either.


----------



## Mike CHS

I was driving down the driveway going to town and Max and his girls were laying in a pose that made me go back to the house to get the camera.  The ewe that he is using as a pillow is always where he is unless I'm out there and then she wants me to scratch her back.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

That's a really cool pic!


----------



## CntryBoy777

Ya may have trouble gettin him back out of there....
Glad he has settled right in for ya. Hope ya are feeling better today.....


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> Ya may have trouble gettin him back out of there....
> Glad he has settled right in for ya. Hope ya are feeling better today.....



Thank you.  I still feel puny but not as bad as yesterday.  I'm thinking I picked up a bug somewhere.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Mike CHS said:


> I still feel puny but not as bad as yesterday.


Glad you're feeling a bit better - hope the bug disappears quickly!


----------



## Baymule

I love that picture. That is one to frame and put on the wall.


----------



## Mike CHS

Max isn't quite there yet but he takes the lead from the females which I guess is the way it should be.    The ewes all come up for scratches and he has figured it out that is normal. He isn't the least bit aggressive which is all I want


----------



## Mike CHS

I do most of the cooking but Teresa wanted to try a meal with Chicken Marsala, veggies and onion rings.  Everything turned out great and when we were doing the mountain of dishes, I was reminded why I do most of the cooking.


----------



## HomeOnTheRange

Hey Mike, will be flying into Lexington, KY and driving to Frankfort, KY tomorrow.  Will wave south to you and Teresa!


----------



## Mike CHS

That is some pretty country.  I'll wavy back north.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Mike CHS said:


> I do most of the cooking but Teresa wanted to try a meal with Chicken Marsala, veggies and onion rings.


It looks delish!


----------



## Bruce

Looks great Teresa!


----------



## Mike CHS

I put the 5 ewe lambs in a holding pen and let the main herd come into the handling paddock for some more checks on hooves and we will pull some fecal samples on a few of them.  One of these days they may not cooperate but right now I just open gates and get the heck out of the way.


----------



## Mike CHS

We only worked a dozen of the ewes when it started to get super hot so we quit and went into town to have some lunch.

We are thinking about selling the spotted ewe once we are sure she is bred.  She no longer fits in with the way we are working based only on her size.  We can trim her feet while she is standing up but she is too heavy for me to get her up in the chair.  That plus her hooves have needed way too much work and too often.

We stopped by and took another look at the boat we are thinking about getting but I want to ask some questions and take it out for a trial.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> We stopped by and took another look at the boat we are thinking about getting but I want to ask some questions and take it out for a trial.


Planning to do some bass fishing?


----------



## Mike CHS

There are a couple of reservoirs pretty close that has some huge Crappie as well as Bass but Crappie are my favorite.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Don't forget the smallmouth, bronzebacks, not many fish fight harder than they do....have caught some on Percy Priest, but Center Hill and Dale Hollow are a bit better.....specs are sure good eating..........just don't go on the Stones River....I sunk a boat one time on it.....we drifted to the bank and was gonna fish from the bank out to the middle and I touched a huge boulder and it slid of the ledge and landed in the front of the boat..........we got it back up, but motor went under and wouldn't start, so we had to paddle 2miles back to the ramp.....


----------



## Mike CHS

I had a small fiber glass boat when I lived in Pensacola with a 28 HP Mariner motor on it.  I got caught by one of those freak thunder storms that you can't see coming and the motor broke off the transom when I got dumped off of two high waves at the bow and stern.  I dropped the trolling motor to keep me in the wind and after the storm passed I pulled the motor up and jury rigged it to the transom.  I pulled the plugs to see how much water was in there and didn't see any.  I hit the key and it started right up.  

We have been on Tim's Ford Lake a lot and it's convenient also.


----------



## Mike CHS

Cancer has to be the ultimate evil.  We just found out our neighbor and friend has colon cancer and has been in the hospital for the last few days.  He is one of those folks (like me) that doesn't confide any problems to anyone so I'll go tomorrow and be a nag at the hospital.  When I last saw him last week I had a feeling he wasn't doing well.  He is self employed also so that is a consideration for the family.


----------



## farmerjan

Prayers for the friend and his family.  Cancer is the BYTCH of all diseases.  I am so sorry for him and them and you and your wife as their friends because it is something that you feel helpless about.


----------



## Mike CHS

Thank you Jan!


----------



## CntryBoy777

That is really tough on the neighborhood there and along with the loss just a short time ago, I know it is really tough on yall...........it will mean alot knowing he has yall supporting him, even if he doesn't say it.....we are the "show no weakness" and "stiff upper lip" generation, so lack of details is understandable....


----------



## Baymule

I was with my Daddy when he died from bone cancer and with my great aunt when she died of cancer. You are right, cancer is EVIL. 

I am deeply sorry that your friend and neighbor has cancer and colon cancer at that. It is a deadly and cruel disease. It is devastating, emotionally, physically and financially. I pray for him and his family.


----------



## Mike CHS

Thank you guys.  Harvey has been a great friend but there seems to have been too much recently but we are still optimistic that he will do well.


----------



## Bruce

I sure hope Harvey will pull through, always hate to hear of someone getting cancer.


----------



## RollingAcres

Cancer is EVIL! Sorry to hear about your friend having cancer. Hang in there!


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

ur thoughts are with you as your good friend goes through the struggle.  I hope e makes it.


----------



## Mike CHS

Thanks STA.  We just got back from the hospital and he is in good spirits and hopefully can come home tomorrow.  They removed a large tumor and part of his colon and some of the small intestine.  The Dr. is optimistic (as they are) but of course nothing is certain until they get lab results back. We are making some meals for them to lighten the load a bit and their two kids will come to our house for meals.


----------



## Baymule

When bad things happen, good neighbors sure make a huge difference. That's what community is.


----------



## Bruce

Hopefully they got it all and it hasn't spread


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Hope your friend beats this.  They are lucky to have ya'll as neighbors.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

They are lucky to have great neighbors like you


----------



## Mike CHS

The last weekend of summer is here and I'm ready for some fall temps.  Our lone Buff Orpington decided to go broody again so it's about time to send the 10 two year olds to the freezer soon.  She had moved all of the fake eggs into one nest again so we replaced them with a dozen real eggs.  She is the same hen that sat on the last batch of hatch-lings.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

I love fall chicks!  Hope she has good luck.


----------



## Baymule

I have only had one broody hen hatch out chicks. Just one. Maybe I need some Buff Orpingtons.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> I have only had one broody hen hatch out chicks. Just one. Maybe I need some Buff Orpingtons.



Literally all of our chickens now have been hatched by her (4 hatches).  She is over two years old now  but we will let her go as long as she can.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Baymule said:


> I have only had one broody hen hatch out chicks. Just one. Maybe I need some Buff Orpingtons.


Heck Bay, they never hang around long enough to get old and broody at your place............I bet they start cringing while on their 2ndd molt.....


----------



## Baymule

They don't cringe, they don't know what's coming! LOL LOL  Besides, Mike said she's on her 4th setting AND she's coming on 2 years old. So she got busy real quick to avoid the second molt slaughter pen. Smart hen!


----------



## Mike CHS

I just put some pork steak on the grill for dinner this afternoon.  I had always done them on the charcoal grill until a couple of months ago I did them on the smoker so I don't think I'll use charcoal anytime soon.


----------



## Mike CHS

These things are super tender and tasty.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Yum- they look delish!


----------



## CntryBoy777

Sure look Good to me too FEM!!....


----------



## Mike CHS

The smoke "ring" wasn't a ring at all since it went all of the way through the steak.


----------



## Baymule

Those look so good!


----------



## Mike CHS

I sprayed some herbicide on some of the fence lines figuring that would make it rain but no such luck.  We did drive down to some of the lakes around the Tennessee River for some perspective fishing spots.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Mike CHS said:


> She is over two years old now but we will let her go as long as she can.


She has proven her worth!


----------



## Mike CHS

Our friend that we are buying a boat from is taking it out tomorrow and he has a marine mechanic going out with him to make sure everything is the way it's supposed to be.

These temps in the mid 80's have been a real pleasure but they are saying 97 again tomorrow.  We are 2nd in the record books for the most days in the 90's and only 4 days from being #1.  I would just as soon not break those kind of records.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Mike CHS said:


> Our friend that we are buying a boat from is taking it out tomorrow and he has a marine mechanic going out with him to make sure everything is the way it's supposed to be.
> 
> These temps in the mid 80's have been a real pleasure but they are saying 97 again tomorrow.  We are 2nd in the record books for the most days in the 90's and only 4 days from being #1.  I would just as soon not break those kind of records.



Kinda reminds ya of Florida ....and why you left  ???


----------



## Mike CHS

B&B Happy goats said:


> Kinda reminds ya of Florida ....and why you left  ???



Hurricanes    If you look at most of the storm tracks that come at the panhandle, my house was the bullseye more times than I can count.


----------



## Mike CHS

We made stuffed chicken breast with crispy oven baked okra with fresh tomato and lime rice.  This is Teresa's plate as I don't eat rice.  I think even Bruce might like okra this way. I made a breading out of Zatarains, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and whipped eggs to put the okra in before the breading.  We have a Word file just on okra but so far, this is our favorite.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Being the bullseye for the hurricanes would make me leave too ! .....I can't  stand the " days of hype" that preceded  the  possibility  of a storm,.... I find them exhausting


----------



## frustratedearthmother

I'm definitely going to try that okra recipe!  I feel ya on the heat - although even we aren't that hot!  Lower 90's for us this week


----------



## Mike CHS

I forgot to put in about the Panco Bread Crumbs earlier.  I used equal parts of parmesan cheese, panco bread crumbs and Zatarains plus a little salt and pepper in a zip lock bag.  The recipe called for corn meal but I always substitute with the seasoned meal.  We had enough okra to do a single layer on a 14" pan sprayed with Pam and two whipped eggs was plenty for the dip.  Baked at 425 for about 20 minutes and turn once half way through.  They got a nice brown crispy edge.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I would just as soon not break those kind of records.


Oh come on Mike, aren't you just a little competitive? Go for the record! 



Mike CHS said:


> I think even Bruce might like okra this way.


I would try it for sure but no promises


----------



## Mike CHS

We brought the 5 ewe lambs in to pull fecal samples and give a drench of garlic and vitamins. We will be taking two of the ewe lambs to the sale in two weeks so we want to make sure they are still clean after they had their brush with Barbe Pole worms. We spent 15 minutes getting dry fecal matter out of Taffy's tail from when she had scours.


----------



## Mike CHS

I posted a picture of some of these guys last year or the year before.  The white projections are the larvae of the Braconid Wasp. Larvae that hatch from the wasp's eggs, which are laid on the hornworm, feed on the inside of the hornworm until the wasp is ready to pupate. These “host” hornworms should be left in the garden in order to conserve the beneficial parasites.  We have found several horn worms in the last couple of weeks but this is the first with the parasites on board.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

That's creepy and cool at the same time!


----------



## Bruce

I guess we don't have any of those wasps, the only predation I get is from the hornworms on the tomato plant.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa is happy. They delivered a new washing machine yesterday and it actually works like they used to.  Speed Queen has been running a special through some dealers selling a machine classified as Commercial so it doesn't have all of the gimmicks that are supposedly Eco-Friendly.  The machine that we are replacing is only 2 years old but the Eco functions of the machine made us run most loads through at least twice to get clothes clean so the result was you used more water than the old fashioned machines.

It is built like a tank and has a 10 year full Warranty.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Congrats!  My next washing machine will be the most basic, low-tech one that I can find.  No more fancy gadgets that just break...


----------



## CntryBoy777

The youngest daughter has one of those machines and we didn't like it and our clothes were always dingey....I told her ya could get em cleaner with a washtub and spoon....the clothes just sat there in dirty water....no agitation or even whirling around......


----------



## AmberLops

That's why I love the old washers...They clean everything so much better and you can put more in them. Those new high efficiency washers can only clean a few clothes at a time.
The washer i have now was here when I moved in. it says 'whisper quiet' on the front...loudest washer I've ever seen and It shakes the whole house too! I think it's older than me


----------



## Baymule

I have that tiny utility room that mobile homes have, so bought front loader, stacked, washer and dryer so I would have room for the upright freezer. Have been happy with them. I did have a top loader that did a good job, but leaked out the bottom. Stubborn, I wouldn't get a new set, them move them, so I mopped on wash day until we moved and I got my new ones. LOL LOL

Congrats Teresa on the new washing machine, it sounds like a good one. Most washing machines are not made with farm folks in mind.


----------



## Bruce

Baymule said:


> Most washing machines are not made with farm folks in mind.


I'm sure that is true. I wonder what the mechanical differences are between Speed Queen's "commercial" and "everyone else" machines are. They can add all the "features" to the "everyone else" models that most never use but the "normal" cycles must be somehow different if the "commercial" one cleans better.


----------



## Mike CHS

The commercial ones clean better because you can fill them with water.    One of the sales gimmicks they have for these machines is a display that has the shaft that the agitator is mounted on.  It's 3 times the size and weight of the machines they are compared to and it has limited electronics (back to knobs). The dealer had some literature with the number of warranty claims that I don't remember but the number but it was tiny.


----------



## High Desert Cowboy

Limited electronics is always better, less to go wrong and way easier to fix.  That washer should last you a long time.  I have two at the pig barn to wash all the clothing and towels we use for bio security and they wash great!  Of course, mine do break down on occasion but that’s from running several loads a day


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## Mike CHS

Teresa is the most patient woman that I have ever known until she can't find something.  Then I just stay out of the way.  I went in to our gun safe to get a rifle out to sight in the scope before deer season starts and to put a fresh battery in the scope.  While the door was open she noticed that our Ruger MK III was sitting on a shelf where it is usually in a hard case.  The hard case is nowhere to be found so now the bedroom looks like a tornado hit it.


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## Bruce

i hope she finds it before you have to redo the entire house again!


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## Mike CHS

She found it and everything is put away.  I now have no idea how she put that much "stuff" in what I thought was a fairly small space.


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## Bruce

Would have been a good time to get rid of "stuff", oh well too late now. Any idea why the Ruger wasn't in its case in the first place?


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## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Would have been a good time to get rid of "stuff", oh well too late now. Any idea why the Ruger wasn't in its case in the first place?



The last person to shoot it was Teresa's son so I'm guessing we sat it on the shelf and would put it back later and it never got done.  We don't open the safe often.


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## Mike CHS

I picked up the drawing that Sam did of Ringo and Maisy. The picture of the drawing doesn't do it justice as the glass hides a bunch of detail that is visible to the eye but not as detailed in the picture.


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## frustratedearthmother

It's a beautiful picture - I've liked it from the first time I saw it.


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## Bruce

Very nice!


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## B&B Happy goats

Awesome  job Sam


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## CntryBoy777

Excellent Work!!!...........it would be nice to have a set of coffee mugs with it on them.... @samssimonsays is very Talented!!.....


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## Baymule

I like that! That is such a sweet moment, glad you captured it on a picture. To have the drawing is even better. What talent!

Checking out your rifle, fresh battery....going deer hunting? Lease or your pasture?


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## AmberLops

Mike CHS said:


> I picked up the drawing that Sam did of Ringo and Maisy. The picture of the drawing doesn't do it justice as the glass hides a bunch of detail that is visible to the eye but not as detailed in the picture.
> 
> View attachment 66423 View attachment 66424


This is an amazing picture...you should make copies and sell them!
The drawing is beautiful too


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## Bruce

How is Sam doing? Haven't seen a post since before the ice age.
Same with @Ferguson K


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## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> How is Sam doing? Haven't seen a post since before the ice age.
> Same with @Ferguson K



She seems to be OK now but has had a rough year.  I'll leave it up to her to provide any details though.


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## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> I like that! That is such a sweet moment, glad you captured it on a picture. To have the drawing is even better. What talent!
> 
> Checking out your rifle, fresh battery....going deer hunting? Lease or your pasture?



Around our place.  That area around the railroad tunnel is like deer highway and they need to have some culling done as there is way too many.


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## HomeOnTheRange

Mike CHS said:


> selling a machine classified as Commercial


So does that mean you have to put in a bunch of quarters before you use it?


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## Baymule




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## Mike CHS

We do enough laundry that it's a good thing we don't need quarters.


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## Mike CHS

I worked on cutting down saplings on the property line this morning for an hour or so until the Sun made it unbearable.  I picked up all of the brush and took it to one of several burn piles then started butting trees on the north side since it was still in the shade.  That only lasted about a half hour when the Sun found me again so it decided it was time to go in and see whether or not the Titans are any better this week than last.  Teresa has to work for a couple of hours this afternoon so I'll throw a T-bone on the grill for a late lunch before she goes.


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## CntryBoy777

Glad ya are "working smart" there Mike.....we are setting records down our way, too....but at least we are dry enough to be able to attack and rest and attack again....in 45-60min bursts.....wish I had a tractor like yours, but wouldn't need it after cleanup and fence.....but sure would save physical labor if I did....


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## Mike CHS

Supposedly we have another 4 days or so in the mid 90's and then getting down to the 80's which is normal for this time.  We normally have some wind that makes it easier to work but even that is not happening now.


----------



## Hens and Roos

rain here again so we are wet and muddy...makes it hard to get anything done outside..


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## Mike CHS

Hens and Roos said:


> rain here again so we are wet and muddy...makes it hard to get anything done outside..



We are usually fairly wet in September but I saw the other day that our normal for the month was 4.6 and we have had less than 1/2 inch.  At least I'm getting some things done since I'm not cutting grass.


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## Hens and Roos

we have to cut grass at least once per week otherwise it gets to long.  Our yard still has some standing water from last week.  Our goats are tired of the mud and wet too!


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## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Mike CHS said:


> butting trees



This is not a smart aleck question -- what in the world is "butting trees"?  When I first read the phrase, I thought "Is Mike hitting his head on the trees out of frustration?" => 

(Dumb) Senile Texas Aggie


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## Mike CHS

That was a typo STA


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## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Teresa has to work for a couple of hours this afternoon


Work? I thought both of you were retired.



Hens and Roos said:


> we have to cut grass at least once per week otherwise it gets to long.  Our yard still has some standing water from last week.  Our goats are tired of the mud and wet too!


We don't have the standing water but I mowed weekly all summer and have mowed for the last time this year ... twice. And I need to do it again.


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## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Work? I thought both of you were retired.



She filled in with a friend a couple of times and that evolved into about 15-20 hours a week.


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## Bruce

So she is now semi-retired. I think she's going the wrong direction. But if she likes it and it makes her happy then


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## Mike CHS

She likes doing it and enjoys the interaction with people.  She is almost 10 years younger than I am so she isn't quite ready for the slow life now that we maintain more than build.


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## Bruce

Good for her then!


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## Baymule

It is hot here too and rain is nonexistent. Dry, dusty, hot , humid, we sweat, the wind blows dust on us and that is the only mud around here.


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## Mike CHS

This is the worst drought that we have seen since we have been here.  We are taking a half dozen sheep to the sale in a couple of weeks and we will then be down to the numbers we are prepared to go into winter with.  It will be 30 ewes and the ram that will be going back with the steers.  Princess (the bottle lamb) will have the wether for company until she goes in with the rest of the ewes.  We don't want to breed her this much later than the rest so she can wait until next season when she will be over a year old.  Three of the ewe lambs have such a bad parasite resistance that they are all going to the sale once we worm them tomorrow to make sure they are as clean as we can make them.


----------



## Baymule

I have winter rye grass and crimson clover seed sitting on the porch, waiting on rain. Should have been sowed already, we won't even go work on the newly cleared, mulched land because of the dust it would kick up. Sheep are mostly dry lotted, what little grass we had is cooked. If I let them out in the yard, they run out, wander around looking for weeds, give up and go back to the barn to eat hay. Ringo is with 2 ewes, I let them out, the ewes run a bit, then settle down. Ringo has discovered American persimmons. There are several trees in that pasture and Ewenique loves them. Ringo has learned from her to run to the front to gobble them up. When those are gone, they go back to the round bale.


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## Mike CHS

We drove over to Fayetteville to get our new Drives Licenses to conform to the Real ID Act. You are going to need it to fly although I'll be surprised if I ever fly again but Teresa does to see the kids.  There is a local diner right next door so we stopped in for lunch.  We were impressed. They only have buffet type service on Monday but that had plenty of choices.  One of the hot bars had fried chicken, chicken fried steak and polish sausage along with the usual veggies.  Another had all baked entrees that was actually pretty good and their salad and dessert bar was really impressive.  The tab along with our tea came to a few cents over $15 plus we left a decent tip.


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## CntryBoy777

Always nice to find a "pleasent place" ya can choose to "visit" from time to time....they are getting really hard to find these days.....


----------



## Baymule

Did you take proper documentation to prove that you are who you say you are? I got mine, took  a wad of papers, and they didn't even ask for them. But I got that little gold star on my DL. BJ will renew in February.


----------



## Bruce

And that makes the entire "Real ID" thing a joke. At least when I got mine they took the documentation and asked a lot of questions.


----------



## Mike CHS

They had a two page list of things you need (which we took) and the only thing they used was our Birth Certificates, marriage license and Social Security cards plus Drivers License.  They passed mine around for everyone to see since I got mine for my first job when I was eleven and it's different than what they have now.  It says "not for identification"

Teresa said you guys had discussed Mama going to Texas.  It works for me as long as we wait till the weather is cooler.  She is so fat I wouldn't want to travel in hot weather and she will likely be pregnant when we do it.   She looks 4 months pregnant three months after lambing.  She was one of our first ones and we got her because she was an escape artist but she has come a long way since then.


----------



## Baymule

You just say when! I want what is easiest on her.


----------



## Baymule

Bruce said:


> And that makes the entire "Real ID" thing a joke. At least when I got mine they took the documentation and asked a lot of questions.


Ever since I had one, it_ was_ my real ID!


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> You just say when! I want what is easiest on her.



We can make it work like Teresa said, sometime in October.  It should be cool enough by then and she is pretty accepting of changes in routine.  She was totally bonded with Ringo and Maisy so that should work out great as they were always together.  Did Teresa tell you she was 199 pounds the last time we weighed her?


----------



## Baymule

Yes! What a big girl! I have always been over the moon about her. She is a beauty. 

I sat on a milk crate this afternoon in the pasture and Ringo came over for attention. He dropped his head on my leg and I rubbed the side of his face. So sweet! The new puppy put his front paws on my other leg and licked Ringo, who was not impressed. LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

I would go out and squat down to Ringo's level and he would lay his head on my shoulder like he did with Maisy.  

Percy did the same and I hope he is doing well at his new home.


----------



## Baymule

I love Ringo! I am sure that Percy is just as loved.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> They passed mine around for everyone to see since I got mine for my first job when I was eleven and it's different than what they have now. It says "not for identification"


Your SS card? I have no idea what they look like now or when they would have changed/added "not for identification" but it seems odd that one without that would be so novel as to be passed around.


----------



## Mike CHS

It hit 97 degrees again today with the same forecast for tomorrow which is 20 degrees higher than our normal for this time of year. I saw the rain amount for September in our area and it was .2" for the month.  I don't think we got even that much at our house as the one time it rained I think there might have been a couple of drops in the rain gauge.


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> It hit 97 degrees again today with the same forecast for tomorrow which is 20 degrees higher than our normal for this time of year. I saw the rain amount for September in our area and it was .2" for the month.  I don't think we got even that much at our house as the one time it rained I think there might have been a couple of drops in the rain gauge.


Same here. BUT--starting on the 8th, highs in the 80's are predicted!


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Yay for 'not so hot' fronts!  We're going to get that one too @Baymule!  I'm so excited!


----------



## AmberLops

Yay for cooler weather!
I saw in the forecast that after Friday, the weather is supposed to be in the upper 70's


----------



## Baymule

frustratedearthmother said:


> Yay for 'not so hot' fronts!  We're going to get that one too @Baymule!  I'm so excited!


Me too! We have SO much to do this winter season! BJ is having cataract surgery November 18, the other eye December 2. Hopefully we can cram a lot in this month, cause he sure won’t be “farming” for awhile after surgery.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Baymule said:


> BJ is having cataract surgery November 18, the other eye December 2. Hopefully we can cram a lot in this month, cause he sure won’t be “farming” for awhile after surgery.


Oh boy - I know all about eye surgeries.  Hope he has a quick non-eventful recovery!


----------



## Mike CHS

We brought the ram lambs up to check on them and pull fecals.  If the three of them are as high as they were the last time, all three of them are going to the butcher rather than worm them again. They are all a bit over 120 pounds so that will be a good amount of meat. The wether with them has been almost zero so he can stay to keep Princess company when the other ewes go to the sale in a couple of weeks.

I never thought about it but I wish I had taken a video of them going to the chute.  I opened all of the gates at the handling area including the chute and went down to open the gate to let them into the paddock.  By the time I walked back to the shop they were all in the chute waiting to be worked on.


----------



## misfitmorgan

CntryBoy777 said:


> I like okra almost every way it can be fixed...I grew up on it and never get tired of it....must be a southern "thang"....cause Joyce only eats it fried.....whata ya expect from a Michigander..........



I am behind.....however.....I take offense to this Sir!!! As a born and bred michigander I like okra....fried, deep fried, in soups, and esp pickled!!  I don't even buy pickled okra anymore because i eat the whole jar as soon as i open it and it aint cheap. I'm hoping to grow Okra in the garden next year so I an pickled my own.

Also with the pickles making not per recommended....we have several versions of pickles we make and one is the same as yours @Mike CHS  and @Baymule  no boiling/bathing/cooking and also fridge dills which you don't heat at all not even the brine.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> By the time I walked back to the shop they were all in the chute waiting to be worked on.


So nice when they are helpful!


----------



## Mike CHS

misfitmorgan said:


> II'm hoping to grow Okra in the garden next year so I an pickled my own.



We have a longer growing season than you but even here I pre-sprout the okra seed and it gives it a big head start on the season.  We were picking okra about 45 days after planting the sprouted seed.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Since "cold" is measured by hrs here.......we use pvc frames and plastic to cover for cold and pull up the plastic after it warms....we roll it and tie it down....we have til the bugs arrive in spring....cause either the bugs or sun will take the plant out......I can't count how many squash have been beautiful 1 day and lying on the ground by morning.....we have those 3" grasshoppers here and they can devour some plants real quick.....
Well @misfitmorgan .....I'm proud to say that I know the "exception" to such a "bold statement"..........


----------



## HomeOnTheRange

Mike CHS said:


> don't think we got even that much at our house as the one time it rained I think there might have been a couple of drops in the rain gauge.


In our great State, we call that a 6" rain.  Just enough rain for each drop to land 6 inches apart.



CntryBoy777 said:


> I can't count how many squash have been beautiful 1 day and lying on the ground by morning


I have about 20 squash plants which get watered twice a day due to the heat and dry weather.  Plus I spend a huge amount of time going over each one with a small shop vac to get all of the bugs.


----------



## Baymule

Yeah, you should have gotten a picture of that! You have some well trained sheep! LOL 

Ringo has learned to run to the front where there are about 10 smallish wild persimmon trees. It's every sheep for him/herself! They hoover the persimmons up like vacuum cleaners.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Yeah, you should have gotten a picture of that! You have some well trained sheep! LOL
> 
> Ringo has learned to run to the front where there are about 10 smallish wild persimmon trees. It's every sheep for him/herself! They hoover the persimmons up like vacuum cleaners.



The ewes are training Max pretty good. I go to open gates and let them on fresher grass and they come running and he follows.  He just follows along like a well trained male should.


----------



## Baymule

haha! Well trained male!! haha!


----------



## Mike CHS

We are getting ready to go to bed and I had just taken the dogs out for the last time.  Pooty has gotten into the habit of running for the door when I let the dogs in so she gets some lap time. I guess she isn't so feral.   I'm still amazed at how far out of their way, the dogs will go to avoid her attacking them.


----------



## AmberLops

Mike CHS said:


> We are getting ready to go to bed and I had just taken the dogs out for the last time.  Pooty has gotten into the habit of running for the door when I let the dogs in so she gets some lap time. I guess she isn't so feral.   I'm still amazed at how far out of their way, the dogs will go to avoid her attacking them.
> 
> View attachment 66569


She looks like a sweetheart! I'd never guess she was feral


----------



## CntryBoy777

The "queen" knows a Good thing........I call Calli li'l queenie sometime thru the day.....and she will eat it up...I never knew before her that the proper name of a female cat is "queen"....after I found that out, it certainly fits most that I know.....


----------



## Baymule

Love that picture. She is a pretty cat and obviously wants attention and love.


----------



## misfitmorgan

CntryBoy777 said:


> Since "cold" is measured by hrs here.......we use pvc frames and plastic to cover for cold and pull up the plastic after it warms....we roll it and tie it down....we have til the bugs arrive in spring....cause either the bugs or sun will take the plant out......I can't count how many squash have been beautiful 1 day and lying on the ground by morning.....we have those 3" grasshoppers here and they can devour some plants real quick.....
> Well @misfitmorgan .....I'm proud to say that I know the "exception" to such a "bold statement"..........


 Thank you


----------



## misfitmorgan

Mike CHS said:


> We have a longer growing season than you but even here I pre-sprout the okra seed and it gives it a big head start on the season.  We were picking okra about 45 days after planting the sprouted seed.



THe last and only other time ive ever grown it here i just planted the seeds and we had tons of okra. It really likes our sandy soil, pre-sprouting it is a good idea though.


----------



## misfitmorgan

Finally all caught up Mike...you guys have been busy!! Your place still looks amazingly beautiful and your sheep look amazing too!


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I'm still amazed at how far out of their way, the dogs will go to avoid her attacking them.


As a well trained dog should.



CntryBoy777 said:


> I never knew before her that the proper name of a female cat is "queen"


Queen and Mistress. Obey or else.


----------



## Baymule

Ringo's first babies were born today!

https://www.backyardherds.com/threads/ringo’s-lambs-baymule’s-5th-lambing.40081/#post-625774


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Ringo's first babies were born today!
> 
> https://www.backyardherds.com/threads/ringo’s-lambs-baymule’s-5th-lambing.40081/#post-625774



Congratulations!!!


----------



## Mike CHS

The weather guesser forecast was wrong again.  They were predicting 85 today but it hit 95 again.  I still got some saplings cut down on the property line but that was about it,  The grass is so dry that the live stock is taking about twice as much water as they normally do.  Hopefully we will get some rain in the next day or so or we start feeding hay.


----------



## farmerjan

Yeah, @Mike CHS , they were just a little off here too. Hit 96, bright sun but we did have a bit of a breeze later in the aft.  Today is cloudy, 60, supposed to warm up but only upper 60's maybe 70.  Yesterday they were saying a few clouds, today they are saying mostly cloudy.  Oh well, a break from the heat.  Maybe some showers tomorrow and precip into Mon-Tues.


----------



## Baymule

Hot here too. SUMMER! GO AWAY!!!


----------



## Bruce

It DID! Hard frost last night.


----------



## farmerjan

I just saw that PA got a hard frost too.  A friends' husband sent her a pic on her phone with the windshield WHITE this morning and he wrote HI on it to her....they hadn't even had a light frost yet, although they usually do in mid Sept then Indian Summer for a few weeks.


----------



## Mike CHS

I posted not long ago about our neighbor going through cancer surgery.  They got the lab results back and it is all positive as so far they seem to have gotten it all. He still has some more tests to do but it looks to be an optimistic result and he may have to do some chemo to make sure it is gone.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

That is fantastic news!  I know everyone was glad to hear that there is good news that definitely will keep hope alive!


----------



## CntryBoy777

That is soo Great to hear!!..........hope it continues to be just as Good.....


----------



## farmerjan

Best of luck and continuing future positive reports for the neighbor.


----------



## Bruce

Great news!


----------



## Mike CHS

It's overcast this morning and hopefully we will get some much needed rain.  I'm going to try to get some of the brush and trees picked up that I cut yesterday on our property line before it gets here.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Great news for your neighbor! Hope you get the needed rain, we are still super wet here and could use some dry days for the water to go down.


----------



## CntryBoy777

We haven't had very much since Dorian did her dance thru here....but the chances are up to 10% chance going to 30% by the end of this next week.....still have highs in the low 90s....they are talking possible break in about 12days....hope so.....


----------



## Baymule

I am happy for your neighbor and family. What a relief! I hope he continues his recovery and good health.

It is dry as a dead cow bone in the desert here. Tomorrow it is supposed to start cooler weather. I hope y'all get RAIN and the cooler weather that comes with it.


----------



## Baymule

*WE GOT RAIN LAST NIGHT! 

IT'S 67 DEGREES!!*


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Can't "like" that enough!  We don't need any rain right now - but we do need that coolness that they promise is coming.  It should be here overnight-if you turn some of it loose and let it go south, lol!


----------



## Mike CHS

We got a little over an inch also and our temp is 65.

I moved the ewe lambs out to a holding pen and called the ram lambs into the shop stall.  I usually feed Maisy there and then call her out to work sheep.  She knows something is up and when I tried to call her out she just gave me that "look" and sat down.  We are taking two of the boys to the butcher this morning and somehow she knows something is going on.


----------



## Baymule

Maisy is no dummy. LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

I just checked the rain gauge for the early morning storms we had around 4:00 and there was almost 2" so a little over 3" for this one.  The temp when I went out to check water was 62 and windy so this was the first time wearing long sleeves since early spring.


----------



## AmberLops

Mike CHS said:


> I just checked the rain gauge for the early morning storms we had around 4:00 and there was almost 2" so a little over 3" for this one.  The temp when I went out to check water was 62 and windy so this was the first time wearing long sleeves since early spring.


Did you get any of that crazy storm last night? We got over 4 inches of rain since yesterday.
There were 2 tornadoes last night in 2 counties. I got a warning from Accuweather.


----------



## Mike CHS

AmberLops said:


> Did you get any of that crazy storm last night? We got over 4 inches of rain since yesterday.
> There were 2 tornadoes last night in 2 counties. I got a warning from Accuweather.



There seems to be more storms over where you are but we get enough for me.   The grass is already perking up and hopefully we will get some more around the weekend.


----------



## Mike CHS

We worked hooves this morning and had our young helper over to assist (especially with the super sized girls).  Our heaviest couple of sheep get there feet done standing up but the rest get put in the chair for it to be done.  We did about a dozen and called it a day.  This is only the second time that Max has been brought in but he handles it like he has always been here. He is in the middle in the second picture.  I think the ewes lack of concern carries over to him since what little skittishness he had left is about gone.

After trimming we ran them through the foot baths and let them soak their hooves for several minutes.  This is the first time this bunch has been through there so the first few didn't want to step in.  After the first group went through and didn't become vulture bait, the rest decided it was OK and they went right in.
The last picture is the youngest commercial ram that will be leaving next week and the smaller wether will be staying here to keep the bottle lamb Princess company since we won't be breeding her until next time.  They were raised together so already have a bond.  We decided last year that jockeying paddocks on our relatively small acreage to keep rams that won't be used for breeding wasn't going to happen again.


----------



## Mike CHS

I did find out what a head butt from a sheep feels like today.  One of the big girls was in the chair and decided she had enough and was doing everything she could to arch her back and twist in the chair.  She got quit a way up and JMike pushed her down hard and in the process, she threw her head back and right into the side of my head.


----------



## Bruce

OW! How bad is the headache?


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> OW! How bad is the headache?



I had one earlier but it's pretty much gone now.  Looks like the start of a black eye though.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Ouch!  That had to hurt...glad your sheep don't have horns!


----------



## CntryBoy777

I hven't found an animal that has a soft head....Gabbie sure doesn't either.....


----------



## farmerjan

Yeah, the horns will do you in.  Our rams can really do a number on you with their massive heads and horns.  Look at a picture of a bighorn, ours look just like them.


----------



## Baymule

Ewe know better than to butt heads with a ewe!


----------



## AmberLops

Mike CHS said:


> There seems to be more storms over where you are but we get enough for me.   The grass is already perking up and hopefully we will get some more around the weekend.


Same here! I was so surprised when I drove into town today and the grass is green already 
And yep...a lot of storms here. My county is a 'high risk' area for tornadoes so I guess I shouldn't be too surprised ha ha!


----------



## Bruce

Did you know that tornado risk when you decided to move there Amber?


----------



## AmberLops

Bruce said:


> Did you know that tornado risk when you decided to move there Amber?


No...I sort of moved to TN on a whim. The place i'm in now was not even the place i was supposed to be in! I made arrangements with someone before I moved to TN, but when i got here they turned out to be a scam. So i started looking for houses anywhere, i didn't really care where at the time as long as it wasn't in the middle of a town or a city.
This place i'm in now was the only house i could find for rent...lots of properties for sale around here but rentals are hard to come by.
I love it here...much more than other places I've lived but the tornadoes are a bit nerve wracking


----------



## Baymule

Perhaps you could convince your landlord to install one of those drop in storm shelters.


----------



## Bruce

I suspect that would take a lot of convincing and a decent increase in monthly rent.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

AmberLops said:


> No...I sort of moved to TN on a whim... I love it here...much more than other places I've lived but the tornadoes are a bit nerve wracking



Miss @AmberLops,

We're glad you moved and that you joined our BYH community.  I fear Mr. @Bruce is right.  The landlord will probably not do it out of the goodness of his heart.  Maybe if you can settle into a job you love, you can eventually find a house of your own.

Senile Texas Aggie


----------



## AmberLops

Senile_Texas_Aggie said:


> Miss @AmberLops,
> 
> We're glad you moved and that you joined our BYH community.  I fear Mr. @Bruce is right.  The landlord will probably not do it out of the goodness of his heart.  Maybe if you can settle into a job you love, you can eventually find a house of your own.
> 
> Senile Texas Aggie


My landlord is a pretty nice guy, it'd be worth asking!
And there's a house across the street that my elderly neighbor wants to sell me before he passes...it's a beautiful house and i'm hoping I can make it happen


----------



## farmerjan

AmberLops said:


> My landlord is a pretty nice guy, it'd be worth asking!
> And there's a house across the street that my elderly neighbor wants to sell me before he passes...it's a beautiful house and i'm hoping I can make it happen


----------



## B&B Happy goats

X100


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Mr. @Mike CHS,

Did you know that your journal is now the longest of the journals on BYH (at least, those that I know about)?  You passed Latestarter's journal just a few days ago.  But you better watch out -- Miss @B&B Happy goats is already at 3927 and she's only been on the forum for a little over a year!

Senile Texas Aggie


----------



## B&B Happy goats

@STA....my journal is only on page 393 ....


----------



## Mike CHS

I've never thought about but had considered starting another one since it is so long.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Mike CHS said:


> I've never thought about but had considered starting another one since it is so long.



I like your journel just the way it is ...it's  a great read Mike


----------



## Baymule

Leave it like it is, we know where to find you! LOL LOL


----------



## AmberLops

Baymule said:


> Leave it like it is, we know where to find you! LOL LOL


----------



## Bruce

Baymule said:


> Leave it like it is, we know where to find you! LOL LOL


My thought exactly!


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

B&B Happy goats said:


> I like your journel just the way it is ...it's a great read Mike





Baymule said:


> Leave it like it is, we know where to find you! LOL LOL



I agree with them, Mike.  Leave like it is.  It definitely is a great read.


----------



## misfitmorgan

Agreed also!


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Add me to the voters who hope it stays right here for you to add to as you see fit!


----------



## Mike CHS

We took the last of this seasons lambs that we are culling to the sale in Columbia this morning and had a late lunch there.  We went back to watch the sheep portion of the sale and to see how they did.  They were all Choice and Prime (except Taffy but even she was graded as Good.  Considering she had Bottle Jaw earlier, we felt good about that) so they did pretty good considering home many sheep have gone to the market in the last month due to the drought we have been under.

They had a consignment sale about three weeks ago and they said prices were way down that day since so many people were selling everything they had due to the the lack of rain.  We are at our winter numbers now and will be taking 31 pregnant ewes into winter plus the bottle lamb and one wether will be on the dry lot until we breed again in spring.  We may keep some replacement ewes out of the winter lambs but other than that, the entire lamb crop will be sold about a month after weaning.


----------



## Bruce

Good quality there Mike. I know my Dad and stepmother worked towards twins and prime when they were raising sheep. Kinda like you and Teresa are doing it, "gentleman farm" as a hobby.


----------



## Mike CHS

Maisy is losing most of her attitude as I think she figured out she isn't being replaced. After feeding this morning we spent a good bit of time on a pasture walk and both patrolled like they had been together for a long time rather than a few days.  Maisy is getting her confidence back so I'm hoping we are getting there.


----------



## CntryBoy777

That's really good to hear and think they will make great partners for each other....she may relax some with a "partner" she can have confidence in.....


----------



## Bruce

I'd say team patrolling after 2 days is great progress! I hadn't considered that Maisy might think she was being replaced.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> I'd say team patrolling after 2 days is great progress! I hadn't considered that Maisy might think she was being replaced.



I'm only letting them in with the main herd while I'm out so they are in a pasture at night with the ewe bottle lamb and the wether that are starting to think they are dogs.  Every time the dogs go running out around the pasture, the two sheep run with them.


----------



## Bruce

Sheep "kids" love to run!


----------



## misfitmorgan

You have a new LGD? I missed that somehow. Congratulations and I hope they turn out to be great partners!


----------



## Bruce

The new dog is 's Mel who went to live happily with @B&B Happy goats but they have had some unexpected life changes. You can read about it in her journal and Mel's https://www.backyardherds.com/threads/mels-new-adventures.39267/page-53


----------



## misfitmorgan

Bruce said:


> The new dog is 's Mel who went to live happily with @B&B Happy goats but they have had some unexpected life changes. You can read about it in her journal and Mel's https://www.backyardherds.com/threads/mels-new-adventures.39267/page-53



Thank you Bruce...i am all caught up now. Very happy Mel found another loving home where he can be the LGD he is.


----------



## Mike CHS

We had a frost a couple of days ago and it looks like a couple of more frosts this week so the garden beds are closed for the season.  We had some fried green tomatoes for lunch and I stripped the okra of all of the pods except for a couple and took the pods to a neighbor.  I'm going to cover the plants that have the pods that are left to see if I can keep the plant alive till the pods get dry enough to provide save some seed for next springs planting.


----------



## Bruce

That is pretty interesting. I think we've had frost maybe 3 or 4 nights so far, back when you were still suffering 90°+. I wouldn't have guessed you would have frost yet.


----------



## Mike CHS

Our average first frost date is the 19th of October but there is even a chance of frost as early as the 5th.


----------



## CntryBoy777

.......we were close to Montgomery, before it "dawned on me" that I was suppose to "remember" to get that okra...I didn't think turning around for it was "wise"....


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> .......we were close to Montgomery, before it "dawned on me" that I was suppose to "remember" to get that okra...I didn't think turning around for it was "wise"....



I didn't see it until later on in the day.


----------



## Mike CHS

Like most of us we keep a lot of scrap lumber around as it gets used at some point.  We are going to be having a German Shepherd puppy for a few weeks for family in South Carolina and we needed a temporary dog shelter. Teresa and Jay through this quick shelter together in about 20 minutes while I was out hauling water.

It isn't pretty but it will serve the purpose and they didn't even have to make a single cut.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Looks just fine to me....hard to "knock" something that works....


----------



## Mini Horses

AGREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## Baymule

I like Teresa's building skills! 

Maisy needed a dog buddy. A lone dog is a lonely dog. Sure, she had the sheep and you and Teresa. You have 2 other dogs, but they weren't her buddies. Now Maisy has a new best friend, she just couldn't let you know right away how happy she secretly was.


----------



## Mike CHS

She is doing  better and accepts the fact that Mel needs attention also.  I haven't seen a growl for a couple of days now and they go on patrol fairly regularly.  Mel is enjoying the stimulation with the large number of sheep out with the main herd.  They all seem to trust him which is all I want to see.   I have to feed them separately since Maisy figured out early how to get Mel's feed even though she was already full.  Mel doesn't like confrontation and will walk away from the feed bowl which Barb told me about.  That isn't going to happen and is easy to fix.  Maisy likes to eat inside the shop and I sit in the doorway while Mel eats.


----------



## Baymule

Dog dynamics. Paris eats in her beloved back yard. Trip and Carson come to the house and stare intently at BJ, who prepares their food. Sometimes he lets them in to eat, sometimes they eat on the porch. They both get along. Sentry is eating in his doghouse (so he will see it as a good place) in the slaughter lamb pen. Carson and Trip are very interested in the pan of food I take to Sentry, and would probably tag team him to take it for themselves. LOL


----------



## AmberLops

Mike CHS said:


> We had a frost a couple of days ago and it looks like a couple of more frosts this week so the garden beds are closed for the season.  We had some fried green tomatoes for lunch and I stripped the okra of all of the pods except for a couple and took the pods to a neighbor.  I'm going to cover the plants that have the pods that are left to see if I can keep the plant alive till the pods get dry enough to provide save some seed for next springs planting.
> 
> View attachment 66914


Still no frost here yet...tonight is supposed to be 36 degrees though.
That might call for a frost


----------



## misfitmorgan

We have so far had 3 light frosts we have about a week left of decent temps then we will have all 40s for our highs and hard frosts overnight.


----------



## Baymule

We usually get a frost in November.


----------



## Mike CHS

I got a reminder this morning that if you get into too much of a routine, it can be painful.  I have the main herd contained by electric netting that is attached to high hot wire on the perimeter fence.  Usually when I go out in the morning I have to haul water so I disconnect the hot wire at the gate a couple of hundred feet away and drive into the field with the Polaris.  This morning I noted on the way by the sheep to water the cows, they didn't need any water so when I came back, I just opened the gate and walked over to the netting to check their mineral bowl.  Everyone knows what comes next.  I put my hand on the netting and immediately wound up back on the ground from a jolt of electricity.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

OUCH!

I have an electric wire over a gate that I forgot to duck under one morning - got smacked in the middle of the forehead...argh!  Didn't take anything else to remind me to duck in that area and I don't forget now.  However, there is a little 'tail' on the electric wire where it is hooked to the gate handle.  Sometimes when I don't open the gate wide enough the tail on the electric will rest against the metal gate.  When I go through that gate with my hands full I will sometimes use my rear end to push the gate shut.  Sure does wake ya up when you get shocked from behind (on the behind), lol!


----------



## Bruce

I can identify with your post Mike but I can't "like" it! But "used to a routine" sure is true.


----------



## HomeOnTheRange

Mike CHS said:


> I put my hand on the netting and immediately wound up back on the ground from a jolt of electricity.


Did the cows yell "CLEAR" first?


----------



## Bruce




----------



## Mike CHS

Some friends took us to Columbia to a restaurant that has the most awesome seafood buffet that I have ever seen for our birthdays that are right around the corner.  Of course most things were fried but it was all still great.  This was actually some of the best food we have had since leaving Charleston. Not Charleston quality but also not Charleston price but still very good.


----------



## Bruce

Happy almost birthdays!


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Seafood....my fave! Glad ya'll enjoyed it!  


Bruce said:


> Happy almost birthdays!


X2!


----------



## Mike CHS

After we got everything done this morning we hopped in the car and went down to Huntsville to see a gun show.  I wasn't impressed and the prices were goofy high.  I saw quite a few long guns that they were trying to sell for double what I paid for the same model.  The only thing we bought was an RFID blocking wallet for me and Teresa got the same in a waist band for when she goes out to Reno to see family in December.


----------



## Bruce

At least you know what they SHOULD cost, I'm sure they sold to people who didn't.


----------



## Mike CHS

The market is flooded so gun prices have actually come down in the last three years.


----------



## Pastor Dave

I always love paying retail at shops that buy for discount items!


----------



## Mike CHS

I think it was @animalmom that had a thread a few days ago about dehydrators.  I was putting together the ingredients for some lamb stew this afternoon and the celery we had in the fridge was turning bad.  I remembered we had a bunch in the pantry that we dehydrated before we moved here so I re-hydrated some to check it out and it still tastes as good as fresh.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Mike CHS said:


> The market is flooded so gun prices have actually come down in the last three years.



And when a Democrat gets elected President again, they will jump back up in price.


----------



## Mike CHS

We eat a lot of lamb stews and we also like variety so I have a lot of recipes.  One of my favorites is what we made today and it's good enough that I'm posting the recipe.  This recipe also works for venison and beef so would probably work for goat

We use a pressure cooker and brown the meat and add everything to the cooker and cook for 25 minutes.  The recipe would be way to much for us so we used 1/2 pound of lamb and a couple of potatoes cut up plus we only used 3 cups of liquid and could have used less but we like the broth with some Red Lobster biscuits.

Lamb Stew

Ingredients

1 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 lb. lamb shoulder roast, cubed into 1" pieces
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and cut into rounds
2 stalks celery, chopped (MM I used dehydrated celery since we didn't have any fresh)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. tomato paste
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. smoked paprika
6 c. low-sodium beef broth
1 c. red wine
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 bay leaves
2 lb. baby potatoes, halved
1/4 c. freshly chopped parsley, for garnish

Directions

Cooking with a pressure cooker or Insta-Pot takes 20-25 minutes.  In a large dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add lamb and cook on all sides until seared, 10 minutes, working in batches if necessary. Transfer to a plate.
In the same pot, cook onion, carrots, and celery until soft, 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add garlic, tomato paste, cumin, and paprika and cook until garlic is fragrant and tomato paste has darkened, 2 minutes.
Add lamb back to dutch oven then add broth, wine, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, and bay leaves.
Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and let simmer until lamb is tender, 45 minutes.
Add potatoes and simmer, covered, until potatoes are tender and stew has thickened, 30 minutes.
Remove bay leaves and rosemary and garnish with parsley before serving.


----------



## Baymule

Looks and sounds yummy!


----------



## Baymule

Senile_Texas_Aggie said:


> And when a Democrat gets elected President again, they will jump back up in price.


So will ammo.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> One of my favorites is what we made today and it's good enough that I'm posting the recipe.


Mike, you are killing me here!


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Mike, you are killing me here!




You could just make it for yourself.


----------



## Bruce

I kinda hate the idea of making 2 different dinners. Got picky eaters here.


----------



## Baymule

Then I guess you will just be looking at pictures and drooling.  Reminds me of Pavlov's Dogs.


----------



## Mike CHS

I went online to the Tennessee license site to renew my Fishing License and decided to change it to Permanent status.  The annual fishing license is only $4 for over 65 people but they tack on a handling fee every year so I paid a bit more and still only had the same handling fee and this one doesn't expire till *2219*.


----------



## Baymule

That's a good deal! Now go fishing!


----------



## B&B Happy goats

A two hundred year fishing license. ...wow are they generous  in Tennessee


----------



## Mini Horses

WOW -- Guess you'll never have to worry about renewing again  Happy fishing.   

It's almost like the "forever" stamps at the post office.


----------



## AmberLops

Ha ha! I didn't even know they made licenses that lasted that long


----------



## CntryBoy777

In Mississippi, after age 65, your fishing license is your DL....ya never have to buy one after 65th b'day....also covers small game license.........they'd go broke in Florida if they did that here....


----------



## AmberLops

CntryBoy777 said:


> In Mississippi, after age 65, your fishing license is your DL....ya never have to buy one after 65th b'day....also covers small game license.........they'd go broke in Florida if they did that here....


That's interesting!!


----------



## Bruce

CntryBoy777 said:


> they'd go broke in Florida if they did that here


Which is probably why they don't!

Hey Mike, look at the license and see if it is transferable to family members


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Bruce said:


> Which is probably why they don't!
> 
> Hey Mike, look at the license and see if it is transferable to family members



Lol, actually in Florida if you are over 65...you just go and show your DL with proof of address and you get a free fishing license  for fresh or salt water....that's  how I got mine


----------



## Bruce

I guess they must make their money some other way!


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Bruce said:


> I guess they must make their money some other way!



Bruce, you need to be a florida resident for the over 65 fishing  license.  They make a ton of money off the under 65 group and the snowbirds who come to fish for the winter or the tournament  fishermen, I guess they figure us older residents deserve some benifit  from putting up with the snowbirds taking over the state and causing traffic issues


----------



## Bruce

I thought it was the old people in FL that caused the traffic problems


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Bruce said:


> I thought it was the old people in FL that caused the traffic problems



Yes dear, it's  the old people from out of state that come here for the winter, that don't  know where they are driving, ...don't  know the area , .....won't  slow down when it's  raining ( which makes some heavily  traveled roads like black ice)  ...and tend to code  with medical issues while driving,  causing accidents, ....most of those "old people are in their 80's..".that is why  (I believe) residents over 65 ( Who tend to avoid the snowbirds)  get a free fishing pass ., it is a well earned reward .......


----------



## Baymule

Texas used to call those old people who flew or drove south for the winter, snowbirds. Then someone got smart, figured out all the money the snowbirds spent and started calling them Winter Texans. Much more polite, bless their hearts.


----------



## Bruce




----------



## AmberLops

Baymule said:


> Texas used to call those old people who flew or drove south for the winter, snowbirds. Then someone got smart, figured out all the money the snowbirds spent and started calling them Winter Texans. Much more polite, bless their hearts.




When i lived in Arizona, even the snowbirds called other people snowbirds...and they mean't it as an insult!


----------



## Mike CHS

I was out walking the sheep across the area that we had the dozer on filling in the dry pond and see that I have (had) several Jimson Weed plants growing there.  I have never seen any on our place at all so this is a new thing here.  There was only a half dozen plants and I saw no sign that the sheep had tried out the flavor but I'll be checking closer now.


----------



## Bruce

I wonder if there were seeds in the tracks of the dozer. 



AmberLops said:


> When i lived in Arizona, even the snowbirds called other people snowbirds...and they mean't it as an insult!


Because THOSE snowbirds don't do it right. They come too early/late, leave too early/late, don't come from the right place, etc.


----------



## farmerjan

Pull those miserable jimson weed plants or once they mature, the seed pods open up and you will be covered in them.  Have them here in several pastures and the little lots at the barn, around the legs and bases of the feeders that I feed the calves in.  I try to get them out as soon as I see them come up.  They get real tough to pull when they get bigger and more mature.  Hate 'em.  Our sheep don't like them either.


----------



## Baymule

I hate invasives!


----------



## Mike CHS

farmerjan said:


> Pull those miserable jimson weed plants or once they mature, the seed pods open up and you will be covered in them.  Have them here in several pastures and the little lots at the barn, around the legs and bases of the feeders that I feed the calves in.  I try to get them out as soon as I see them come up.  They get real tough to pull when they get bigger and more mature.  Hate 'em.  Our sheep don't like them either.



I spent a couple of hours going around in all of my pastures and they were only in that one spot.  They are all pulled


----------



## Pastor Dave

If there was a weed my Dad hated more than jimson, I can't remember hearing him say. Maybe a field of cockleburs.


----------



## AmberLops

Isn't Jimsonweed deadly? I think I remember reading that it's deadly to humans too


----------



## Mike CHS

AmberLops said:


> Isn't Jimsonweed deadly? I think I remember reading that it's deadly to humans too



It is toxic but the leaves and seeds are used to make medicine but I have no idea how.

There are a bunch of differing opinions about how useful it is/or not.    Despite serious safety concerns, jimson weed is used to treat asthma, cough, flu (influenza), swine flu, and nerve diseases.

Some people use it as a recreational drug to cause hallucinations and a heightened sense of well-being (euphoria). Parents should be warned about the online availability of jimson weed for purchase.


----------



## farmerjan

Since I think it stinks, and pulling it up leaves an odor on your hands, I don't see where it would be very useful for much. The animals sure avoid it and I have never seen any trying to eat it.   But then, I don't get much benefit from opioids for the pain, and getting even a little high from any liquor makes me panic over feeling like I am losing control, and it just puts me to sleep,  so I don't imagine I will be exploring the "recreational drug" aspect of it either.  Never could understand why people would turn to a "drug" to feel good;  because the reality is always there when you "wake up".    Now if they could come up with something that would block the nerves that produce the pain impulses, I might get on board......


----------



## Mike CHS

A slow day waiting on another rain event.  I spread some Crimson Clover out over a 3 acre area so that should add a bit of graze if it decides to germinate.  The main herd is being supplemented on hay now that the grass is slowing down.  We never did get a good stand of cool season grass like we usually do this time of year since it had been so hot.

On a side note, Mel is the most loving dog that I have ever seen.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Mike CHS said:


> A slow day waiting on another rain event.  I spread some Crimson Clover out over a 3 acre area so that should add a bit of graze if it decides to germinate.  The main herd is being supplemented on hay now that the grass is slowing down.  We never did get a good stand of cool season grass like we usually do this time of year since it had been so hot.
> 
> On a side note, Mel is the most loving dog that I have ever seen.




Isn't  he a amazing boy ! He is a one of a kind for sure, he is gentle, calm, generous, polite, and very loving.... I am so happy that he has  a home and job with you Mike....give him a big ole hug for me please


----------



## Mike CHS

We went up to Nashville to one of the Vanderbilt facilities to have a test done on Teresa.  She has had a couple of bouts with a fast heart rate so they are having to do a process of elimination. 

We had bought a couple of pantry cabinets for the porch the other day and one of them was damaged so we took it back this afternoon to exchange it.  About 5 miles out of Columbia, the engine started making a  screeching sound and when we stopped and looked there was smoke coming from the belt on the lower pulley.  We decided to chance it and drove the mile or so to drop off the cabinet off at Lowe's so we could then leave the truck at the shop.  There never was any belt smoke after that first event and the engine never did heat up so we got it to the shop and called a friend to come rescue us.  Hopefully they can get it back on the road tomorrow.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I sure hope it isn't anything serious for her....  .....I wonder sometimes about having problems while we are out and about, and what we would do...the closest ones we know are an hour away and it is our only vehicle....if it quits close by we can always walk.....glad ya have good friends to help out...


----------



## Mike CHS

Thanks Fred.  The shop just called and it was the AC that froze up but they will fix it first thing in the morning. 

Teresa's Doctor is pretty thorough and thinks it could be something as simple as food allergies as they have already ran scans plus she just found out she is borderline diabetic.


----------



## Bruce

Did Joyce's van bite the dust??


----------



## CntryBoy777

Naw, we still have it, but no registration or license so it os stuck here for the time being..........ya gotta have a FL DL to do that.


----------



## Baymule

I hope Teresa is ok and it is nothing serious. Food allergies can make people sick and they don't know why. She may have to do a process of elimination diet of some sort. 

It's nice to have friends that will come get you when you are stranded. All of our breakdowns have been here at home, that's  a whole lot better than 200 miles from home.


----------



## Mike CHS

We are getting ready to start the elimination diet for her so I'll probably be cooking two meals at a time.


----------



## Baymule

I am impressed by men that can cook. BJ can cook pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, and he does a jam up job of heating up leftovers.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Gosh, Mr. Mike, I hope you guys can figure out what's causing Miss Teresa's issues.


----------



## Beekissed

Mike, was wondering if you could give me an opinion on a couple of April ewe lambs I've found for sale.  I like the looks of them and the price is good...they are Kat/Dorper cross.  

This one in the forefront....






And this one in the forefront/middle....she's not quite as nicely balanced as the other but of the four offered for sale, these are the best two, IMO.    These derived from a flock that was being developed by/with WVU for parasite resistance.


----------



## Mike CHS

@Beekissed   I like the confirmation in both of those and I would guess that they will mature even better.


----------



## Beekissed

Mike CHS said:


> @Beekissed   I like the confirmation in both of those and I would guess that they will mature even better.



Thank you!  I was thinking the same thing but it's always nice to have another eye on them.  The second one is smaller with a little more gut on her in proportion to the rest of her frame but it could just be an awkward angle...she has a good squared off body all the same and a sweet face to go along with.   There are two others for sale in this group but they resemble the Dorper sheep too much for my liking.


----------



## Bruce

And you can pull 3/4 Katahdin out of them with your ram.


----------



## Beekissed

Bruce said:


> And you can pull 3/4 Katahdin out of them with your ram.



I like the Katahdin breed and prefer it, but I'm not really into purebred or registered stock at all.   A little Dorper or St. Croix here and there never hurt any hair sheep's quality if done right.


----------



## Baymule

Those are a couple of real nice ewes.


----------



## Mike CHS

I got my truck back this afternoon and also got the replacement cabinet home from Lowe's.  I'm not quite sure about the logic that the shop used but we had a major disconnect between their quoted price and the final price not to mention they didn't finish the job.  Most of the AC had to be replaced and when they got most of the components in, they figured out that the expansion valve needs to be replaced also but didn't know how to get to it so they didn't replace it.  We will have to find another shop to do that but since they already changed out all of the coolant, that will have to be done again also.  Teresa took the shop's phone call on the way home so whatever she said to them resulted in being charged the original quoted price.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Mike CHS said:


> I got my truck back this afternoon and also got the replacement cabinet home from Lowe's.  I'm not quite sure about the logic that the shop used but we had a major disconnect between their quoted price and the final price not to mention they didn't finish the job.  Most of the AC had to be replaced and when they got most of the components in, they figured out that the expansion valve needs to be replaced also but didn't know how to get to it so they didn't replace it.  We will have to find another shop to do that but since they already changed out all of the coolant, that will have to be done again also.  Teresa took the shop's phone call on the way home so whatever she said to them resulted in being charged the original quoted price.


Way to go Teresa


----------



## Bruce

How do they know the expansion valve needs to be replaced if they can't even figure out how to get to it to test it??
I'm not having the most confidence possible in these people.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> How do they know the expansion valve needs to be replaced if they can't even figure out how to get to it to test it??
> I'm not having the most confidence possible in these people.



Because it won't cycle and that is one of those things that either works or it doesn't.   They say it is probably what caused it to bind up.  You don't the valve, you test the valve at the compressor.


----------



## Mike CHS

The Charleston bound pup is adjusting to a family life vs a kennel life like he had for the first 3 months of his life.  He gets plenty of house time and so far has not had any accidents in the house.  We have a kennel cage set up on the porch to keep him out of the cold and the other two dogs seem to be OK with that.  They still haven't figured out how to handle him in the house.  Maisy and Mel get house time by themselves since Sassy is a fear biter.  The pup is already 54 pounds so he is going to be a big boy.

@B&B Happy goats, It looks like Mel has accepted our place as home.  I let him out with Maisy and he stays wherever Maisy and I are.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

MEL is in paradise  at your farm , I am so happy for him and his new BFF Miss Maisy


----------



## Baymule

I can only imagine what Teresa said to make them stick to the original price. Snicker, giggle.


----------



## misfitmorgan

Hopefully You can get Teresa and the truck sorted out!


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa made some chili for lunch in the Instant Pot. We had that thing for over a year before we used it but now we use it a couple of times a week.  We cut up some sirloin and browned it then put everything in the Instant Pot and cooked for 17 minutes.  The chili tastes like it had cooked all day and the meat was fall apart tender.


----------



## Baymule

That looks yummy!


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Mike CHS said:


> We had that thing for over a year before we used it but now we use it a couple of times a week.


I did the same thing.  I was afraid of mine, lol.  I'm making bone broth in it right now.

The chili looks delish!


----------



## Mike CHS

I found an all new hurdle with the dogs this morning.  I was combing some mats out of Maisy and Mel came up wanting some brushing also.  Maisy showed all of the signs of being in full attack mode so I turned her around to put Mel behind me and that seemed to calm her down.  She has evidently decided that when she is being groomed, she won't be interfered with.  I kept brushing her to see what was pushing her buttons and saw that it was when Mel approached us.  I combed Maisy a bit more and then walked away a few steps and then started brushing Mel.. She had no problem with that so evidently she just didn't want Mel to "steal" her brushes.


----------



## CntryBoy777

When a female is getting "Attention".....males always have to "wait".....


----------



## Baymule

That's funny!


----------



## Bruce

Things will be fine as long as you learn the rules Mike.


----------



## Mike CHS

We let all of our relatives know that our dogs are always part of the family and they seem to accept that.  This is pretty typical of the layout in the evening.


----------



## Baymule

That looks like home to me!


----------



## Mike CHS

Our sheep have always been picky when it comes to eating hay even when there is very little else available to them.  This winter though we have a different source and they started in when we put it in three days ago and I don't think they have stopped except to lay down for a break.


----------



## farmerjan

What type of hay is that?


----------



## Baymule

That ought to make you feel pretty good. They are telling you that this is good hay. Of course, they _were _telling you that the other hay was pretty lousy.... ARE YOU LISTENING?  

A few times I have ran out of feed over the 23 years that we have had Joe, my heart horse. I substituted another feed until I could get to the feed store of their preferred feed, which was an hour away. In my defense, sometimes i'd go to get feed and they were out.  I'd pour his substitute  feed out, he'd sniff it, lay his ears back and give me a go to he!! look and walk away. Joe has much better communication skills than your picky ewes.


----------



## Mike CHS

farmerjan said:


> What type of hay is that?



That was a large round bale 4 days ago.  His hay is a mix that has Orchard Grass, Timothy, Kentucky Blue Grass, Matuagrass along with Millet, Crabgrass and Sorghum and some others I can't remember.


----------



## Baymule

That is a great diversity of grasses. No wonder they like it so much. Maybe you will get seed in your pastures from the hay bales.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> That is a great diversity of grasses. No wonder they like it so much. Maybe you will get seed in your pastures from the hay bales.



That's what we are hoping for.  The paddock they are in now has mostly the Red River Crab Grass and the native grasses which is still coming back in spite of the cold and the pressure of treating it like a dry lot.  He only charges us $40 a large bale and that is delivered.


----------



## Baymule

That is a good deal on the hay.


----------



## Mike CHS

I didn't get pictures but there was a pair of Bald Eagles feeding on a dead deer just off of the highway at the end of our road this morning.

One of our neighbors had a Bobcat get into their chicken coop and killed most of their chickens and a turkey.  He chose the wrong house since they called a few minutes ago and said the predator was taken care of.

I put my truck in the CO-OP shop this morning and they replaced the Expansion Valve so I now have AC but more importantly with this cold spell, I have defrost now.  Other than that I just made several trips out to break ice and added water.  I usually keep the 5 gallon cans of water on the Ranger but I put them in the shop for the night so they don't get frozen solid.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Happy to read that the bobcat got taken care of swiftly, sure would hate for Mel and Maisy to have to deal with it....


----------



## Mike CHS

B&B Happy goats said:


> Happy to read that the bobcat got taken care of swiftly, sure would hate for Mel and Maisy to have to deal with it....



I have no doubt that they would have.  Our neighbors have seen it a few times but it stayed out away from them but it must have gotten hungry.  I haven't seen any sign around our place but that may be what the dogs have been alerting to the last week or so.


----------



## Baymule

I'd be happy to deal with a bobcat. Right now we have a cougar in the area. It killed 5 goats a mile from us and has been on the property next to us late one night. A neighbor heard it scream. Dogs were going nuts, ours, his and other neighbors dogs. I do not like cougars!


----------



## B&B Happy goats

I guess a bobcat would be better than a panther, cougar or wolf ! ... but I still would be happier for someone to shoot  them than have the dynamic  duo have to get involved....gotta love those two together , what a pair !


----------



## Mike CHS

The state finally admitted that cougars are moving in but they haven't reached our areas yet.  They have been sighted west of Nashville though so it won't be long till the restocking efforts start affecting more of us.


----------



## Mike CHS

B&B Happy goats said:


> I guess a bobcat would be better than a panther, cougar or wolf ! ... but I still would be happier for someone to shoot  them than have the dynamic  duo have to get involved....gotta love those two together , what a pair !



I know you would be happy to see how he responds to the fence line.  I never have the ability to take a picture when they are doing their thing.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

That really is sad for the cougars and other animals, we are running everything out of their natural environment. ..but I  draw the line when it comes to my livestock....boom...dead !!!


----------



## CntryBoy777

I believe I saw one in the backyard here, but only got a very short glimpse of it bounding into the brush by the boat.....there are Florida panthers around in the area also....there isn't any doubt what Gabbie would do, but we stay alert in attempts to avoid any confrontation like that....limited in direction that I can shoot in, so we keep her close to the house while dark.....sure hope that cougar gets dropped before long Bay.....


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Mike CHS said:


> I know you would be happy to see how he responds to the fence line.  I never have the ability to take a picture when they are doing their thing.



I would love to someday see a picture of Mel and Maisy just lovin and hanging with the sheep, I would frame that and hang it on the wall, knowing Mel is happy with you just brings tears to my eyes. Mel is finally complete and whole again . For that you are my super hero Mike, thank you ( hugs, smiles and blubbering tears, lol)


----------



## Mike CHS

B&B Happy goats said:


> I would love to someday see a picture of Mel and Maisy just lovin and hanging with the sheep, I would frame that and hang it on the wall, knowing Mel is happy with you just brings tears to my eyes. Mel is finally complete and whole again . For that you are my super hero Mike, thank you ( hugs, smiles and blubbering tears, lol)



You are completely wrong there. Mel was whole when you brought him here or he would not have taken to me so easily.  He was just looking for a place to give him a job and he knows that this place is his.


----------



## Bruce

I agree. Mel was happy at B&B's. The move to Mike's completed his transition from house dog in CO and for a fair bit in TX before  got the goats. Still part house dog and LGD in FL and now a full LGD with a partner in TN. He is fortunate to have both families.



CntryBoy777 said:


> I believe I saw one in the backyard here, but only got a very short glimpse of it bounding into the brush by the boat.....


I wouldn't stick my nose in that boat lair!!!


----------



## misfitmorgan

We have always have bobcats but the last few years cougars and wolves have been repopulating down into our area. My co-worker even asked if i had seen the wolf by our house....no?!?!

I am happy they are coming back naturally in our area because they were thought to be almost completely extincted in the wild.


----------



## Baymule

And that is yet another reason why we need these big barky dogs to warn the apex predators away. The lady that lost the goats has donkeys for pasture guards. 

Cougars have always been here, but it's been about 6 years since anybody lost livestock to them. I was camping out on Lake Livingston in my early 20's and one cut loose screaming near by. My dog nearly tore the paint off the truck, trying to get in the back where I had my bedroll. LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

I didn't know if the dogs would stay in place while I got the camera but they weren't going to leave Teresa's hands.  
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




The pup has picked up on the other two's calm behavior and is doing great.


----------



## Mike CHS

I took a couple of pictures of the herd when I was out taking water.  The drought we had before the cold weather set in has us feeding hay a lot earlier than normal but they are staying in great condition on grass/hay only.  I'm not rotating now to avoid as much damage to the grasses as I can so we are basically in a dry lot situation now.

The second picture of the ewe on the right is one of the first sheep that we brought here.  She is so tame that she could easily be a pet but she will live out the rest of her life here with us.  She normally has twins but this time she looks like it could easily be triplets since she is less than three months pregnant.  The ewe next to her is her yearling daughter.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Yikes, she is huge for only three months pregnant 🤭
Do sheep have quads ?


----------



## Mike CHS

B&B Happy goats said:


> Yikes, she is huge for only three months pregnant 🤭
> Do sheep have quads ?



They can but the most we have had was trips.  As big as our fresh born lambs are, I would just as soon keep it at twins.  This ewe had two nine pounders when the yearling next to her was born.


----------



## Beekissed

Mike, those are some great looking sheep!!!  Got sheep envy here.....


----------



## Mike CHS

Beekissed said:


> Mike, those are some great looking sheep!!!  Got sheep envy here.....



Thank you.  This bunch makes it easy for us most of the time and the keepers have made it easy to choose who stays.


----------



## Beekissed

Mike CHS said:


> Thank you.  This bunch makes it easy for us most of the time and the keepers have made it easy to choose who stays.


I can't wait to get to that point with my flock, wherein I have uniformity in conformation and productiveness, so that I can look across the flock and it's all good to look upon.


----------



## Mike CHS

We picked up a 20 pound turkey at the store this afternoon that I plan on cooking on the smoker this week after it thaws out.  

@Beekissed we have 4 yearlings that are a bit smaller than the adults but this bunch isn't really mature weight wise until almost 1 1/2 years old.  We have a fatty though that will be going to Texas as soon as we can figure out a safe travel time since she is pregnant again and was 190 lbs before getting pregnant.  Her daughters have all been in excess of 170 pounds but not fat like her.  They are meaty and taller than her.


----------



## Baymule

I love that fatty! 

That picture of Teresa with the dogs is a good one. She has that touch with them. It made me smile. 

BJ had cataract surgery this morning, he is already seeing so good! We go back tomorrow for a follow up visit, then on December 2, he has the other eye done. He is really happy about this.


----------



## Mike CHS

BJ has to be feeling better since this is getting done.

If you don't mind about Ms. Fatty, let's wait and see how Mama carries these lambs.  She is so much bigger than she should be that I don't want to send a problem to you so let's see how she carries and we can go from there.  Teresa's son's changing plans several times hasn't helped as for our planning but his job is new to him and that goes with the territory so we can adjust.  Mama was Ringo's favorite so that is a good place to make it work.


----------



## Baymule

Maybe Mamma is carrying triplets. Hope not, hope she has twins. I have only had one experience with triplets and the smallest one died. I know others do well with triplets, maybe someday I will too, but would still rather have twins.


----------



## Mike CHS

My favorite time of day is when I go out to water and feed those that get feed.  I can walk around out in the paddocks and just take in all there is to be Thankful for especially now that friends are having to make some hard decisions about the affect aging can have on our lives.  I love all of our dogs but Maisy and Mel make everything that we have had to do more than worth it.  I like to spend a lot of time just watching and evaluating the condition of the sheep and those two wonderful creatures are with me for every step with their heads just under my hands.  Maisy has been my girl since the day she arrived at our place but Mel ran in to my heart at full speed and wrapped those big paws around it.  I still feel bad that he had to be re-homed but I love that big boy and when I need a smile, I just have to look out the window.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Mike CHS said:


> My favorite time of day is when I go out to water and feed those that get feed.  I can walk around out in the paddocks and just take in all there is to be Thankful for especially now that friends are having to make some hard decisions about the affect aging can have on our lives.  I love all of our dogs but Maisy and Mel make everything that we have had to do more than worth it.  I like to spend a lot of time just watching and evaluating the condition of the sheep and those two wonderful creatures are with me for every step with their heads just under my hands.  Maisy has been my girl since the day she arrived at our place but Mel ran in to my heart at full speed and wrapped those big paws around it.  I still feel bad that he had to be re-homed but I love that big boy and when I need a smile, I just have to look out the window.


Mike my friend, I am so happy Mel is with you and Teresa....he is a magnificent  creature and deserves all that you have to offer him at your farm......


----------



## Mike CHS

We just got back from doing our least favorite chore, which is going to the laundromat.  We have several runner type rugs that we clean with a pressure washer when it's warm but we take them to the laundry when it's cold out.  There is a nice Deli in the same complex so we always grab a bite to eat while they are washing.


----------



## misfitmorgan

Everything looks good there!!


----------



## HomeOnTheRange

Wow @Mike CHS, sheep look great. You have a really great program.

Also congrats on over 700 pages in this journal. That is a real testament to your program and willingness to share your knowledge.




Mike CHS said:


> runner type rugs


I did have to look up what you meant.  Single guy here...


----------



## Mike CHS

HomeOnTheRange said:


> Wow @Mike CHS, sheep look great. You have a really great program.
> 
> Also congrats on over 700 pages in this journal. That is a real testament to your program and willingness to share your knowledge.
> 
> 
> 
> I did have to look up what you meant.  Single guy here...



Thank you.  A major part of that 700 pages was renovating a place that probably should have been torn down but the wife and I enjoued doing it and love the place we now have.   The creatures that share our place with us truly makes all of the work and expense truly worth the effort.


----------



## Mike CHS

We just got abck from the vets after picking up the pup (they named him Solas) that got fixed yesterday.  Teresa was inside his kennel putting up the divider since he doesn't need that much room yet.  His living situation in South Carolina is going require that he be crated a few hours at a time so we are getting him used to it here.  Our other dogs use crates to sleep in at night but the doors are never closed.  He has been left loose here except during the night since he keeps getting in trouble because of his appetite for shoes.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Ya'll are doing this pup a world of good!


----------



## Mike CHS

frustratedearthmother said:


> Ya'll are doing this pup a world of good!



We hope so.  He is making it easy as most things (except shoes) that he gets in to is stopped with one command.  We picked up some No Chew to spray on a few that will hopefully break that.  He just doesn't get a lot of time unsupervised that has shoes laying out.    In the short time he has been here he has all of the basic commands down and of course training him with the other two around makes it easy.  He even picked up on a couple of herding commands just by following Lance.


----------



## Mike CHS

_I had some pears that were getting ripe and there were too many to eat in a short time so I cut up and sauteed them along with some chopped onion, salt, pepper and Thyme.  I then sauteed some pork chops until done and added the fruit and onions to heat it back up then let it cool a bit and added some Blue Cheese dressing.  I usually use blue cheese crumbles but we were out but the dressing was just as good.  If you like blue cheese, give this one a shot because it is really good._


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Wow - sounds great!  I love blue cheese - DH not so much....


----------



## misfitmorgan

That does sound good and im not much of a blue cheese fan!


----------



## Mike CHS

Mel found the hot wire this morning while I was out watering the cows.  I heard this terrible sound the like of which I had never heard before and when I looked over to see what it was, Mel was running full speed away from the fence.  I had no idea that a dog that big could move that fast.  The spot that he got it was the same spot that knocked me on my rear a couple of years ago.  The ground is saturated and the charge is at it's highest in that area.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Oh dear, .....poor Mel....... I'm  sure you comforted him


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Bless his heart! Poor guy... Bet he'll remember that!


----------



## HomeOnTheRange

Mike CHS said:


> pears that were getting ripe and there were too many to eat in a short time so I cut up and sauteed them along with some chopped onion, salt, pepper and Thyme.


I think you need to write a cook book!


----------



## Mike CHS

Gun deer season starts tomorrow and I'm going to go out early and see if I can't take a buck that needs to be culled.  There are a couple of real nice bucks but several like this one that makes too many.


----------



## HomeOnTheRange

@Mike CHS, good luck out there tomorrow and be safe.


----------



## Mike CHS

HomeOnTheRange said:


> @Mike CHS, good luck out there tomorrow and be safe.



Thank you.  The only folks allowed to hunt for a couple of miles are a neighbor and I so we know where the other is.


----------



## Baymule

Poor Mel, I bet he never does that again.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa went out shopping with a friend and since it looked like it was going to be an all day event, I elected to stay out of their way and stay home and cook a turkey. It will be done in about an hour and a half.


----------



## Baymule

Very smart man! You would hate being dragged from store to store and they are having more fun without dragging a grump around. LOL And not only do you stay out of their way, you cook up a fabulous dinner for the weary shopper. Brilliant strategy.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Yum!


----------



## Baymule

We had our 3 grand daughters for the weekend, took the two littles to the sheep barn this afternoon. I caught Aria and sat on a milk crate with her. When I hold the lambs like that, their legs dangle, I picked her hind feet up and put them in my lap, giving her a great way to spring into action and jump. She struggled a little, but settled right down. The girls, age 3 and 4, hugged her, petted her, chattered away and she was relaxed and calm. She is not flighty at all, I think in time she will be a big pet. The little girls sure loved her.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> We had our 3 grand daughters for the weekend, took the two littles to the sheep barn this afternoon. I caught Aria and sat on a milk crate with her. When I hold the lambs like that, their legs dangle, I picked her hind feet up and put them in my lap, giving her a great way to spring into action and jump. She struggled a little, but settled right down. The girls, age 3 and 4, hugged her, petted her, chattered away and she was relaxed and calm. She is not flighty at all, I think in time she will be a big pet. The little girls sure loved her.



They can be amazingly docile.  We used to see ewes revert to the skittish state when they got out in the bigger fields but the last couple of seasons have the ewes being as tame 4 months later being as tame as they were when they were lambs on the creep feeders.   Whenever I go out now all of the yearlings will come up for attention and of course their moms come too,


----------



## Wehner Homestead

Just got caught up again! So many changes. Hope you get everything figured out for Teresa. Amazing that you have Mel now. I’ll try to catch that story. How much longer will you have Solas and what is his story? 

I’ll try to get an update posted on my journal for all that are curious.


----------



## Mike CHS

Wehner Homestead said:


> Just got caught up again! So many changes. Hope you get everything figured out for Teresa. Amazing that you have Mel now. I’ll try to catch that story. How much longer will you have Solas and what is his story?
> 
> I’ll try to get an update posted on my journal for all that are curious.



Solas was one of 5 pups from a rescue litter that a friend was re-homing.  She found homes for the others and Teresa mentioned the pup to her son in Charleston.  They had been planning on coming to visit in late October so they said they wanted him since they had been wanting a German Shepherd for some time.  So we took him to get him socialized and some basic training done.  Work requirements at  the son's job has been fluid to say the least so that visit has been put off to January sometime since the family is all meeting at daughters home in Reno the middle of this month.  Looking forward to your update.


----------



## Mike CHS

I was stepping over various dog parts last night and decided to show how the dogs take up most of the available space in the evening.  They have all been out in the training pen all day so they will crash tonight.


----------



## Mike CHS

JMike was off of school today and called and asked if we had any work for him. I had him come over and we spent a couple of hours cutting trees/brush on the treeline I've been working on.  I hit dirt a couple of times so we quit so I could sharpen the chain.  The son's family is going to take an old golf cart that we have so we pressure washed that, then the driveway, the siding on the house and Teresa's car.  To finish off she had him help clean the chicken coops and a couple of other things after I went out for chores so it was a productive day.  I'm hoping we will have enough cleared before long to use a full 330' roll of fence that we already have.  After that I have two partial rolls of wire that I can splice together for just about another full roll after more trees get cut down.


----------



## Baymule

The dog floor! haha, our floor looks like that sometimes too. You should get a picture of Lance and Sassy playing ball, when they both have teeth in the ball. Those two are so funny!

It sounds like y'all had a very good day and got a lot done. A little help goes a long way.


----------



## Beekissed

Mike, you sure do have some beautiful dogs....or rugs.      Do they help you herd the sheep?  I've always wanted to have a working herding dog....LOVE watching those dogs work!


----------



## Mike CHS

Beekissed said:


> Mike, you sure do have some beautiful dogs....or rugs.      Do they help you herd the sheep?  I've always wanted to have a working herding dog....LOVE watching those dogs work!



We had a couple of years training both but since the Aussie never could learn how to go in slow she doesn't get any work.  The Border Collie is a pleasure to work but the way we are laid out he only gets to drive.  He gets more time working outside the fence than in as we let the herd out to eat on the neighbors grass and ours in the lanes so he gets to be the big boy keeping them where they need to be.


----------



## misfitmorgan

Yours dogs must talk to my dogs



Thats a full size couch with Kora on the end, then Gerald the catdog and then issac....then me crammed at the end with jojo laying on my right leg, cause issacs head was on my left leg. So roomy and comfy at our house  
Yes the cat lays on the dogs....no the dogs dont mind at all and love him.



The catdog using kora's front legs as a sofa.


----------



## Mike CHS

We had a fairly long training session for the Shepherd pup this morning both inside the house and outside.  Inside works well because he can mimic Sassy and Lance.  When we have had a good session inside, I take him outside to do more to make sure it translates well for him when he is by himself working.  The first picture is of some 'stay' training with all 3 of them and he even does well when I break up some animal crackers and give them a piece individually.  He learned quickly that you stay until a piece is handed to him.  The second picture is of Solas sound asleep after a work session.  

Teresa keeps telling me to not take so many pictures when the sheets are on the furniture but with 5 shedding dogs in and out,  I'll leave them alone for now.


----------



## Baymule

You tell Teresa those are stylish sheets!


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Mr. Mike,



Mike CHS said:


> JMike was off of school today and called and asked if we had any work for him. I had him come over and we spent a couple of hours cutting trees/brush on the treeline I've been working on.



It sure is wonderful that you help JMike get good work habits.  Regarding the treeline, some before and after pictures would be nice!

Senile Texas Aggie


----------



## Mike CHS

I did take some general pictures the day I started thinning it out so I'll post the finished pictures with those when it gets closer to being done.  It's still going to be awhile though.


----------



## Mike CHS

This post is to show @Senile_Texas_Aggie that he indeed is not the only one that can mess up.  I was going out to water the cows this afternoon and the main gate that I have been going through for months gives me access to 5 paddocks so it is used a couple of times a day and is another of those things that I have done so many times that there is no thought involved.

The routine is to drive up to the gate, open the gate, do one other thing then drive through the gate.  Today I drove up to the gate, did one other thing (I was curious about how much voltage would show on the voltmeter so I checked that), then I drove through the gate.  The problem I encountered is that the routine is normally open the gate, then do one other thing (which is to remove the high hot and ground wires over the gate) then drive through the gate.  It didn't take long to go back to the shop, get a couple of tools and a spool of wire to replace the wires I broke when I drove through them.


----------



## Baymule

That's funny.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> That's funny.



It was almost dark so I could use that as a partial excuse but we all know better.


----------



## Ridgetop

Hearing stuff like that happens to other people as well as ourselves sure makes us all feel better.  I was feeling depressed but that made me laugh and cheered me up.  Thanks for sharing.


----------



## Mike CHS

Sassy is really going to miss the pup when he goes to his new home as they play all of the time.  Lance could care less as he ignores him most of the time.  Sassy like to play fight when it's her choice but she gets bitchy with him because he will mouth her when he wants something to chew on.  Speaking of chewing, I haven't lost anymore shoes in over three weeks so hopefully he is through with that stage.

I took some pictures this morning but they were moving so fast that they are a bit blurry.


----------



## Baymule

Lance and Sassy are so funny when they are both playing ball. Love those dogs!


----------



## Ridgetop

Are those trained herding dogs?  I am considering getting one.  Not a Border Collie since I don't have enough work for one, but an Aussie.  I have to figure out how o get one that my Anatolians won't assassinate.  If I get a puppy it will not be trained, if I get an older dog then the Anatolians may see it as a threat.  Gotta think on this . . . .


----------



## Mike CHS

Ridgetop said:


> Are those trained herding dogs?  I am considering getting one.  Not a Border Collie since I don't have enough work for one, but an Aussie.  I have to figure out how o get one that my Anatolians won't assassinate.  If I get a puppy it will not be trained, if I get an older dog then the Anatolians may see it as a threat.  Gotta think on this . . . .



They are both trained but I only use the Border Collie. We got the Aussie first based on what I read but the authors obviously did not have a Border Collie.  We literally know dozens of people that have both and they prefer the BC.   I love the Aussie and she will be with us for all her days but if I had gotten the Border Collie first, she would not be with us.  They both do well as pets but you can't work any of them when the LGDs are loose.  I did at first with Maisy but it became confrontational as time went on but the two types don't mix at our place.  The Aussie in general is more people smart though.


----------



## Ridgetop

I figure that we would have to lock up the LGDs in the kennel when using a herding dog with the sheep.  We actually lock Bubba up now when working the sheep since he tries to help.  Nothing like a 160 lb. "helper" running right behind your knees as you try to block a sheep, or cutting them off and turning the flock when you try to send them in a certain way.  ( Idea!  Lock up the grandchildren with the dogs next time we work the sheep?)

A friend that trains herding dogs warned me away from Border Collies (they are what she uses, competes with, and judges) because they are so focused on working.  She said that with our small area the dog would have so little work to do that it would probably sneak out and work the sheep on it's own.  We did have an Aussie that we trained (partially) and she was willing and did well.  However, when the boys sold out of sheep and devoted their time to their dairy goat herd, she was retired.  Great obedience and home guardian, however.  

You have a lot more property and sheep work for your dog though, so maybe she doesn't get bored and try to work the sheep.  On the other hand, if a herding dog tried to work the sheep by what is, in effect, chasing them back and forth the dog would probably be assassinated by our Anatolians.  The trick would be to keep the herding dog way from the sheep and the LGDs except when you want to either practice with it, or need it to work.  (On those occasions when we masochistically let our grandchildren work with us the dog could round up the sheep *and* the children!)  LOL  

How do you keep the Border Collie away from the LGDs and the sheep when she is not working?


----------



## Mike CHS

I only use the Border Collie to drive them when outside the fence and to hold them when I don't want them wandering off. The way we are set up we don't need to do an outrun.  I rarely use them inside the paddocks since all I have to do to move the sheep is walk in and go to the gate I want them to go through, and they do.     Neither of them get a lot of work but we have a training pen that is adjacent to the bigger paddocks so they aren't cooped up.  The Aussie pays little attention to the sheep but the BC will sit there and stare for the longest time and if they move around their pens, he will try to herd them until he runs out of room.

Keeping everyone where I want them is not an issue since they can't get in together or with the sheep unless I open the gates and let them move.


----------



## Mike CHS

This is going to be a day to stay out of the wind.  It isn't all that cold but it is in the 40's with a steady wind of 20 knots gusting into the 30's.  I was going to cut some trees but the wind gets you from being comfortable until you bread out into a bit of sweat to then being chilled.

I'm going to run in to town and get a few things for dinner as I just found a Keto recipe that I want to try.  If it turns out good, I'll post it to the recipe thread.

The pup is losing his puppy look fairly fast and  I haven't lost any more work shoes in quite awhile.  His ears are standing erect more all of the time and he is growing like a weed.  I'm going to miss this boy and especially his calm confident personality. I keep hoping the kids will decide they don't want to take him but that isn't likely to happen.

I did give Mel and Maisy a good grooming this morning after they ate.  They are totally bonded but I found early on that I have to bring them in one at a time to groom since Maisy thinks she is the only one that should be brushed.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Mike CHS said:


> This is going to be a day to stay out of the wind. It isn't all that cold but it is in the 40's with a steady wind of 20 knots gusting into the 30's. I was going to cut some trees but the wind gets you from being comfortable until you bread out into a bit of sweat to then being chilled.



I completely understand, Mike.  I had planned on finish notching the cross ties and assemble them for the frame of the bridge, but with the wind blowing like it is, I decided to wait until tomorrow.  Brrrr...


----------



## farmerjan

We are supposed to get your wind this evening and into tomorrow with some snow flurries possible tomorrow.  But then it is supposed to be sunny and around 50 or so by mid week.  Windy colder days are good to stay in.


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## Baymule

That face! Love the up-down ears!


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## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> That face! Love the up-down ears!



I could so easily make him part of the family here.  I'm so mean to all of our critters.


----------



## Baymule

Yeah, he looks so abused!


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## Mike CHS

We don't put up a Christmas Tree but since we have family coming tomorrow, Teresa wanted to at least have some semblance of a tree so she used cards that have come.


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## Baymule

One year I cut out a tree from green wrapping paper and taped it to the wall. Then grand daughter #1 (and only at that time) and I cut out ornaments from construction paper and taped them to the tree. It got laughed at, but she and I liked it. 

Tell Teresa that I love her tree and think she is brilliant.


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## Mike CHS

Teresa read your post Dana.  

I'm not sure if I mentioned it before but there is a pair of Bald Eagles that has been hanging out at the end of our road but we haven't been able to get any pictures. yet.  We first saw them a couple of weeks ago but haven't seen them when we had a device to take pictures.


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## farmerjan

One word of warning, watch your ewes while lambing if the eagles are around.  I realize you have the dogs, and that should be enough.  But believe me, eagles have little or no respect for much of anything.  The one that was threatening to me with my free range hens.....  Eagles have been known here in Highland County,  west of here,  to attack ewes while lambing.  Besides the coyote problems,  the sheep industry out there has been totally diminished.  The hilly, mountainous land was much better suited for sheep grazing than cattle in so many instances....... but they cannot raise sheep/lamb when the predators are so overwhelming.  I know everyone talks about dogs, and there are several that have used them.  But when there are hundreds of acres, mountainous terrain, you just cannot practically run dogs with these sheep.  Unless it is like all the "old ways" with a shepard that would follow with the sheep, staying in the general area with the flock with the herding/guardian dogs that were used back "when".   
The eagles are gorgeous, very majestic, fierce, "wild";   but they are not going to be easily thwarted if they decide they want a lamb for a meal.  I have seen them come in after a newborn calf of my own.....the owner of the farm where I was calving my first calf heifers, saw the vultures down after the heifer and new calf, went down to see what was going on, stayed to chase the vultures off, called me, I went there on my way home from work, and made sure that the heifer got the calf up and nursed and taken into the woods.  The young eagle that I was having trouble with was with that group. 
I know you value your LGD's and I hope that they do the job that everyone says they do.  I just would hate for anyone to lose babies, or have damage to one of their dogs because they weren't aware that the eagles WILL attack livestock.


----------



## Mike CHS

Thanks Jan. I haven't seen them around our place and I haven't had any of the Black Vultures come around since back in the spring.  I have two of the vultures hanging on the outside of our fence that seems to act as the deterrent that they are meant to be.  About everyone that I know gets a permit every year to take a couple to hang.  The dogs aren't with the ewes when they are lambing so they aren't part of the picture.


----------



## Pastor Dave

We had a large, artificial tree when we were at the parsonage. I could carry a chair over to my office from the livingroom, but now we do not have a good place to store upholstered furniture, so we got a skinny tree this year. 6-1/2 ft tall and only 16" around, prelit and in just 3 sections.


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## Mike CHS

@Pastor Dave that is nicely filled out for being that narrow and it does fit your spot.


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## Mike CHS

I had the Grandsons down at the shop to introduce them to the dogs and some of the sheep.  They were in awe of Mel's size and loved it that the sheep liked being petted as much as the dogs.  Princess, one of our bottle lambs likes petting to the point of being a pain in the rear but she is sweet in spite of that.  One of the boys asked, where is her mom? and I showed him where she was.  He asked if she had any sisters or brothers and I told him yes. but he was eaten.  He asked who ate him and when I told him I did, his eyes got bigger than I could have ever imagined.  We talked a bunch but he has spent enough time here that it wasn't a total shock.


----------



## Baymule

That's too cute! Our two little grand daughters ask for mean rooster soup. LOL


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## Mike CHS

The youngest got up early enough to go out with me to help with chores after he got his share of dog loving.  Maisy even let him pet her which is unusual for her.  When we were headed out to the cows, I asked him if he could reach the pedals on the Ranger and got the biggest smile I have seen in a long time.  It wasn't the smoothest ride but he kept us out of the fence.

This post was just hanging in limbo I guess since I wrote it earlier this morning.  Since then though things animal related have changed a bit.  The kids and their Dad love the pup and he has really taken to them so he heads home with them in  a couple of days.  Teresa took them over to the kennel she works at to show them all of the dogs there as well as a bunch of goats and horses they have.  Come to find out, we acquired another pup to replace Solas with a litter mate that was destined for the pound.  The gent that had her is unable to handle the female pup and told our friend what he was going to do with her so she went and got her.  She thought we would probably want to take her or she would keep her otherwise.  I'll get pictures once she gets settled in.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

I am so happy for you and Teresa and the lucky little girl....I am sure you will have any poor behavior  corrected in no time flat, you have the magic touch when it comes to animals Mike, that's  one lucky pup !


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Agree - this is that pup's lucky day!


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## Bruce

Mike and Teresa's doggie rescue ranch!


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## Mike CHS

I was browsing some of my usual sites with my 11 year old Grand sitting next me and I have to say that I'm impressed with the home schooling he has gotten so far.  I was surprised at quite a few things that he knew about and a few that I was really surprised about.  I was on Facebook awhile ago and saw a picture of a group of snow men that somebody had done that was made to look like the images of the flag raising that happened on Iwo Jima in World War II.  When I clicked on the photo he said "that looks like the picture of the flag raising on Iwo Jima".


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## Mike CHS

Today commemorates the day that Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese.

Today also commemorates the day my perfect woman and I got married.  She picked the date but since I was career Navy, it isn't likely I would ever forget that date.


----------



## Bruce

Happy anniversary Mike and Teresa!
A lot of us older folks won't forget that date even though it was 15 years before I was born. I don't know that the schools talk much about the wars any more and few kids today know anyone who was in WWII.


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## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Happy Anniversary, Teresa and Mike!


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## B&B Happy goats

Happy anniversary  and   to you both


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## Mike CHS

I happened to be on Amazon placing an order and a commercial came on TV about the last season of Game of Thrones is now available for purchase so I added it to the order.

Our company left this afternoon after dinner. Tom and the boys had spent a lot of time with the pup and when they walked out to get in their car, Solas walked up the hill with them so I guess things worked out.


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## Baymule

December 7 is also my older brother's birthday. I miss him.

My Dad was a WW2 veteran, he joined the navy for 8 years and was in WW2 from before Pearl Harbor until after the war ended. He was in the battle of Guadalcanal. His ship went down in the battle, I don't know which one. I have a picture of him on the ship Lexington that I found after my Mother died.

Happy Anniversary to you and Teresa. Y'all are perfect for each other.


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## Mike CHS

Guadalcanal was about as bad as it gets.  I got to ride Lexington several times doing their training.  It was a big ship when it was built but it seemed so small compared to the Nimitz class ships that I sailed on.


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## frustratedearthmother

Happy anniversary!


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## Mike CHS

frustratedearthmother said:


> Happy anniversary!



Thank you. Every one is better than the one before.


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## farmerjan

Happy Anniversary from Va too.  I was testing cows and when doing the computer stuff, as I punched in the date, I said to my farmer, isn't today Pearl Harbor day?  In another 20 years, with what they DON'T teach in schools, kids won't know about any of the wars or why any were fought.  There will be no appreciation for all the sacrifices that have been made in the past.  And if the far left nut jobs  get their way, we will be a socialist country and any of us OLD PEOPLE left, will simply wonder why we fought and sacrificed for the  young ungrateful  and too stupid to realize what they are throwing away,  ones coming along.   It is a scary thing to see what is happening now.


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## Mike CHS

Our house seems empty with the pup and family gone back home.  They did pose for a couple of pictures just before heading out the door.


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## Baymule

Y’all did a good thing. The pup has a great home and the boys have a great dog. Win-Win.


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## Mike CHS

I took advantage of the nice weather and worked on the fence line trees some while Teresa finished organizing the storage on our porch.  The chest freezer in the picture was next to the refrigerator where it became a catch all for things that didn't have a storage area.  Since we did this a little at a time over a two week period, I didn't take any before pictures but suffice it to say that we had very little storage.  There was two shelves on the outside wall that had all of my outdoor cooking things and I used part of them in the starting seeds for the garden.

We added two tall/deep cabinets to the outside wall, two shorter cabinets over the sink and shelves on both sides of the room.  I still have to build a table that will go on the left side and have a drawer to store all the items we used to de fecal testing.  Other than hang the cabinets I didn't help much since Teresa wasn't sure how she was going to finish it.  I just cut the boards to the size she wanted and other than that, stayed out of her way.


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## Beekissed

LOVE all the different types of storage, both closed and open, as well as the multifunctional room space.   Most of my time here is spent on organizing or trying to organize all the things we use to work and live around here....to have a room dedicated to so much of that work would be wonderful!


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## Mike CHS

We keep our second refrigerator and one of our three freezers in the porch.  We still want to build a small insulated sout building dedicated to meat storage in one of our other freezers so we can legally sell meat from the farm.  The only USDA requirement is that it is a sole purpose room dedicated to meat storage and no household pet access.


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## Baymule

That looks great. Mike, you are a wise man, STAYED OUT OF HER WAY


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## Mike CHS

I made a big pot of Gumbo for dinner tonight.  The okra I used is the last batch from 2018 but it was vacuum sealed for freezing and you couldn't tell any difference in the current year okra that I added to the pot.

The plan has changed about us taking the female German Shepherd but we are helping to make sure she is more socialized before finding her a home.  She is staying at our friends kennel and she lets her stay in the house.  Teresa and I talked it over and decided the couple of months the other pup was here had him all stressed out.  He never did adjust to the pup and you could tell by watching him that he felt completely left out.  She also had something happen that has her keeping her head cocked to one side.  We thought at first that she might have an ear infection but she didn't.  We had an animal chiropractor come out to see if an adjustment might help but no dice.


----------



## Baymule

By "him" you must mean Mel of course. 

Teresa is got something going on....that doesn't sound good. I know you are worried, I sure hope y'all can find out what is causing that.


----------



## Mike CHS

I need to add more names/details to my posts.     The head cocked was the female pup who we are now thinking might have gotten hit by a car.   The 'him' I was referring to is Lance.  Mel has taken everything in stride and everyone loves on him (or he puts that big leg on them).   Lance never accepted the pup at all even after two months.


----------



## Baymule

We are not mind readers...... LOL LOL 
Really glad Teresa is not going in circles half cocked. Laughing!


----------



## Mike CHS

It has only snowed here twice in the 6 years we have had our place.  It is supposed to get down in the 20's tonight so it's going to be messy since there is little equipment in our county to handle the probable ice.


----------



## Baymule

When we get snow and ice, everything shuts down here too. Great for body shops, stupid people zoom around like idiots.


----------



## farmerjan

We will be getting your leftover weather tonight and tomorrow.  We are quite warm today considering, mid 50's.  Still showers/sprinkling.  I had a dentist appt for routine cleaning, and it was warmer than I thought it would be.  Came by and got the bucket of grain then went by the pasture while it was barely sprinkling, and the cow came down after the others but she came down.  I am going to go by and get a sq bale of hay when I take the samples up the hill for UPS to pickup at the local business where I take them, and go by and give them the hay.  I will be taking 2 buckets up to them for the next couple of days so she gets a good share since she comes down last and slowly.  She is dropping weight and they need to come out.  Not much left to graze either and hard for them to get anything much with short grass and shorter teeth.


----------



## Mike CHS

@farmerjan it was 62 this morning when I checked outside right at 5:00 and started dropping rapidly for the rest of the day.  I started out this morning wearing regular pants and I just went and put on my thermals for the afternoon checks.

We only got a couple of inches of snow and I'm not sure if we will get anymore or not.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Baymule said:


> We are not mind readers...... LOL LOL
> Really glad Teresa is not going in circles half cocked. Laughing!


I understood what he was talking about 🙌.....I knew Mel was fine and Teresa wasn't running around in circles with a head cone on ,head tilted .......


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## Baymule

B&B Happy goats said:


> I understood what he was talking about 🙌.....I knew Mel was fine and Teresa wasn't running around in circles with a head come on ,head tilted .......


I guess I’m not that smart. LOL 

Snow! This is a good time to stay home!


----------



## Bruce

Baymule said:


> We are not mind readers...... LOL LOL
> Really glad Teresa is not going in circles half cocked. Laughing!


Or post readers!   Though humans are animals (as opposed to vegetables though I wonder about some, or minerals) I couldn't see Mike calling an animal chiropractor in to treat Teresa.



Mike CHS said:


> Mel has taken everything in stride and everyone loves on him (or he puts that big leg on them)


As in "You will give me some loving, RIGHT??"


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> As in "You will give me some loving, RIGHT??"



He has that move down for both humans and dogs but not so much for rams.    When Mel and Maisy are play fighting she will get up on his back and he just brings that big paw around and brings her down.  Mel and Maxwell (the ram) are learning to tolerate each other but that's about it so I am out there when the dogs are in with the breeders.  As big as Mel is, the ram could do some damage but he does back off when I get on to him.


----------



## Mike CHS

We don't watch a lot of TV but we do like to watch it without commercials so we run it through our TiVo but that died today. I mentioned it before but Teresa is in the hospital in Pulaski doing a sleep study tonight as they try to figure out what's going on with her.  They don't allow phones for obvious reasons so I had to email my Good Night to her so at least she gets it in the morning.


----------



## Bruce

Sleep apnea or narcolepsy? I have both.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Sleep apnea or narcolepsy? I have both.



They are trying everything to see what's going on with an uneven heart rhythm.


----------



## Bruce

Ah, likely not either of those things then. I hope they can pinpoint a problem and resolve it quickly.


----------



## Mike CHS

Our meat processor did a bunch of the venison I took to him as a snack link with jalapeno/cheese mix that is almost addictive.  They are about the size of a small hot dog but they are about as good as it gets.

Teresa didn't get a lot of sleep last night and since she fell asleep with her head on my lap,  I thought I would say goodnight to BYH since it's too hard to type with the computer sitting on the arm of the couch.


----------



## Bruce

I can see where it would be a bit uncomfortable for you to type with the laptop on her head. 
Did they say how long you have to wait for a potential diagnosis?


----------



## Mike CHS

It could be a couple of weeks.


----------



## Mike CHS

We got our replacement TiVo today and the first thing we noticed was there were no cables in the box.  We start to hook it up using the cables we already have and the power cord is a different size.   Teresa called to let them know that they could or should at least let buyers know there are no cables being sent as they know what they were sending and also know what device we are sending back.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Oh gee whiz!!  That stinks...


----------



## Mike CHS

frustratedearthmother said:


> Oh gee whiz!!  That stinks...



That's OK, we received the last season of Game of Thrones the other day so we are watching it again.


----------



## Mike CHS

After almost 7 years in Tennessee we still find it pleasant and simple in the few dealings we have with government agencies.   Our state Tax Exempt Certificate expires in a couple of months and we had been looking into what we need to do to renew it.  Coiincidentally, a letter arrived today from the state that contains our new certificate for the next three years, a copy of the approval that they sent to our country to continue us as Green Zone and a bunch of card sized copies to give to the merchants that we do business with.  They included a copy of the submission form that they automatically submit for us when it was due.  We didn't realize until now that you have to opt out of the program to be taken off the roles.


----------



## Bruce

Sometimes you can get great service from governmental agencies!


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Impressive,......way to go Tennessee !


----------



## Baymule

Gee and I have to reapply for mine!


----------



## farmerjan

Here in Va we fill out an app with each business the first time we do business with them. It  stays on file at each of the businesses for "eternity" and we never have to do it again at that same business.  Any time we go to a new place, we have to fill it out with that business.  It is up to the business to keep that on file.  You just have to tell some of them that you are tax exempt if they are not into real modern computer systems.  Well, I even have to tell TSC that I am tax exempt, then it prints out a form that you have to sign saying you are tax exempt and all that "under perjury of the law" stuff..... in other words, you are not lying about it.  But some places it will automatically come up....


----------



## Baymule

I get a nice email reminder. Same here for business.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

I need to find out what it takes to become tax exempt.  Somehow I don't think being senile is enough...


----------



## Mike CHS

Senile_Texas_Aggie said:


> I need to find out what it takes to become tax exempt.  Somehow I don't think being senile is enough...



You should be able to call your county or maybe your Extension Agent.  Ours is pretty easy to meet, you have to have a minimum of 15 acres for green belt (tax reduction) and for tax exemption you have to show a gross income of at least $1500 and there is no minimum acreage requirement for that.

I haven't used my shop machines much for the last several months but I was processing some rough Ash lumber for a project and found my joiner all stopped up somehow.  On my machine I have to just about totally break it down to get to the dust collection area so I didn't get done what I wanted to do.


----------



## Bruce

That is a bummer, what was clogging it?


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> That is a bummer, what was clogging it?



One of the neighbors was the last to use it and I didn't check after he got done so it's my bad.  I don't know for sure but I have a feeling he didn't turn on the dust collector since he was only running a couple of pieces. I at first thought it might have been a mouse nest but there's no way for them to get into that part of the machine and the hoses are always attached both ways.


----------



## Bruce

Yep, probably just wood shavings then. Jointers do make nice splintery bits unlike most other machines. My planer has forced ejection so the collector doesn't HAVE to be on, it will fill the top bag of the collector with air 20' away. The table saw, jointer and drum sander all need the "stuff" pulled out by the collector.


----------



## Mike CHS

I upgraded my jointer blades to a spiral cutterhead several years ago (actually before Teresa and I got married) so I get these nice fluffy shavings that works well in the chicken coops.  I have the same cutterhead for my planer but I haven't wore out the stock of stock blades I had before I bought it so it still hasn't been installed.  I went from working wood several hours a day before and after work to almost none after we started dating.


----------



## Baymule

A stick of wood lost it's allure up against Teresa.


----------



## Bruce

I suspect having a sheep farm to run also takes away from wood working time.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa's daughter called this afternoon as she was driving back to Reno from Seattle in some terrible weather so she wanted someone to be on the phone just in case.  She had a business trip to Australia all of last week and they worked it out where the son in law was able to fly down and spend a couple of days playing tourist with her before meetings started.


----------



## farmerjan

That was great that your SIL could go down there and they could spend some time playing tourist.  Hope they both enjoyed it.  Australia and New Zealand are on my "bucket list".  Had plans to go there ;  on a "honeymoon trip" with a guy that I was going to marry, over 20 years ago.   He had always wanted to go there, and we decided that once we got all our lives straightened out,  then put together, that is where we were going.  He dropped dead of a heart attack at 55......
But I still would like to go see it.  That and some traveling to see some of the "west" .... all the typical things like the Grand Canyon, maybe the redwoods.....
Sometimes my son will call and talk when he is driving to stay more "awake" and all when driving too.  I do not like to talk when the weather is bad, but I will when it is going along well, and to keep the mind more active.


----------



## Mike CHS

I love New Zealand but only had some travel through Australia so never had much time there.  I have seen most of the western states but haven't gone to the Dakotas or Iowa.  That may have been due to the lack of summer weather.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Teresa's daughter called this afternoon as she was driving back to Reno from Seattle


They couldn't fly her in to a closer airport?? That is a heck of a drive even in good weather. 



Mike CHS said:


> She had a business trip to Australia all of last week and they worked it out where the son in law was able to fly down and spend a couple of days playing tourist with her before meetings started.


DW had a business trip to the London England area MANY (like 25) years ago. Put DD1 up with Grandma and Grandpa and I went along. I played tourist while she and her business associate worked. We did some together tourist stuff on the weekend. DW about got us killed coming out of Stonehenge. In England it is "Look right, look left, the right again" before pulling out onto the road ... only she did it the American way.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> They couldn't fly her in to a closer airport?? That is a heck of a drive even in good weather.



The whole west coast was below minimums except for a couple of airports.  Seattle at least got her home in a reasonable time.


----------



## Mike CHS

We are getting one heck of a light show coming in from the west.  The TV is showing an almost solid red radar map and it looks like @AmberLops is right in the middle of it.

We got the power plug for the new TiVo and have that up and working.  That is one convenience item you can do without but our TV is over the air and it seems the handful of shows that we watch are all on the same couple of nights.  This way we can record them and watch at our leasure.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Hope you don't get the bad stuff that went through LA today....major tornado producer.

Good that your plug for the TiVo came in and it's working well.  It's like you said - you can live without it - but it's nice to have.


----------



## Mike CHS

There was some tornado activity east and south of us but we got a bunch of wind and several inches of rain.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> The TV is showing an almost solid red radar map and it looks like @AmberLops is right in the middle of it.


I hope she's OK, hasn't been posting for a time now.


----------



## Baymule

We were supposed to get rain, but we just got sprinkles. It is cold, 81* yesterday, high of 49* today, 28* tonight.  We had a week of lovely weather, so not complaining.


----------



## Mike CHS

It was warm enough today that I could have worn shorts if it wasn't for the wind that started early in the day.  It started pouring down around sunset for a couple of hours but no idea how much.  Teresa had some hay delivered yesterday which is a good thing since we had so much rain that our friends big tractor would have made a mess getting out into the fields.

The cows are about ready to be processed but I need to build a catch chute down at the other end of our paddocks.  They follow me anywhere I go as long as I have a bucket so they are easy to move around.  The neighbor that sells us hay raises cattle and estimated the smokey one is around 1200 pounds and the Angus is over 1000 pounds so we will process one and take the other to the market even though it's low now.

Teresa got her sleep study results.  They didn't find any issues so we have eliminated several things and found nothing new.  
She does occasionally have some odd things happen when her sugar levels get off so they are pointing to that more than anything.  She is border line diabetic but she usually keeps her diet under control but every once in awhile some food will cause an unexpected spike so we will watch that better from here on.


----------



## farmerjan

How long will it take you to get an appt at the butcher?   I think cattle will start to creep up a bit after the new year.  Here we are looking at Feb-March for better prices we hope.  Many of the markets will operate this week,  a few only through maybe Wednesday, then shut down for the holiday.  The first sale after Christmas the cull cows usually do good since most plants are looking to get back up and running and will need cattle to kill.  
If your markets are anything like ours, kill the smokey and sell the black.   The weight will hurt the smokey as well as the color, 1200 is a tough size for some of the buyers to fit into a group to ship.  A 1000 lb angus can slide into a group of 9 wts...  and of course, black is more in demand here. I think that your markets are similar there.


----------



## Mike CHS

Our markets are similar. Our butcher usually gets us in within a week or so of when we call but this time of year that also depends on how many deer he is working with.  He has multiple work areas and freezers so he isn't as restricted as some.  As a backup there is a bigger operation a little further away.


----------



## Baymule

I book our slaughter dates months ahead.  It's crazy. There are several producers of grass fed beef and one has a restaurant in town. They serve hamburgers and have a meat market. 

There is nothing that can beat home grown beef. 

I hope Teresa feels better and can get things under better control.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> I hope Teresa feels better and can get things under better control.



Thanks for caring.    She is feeling good and it seems that any problems she has had is all blood sugar level related.   She has changed the night time diet some which helps.

I take her to Nashville Thursday week to catch her first flight enroute to Reno to see all of the kids so all problems go away then.


----------



## Baymule

I know Teresa will enjoy that. Maybe one day you can find someone to watch the farm for a few days so that the two of you can go somewhere together. We are Blessed to have our neighbor, Robert that takes care of the animals for us on our VERY occasional trip away from home. LOL But I get the feeling that you have done your travels and your Utopia is right where you are.


----------



## Bruce

Maybe Robert would like a "vacation" in Tennessee


----------



## Mike CHS

JMike called and asked if I would help him build a frame for some speakers he wants to put in his pickup.  We cut out the holes and it needed some cleanup so I took the wood over to the Oscillating Spindle Sander and got it done.  I have been working wood for 50 years and using that sander for over 20 years but not much in the last two years.  I was ready to turn the sander off and reached down to do so but lost control of the piece over the spindle.  The wood was spinning fast enough that I thought it broke my finger when it hit but it's fine now.  This is another reminder to @Senile_Texas_Aggie that we all do things.


----------



## Baymule

Accidents happen. I'm sure you have received lots of safety training over your career. all it takes is one little slip up. I'm glad that you weren't hurt.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Ouch!  I'm sure that pain will remind you not to do that again for awhile.  Really glad it wasn't worse!


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Mr. Mike CHS,

Thanks for making me feel like I am not the only one to do questionable stuff.  I'm glad you didn't seriously hurt yourself.

Senile Texas Aggie


----------



## Mike CHS

It's a beautiful day with temps in the low 60's and blue sky all around.  We went into Lewisburg to have lunch at our farm store since they were having their annual customer appreciation cook out.  Bill said they had smoked 24 pork shoulders and they usually have very few leftovers every year.  The owner said this annual thing started out as some wedges of cheese and some fruit on Christmas Eve to what it is now.  It was standing room only while we were there and they usually run out of food around one in the afternoon.


----------



## Bruce

Sounds like they appreciate their customers and vice versa.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa fly's out of the Nashville airport at 6:30 tomorrow morning enroute to the daughters home in Reno, Nevada.  It's going to be a crowded home for the several days everyone is going to be there.  All three of the siblings plus the two grandsons and SIL's parents and sister are also going to be there from northern California.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Bet they are going to have a blast!!


----------



## farmerjan

Hope she has a great time with all the family.  Safe travels for her.  One advantage to Christmas being in the middle of the week this year is that people are taking advantage of different travel day schedules.  Next year Christmas is on Friday.... due to Leap year.... and everyone will be traveling on Wed and Thursday and then back on Sunday.


----------



## Mike CHS

It was expected but the traffic at Nashville International was a zoo.  We got at the airport right at 4:00 and I was back home a little after 5:00.  When she comes back it's at the other extreme and her flight gets in at 10:30 at night.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa got into Reno about 1/2 hour ago but they were having trouble locating the son and his family.    They were flying through ATL from Charleston so they arranged to switch aircraft there so they all arrived in Reno at the same time.  That way DD! and husband only had to drive to the airport one time since everyone else lives on the left coast and are driving in.


----------



## Bruce

Hmmm, has son and family been found yet??

Going to be busy as a bee hive in Reno, all quiet in Tennessee.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Hmmm, has son and family been found yet??
> 
> Going to be busy as a bee hive in Reno, all quiet in Tennessee.




They did get together once the son decided to quit looking for the others.


----------



## Bruce

Ah yes, the problem of everyone walking around looking for the others.


----------



## AmberLops

Mike CHS said:


> We are getting one heck of a light show coming in from the west.  The TV is showing an almost solid red radar map and it looks like @AmberLops is right in the middle of it.
> 
> We got the power plug for the new TiVo and have that up and working.  That is one convenience item you can do without but our TV is over the air and it seems the handful of shows that we watch are all on the same couple of nights.  This way we can record them and watch at our leasure.


I know it's a bit late but i'm just now seeing this. That was one crazy storm over here...i was at work when it hit and there were a couple tornadoes in surrounding counties. The lightning actually struck close to the store and it completely fried our alarm system. So now the alarms are going off for no reason and it won't let anyone get through the system to turn it off. We are still working on getting it fixed. Glad you guys are okay!


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm going through my garden seeds to see what I need to order and getting rid of anything two years old or older by spreading them in the paddocks later.  We have been getting a lot of lettuce in spite of the freezes out of the spot where the pond was filled in where we broadcast a lot of old seed.

I'm ordering from Gurneys again for the coming spring garden.  One thing I found out by accident the other day is how to get a sale price on their seed.  I put several things in the Cart then decided I needed to go through our seeds to see what we really needed.  A couple of days later, I got an email reminding me I had items in the cart and they offered free shipping. Two days later I got an email with a 25% discount code.


----------



## Baymule

Well what do you know! Now you get a discount!


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Well what do you know! Now you get a discount!



It turned out that the only thing I don't already have is radish seeds and I'll get that at the farm center.


----------



## Mike CHS

We just got back from the Nashville airport.  I'm trying to remember the last time I was awake after 11:30 and it has to be at least 6 years.


----------



## Baymule

So what you are telling us is that you are not a night owl party animal.   

Happy New Year!


----------



## Bruce

The last time I was awake at midnight was early this month on a red eye from So. Cal to JFK. I don't sleep well on planes, feel worse if I do than if I don't.

How was Teresa's visit with the family?


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> The last time I was awake at midnight was early this month on a red eye from So. Cal to JFK. I don't sleep well on planes, feel worse if I do than if I don't.
> 
> How was Teresa's visit with the family?




They had a great time plus they crammed about a weeks worth of activity into 4 days.   They did everything from snow sledding to the casino and quite a few things in between.  They are very close but distance and jobs make it difficult for them all to get together at the same time.


----------



## Mike CHS

When I closed up the chickens yesterday the count showed we were missing one hen.  I looked around but couldn't see it anywhere and since it was getting dark it would either show up in the morning (or not).  They have been roaming further and further away from their pen so I'm going to start keeping them in there since it's over 1/2 acre for them.

This morning when I went down to feed Mel and Maisy I notice Maisy was down the hill and obviously in guard position and not knowing what was going on, I called Mel to me.  Maisy came also and tore in to Mel but it was mostly noise.  She must have got through his thick coat because he turned and literally threw her away from him with legs and mouth.  She must have finally realized his size could overcome her speed and she settled right down.  Still having no idea what had caused that I turned and started back up the hill to feed them.  It was about then that I saw the half eaten chicken.  She must have flown over the fence and Maisy does not tolerate chickens so that one was history.  I disposed of the chicken remains and the dogs settled back down.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Mel only had to do that once to Missy, ...she found out the quiet big guy  wasn't  a push over


----------



## Bruce

Too bad Maisy couldn't just tell the chicken to go back over the fence. Hopefully all the rest stay where they belong.



B&B Happy goats said:


> Mel only had to do that once to Missy, ...she found out the quiet big guy  wasn't  a push over


I suspect there wouldn't be many in the dog world that could push Mel over. Gentle Giant, take it until it is too much then toss the "assailant" aside like a rag doll.


----------



## Mike CHS

Maisy must have flown 6 or 7 feet in the air and the fight was gone.

The chickens will be confined to their pen until we clip their wings.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Mike CHS said:


> Maisy must have flown 6 or 7 feet in the air and the fight was gone.
> 
> The chickens will be confined to their pen until we clip their wings.


It wasn't  that bad here when Mel had to correct missy, I can't  imagine Missy flying 4 feet at her 90 lbs of low rider weight. You must of been very surprised...sure am happy nobody got hurt


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Glad Mel got his point across!  And, glad there was no permanent damage to Maisy.   Reminds me of the time that a boar tossed Cowboy through the air!  I don't know who was more surprised - Cowboy or me!


----------



## Mike CHS

B&B Happy goats said:


> It wasn't  that bad here when Mel had to correct missy, I can't  imagine Missy flying 4 feet at her 90 lbs of low rider weight. You must of been very surprised...sure am happy nobody got hurt



I think Mel has had enough of her attitude as I have.  He goes out of his way to make sure she gets attention and doesn't get pushy to get in first.  I still try to use the pasture walks to make sure they are both comfortable but Maisy can be a bitch in more ways than needed.   Thor was the dominant dog so we never had a problem with them fighting until it was too late.  Mel is not submissive but he is also not confrontational so that makes Maisy think she is dominant.  I am hoping we have it getting there but Mel has been less intimidated by her trying to be dominate in the last several weeks as he sees that he can always come to me.  I am intentionally giving Mel more attention where Maisy can see it and Mel is getting a lot more confident.   I know Barb saw this but I can have Mel sitting in front of me and his head is above my waist.  You scratch around his ears and he gives you a look like he is seeing inside you.


----------



## Baymule

Mel is a darn fine dog. I can see him tossing Maisy, it may not be very nice, but that gives me a giggle. Miss Bossy Pants got taken down a notch. Dog dynamics. 

Paris is still the Psycho Queen here. There was some food left in Sentry's bowl yesterday when I let the other dogs in his pasture to play. he ran to guard his bowl and Paris plowed into him. I yelled at her, that hurt her feelings and she slunk off. Then I had to go love on her while Sentry decided it would be a good idea to eat as fast as he could. 

I bet Teresa isn't happy abut her hen.  You do all you can do, then the hen goes over the fence.

Trip killed a duck and was eating it, then had the nerve to snarl and lunge at me. I grabbed a 4' pine limb off the ground and laid into him. I took his (my) duck and disposed of it. then he killed the rest of them, eating them. Yep, we had a few more Come To Jesus Meetings. I gave up on ducks. Chickens, Looney Gooney Guines=OK. Ducks=snacks.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have had chickens now for almost 3 years and have lost some to all kinds of critters, but not the dogs.  I didn't even get on to Maisy since in her mind she did nothing wrong and she was only doing what comes natural for her.  She is the reason we haven't seen a vulture on the ground in a long time.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

To know Mel ...is pure   .........


----------



## Baymule

To Maisy, a bird is a bird. I understand why you didn't fuss at her. I clobbered Trip because he lunged at me and that behavior is not tolerated by the Alpha B!tch (me). He is great with the other poultry. Guess he likes a duck dinner. LOL


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I know Barb saw this but I can have Mel sitting in front of me and his head is above my waist.


There are only so many dogs big/tall enough for me to scratch their ears without bending over.


----------



## Mike CHS

Mel turned 5 years old today.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Mike CHS said:


> Mel turned 5 years old today.


Well then you just give him a big ole smooch from his Florida momma and tell him I love him   ...please and thank you ..


----------



## Bruce

Did he get a special massive bone to celebrate?


----------



## Mike CHS

He did get one of those giant ones and I closed Maisy in the stall with hers so he could jaw on it in peace.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Happy B'day Mel!


----------



## Baymule

@Southern by choice took us on the puppies journey from before their birth to them going to homes to be the dogs she raised them to be. Mel has been quite the traveler, there are people who have not been where he has been. And now Mel is in Tennessee, his best home yet, being the guardian he was born to be. 

Happy Birthday Mel. You are home.


----------



## Ridgetop

Nothing like 2 massive dogs going at each other to remind us how fragile we are!  Just have to step to the side, flex your knees in case they barrel into you, and wait it out.  Amazing how these huge creatures can go at each other so ferociously, then calmly back off and no blood, nothing!  If it was a predator, you can see how they would just leave a dead carcass on the ground though!  

At 5 years old Mel is in his prime and with his easy going disposition can afford to be easy on Maisie, but he is not going to let her push him around over nothing.  Since she left her chicken at the bottom of the hill she did not have to guard it from him at that point.  

With Maisie's speed and Mel's mass, it sounds like you have the best of both worlds in protection.


----------



## Mike CHS

I think Mel has been in homes where he was loved as much as can be possible.   There was some pictures posted on Facebook yesterday of Mel and his brothers when they were pups and he has not changed a bit.  That big boy makes my heart smile every time he stares in my eyes.

I am pretty sure they got after a skunk last night and fortunately it must have had bad aim.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

That goodbye  with  Mel was heartbreaking,  I know you understand  why......he is awesome. 
Every time you mention  how he makes you heart smile as he stares in your eyes  makes me feel close to him and appreciate  that special goodbye that you  Mel and I shared...darn, I am crying  as I am typing this, Mike I am so happy that he is living life to his full potential.  He is exactly  where he belongs and doing  what he was born to do ..Thank you


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I am pretty sure they got after a skunk last night and fortunately it must have had bad aim.


Or they got it from the front. As I understand it skunks have to plant their back feet to spray. If it didn't have time to turn and plant, it probably didn't spray. With 2 dogs going at it, I would guess it couldn't figure out which target to aim for since they likely weren't standing side by side.


----------



## Mike CHS

I never thought about that but I didn't find any sign of a carcass out there which is probably a good thing.


----------



## Mike CHS

We are just maintaining right now.  I have something going on with my shoulder that makes it hard to be real active.  It has never felt like it really mended after my surgery last year and the non stop throbbing pain is getting to me but this too shall pass.  

I need to build a catch pen for the cows in the next week or so since they are way past ready to go to market or butcher, whichever comes first.


----------



## Baymule

I'm really sorry about your shoulder. it means another trip(s) to the doctor to get it looked at, treated and hopefully, no more surgery. It's no fun to go outside to work around the farm when every movement stabs you like a knife. 

Time to round up the cows. That ought to be a special brand of fun. They are big!


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Uh oh - shoulder pain is no fun!  Hope you get better with no surgical intervention (unless absolutely necessary).


----------



## Mike CHS

I had surgery on it in March of last year and it is nothing compared to before that.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have been putting some time in on the boat.  It checked out on all cylinders but it wasn't wanting to crank the way it should.  It turned out to be a Power Pack and I replaced that and it started right up. It had some odds and end minor things that needed to be done but it's now ready to run.  This boat is a 1978 model and since I have no desire to come paddling back into the ramp, I spent time to take care of what needed to be done.  After all the little things were taken care of we paid to have a friend who is a Marine Mechanic come out to check everything out and he gave it his seal of approval.

So now we have a fishing ready boat and thousands of acres of lakes but I'm not going out there when it is this cold.


----------



## Ridgetop

Hope your shoulder mends.  Getting more mature LOL can really interfere with the stuff we have waited all our lives to be able to retire and do! 

We are still hemming and hawing about moving.  I wake up in the am and look out the widow from my bed and see a gorgeous view of the valley and mountains in the distance with the sunrise making the colors so pretty.  I loo out the kitchen window at sunset and feel like we will never see such a beautiful view of sunset colors.  We have a barn, a good house, good friends, and family here.  We also have very expensive hay prices, people who can't understand how we could possibly eat our "pet sheep" and a new tax on septic tans.  There is already a large sewer tax on people hooked to the sewer.  Then we see everything our dear governor wants to do for the digent, "homeless" and illegals.

We will be back looking around in Texas this summer.   We really need to move out of California.  DH's sister and brother-in-law really surprised us by announcing they are moving to Coeur D'Alene, Idaho.  Theybought a house there and are putting their home in san Diego on the market in February!  They are complete city people and he is a surfer!  They bought a house on 1 acre.  They left 3 daughters and a grandchild in San Diego.  The youngest daughter just married and is planning on getting pregnant asap since she is 38.  I was surprised since I thought they would have stayed for another grandchild but . . . .  

Are you and Theresa going to the National Katahdin show this year?  Will your shoulder be mended enough to exhibit?


----------



## Mike CHS

@Ridgetop we love the cost of living where we are plus the people make a good place, even better.  Our property taxes are a little over $600 a year and we have no other hidden fees. The county just north of us has some fairly steep permit fees (for our area anyway) but our county has none.  I went down to the county office to see if they had anything on our septic system since I needed to figure out where everything was.  They had a hand drawn diagram with approximate distances on a sheet of notebook paper.  

When we built our shop, the only inspection that we needed was to have a single light hooked up when the power company came out to set the meter.

My shoulder doesn't bother me too much and when it does, it's because I over did something.  Like I said earlier, some days it will take my breath away when I forget to be careful but it still is a fraction of the pain that I had before surgery last year.  The Doc told me that he could make most of the pain go away but not all of it.  It's still completely functional so I don't let it bother me too much.  I have a hard time admitting that I can't do what I could when I was 20 like a bunch of other folks.

I'm not sure if we can do the show this year or not but we do our Tennessee and Alabama association shows more than the National since we can do those as day trips.


----------



## Bruce

Ridgetop said:


> We will be back looking around in Texas this summer. We really need to move out of California. DH's sister and brother-in-law really surprised us by announcing they are moving to Coeur D'Alene, Idaho.


Maybe you need to move to Idaho!


----------



## Baymule

Isn't the National Katahdin show being held in Kentucky this year? Had to go look it up, yup.

*July 16-18, 2020. Katahdin Hair Sheep International Expo & Sale.*​*Hardin County Extension Center – Elizabethtown, KY.​* Save the date. Educational Programs and the National Katahdin Sale.​


----------



## thistlebloom

Bruce said:


> Maybe you need to move to Idaho!



Or Vermont!
Actually @Ridgetop , we would love to have more folks like you. We are experiencing a huge population explosion and all  the farms are being gobbled up by housing tracts. Prices have skyrocketed and our kids are finding owning a place out of reach. Sometimes people move to a place and then try to turn it into what they left. That makes me sad. I live north of Coeur d'Alene.


----------



## Baymule

No, she is moving to Texas!


----------



## thistlebloom

Baymule said:


> No, she is moving to Texas!



Maybe we should arm wrestle over her!


----------



## Baymule

thistlebloom said:


> Maybe we should arm wrestle over her!


Now there's an idea! Or we could trust her judgement, let her make up her own mind and MOVE TO TEXAS!!!


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Isn't the National Katahdin show being held in Kentucky this year? Had to go look it up, yup.
> 
> *July 16-18, 2020. Katahdin Hair Sheep International Expo & Sale.
> 
> 
> Hardin County Extension Center – Elizabethtown, KY.*
> 
> Save the date. Educational Programs and the National Katahdin Sale.




That's only 3 hours from us but it still makes it hard for us both to go so we shall see,  We had a guy that we were working with to do some farm sitting but Mel didn't like him so I don't trust him.  Mel has liked everyone except for this guy.


----------



## Baymule

Pay attention to what Mel says! Dogs just know things that we don't.


----------



## Bruce

Baymule said:


> Now there's an idea! Or we could trust her judgement, let her make up her own mind and MOVE TO TEXAS!!!


OBJECTION! Leading the witness.



Mike CHS said:


> That's only 3 hours from us but it still makes it hard for us both to go so we shall see,  We had a guy that we were working with to do some farm sitting but Mel didn't like him so I don't trust him.  Mel has liked everyone except for this guy.


If Mel doesn't like him I don't like him.


----------



## Mike CHS

We had to call a plumber out this morning to change out our kitchen faucet.  We got replacement parts from the OEM 3 months ago but they needed replacing again.  Rather than have to mess with it every three months we bought a Delta to replace it but couldn't figure out how to get the old one out.  They made quick work of it and also showed us how to adjust one of our frost free hydrants outside that has needed it since last spring.

Teresa's Mazda has been in the body shop for a bit of work.  There was a large peice of comcrete beside of our neighbors drive that she hit just right (or wrong) and it hit the passenger side floor hard enough to leave a large hole.


----------



## Bruce

OW!! I've never punched a hole in the floor of a car.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> OW!! I've never punched a hole in the floor of a car.



The body shop owner does boards his dogs where Teresa works so he did good by us.  It could have been worse considering all of the things that could have been messed up.


----------



## Bruce

Good to hear. Around here if you get a hole in the floor of a vehicle, it is because it is really old and rusted out from many years of driving on salted roads in the winter.


----------



## Baymule

Bruce said:


> OW!! I've never punched a hole in the floor of a car.


It takes a special talent, which, sadly, you don't seem to have.


----------



## Baymule

It's always nice to have a repair and/or body repair friend! Congrats on the new faucet. We had the original cheapo mobile home crap faucet in the kitchen and got a new one this past year. It even has the hose and squirty thing. We're real high class around here.

This evening when I went to feed Ringo and Scottie, he pushed me out of the way, ran out the gate, realized the I had the feed, and ran back in.


----------



## Bruce

Baymule said:


> It takes a special talent, which, sadly, you don't seem to have.


No but I did manage to punch a hole in the hood of DD2's car with the flail mower. I might be the first person ever to accomplish that!


----------



## Mike CHS

The faucet we took out was fairly high end but we figured if we got a Delta, it would make it easier to get parts since the internals are pretty much the same in each of their lines.  

I used to let Ringo out of the paddocks so he could graze in the yard so he likes the freedom.


----------



## Mike CHS

Our cat Puddy, has  become a house cat but she spends enough time outside to leave enough dead mice under the Ranger to let us know she is doing her job.  There is a feral cat living in the hay shed for the last few weeks that we make a point of not seeing it but we leave food out.  It is getting more tolerant when we see it but we don't know the sex yet.  If it sticks around I'll put the trap out  and make sure it gets fixed.


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## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> The faucet we took out was fairly high end but we figured if we got a Delta, it would make it easier to get parts since the internals are pretty much the same in each of their lines.
> 
> I used to let Ringo out of the paddocks so he could graze in the yard so he likes the freedom.


He gets to graze the front pasture, but it is grazed down. We've had no rain to speak of, just a drizzle here or there. I'm happy to get this rain. The yard is grazed down, Ringo's pasture is grazed down. I just turned the ewes out on the side pasture for a short time each day. Now maybe with this rain, the grass will get to growing.


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## Ridgetop

Thank you all for the kind words of welcome.  We will be visiting DH's sister and bro-In-law some time or other (possibly this spring) but will not move close to them.  Vermont is way too cold for me, and Idaho too.  We liked what we saw of Utah but again too cold!  If we ever get all the way to the north east, I promise to im you, Bruce.  We are coming back to Texas this summer to look around again.  We would also like to continue further east and visit Tennessee, Kentucky, Louisiana, etc. too.  So many beautiful states in our great country.  I grieve for California which is also beautiful but broken by her politicians. 

 I would love to go to the Katahdin National (livestock shows are my favorite things) but any old livestock show will do.  When and where are the Katahdin shows you usually attend taking place?  

When do you start lambing?


----------



## thistlebloom

Ridgetop said:


> Thank you all for the kind words of welcome.  We will be visiting DH's sister and bro-In-law some time or other (possibly this spring) but will not move close to them.  Vermont is way too cold for me, and Idaho too.  We liked what we saw of Utah but again too cold!  If we ever get all the way to the north east, I promise to im you, Bruce.  We are coming back to Texas this summer to look around again.  We would also like to continue further east and visit Tennessee, Kentucky, Louisiana, etc. too.  So many beautiful states in our great country.  I grieve for California which is also beautiful but broken by her politicians.
> 
> I would love to go to the Katahdin National (livestock shows are my favorite things) but any old livestock show will do.  When and where are the Katahdin shows you usually attend taking place?
> 
> When do you start lambing?



California _is_ a beautiful state. I would never move back though, even if we could actually afford to purchase a home there now.
Took me 40 years to escape, but we loved backpacking in the Sierras, and being close enough to the beach to take the kids regularly. It's sad to me how it has gone so far to the left.
I hope you find your perfect place to relocate.
Idaho has a lot going for it, (no humidity for one) but I won't make a sales pitch, some things should be left secret, lol.


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## Ridgetop

Every day is one day closer to our move.  LOL


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## farmerjan

Even though I have lived here for over 35 years, do not move to Va.  It is leaning way to far in the same direction as California.  Tenn has some really good politics, good gov, good gun laws, pretty good climate.  Alot like here but maybe a bit less winter and a bit more humidity.  I really would like to look at the Smokey Mountain area.  I fell in love with the area years ago when I went down there on a vacation with a friend from up north.  North Carolina is nice in the western part in the mountains too.  Less humidity in the mountains than in the flatter areas. 
I don't have any experience with the soils for growing.  We get 4 seasons, but they have been wacky the last few years.  If you don't want much winter then further south would be better.  I know that Ga and La and Ms all get pretty warm in the summer and alot more humidity.   We used to get a decent "cold spell" for winter with snow and all, but the past few years have not seen much.  We do still get some cold, but it doesn't last like up north.  It is pretty along the coast and @Mini Horses has a more mild climate than we do here on the western part of the state.  @Mike CHS  is in Tn as well as several others.  @Goat Whisperer  and @Southern by choice are in NC I think.  As well as @OneFineAcre  although they don't post as much as they did when I first joined this group.  Don't know about Arkansas, but Missouri has some good farmland too.  Of course, if you wind up in Tx, y'all can start your own chapter of BYH's !!!!!!


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## Mike CHS

Our Tennessee association is a bit up in the air right now due to not many people willing to give the time and effort to make events happen.  We hosted the spring meeting a couple of years ago and we have a spring meeting and fall sale tentatively scheduled but no firm time table as of yet.

We are only a little over 20 miles from the Alabama line so we are in that zone that is a bit milder in the summer and not quite as prone to the storms in the winter as a lot of the state.  If we can do anything to help while you are looking for a place to settle, feel free to let us know.  We are a little under 60 miles from Franklin (the newest metro area of Nashville) so we have the benefits of a city area without the congestion (so far).


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## Baymule

Moving is a job! We were fortunate in that we only moved 160 miles and I was able to carry a lot of stuff in my weekly travels to work on the house. The "big" moving day was nuts, but we sure were glad to have it over. 

When Latestarter moved from Colorado to Texas, he hired a van trailer from Old Dominion freight lines, they dropped it at his place, then picked it up 3 days later. They delivered it to Texas and gave him a few days to unload.


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## Ridgetop

Thanks Farmerjan.  We definitely want to avoid states that are becoming like California.  Hearing about Austin and it's stand on not removing homeless people camping on sidewalks and front lawns is worrying too.  I realize that Austin has been pretty liberal for some years now, but it doesn't sound good.  Residents and business owners are getting pretty fed up with the lack of governments carrying out the laws in regards to public nuisances here in California.  I hope that it begins to show in voting.  However, we have a lot problems with voting here in CA since it is illegal to ask anyone to prove their residence or status to vote.  Very depressing to here that other states are moving in the way of CA.  Other states should look at our problems and avoid them!   



Baymule said:


> When Latestarter moved from Colorado to Texas, he hired a van trailer from Old Dominion freight lines, they dropped it at his place, then picked it up 3 days later. They delivered it to Texas and gave him a few days to unload.



That is good to hear since we will have to move all our livestock panels and equipment.  It will be cheaper to move them than to buy new.  We also have 2 20' Connex freight boxes that we can pack full and have dropped at the new place.  When they are empty, they can be towed into place on our new place by truck or moved with a tractor.  DH used to have a Class 1 license for big rigs, but had to give it  up when his blood pressure went too high.  DS2 and DS3 both have Class 1 licenses though so might be able to drive us out.  On the other hand I think just hiring a company to transport everything would be best.  We will have enough to do getting the new place ready for the sheep and dogs.  Maybe we can find something already fenced for dogs and small livestock though.  Not giving up.

Before the move though, while we still have our children to care for our animals and dogs, we want to do more 5th wheel traveling around the US.  We LOVE Texas and being near Bay is a huge draw  but is it the right place for us? Is there enough grazing and forage year round? We would have to grow our own hay and pay to have it harvested and baled for the winter. Also, how close would we be to a processor for selling our lambs? I really don't like selling individually off the farm to private buyers and would prefer to just take a load to the processor and pick up the check.   Lots to consider.


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## farmerjan

Just an afterthought.... @Latestarters (joes) place just went on the market.... read it on someone's thread. @Baymule  could give you a link I am sure.


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## Ridgetop

Not so sure about Latestarter's place.  I think it may be too far from Tyler.  We need to be close enough to a town with good health facilities since we are not growing younger and have health concerns.  Don't want to have to move again because we need to be closer to hospitals etc. as we get older.  Also, as I recall, he did not have adequate fencing for the goats and dogs, other than a couple small corrals for his goats.  I may be wrong, but I thought I read something about that.  Also, lots of hills and gullies as I remember.

We will find something - we are much more picky this time than 33 years ago. since we know what went into building fences, barns, facilities over the past 30 years on our current place.  Also what it cost in time, labor and $$$!  It might be better to pay more up front and have existing good fencing, barns, etc. in place.  The interior of the house we can work on any time winter or summer.  Outbuildings, fences, and animal keeping facilities are more important if we are planning to relocate our sheep flock and continue raising sheep.

When real estate people hear we are from CA they automatically assume that we know nothing about livestock and ranching.  LOL  You would not believe some of what we have seen as "fixer uppers".  One place had a "turn of the century barn" - which had actually _started falling down _at the turn of the century!  LOL  Other places were lovely, but too large and "estate-ish" for ranching.  Many had no fencing or limited barbed wire fencing in poor condition.  We want a somewhat working ranch property, not too large for us to manage, but large enough to be able to support our small flock of sheep with grazing, forage and hay growing.  Fruit trees (run the pigs in there after harvest for the windfalls if we want pork), space for a vegetable garden, and small rabbitry for DH.  Good fencing is a priority.


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## Baymule

Latestarter's place is 20 acres, bisected by a deep creek. Across the creek is woods, basically unusable. Joe had never even crossed the creek to look at the rest of his property. 

The Tyler area does not have the best auctions for sheep, West Texas does. They are growing in popularity in our area, but we haven't been to any auctions to check it out. There are several auctions in our area that auction sheep and goats.


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## Ridgetop

Depending on how many lambs we would have at one time for sale, we would probably truck them west to the processor.


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## Mike CHS

It is another of those dreary days but the temps are still on the warm side until Sunday or so.  We had a buyer for one of our steers but they had to cancel and luckily it was before I took them in to process.  Our butcher says he might have a couple of buyers so we will see how that works out.  We won't be raising cows after this year.  They weren't any trouble but we are set up for sheep and adding cows limits our options with the sheep.  I much prefer being able to open a gate and the sheep go where I want plus the area I need to load them has to be dry in order for me to get the trailer in and out.  That could be fixed but two cows requires as much grass and hay as our 30 ewes.  The original purpose was to help with parasite control but moving them with our setup wasn't practical.


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## Baymule

So I suppose y’all got them loaded up and taken to slaughter. We’re they any problem to load? No more cows.... Well what about a horse for Teresa? I recommend a Tennessee Walker, y’all are in the state that bred and made them famous! A horse only eats as much as 5 sheep, not 15! So with those numbers, you could get a horse too and go riding with Teresa! Two horses would eat as much as 10 Sheep so think of all the money, grass, hay and Feed you would be saving! And since you would never take them to slaughter, they wouldn’t be taking up space in the freezer! It would make Teresa so happy! When is her birthday? LOL LOL


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## thistlebloom

Baymule said:


> Two horses would eat as much as 10 Sheep so think of all the money, grass, hay and Feed you would be saving!



I admire your logic Bay. I have no sheep so I think I must be saving even more money!


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## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> The original purpose was to help with parasite control but moving them with our setup wasn't practical.


It was worth a shot, can't really know if it will work out until you try.


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## Mike CHS

The cows are still here.  I can get them in the trailer but my trailer doesn't have a divider so I need to be able to get rid of them both at the same time since when I try to trailer them, they are both going in.

I never say no to Teresa except when it comes to horses or mules as I don't want them out there.


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## Bruce

Well then using Bay's logic, you could get Teresa a couple of alpacas because they don't eat much at all. And they don't need (and as I understand it shouldn't have) expensive high protein hay like alfalfa. Feet trim same as sheep and goats. Plus they weigh less than your Katahdins.


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## B&B Happy goats

Hey Mike, sure could use a Mel fix...got any new pictures of the boy


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## Mike CHS

B&B Happy goats said:


> Hey Mike, sure could use a Mel fix...got any new pictures of the boy



Most I have are a month old or so but I'll take some new ones.  Here is one you may not have seen before (a very young Mel)


 MMel)


el


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## Mike CHS

I was getting ready to email Amazon to report three lost deliveries of packages then I remembered that delivery people will put mail and packages in a car or truck rather than leave anything on a door step.  Since almost nobody locks vehicles around here it's common enough but since we are almost always home, I forgot about it.  We do lock our house doors but most people here don't.


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## B&B Happy goats

Awwwwww, there he is...how cute is that younger picture of him!!!!
Thank you for the Mel fix, I was starting to get withdrawal  symptoms, lol


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## Bruce

And your packages were in a vehicle?


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## farmerjan

Mike CHS said:


> The cows are still here.  I can get them in the trailer but my trailer doesn't have a divider so I need to be able to get rid of them both at the same time since when I try to trailer them, they are both going in.
> 
> I never say no to Teresa except when it comes to horses or mules as I don't want them out there.


Take one to the stockyard sale barn, then the other to the butcher.  You can get them to separate them at the stockyard and reload the one you want to keep.  Our stockyard does that often if we can't get them sorted at home or have a nut case that we load with someone sensible and then they just get a ride back home.  
Is it a USDA plant?  get them both done up and just sell the meat.  Might take a little time but if someone were to taste it, I bet you could get it sold.  PITA to sell by the piece, but better than taking a hit at the yard.
Speaking of that, went to a bred cow sale tonight, prices were a little better than  the ones my son picked up last week, and no calves on the ground yet, but the guys were saying that we need to ship our 450-600 wt steers ASAP.  Prices are up and they think they are going to drop off by March...... Hmmmm.... not what I was expecting to hear.... Said it was okay to hold off on the heifers, they ought to hold or go up a few cents......
So that means the 30+ steers out to that other pasture that some got mixed in with the neighbors when the bulls got to fighting and tore up fence.... we have a bunch of their cattle and they have some of ours.....need to be sorted out and brought home.


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## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> And your packages were in a vehicle?



When the weather is rainy they do put them in one of the vehicles.  Even the USPS does that plus we often put a dozen eggs in the mail box and raise the flag.  If it's decent out they put them on the step by the front door but it has been raining almost non stop. Mel hears them when they turn into our driveway 1500' away at the road so we are usually out waiting for them if we are home.


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## Mike CHS

Thanks Jan.  I'll talk to the sale barn and see if they are set up for that and they are usually easy to work with.  We can't legally sell the meat here since we don't have a dedicated food storage area plus although we have three freezers, we won't have enough available storage for probably close to 8 or 900 lbs of beef.  One of our freezers is full of sheep meat and the other is all veggies.  We got the cows at a price that lets us make out decent even if the market is down.


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## farmerjan

@Mike CHS  there is no reason that they can't let the 2 off the trailer, they have several pens that they will sort cattle in and they can easily run one in and the other they can just turn back and run back on the trailer.  It is done all the time.  Just ask.  I am sure they would because it means that you are still going to sell one with them, and that is a commission in their pocket too.  It isn't rocket science.  Now if yuou were trying to take advantage of it, and it was one of their busiest days/times  I can see them not wanting to do it.  But, it won't take them 10 minutes to sort the one off and run him back.  Plus, they have to go through a chute so they can tag them separately, because they do  not match due to color and size and build from what I saw in the pictures you posted last.  Not saying there is anything wrong, they are 2 different types of animal.  At that size seldom are any sold together because they are either destined for a feed lot to put more finish on, or they will be sold to an individual who might be looking for a beef.  Whichever, they would be channeled down a chute for a backtag" to be put on them, and run on the scale individually.  So at any of these points the one you are keeping can be turned back.  Might be interesting to see what each weighs.   
This time of year they shouldn't be so terribly busy to be swamped.... don't see why they wouldn't do it. 

If they each weigh 1000, you would get about 300 +/- lbs of actual meat back from each.  Just a thought for you to consider.  If it is vacuum  packed, it would keep in the freezer for several years in very good shape.  Contrary to what all the experts tell you, I have kept beef for several years and it has been just fine to eat.  So you might want to see if  the butcher only found someone wanting a half, you would still have plenty of room.  In fact, you should be able to handle both if the freezer is empty at this time.


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## Baymule

We bought a half a beef 3 years ago and I still have some of it. It is a good as the first day. With the pork, chicken and lamb we have, we don't eat as much beef as we used to. A full freezer is a great problem to have.


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## Bruce

farmerjan said:


> Contrary to what all the experts tell you, I have kept beef for several years and it has been just fine to eat.


Does it matter if it is a self defrosting freezer or not? My understanding is freezer burn happens during the warm up to defrost cycle.


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## Baymule

Bruce said:


> Does it matter if it is a self defrosting freezer or not? My understanding is freezer burn happens during the warm up to defrost cycle.


Both my freezers are frost free. With the vacuum seal, I have some meat that is 3 years old and still good. I even have my own vacuum sealer and it keeps fod good for a loooong time.


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## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Both my freezers are frost free. With the vacuum seal, I have some meat that is 3 years old and still good. I even have my own vacuum sealer and it keeps fod good for a loooong time.



We had T-Bones from the spring of 2018 a couple of days ago and they tasted as good as any we have had.  Two of our freezers are frost free and they perform as good as the one that isn't.  The technology has changed though and freezers don't get as high of a temp as they used to.


----------



## Mike CHS

Depending on the weather tomorrow we are going to bring the main herd in to check out hooves and give shots and pull fecals on some.  Overall I think we culled pretty good before breeding but we still have a couple that will be on the go list so we have slots for a couple of the upcoming lambing.  It is supposed to be windy and wet early tomorrow but it looks like we can get them all in by late morning.  Most are too close to lambing so what feet we work on will be with them standing rather than tipped in the chair.  It will give us a chance to firm up the cull list at the same time.


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## Baymule

Sounds like a good day. How many ewes do y'all have now and how many are on the cull list?


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## Mike CHS

The culls are the 3 that we thought about not breeding to start with so we need to stick with our instinct.  Overall, what we kept for breeders are sound and as we hoped for.  We have 30 breeders plus the bottle lamb girl that we will add to the herd when we pull Maxwell and put the wether in with him.  She doesn't have the size we want but she gets a year to improve just because she is a spoiled brat and has figured out how to get animal crackers out of my jacket pocket.  We are thinking about taking the numbers back down to where we were last year - but probably around 25.


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## Baymule

I have 10 ewes, culling one, adding 3 ewe lambs. I will probably wind up culling every ewe sired by that scroungy Dorper ram. Somewhere along the way, I'll buy a few registered ewes.


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## Mike CHS

We had JMike available today so we made use of him to work all of the sheep in and of course it was pouring rain and windy with winds a steady 20-25 knots and gusting so I got soaked even with rain gear on.  I moved the big dogs to the kennel while we worked and moved the two lambs out, then brought the herd in to the handling area. They haven't had any feed for two months but they still came in when I put some food in the troughs.  It only took us a little under three hours to check condition, weight, pull fecals on about half of them and gave a dose of garlic to all of them.  We only wormed 3 that had a low Famacha and we can bring them back in after scoring the samples.  It is going to be a fairly long lambing this time around since they look like they are due anywhere from two weeks to probably as long as five weeks.

Today was the first time we had Maxwell in the chute but he did great so all the hands on time has paid off.  In spite of being in with 31 ewes, his weight now is 187 pounds which is up from 165 when I brought him here from Missouri.


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## Mike CHS

It turned out that none of the ewes that got wormer yesterday needed it.  We still use the Famacha method to get a ballpark thought about our sheeps condition but it has proven to be unreliable more often than not.  It has allowed us though to catch a critter that is over loaded with parasites that was in otherwise good looking condition.   Since we have Barber Pole worms here we will continue to use it though.


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## Baymule

The best thing that ever happened to my sheep was Teresa teaching me to run fecals. FAMACHA is better than nothing, but fecals don’t lie. 

We have two beautiful sunny days, but keeping grand daughters and littlest has fever off and on, so can’t go outside. They are drawing with Papaw right now, oldest made cookies. Later I’ll entertain the littles by making pizza dough and letting them decorate their own pizzas. 

I would have been happy to trade you my sunshine for your rain. In the last 8 days we got 5” of much needed rain. The rye grass and clovers finally started growing!


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## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> I would have been happy to trade you my sunshine for your rain. In the last 8 days we got 5” of much needed rain. The rye grass and clovers finally started growing!



We have gotten 5" twice in the last week and 3" in another but I'm not griping.  I started to buy some mud boots that weren't quite as high as the ones I originally had but lately I have been needing the taller ones.


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## Baymule

Last I checked we were still in drought mode.


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## Mike CHS

I wore more layers of clothing today than I have since we got our place.  The high was 22 and windy but started out at 15 degrees.  I didn't watch the weather last night so I messed up and left the water cans fpr the morning water on the Ranger and they were all froze.  Fortunately I had extras in the shop so I was able to go out early and break ice and add warmer water.  Normally when it gets this cold I park the Ranger closer to the house and offload the water cans in to the porch which we keep comfortably warm because of Sassy and Lance sleeping out there.  I know there is no sympathy from you northern folks but this is as cold as it gets here.

The high today was 25 so I went out several times and broke ice and added water.  I didn't have the camera when I went down to feed but Mel and Maisy had bedded down on a hill in the field last night.  I guess that tarp that I put up as a windbreak in the shop stall, the hay to lay on, and the heat lamp to keep them warm isn't something they think worth their time.


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## frustratedearthmother

That's just too cold!


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## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I guess that tarp that I put up as a windbreak in the shop stall, the hay to lay on, and the heat lamp to keep them warm isn't something they think worth their time.


Nope! I had made Merlin a spot in one of the little rooms off the barn alley. Got him a dog bed. Got him a heated water dish. When he slept in the barn it was on the alley floor next to the outside wall and opposite the chicken coop. He drank out of the alpacas' heated water bucket. I still have the unused XL dog bed, the chickens got the heated water dish.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Nope! I had made Merlin a spot in one of the little rooms off the barn alley. Got him a dog bed. Got him a heated water dish. When he slept in the barn it was on the alley floor next to the outside wall and opposite the chicken coop. He drank out of the alpacas' heated water bucket. I still have the unused XL dog bed, the chickens got the heated water dish.



I have gone down to feed them and they have frost on their coats and they don't seem to care.


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## Bruce

Yep, Merlin would sleep out in the snow and be covered in an inch or two. All dry and toasty warm down at skin level once I dug my fingers down there. Those dogs are well suited to cold snowy weather.


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## Baymule

My dogs must be Southern wimps like me. LOL Sentry has a dog house in the barn, in a small pen that I keep open for him so he can run the pasture and bark at boogers. It is deep bedded in hay. Paris also loves her dog house, deep bedded in hay. Trip is usually on patrol at night or laying in a hole he dug. I put hay in the kids playhouse and he will go in there. When it thunders, all bets are off and he’s clawing at the back door to be let in. When we go to bed, he goes out on the porch. Carson is farm/house dog, he is ok wherever he decides to be. Frost on their coats? I don’t think so! It’s 27 degrees right now. Sheep are snugged down and so are my wimpy dogs. LOL LOL


----------



## High Desert Cowboy

Man here I am at 5600 feet in Utah and it’s 38 degrees this morning and raining!  I could get used to this.  Is this how you guys feel most of the time?
Dogs are pretty resilient I’ve looked outside when it’s snowing and my dogs will be out lounging instead of snuggled up in their dog house.


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## Mike CHS

We are at 1500 feet here but thankfully, we only have a couple of weeks with temps this low.  We get above freezing this afternoon and then back up into the 50's and more rain.


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## thistlebloom

We are at 2400+.  You sure are having some warm weather @High Desert Cowboy , especially at that elevation.
My dogs are outside dogs with house visiting privileges. The Berner gets too hot inside and will often lay on her back and let it rain or snow on her belly. The ACD would love to be a permanent house dog. 
Yesterday they had been in with me for about 3 hours when I asked who wanted to go out. Larka (Berner) jumped up and trotted out the door. Wren (ACD) feigned deafness and turned her face to the wall so she couldn't see me. 😄


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## Bruce

I think Wren has not been informed of her heritage and duties! Or if she has, she's refusing to abide by them.


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## thistlebloom

Bruce said:


> I think Wren has not been informed of her heritage and duties! Or if she has, she's refusing to abide by them.



Yes, it's true, she's a herding failure. We got her from a little farm when she was one year old because she wouldn't work the cattle. But she can work a ball to death!


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## Ridgetop

Our old Pyrenees all refused to come into the house ever.  When we had tropical storms (we get them up from Mexico with thunder, lightening and rain so heavy you can't even see to drive) the children would go our=t and drag the Pyrs into the garage.  As soon as someone opened a door, they would knock them over and make a dash for the outside with the children calling "Come back, you'll catch cold!"  It was hard to convince the kids that the dogs were happier outside in the storm and they could shelter in the barn if they wanted to.  Oddly they preferred to hide under bushes!

Our Anatolians, Rika and bubba, will come inside.  Angel is less interested in coming in but will come in if we demand it.  Bubba is the one that likes being inside the most, then Rika, then Angel who prefers the company of her sheep even though she always comes up for loving when we go outside.  The other night Rika was standing at the back door looking through the glass so I let her in and gave her a treat.  She enjoyed about 2 hours inside then asked to go out - probably to breath treat breath on Bubba and Angel to make them jealous.  LOL

I think selling the cattle now is a good idea.  Cattle are bigger, heavier to handle, cost more to feed and you have established yourselves in the sheep business with repeat customers.  Getting rid of them with the prices of beef now is probably a wise business decision.  I did notice that prices are up a bit in Texas this month.  They have been super low for a while,  With the high quality of Katahdin sheep you and Teresa have, growing your ewe flock and adding outside rams is a great idea.  Plus you have the sheep set up already in place with chutes etc.

We considered raising  few head of beef when we move, but our expertise is all in small stock and we have decided with the poor prices on beef these days we will stick to sheep, add some rabbits, a garden and home orchard, and enjoy our time watching the sheep and lambs.  We can buy our pork from Bay!  LOL


----------



## Ridgetop

thistlebloom said:


> Yes, it's true, she's a herding failure. We got her from a little farm when she was one year old because she wouldn't work the cattle. But she can work a ball to death!


She probably figures why should she do all the work, there are 2 perfectly good humans around to herd the sheep!  LOL


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## Mike CHS

We got some Jersey beef from the friend that we buy hay from and have to say that we were impressed with the taste.


----------



## Bruce

I got Jersey Angus cross beef today, enough for 1 steak a week for a couple of months. Can't tell you how good it is yet  because it is still in the freezer.


----------



## Mike CHS

I moved the cows into the paddock that I'll use to load them up when the time comes.  They have gotten trained to the bucket well enough that they just followed me across the field.  I put up a catch pen up and they stood there and watched so they don't seem to fear it and went right in when I put some feed out for them.  It's just T-posts and cattle panels but I'm hoping that will do since they seem pretty calm.  We have a buyer for 1/2 of one and hopefully can get a taker for another half and we have enough freezer space to keep the slightly smaller Angus for ourselves.  I'll pull the trailer out there using the tractor and just leave it there out of the way for them to get used to.


----------



## Shellymay

Mike CHS said:


> I moved the cows into the paddock that I'll use to load them up when the time comes.  They have gotten trained to the bucket well enough that they just followed me across the field.  I put up a catch pen up and they stood there and watched so they don't seem to fear it and went right in when I put some feed out for them.  It's just T-posts and cattle panels but I'm hoping that will do since they seem pretty calm.  We have a buyer for 1/2 of one and hopefully can get a taker for another half and we have enough freezer space to keep the slightly smaller Angus for ourselves.  I'll pull the trailer out there using the tractor and just leave it there out of the way for them to get used to.



Mike, like you we DO SHEEP, but had a good deal offered to us last summer of trading some sheep for 2 cows, sure why not right...…… Well we were not set up to handle cows or not sure how we were going to get them loaded when the day came. This is what we did, we put the trailer in the pasture that cows were in and unhooked it and removed vehicle, we blocked behind the tire of trailer and opened the back gate, we drove a t-post and just hooked a chain around the back gate to t-post so it could not close in the wind.....We then put feed pan on ground right at back of trailer, we let cows eat out of it there for several days, then we moved feed pan inside trailer about 4 ft or so, just enough they could see it and they knew that was the pan that had their yummy feed in it, they did indeed hop right up in the trailer and ate, we fed in this same place for several days. Once comfortable getting into trailer and eating and getting themselves back out, we kept moving towards the front of trailer until the day came that they were eating all the way up front of trailer and very comfortable...Well the day came for slaughter day and once they got in we unchained and quickly closed door behind them and I couldn't believe how easy it was, then we backed truck in and hooked up and pulled out of pasture.....Note: we already had a slaughter date set, we began doing the feed pan behind the trailer about 7 days before the slaughter date and it only took about 5 days and all was working well, yes there was cow poo back of trailer doing it this way but nothing a pressure washer couldn't clean up!


----------



## Mike CHS

Thanks @Shellymay I may wind up doing something like that but for now, I'm stuck doing what I am since where I had to build the chute is also the main entrance to most of my paddocks.  That plus the larger of the two is inclined to use his weight to push anything that can be pushed.  We had the stock trailer and a lighter utility trailer in the same field with them and they both got pushed into fences.


----------



## Mike CHS

I did a trial run with the cows this afternoon and called them into the chute for feed and they came right in.  I went ahead and pulled the cattle panel gate closed to see how they reacted and they didn't react at all.  I kept it closed till they finished eating to check their reaction and they just stood there till I opened the 'gate' and they walked right out.  I put a little more feed in their bowls and they came back in so I hadn't spooked them.  They don't spook at all when I'm around them so I'm pretty sure it will work once we get the other half of beef sold.


----------



## farmerjan

@Mike CHS  I think that your steers will do fine.  I would put the trailer, hooked to the truck where you want it to load out, a week before you want to load them.  Then feed in the pen like normal.  See how they do.  If they just look at it and say oh well, and go to eating, then I would pull it out again after they are done eating.  Then do the same the day before you need to load them.  Does your slaughter place allow you to bring them the night before?  Some like it so that they have an emptier gut tract, some don't care.  If they do, then I would go ahead and load them and take them the night before.  They should be in a secure pen there.   If they act up at all the first time you try it then you have a week to work on it.  But I really think that they will be fine.  If you  get them in the pen and then get the the gate open to the trailer you can probably get them to follow the feed pans into the trailer like @Shellymay  suggested.  I have cows that will load themselves out in the field into a trailer because they have been fed in it before;  even when I have no feed.  They see the open trailer and say oh boy, I'm going somewhere to get fed ......It is funny.  And some see the trailer and go the other way unless they are already penned.  Yours are pretty quiet and if you don't do anything too different, they will do what you want.  Just do things the same way. If it is just you then do not get anyone to help you.  Or like we do, we might go to the field in the same vehicle, but i will stay in the truck when he calls them in. then once they are penned, I will get out to help.  Or I will go to the field first and get them in and he will be in the truck and trailer say at the end of the road and I will call and say they are in the pen.  Do a partial trial run of having the truck and trailer there so they can see it and you are not doing anything suspicious.... then they will just act like it belongs there.


----------



## Mike CHS

Thanks @farmerjan.  I have had Teresa go out with me several times a week so they are used to seeing her outside of the fence to make sure they aren't afraid of her and don't react when she is there.


----------



## farmerjan

Yeah, it is the thing of something being different.  If our cattle see 2 of us together, they will watch us closely because we mostly always do things singularly.  And up to 2 years ago, the cows didn't think anything of someone out walking around when I was walking through the cows.  Now, some places they freak out if they see someone walking through the pastures.  They are used to us in a vehicle, truck, or on the 4 wheeler.  I used to walk the pastures alot when we were calving,  but if they saw 2 or "god forbid" 3 of us for any reason.... the heads went up and they were heading in the opposite direction because that meant there was "something terrible going to happen"..... It is all routine with them.


----------



## Mike CHS

Our butcher is booked till the third week in February for the cows.

Our #34 ewe is the one that I used to call Wild Thang and was nearly as wild after being here for 2 1/2 years as she was the day we brought them home.  All of the others were hand tame within two weeks of being here.  I was petting one of the ewes while I was out hauling water for them and another ewe nudged me and I reached over to pet and was surprised that it was 34.  I was giving the other ewe some small pieces of animal cracker and 34 came right up and looked expectantly for her share.  She took several pieces and came back for pets as I was on my way out of the paddock.  Little things make me happy.


----------



## Bruce

Wild Thang has become Tame Thang!


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Congrats on Wild Thang changing her tune!  I've had that happen with goats - who knows what goes through their mind for soooooo long and then one day they just morph into a friendly critter.


----------



## Baymule

You got good advice on loading the cattle. I see rib eyes in your future.


----------



## Bruce

There are ribeyes in my future too! 
Of course ... I had to buy them  I have 3 in the freezer along with 1 tenderloin, 3 porterhouses and 3 sirloins. Jersey X black angus.


----------



## Mike CHS

That's what we had for dinner tonight and they were good.  We all pay for it one way or another. 

The bunch of beef we got from him was swapped for a bunch of lamb.  He sells most of his beef in the field for right at $1.00 a pound on the hoof.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Looks great!


----------



## Ridgetop

Are the animal crackers you give to your ewes as treats those cheap ones in the giant plastic canisters at Costco or Smart & Final?  I want to tame down my ewes and lambs.  I can start while they are in the lambing jugs since they are confined in a very small space.  I will get a big canister of those cookies and try them.  Our ewes are fairly docile, and a couple are pretty tame and come up to be stroked, but I want then to be really tame so I can handle them more easily in a larger arearea.


----------



## Mike CHS

Ridgetop said:


> Are the animal crackers you give to your ewes as treats those cheap ones in the giant plastic canisters at Costco or Smart & Final?



That is the kind.  We also get them at Tractor Supply and I break them up so they are only getting a small treat at a time.  Not all of my sheep are that tame but the ones that aren't that tame will follow those that are.  

I still have to bring them in to be able to get hands on a lot of them but none of them will fight to get away once I get my hands on them.


----------



## Mike CHS

Today was a normal day with not a lot going on.  I let Maisy and Mel out to wander around outside the fence and they were happy.  Mel is less inclined to come back when I want but that's expected and he stayed within the property area and came back when his curiousity was satisfied. I actually had to take Maisy and walk away since he was trying to see what his limits are.  

We extended the cows loading area that I have been feeding them in.  The way I had originally set it up, there was not enough area enclosed to give me room to bring the Ranger in and out and be sure the cows couldn't head out the gate.  We added about 10' to the loading area that includes the panel that is the gate so I can keep them out while I bring water in.  That lets me close it while I'm coming in and going out without having to worry about them getting out of the gate.  I got to looking at the cows and then looking at my trailer (which is a horse trailer) and decided I needed a bigger boat.  Our older stock trailer is bigger even though the frame is bent a bit but we only have to go a couple of miles so we will use that.

These steers have never been aggressive and not overly curious but I'm happy that they come right into the chute when I put food out.  They don't react when I get into their flight zone walking past them to close the panel that will act as the gate.  I wait till they finish their feed and open the gate and they just walk out.


----------



## Baymule

Got any pictures of your cow panel loading pen?


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Got any pictures of your cow panel loading pen?



I don't have any yet but I'll take some.  It's a pretty simple layout and the biggest thing was to get them to stay calm because it wouldn't hold them if they decided it was a bad place. The steers are coorperating which is about as much as I can expect.


----------



## Baymule

Can you back the trailer to it and feed them in it a few days?


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Can you back the trailer to it and feed them in it a few days?



I don't know if you remember our layout but this is on the far side of our place so I built the chute so I can take the trailer out a couple of days ahead of time with the tractor since I have to go through the chute and then back out to set it up.  With any rain at all, it stays too wet to use my pickup.  It has been quite awhile but these two have been in a trailer a lot when they were younger.  I made the width sufficient enough to be able to open the trailer doors and secure them to the gate posts a few days before.  I just need to make sure I have some hay brought in early enough for the sheep since this is the gate I have to use for that.  I have been fattening them up a bit more.


----------



## Mike CHS

Since I had the camera out I got a couple of Mr. Mel.  Whatever was bothering his eyes down south evidently doesn't grow here so his eyes have cleared up.


----------



## thistlebloom

Handsome Mel. 
You have lovely land.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

I believe Mels eye issues were from his under the porch pit digging here., that is some very fine dusty sand under there. He looks wonderful  Mike, so happy he is living the "good life"


----------



## Mike CHS

I never thought about the dust being the cause.  I'm just happy that Mel and Maisy worked things out and I thought you would like seeing a picture of him.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Mike CHS said:


> I never thought about the dust being the cause.  I'm just happy that Mel and Maisy worked things out and I thought you would like seeing a picture of him.


I love getting my Mel fix's, ...thank you Mike..... 
I'm pretty sure that was the situation with Mels eyes, he didn't  have any problem when I first picked him up and got him here, it started after he got his pit going about 8 " deep, I treated the irritation with eye cleansing  solution , ...he continued digging, Lol...I continued flushing his eyes , gotta love that boy ,.
 You had me laughing when you said you had let him out and he was less inclined to come when you wanted him to...sure know that experience  with him,


----------



## Ridgetop

Wonderful pasture - how long can you graze on it before going over to hay and carry feed?


----------



## Mike CHS

Ridgetop said:


> Wonderful pasture - how long can you graze on it before going over to hay and carry feed?



We just have lambs on that paddock in the picture with the dogs.  I can graze that just about all winter as long as I don't push too hard plus there is another one that same size that I rotate through.  The main herd is basically in a dry lot now and totally on hay (since the end of October).  We had an unusually hard early freeze that hit just as the cool season grass was starting on and it hasn't come back in with the extended cold.  We usually can graze in rotation till January but not this year.  We also have a large amount of cool season grass going now outside the fence that I use the dogs to rotate the sheep through.


----------



## Baymule

I wish I hadthegrass you have! We’re working on it.


----------



## Bruce

B&B Happy goats said:


> .sure know that experience with him,


Like going to visit the dogs at the druggie's place around the corner?


----------



## Ridgetop

I wish we had any kind of pasture.  Forage is all we are blessed with when it rains.  Until we have super growth we still have to feed with hay.  Hopefully when we get to our new place . . . .


----------



## Mike CHS

Ridgetop said:


> I wish we had any kind of pasture.  Forage is all we are blessed with when it rains.  Until we have super growth we still have to feed with hay.  Hopefully when we get to our new place . . . .



Yep and two months from now I'll be starting to mow.


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> Yep and two months from now I'll be starting to mow.


You really know how to rub it in don't you?


----------



## Mike CHS

We were working outside for most of the morning and saw flock after flock, literally thousands of Canadian Geese fly over our place heading north.


----------



## thistlebloom

Mike CHS said:


> We were working outside for most of the morning and saw flock after flock, literally thousands of Canadian Geese fly over our place heading north.



Ours don't seem to migrate. They are here year round, though they do seem to fly over in large vee groups in the spring and fall.
People with docks on the lakes have major goose poo cleanup in the spring.


----------



## Mike CHS

We were going through last years taxes and noticed the income was a lot lower than it should have been.  Turns out my Social Security income was not included with the figures so looks like we get to do an amended form for last year when we have our 2019 taxes done.  We had not even looked at the tax forms after we picked them up from the accountant.


----------



## Bruce

That's going to make a dent in the bank account 

Turns out that Canada geese have full migrating populations and "local migrating" populations. Local might be a few hundred miles but that explains why we sometimes see them flying north in the winter. I've stopped telling them they are going the wrong direction.


----------



## thistlebloom

Mike, I hope you don't mind if I tell a little Canada goose story...
I have a very wealthy client whose property  I maintain. They have a large estate on one of the local lakes. The Mrs. is a very type A personality and an absolute perfectionist. Every fall and spring  the geese would congregate on their dock, which is at the bottom of a steep bank, accessed by 65 steps. ( I've counted 🤪) When she would see them from the house window she would grab a broom and go charging down the stairs hollering and waving the broom around to scare the geese off the dock. 
I witnessed it one day and it was beyond hilarious. Those darn geese would slide off the dock into the lake and swim off about 20 feet, she would go back up the stairs and the geese would turn around and get back up on the dock to finish pooping.

 I stationed myself to work in one of the beds that had a good view of all the commotion. Oh my lordy she made me laugh!
She really is a reasonable person otherwise. I love you Ellen! 😄


----------



## Mike CHS

@thistlebloom feel free to post all the stories you want.  Most of call it interaction


----------



## Baymule

Y'all had a very good day! I love hearing geese flying overhead. There is a resident flock nearby at a large private lake, but they don't fly over this way. 

Taxes. 

This new emoji arrangement never seems to work the first time. It just put the not smiling face on "Y'all had a good day!" I deleted it.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Mike CHS said:


> We were working outside for most of the morning and saw flock after flock, literally thousands of Canadian Geese fly over our place heading north.



It was only early January when the Canadian geese first showed up here.  Last year, it was the last of May when they left.



Mike CHS said:


> looks like we get to do an amended form for last year



Ouch!


----------



## Mike CHS

We brought the main herd in to check condition and do some random fecals a few and on those that we wormed the last time to see how they are trending. Overall they are looking good but we did lose one of our original ewes last week to an unknown cause.  Low parasite load.


----------



## Bruce

Are you getting a necropsy done on her?


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Are you getting a necropsy done on her?



No


----------



## Mike CHS

Our first set of twins arrived here about a half hour ago from my favorite two year old.  From the time she separated from the herd, It only took her about 15 minutes to have the first one followed by the other in about 10 minutes.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Always nice when it goes exactly the way it's supposed to!  Congrats!


----------



## Bruce

Super!


----------



## Mike CHS

She birthed fast last time also.  It has been 150 days since we put the ram in so she must have been one of the first bred.


----------



## goatgurl

hey mike, glad to see that youall are well.  was surprised to see mel living with you but went back and read B&B's thread and found out why.  hate what she and dh are going through but happy for him and you guys too.  
nice looking lambs, mom did a great job.


----------



## Mike CHS

@goatgurl   Mel was a tremendously hard decision for her and it pained me to watch the pain she had on leaving here.  I have said it before a couple of times but there is no doubt in my mind that Mel would have been taken back to Florida if she didn't think he would be happy here.  Literally within minutes of being down in the sheep area, the big boy acted like he had been raised here but he still wanted to see Mama the next morning as if he knew she would be leaving.  He has truly become an LGD that loves his job.


----------



## Baymule

Congrats on the new twins! Really sorry about the ewe you lost.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Congrats on the new twins! Really sorry about the ewe you lost.



I'm pretty sure she was lambing and we weren't here at the time but we didn't think anyone was due for another week (today)


----------



## Mike CHS

The twins (a ewe lamb and a ram lamb) born yesterday are 8.4 and 8.7 pounds.  Depending how she grows out, the ewe lamb is likely to be a candidate to be a replacement ewe. The dam hasn't needed worming since August 2018.


----------



## Mike CHS

Ashylyn was in labor and looked to be having trouble so I went out to see if she needed help.  By the time I got out there she was cleaning off a long legged ram lamb.  I was out there quite awhile and thought she was done so I came up to the house and when I looked out she had another lamb that she was cleaning off.

The other one I took because that is Wild Thang trying to put her nose in my pocket to see if I have any crackers.


----------



## Bruce

Yep not so wild anymore! Congrats on the two new lambs, glad he was able to do the job without problems.


----------



## Baymule

Ashylyn is so pretty. Is her second lamb black too? Congrats on 2 more healthy twins!

Wild Thang isn't so wild anymore. ​


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Ashylyn is so pretty. Is her second lamb black too? Congrats on 2 more healthy twins!
> 
> Wild Thang isn't so wild anymore.



The ewe lamb is brown with a lighter shade face.  I'll get some better pictures in the next day or so since there should be several more births.  We had one last time with almost the exact coloring that turned really ugly as she grew.

I was going to do a lambing thread but there has been enough going on here that I haven't been on as much or taking as many pictures.


----------



## Mike CHS

Just got back in the house but there was another set of twins born about an hour ago and one just went off by herself so she may be starting labor.  I didn't have the camera but I'll take some pictures later when we go down to ear tag some of the lambs.


----------



## Hens and Roos

congrats on the new lambs!


----------



## Baymule

You know, phones take pictures. Maybe it’s time for a phone upgrade ? LOL LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> You know, phones take pictures. Maybe it’s time for a phone upgrade ? LOL LOL



I don't carry the phone I have and likely would not carry an upgraded one.  




She left the after birth right by the gate to the shelter so I took a picture when I went down to get rid of that.


----------



## Baymule

Adorable! Nothing sweeter than new born lambs. I have one more due in February and 1 more due in May. I don't know why the one due in May didn't settle, Ringo was "courting" her several times. I began to wonder if she would take or go on the cull list as barren.


----------



## Mike CHS

I have a couple that I'm not sure are even pregnant right now but I'm going to pull the ram soon.  I intended to keep him out of the shop pen when I let them through the gate the other day but he saw what I was doing and rushed through when the last ewe went through.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> We had one last time with almost the exact coloring that turned really ugly as she grew.


Preference by L'Oréal! 
Choose a color you like better


----------



## Baymule

Haha Maxwell is no dummy! 

Right now Ringo has one ewe with him. She is due in March so I’ll be taking her out this month. Then he can sniff through the fence until May when he gets half the flock back. 

I have one terrible ewe that will go to slaughter. I have two ewes sold. I’ll wean their lambs, worm, trim feet and breed them to Ringo before they go to their new home. I’m keeping 3 ewe lambs from this crop. I’ll breed them and the late lamb mommas in the fall to Ringo. If I work this right, he shouldn’t have to live alone for very long at a time.


----------



## Mike CHS

We had another set of twins born while I was in the paddock about 1/2 hour ago.  Both of these guys are small so we will keep an eye on them.


----------



## Bruce

I hope they will do well, I'm sure your care will help make that possible. 
Are they the first for this ewe, therefore maybe why they are small?


----------



## Baymule

I hope they do well and grow off good for you. My cull ewe had twins, small, they have stayed small. They are dwarfed by their bigger half siblings from other ewes. Can't exactly stick an air hose up their butt and pump them up!


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> I hope they will do well, I'm sure your care will help make that possible.
> Are they the first for this ewe, therefore maybe why they are small?



This is her second lambing.  She is on the smaller side of our girls but we didn't cull because of her immune system.  She is two years old and has never needed worming and we tend to favor that over size.  The white one is a ram lamb and she wouldn't let me catch the other one so we will see later.


----------



## Baymule

That is some good worm resistance! Keeping her genetics is a good idea. I'm guessing that she is Ringo's daughter?


----------



## Mike CHS

She is one of Ringo's for sure.


----------



## Mike CHS

This is a grainy picture because I zoomed from the house a couple hundred feet.  This ewe lamb has marking similar to our bottle lamb Taffy from last lambing.


----------



## Mike CHS

We got home from the store this afternoon and I went into the bedroom to change clothes because we were going to do ear tags this afternoon before they get where I can't catch them.  I looked down at the stall and saw a lamb on the wrong side of the fence.    We went down and put her back in the paddock but have absolutely no idea how she got out.  There were a couple of possibles though so I tightened them up and filled in an area that has a bit of erosion that would possibly be big enough.  The first born were already  wild but their dam is on the wild side so it's natural.  I called the sheep into the stall where they are used to getting feed occasionally and then lured about half of them into the handling chute to keep them out of the way.  I actually put some food out and opened the gate and all of the ewes came in with their lambs so doing ear tags was just a few minutes.


----------



## Mike CHS

I meant to mention earlier that all of our lamb weights are much smaller than previously.  Of the 8 born so far, the weights range from a low of 6 1/2 lbs to a high of 9 1/2 pounds.  Granted these are all twins so they aren't abnormal.  The last couple of lambing seasons had us worried about the ewes giving birth because the lambs were huge.  Last season, our smallest lambs were almost 9 lbs and most were in the 12-13 pound range with a few over 14.  We went into this winter planning on minimal added sustenance and mostly on hay unless their condition started going down.  They are maintaining well although I do give feed (a small amount) every few days.  The labors that I've seen so far are amazingly fast and the ewes are recovering faster so this will probably be our method from now on.


----------



## Bruce

Sounds like things are working well. It will be interesting to know how these stack up with prior year's lambs come market time.


----------



## Mike CHS

We will start putting feed in the creep feeder in the next few days and in the past they have put on almost a pound a day and I expect that to stay the same.


----------



## Baymule

Another spotty lamb like Taffy! She'll be a pretty one for sure. You were getting some big lambs. The smaller birth weight lambs are easier on the ewes, by far! Figuring out the feed schedule just shows how much y'all pay attention to the health of your sheep.


----------



## Mike CHS

This morning brought us a set of long legged twin ram lambs just after the sun was up.  It does look like this is going to be a protracted lambing cycle.  We expected that since when we put them together we were in a hot cycle where the temps were in the high 90's and had been for awhile.


----------



## Mike CHS

Another set of twins around 4:00 this afternoon while I was out feeding.  Twin ewe lambs both around 8 pounds.  She was still cleaning them up when I got out to the field to see what they were.  I had seen her pass the after birth so I took a bag out with me to pick it up but she had already eaten it by the time I got there.  They were born about 20 minutes before I took these pictures.


----------



## Bruce

She's a good mama!


----------



## Baymule

4 lambs! Congrats! Looks like you got some spotty girls on the second set of twins!


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> She's a good mama!



These ewes have never disappointed and make it look like I know what I'm doing.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> 4 lambs! Congrats! Looks like you got some spotty girls on the second set of twins!



Max does throw a bit of color but I'm liking the length on all of these lambs so far.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Soooo cute!


----------



## goatgurl

good looking lambs.  the new ram seems to be making long leggy babies.  and a little color too.  woot...  its s good thing wild thing is still so wild, if she weren't the house/herding dogs would have to fight her for a spot on your lap.


----------



## Mike CHS

goatgurl said:


> good looking lambs.  the new ram seems to be making long leggy babies.  and a little color too.  woot...  its s good thing wild thing is still so wild, if she weren't the house/herding dogs would have to fight her for a spot on your lap.



She makes me make sure I have plenty of animal crackers in my pocket when I go out.


----------



## Baymule

Ringo genetics X Max genetics is looking like a winning combination!


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Ringo genetics X Max genetics is looking like a winning combination!



It does so far.


----------



## Mike CHS

A single ewe lamb arrived a little over an hour ago.  This ewe was nervous about me approaching her lamb so I didn't get closer for the picture as I didn't want her to go out in the rain.   I think the count now is 8 ewe lambs and 5 ram lambs.


----------



## Baymule

That's a good count so far!


----------



## Mike CHS

I separated those that haven't lambed yet into another paddock and then called the girls that had already lambed into the shelter so we could catch up on ear tags.  We had another three sets of twins this morning.  That is 8 down and 21 more to go.  I didn't get but a couple of pictures since both our hands stayed pretty busy with that many lambs needing worked on.  So far there are 6 ram lambs and 9 ewe lambs.


----------



## Baymule

21 more to go, you are going to be neck deep in lambs! LOL


----------



## WolfeMomma

So much color!! Love it!


----------



## Mike CHS

Our sheep are pretty hardy and normally don't mind the weather. We rarely get snow but we got enough this morning that they want nothing to do with it. We opened up the stall last night so they could get out of the wind and they are taking up every inch of it.  I'm not sure how but they all managed to lay down and spend the night there. At least I'll be getting some fertilizer for the garden beds this morning when I clean it up.  I was going to open up the chute area but they have cattle panels and some of the smaller lambs could fit through the holes.


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## Mike CHS

Teresa ordered a new computer and they shipped it expedited via UPS.  The driver asked her what was in the big box since it was so light for being so large.  They opened it up on the truck just to make sure it was what was ordered.

There was enough bubble wrap in that box to last us for the rest of the year.


----------



## Mike CHS

One of these pictures might be considered graphic by some but they are a cool sequence of events.  I rarely have the camera available when the sheep have a bit of a story to tell but did this morning.

This ewe was one of our first and has zero fear of humans so she didn't mind when I sat down to watch her lambing progress.  There was a problem with several lambs in the shelter that kept trying to nurse on her.  She kicked at them several times and then she got really frustrated and started bawling at them.  Finally she came up right in front of my face and bawled at me like she was saying "Get them out of here".  I got them out and she lay back down and continued in her labor and had her first lamb a couple minutes into it.

She made it clear that I was no longer welcome by getting between me and her lamb and stomping her feet so I took the hint and left.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Nice pictures Mike, I never had the "visual " of how big a baby lamb looks !  
What is your guess on the weight ?


----------



## Mike CHS

I'll know for sure this afternoon but these are on the small side (probably around 6-7 lbs) but that's OK considering there are three of them.


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## B&B Happy goats

That's  still pretty impressive ...three  at that weight   ........


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## frustratedearthmother

Three!  That's awesome!


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## Mike CHS

This one is a Dorper/Katahdin cross and she weighed 145 pounds before she got pregnant.  She has had multiples since we first brought her home.  She acts like a pet and has lambs that are never skittish starting from the day they are born and they stay that way as they mature.   This girl has a place here as long as she lives.


----------



## thistlebloom

That's a great illustrated story! Love how she told you to get those bratty lambs out of her birthing area. 😄


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## Bruce

And here I thought it was goats that hid from inclement weather!


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## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> There was enough bubble wrap in that box to last us for the rest of the year.


Sounds like Amazon (though it isn't an Amazon box). I swear they must just grab the closest box that is at least big enough and fill it with packing materials.


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## Mike CHS

Bruce - that computer came from Best Buy.

Most of our sheep will lamb in the open but some of our senior ewes were raised in stalls at their birth farm so they will come in if given the chance.


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## Mike CHS

The brown ram is 7.2 and the two ewe lamb s are 6.4 and 6.7.


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## B&B Happy goats

How sweet is that ! ....nice looking healthy sheep family


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## Mike CHS

Our ewe Notag had a set of twins this morning.


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## thistlebloom

Your ground looks frosty today.
Thanks for sharing the lambing pictures, your pastures are going to be jumping and bouncing with lambs soon!


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## Mike CHS

A lot of that was snow left over from yesterday but there was also a heavy frost.  Of course, the shelter with the heat lamps was empty this morning.


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## Baymule

Congratulations on more twins! Looks like one has black spots!


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## Mike CHS

There is some black, brown and even reddish brown on several.  I'm curious to see how it holds as they grow bigger.

I haven't been out yet so I'm not sure if there are any new lambs but it is getting busy out there.  Teresa captured a picture of one of my favorites (aren't they all?) getting a piece of cracker.  They extend their lips to get the cracker and keep their teeth away from my fingers.


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## Mike CHS

One of our senior ewes had a single ewe lamb early this morning which is a first for her since she has always had twins. We still have 3 of the older girls to lamb and then the rest are yearling first timers.  Since I had the camera to get a picture of 33 and her lamb for our records, I took a couple of shots of feeding time. There are so many that I also put a few troughs in the chute area do they have plenty of room.  Notag has settled down from lambing and I was able to sex her lambs - both of them are ewes.


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## Baymule

Awww...… love the lambs! And yes, aren't they ALL favorites?  Looks like Maxwell has done a good job!


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## Mike CHS

Twin ram lambs popped out a little over an hour ago.  The dam is our 21 ewe who is Notags daughter. They have exactly the same calm personality.


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## Baymule

What handsome boys!


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## Mike CHS

I've lost track of which lambs have been posted but I know I have skipped several.   This long legged boy was born this morning.


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## Baymule

What a cutie!


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## Duckfarmerpa1

Mike CHS said:


> One of our senior ewes had a single ewe lamb early this morning which is a first for her since she has always had twins. We still have 3 of the older girls to lamb and then the rest are yearling first timers.  Since I had the camera to get a picture of 33 and her lamb for our records, I took a couple of shots of feeding time. There are so many that I also put a few troughs in the chute area do they have plenty of room.  Notag has settled down from lambing and I was able to sex her lambs - both of them are ewes.
> View attachment 69703View attachment 69704View attachment 69705


So, do lambs jump and play like goat kids do?  I’m not familiar with them yet...maybe they will be at our farm next year?  . They are sure cuties!!  Congrats!!


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## Bruce

They do! I've seen videos.


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## Mike CHS

They form up in a gaggle and run circles around the adults.     Once they get several days old they have this stiff legged gait that is funny to watch.


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## Mike CHS

We got caught up with ear tags this morning.  One of the lambs was three days old so we have no idea where they had been hiding.  The advantage of having tame sheep is that we can work them in the field without any problem since while the mom is distracted getting bits of Animal Cracker, the lamb is easily picked up and tagged. We much prefer that with the new lambs since I'm always afraid they will get trampled by putting that large a number in the stalls,

Two were lambing while we were out there but not in a position for a picture without bothering the ewes.


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## thistlebloom

Mike, in that last picture, it looks like a horn dimple on the lambs head, or is that just a cowlick? Are your sheep naturally polled?


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## Baymule

Adorable lambs! How many does that make now?


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## Mike CHS

@thistlebloom that is a cowlick but a couple of times we had one of the Katahdin/Dorper crosses show up with some horn. 

@Baymule I have lost track until we finish up the tracking ledger tomorrow but we are between 34 - 36.  We have been busy tracking past histories compared to current status to figure out who goes and who stays.  We are probably within a week of being done for this season unless Max took another long smoke break.


----------



## Mike CHS

Maxwell and I have been working on our relationship.  When we set up our handling area we did not take a relatively young ram into the equation.  As expected he will come in when I put out feed but also to be expected, he tries to make sure he gets as much of the feed as he can.  When he starts to be dominate on the ewes I show my dominance on him and run him out and wth any luck, I can continue to make sure he doesn't know that he out weighs me.  (Ringo was so easy).  I can only do that when there are no lambs are in the shelter since he can do some major damage to them.  I mentioned before that I can't move him out until the cows go to the butcher since that paddock is right in the middle of where I need to send the ram (bad planning on my part).  Pete (the wether) that will be keeping him company has turned into the sweetest young sheep that we have. He has been with Maisy since birth and is one of the two that thinks they are sheep LGDs so I'm curious to see how this works out.  They even race with me when I'm going around the lane in our Polaris outside the paddocks that they are in.


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## Baymule

Yes Ringo is so easy, what a love bug! Maxwell may never be Ringo, but with your handling, I know that he will be the best that he can be. 

Sheep LGD-- that's so messed up, but in a good way. haha, reckon he is going to chase black vultures away and BAA BAA at varmits?


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## Mike CHS

Another of my favorites just finished cleaning off her twin ewe lambs.  This girl hasn't needed worming in over a year and has a tendency to stay fat even on hay only.


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## Baymule

And you got twin ewes from her? How lucky can you get? That's awesome!


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## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> And you got twin ewes from her? How lucky can you get? That's awesome!



She has had twins her first time also.  Her dam and her daughter is the same way and her other twin last time was a ram lamb.


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## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> She has had twins her first time also.  Her dam and her daughter is the same way and her other twin last time was a ram lamb.


She's a keeper! Those are good genetics to have in your flock.


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## B&B Happy goats

Still love watching the kids pictures you post...how is Mel doing with the population explosion  going on ?


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## Mike CHS

Mel is doing good but he has had some skin issues for the last two weeks so we have had him in the kennel.  I originally thought he had an ear infection but the vet seemed to think it might have been residual from the skunk encounter.  We shaved his hair in that area and got rid of what infection was there but he said he wasn't sure what it was since there was no smell.

I have been going to see him several times a day and he doesn't appear to be stressed out at all.  All of the inflammation has gone so hopefully tomorrow, he can come home.  They consolidated two outside areas for him so he has his own little kingdom.

There was two more sets of twins born last night so we will go out and ear tag the ones that are really tame since there is too many of them to bring in the shelters.  If we keep the same numbers going into next winter we will enclose the outside 10x32 area that is under the roof to be able to handle the numbers more safely.


----------



## Baymule

With Sentry's surgery, we are keeping him in the house, in a dog crate. When he gives me hugs, he rubs off that fine Anatolian underfur on me and reminds me of Mel. Give Mel a hug from his Aunt Baymule and tell him I love him. Mel went on quite a journey to get to where he is now. He's been to/through more states than most people. And now he is home.


----------



## Mike CHS

I just got back from feeding him and was going to bring him home this morning but I want to give him a couple of good medicinal sprays on the area that was infected so will probably leave him through the day anyway.  I have a feeling that once he gets back in his fields I won't be getting any more spray on him.

We have a rain/snow mix going on now but we are still going to be out in it for most of the morning at least.  We need to band several of the ram lambs and I need to get a tire fixed on the live stock trailer so I can set it up for the cows to get used to.


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## Baymule

Haha, yeah I can picture him running from the spray bottle. I bet he was glad to see you! 

I’ve taken Sentry out 3 times this morning, he is walking better each day. I can’t take him with me to do chores, the ewes would butt him, can’t have that. Have to keep him on a leash and he wants to chase trucks at the front fence, can’t have that. I’m taking away all his fun. 

Snow and ice? Wimpy me has been out in the wet cold and I come in, nose running like a river. Yuck. Nice and warm in the house. Warming up leftover jalapeño poppers for brunch.


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## Mike CHS

We got caught up on ear tags this morning with the set of twins that was born yesterday afternoon and another set of twins this morning.  Every time I'm able to walk up and pick up lambs without the dams freaking out makes me appreciate sheep that are trusting.  The ewe on the right always looks poor no matter how much feed she gets but she makes pretty lambs.


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## Baymule

I have a ewe that always looks bad when she has lambs. She puts it all in the milk bag. Pretty lambs Mike, Maxwell is doing his job!


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## Bruce

Baymule said:


> Snow and ice? Wimpy me has been out in the wet cold and I come in, nose running like a river.


It made it up to 9°F today. I went out only to put out the trash and recycle barrels and every 2 to 2.5 hours to check for eggs. Supposed to be below 0°F in the morning but make it up to high teens later. That makes me a wimp too!


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## B&B Happy goats

Sorry to read that Mel had a skin  issue, ....we were just talking about him...please give that boy a big hug and smooch from us he is such a good boy


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## Mike CHS

B&B Happy goats said:


> Sorry to read that Mel had a skin  issue, ....we were just talking about him...please give that boy a big hug and smooch from us he is such a good boy



He actually seems to be enjoying it.  Before his third bath, he even walked back to where the water was and sat down for us.  He has been all cleared up since Monday but with the weather we are having, I thought it better to leave him there through the temps that are getting down in the teens.  His hair is growing back fast but I don't want him getting frost bite since he prefers being in the open instead of the shelters.


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## B&B Happy goats

Mike CHS said:


> He actually seems to be enjoying it.  Before his third bath, he even walked back to where the water was and sat down for us.  He has been all cleared up since Monday but with the weather we are having, I thought it better to leave him there through the temps that are getting down in the teens.  His hair is growing back fast but I don't want him getting frost bite since he prefers being in the open instead of the shelters.


I completely understand, but you must be wanting him back out with you again, maybe Maisy misses him , lol..absence  makes the heart grow fonder ☺


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## Ridgetop

Finally tracked down Mike & Theresa's Journal!  Hooray!  

You are having a terrific lambing season with the multiples and lots of ewe lambs.  They are just as tasty as rams but you have the option of picking and choosing among them for replacements which you can't do when you don't have enough ewe lambs.  Our first Dorset ram was a great big long ram than made nice lambs, but only ram lambs.  In the 3 years we used him he only ever produced 1 ewe lambs!  Granted our total flock number only 6 ewes at the time, but only 1 ewe our of all the rest rams?  Our next ram produced more ewe lambs, thank heaven.  The last year he produced for us we got mostly ewe lambs out of all twins and 1 set of triplets.  Most of them went to slaughter, and then of course, we lost a lot of sheep, and our lamb crop the following year with the fires.  That is when we switched over to White Dorpers!  LOL  It was a good time to do it since we had to restock anyway.

Love the easy lambing you are having and the spots make them easy to identify.  Easier at a distance than ear tags!

Have you given any more thought to going to the big Katahdin show this summer?  I overheard DH telling someone on the phone that we were going to "the big sheep show" in Tennessee this summer - I thought we would have to discuss it but apparently he likes stock shows as much as I do.  Or maybe he figures it will be safe to go to the Katahdin show since this is not our breed so I won't be bidding on anything!  

I was sorry to hear about Mel's skin problem.  He must have had a bad allergic reaction to the skunk spray.  Last year Bubba was chewing his feet and legs and the vet put him on some sort of pills.  They helped but did not clear it up entirely.  I was not sure why he was gnawing on himself, the vet thought it was some sort of nervous thing.  He did not have any fleas - we kept checking and using the monthly flea stuff.  This year DS1 was looking at the label and noticed that he was supposed to get 1 pill am and 1 pill pm.  We had just been giving him 1 in his dinner!  OOPS!  I had to double my prescription order through Chewy but he seems to be doing better now that he is on the correct dose.  Bubba is also going on a diet.  When we had him at the vet last month for his eye check up, he weighed 170 lbs!  I think that is a bit too heavy although he is not fat.  I want to take some of the weight off him - just enough to feel his rear ribs.  Too much weight isn't good.   Angel weighed in at 110 lbs.  She is only 1 year old and not filled out yet.  She will be larger than Rika who is only 125 lbs. at 7 years old, and who we keep a weight check on.  Rika is also shorter than Angel.   The coyotes are bad here always.  They sing all around the house every night.

It looks like your parasite eradication breeding program is really working well.  With the number of ewe lambs born from parasite resistant mamas this year, you should have a range of good replacement ewelings to choose from.


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## Mike CHS

We still aren't sure about the show this year but we would like to.

We are finding that the biggest thing that has helped our parasite program was and is culling the weakest of our sheep. We have more than enough land to do a good rotation when the grass is growing but that of course changes as soon as we get a freeze.  We are into the 4th generation of sheep that we have done heavy testing on and the lines that were the weakest to start with still are if that makes sense.  We only have two left of those that showed the least immunity and those two are showing signs of Bottle Jaw in the last week.  Both have been treated and if they make it, they and their lambs will be going to market.


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## B&B Happy goats

Morning Mike , don't  tell Mel this...but Winston has  many of Mels great qualities...he will never be a LGD by any means,..... but you were right, that mischievous  look is pure intelligence  ! He makes us both as happy as  when Mel was here, he has that calm nonthing phases him feel, and is such a confident secure loving young boy....I "feel " a mini Mel with me every day....give the big guy my love and a hug


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## Baymule

I can’t imagine me without dogs. I’d rather fall and can’t get up and die there with my dogs around me for comfort than be rescued and stored in a warehouse for old people. 

Mike your lambing is going great this year. Since Teresa taught me how to run fecals, I sure have a different outlook on my flock.  I’m sending one ewe to slaughter, 2 are going to be sold, bred, as starter ewes and I’m only keeping 2 ewe lambs.


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## Mike CHS

@B&B Happy goats  I bet Winston will keep the smiles coming.

@Baymule we feel the same way about running fecals.  It takes a lot of the guess work out of deciding who goes and who stays.  Of course we can't tell yet who the replacement ewes will be but we have a tentative list based on the senior ewes history.

Mel was due for his shots so we took him in to the vet and stopped by TSC and then the CO-OP on the way home.  He is getting a decent sized fan club with folks wanting to get their picture taken with him.  We got him a big chew bone so as soon as we got him back in the kennel, I wasn't a priority for him.


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## Mike CHS

One of our ewes that came here from Alabama is working on cleaning off her lamb that was born about 20 minutes ago.  There may be another in there but she is showing no sign but then again we thought she had a single last time only to find her feeding twins about an hour later.


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## Ridgetop

Your heavy culling and testing is why you are getting such great results.  The hardest thing to teach in livestock is the NECESSITY of a heavy culling program.  Sometimes you have to cull a large proportion of your flock/herd to get the results you want.  It is worth it in the long run to adhere to that program. 

We learned it with our first heavy breeding program - 100 cage rabbit breeding and showing operation.  Luckily all the culls go into the  pot!  It is easy with rabbits since you can breed 3-4 litters a year.  We have culled entire litters where the breedings did not result in what we hoped for - some lines just don't cross well even though both parents were  champions.

We followed that heavy culling practice with our dairy goats, selling anything that did not have a good udder, constant testing and immediate eradication of any animal that didn't pass.  We never kept our own breedings for stud bucks - we found it was better to bring in new bucks that gave us improvement. That was harder to convince kids to do since you only get one breeding a year, by the time the does freshened you loved them, and a lost year is gone forever.  But by the time we sold out our dairy herd DS2 was one of the top exhibitors, high milk yields on test, and healthy animals.  It pays off.  

If I were going to buy KatahdIns I know where I would enquire for breeding  stock!


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## Mike CHS

Every time I get a chance, I let our mentors know how much I appreciate them.  

Most of the folks on BYH have animals of some kind but occasionally our charges give us a chance to tell a bit of a story.  The lamb that I just posted was a few minutes older in this next picture but it shows how the lamb can go from birth to nursing in under 40 minutes.


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## Mike CHS

We went down to get the stock trailer ready to hook up to the tractor and saw that it had one tire flat.  Got that replaced at COOP and got it ready to load up.  That spot is directly across from where the lambs like to hang out so Teresa took a quick picture.


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## frustratedearthmother

Holy Cannoli - that's a bunch of cuteness all together in one place!


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## Ridgetop

They already look so big!


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## Mike CHS

No pictures this time as we had a lot going on but we have a big ewe lamb single and twin ewe lamb.  We have three more to lamb and this season will be over.


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## Ridgetop

Yay!  It certainly went fast!  And no problems!  That is the best part!  Congratulations on a great season.


----------



## Mike CHS

I snapped a picture from the living room window of the yearling cleaning off her twins.  I'm out with the sheep more than Teresa so I see most of the births but Teresa finally got to see the twins being born.


----------



## Baymule

So many babies! I never get tired of it.


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## Mike CHS

I have lost track but I think the last twins comes out to 38

We have been discussing the number that we want to keep but there is some beautiful lambs out there.


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## Mike CHS

I was out with the sheep and heard one of the yearlings bawling.  She lay down and it was only a couple of minutes and out popped a lamb.  She got up and started cleaning it off and after 3-4 minutes she lay back down and started labor again.  As with the first, it was only a couple of minutes and out popped another.  I have never seen a lambing go that fast.  This ewe probably should be a cull if size were our only consideration but she has some genes that is worth more than size any day.

We only have two left to lamb and one of them is the ewe in the second picture. The last picture is a couple of ewes trying to get their nose in my pocket for an Animal Cracker.


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## Mike CHS

The last yearling that was due had a single not long after that last set of twins.  The senior ewe above is the last one to lamb.


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## Ridgetop

Mike CHS said:


> We have been discussing the number that we want to keep but there is some beautiful lambs out there.



That is why you need to take some to the show!  Does the Katahdin show have an auction?  Put a reserve on what you take, and sell some of those pretty lambs.  With your track record and the parasite program you have been doing, I am sure you will get good bidding on them.  Plus the show expenses are tax deductible to your farm.


----------



## Mike CHS

They do have sales at the KHSI shows.  I have made some good friends in our Tennessee Association but I find the KHSI sales to be in a world that I really don't want to play in.  They are way over priced at the sale and you can get similar sheep two days later or half the cost. 

This is going to be a bunch of random thoughts of things going through my little brain today.  Today seemed like the day only lasted a couple of hours.  I spent way too much time among the sheep seeing how everyone is looking and probably went through a pound of Animal Crackers but was there for the lambs arrival.  I have upped the feed in the morning since a couple are having a hard time regaining their condition after lambing.  The ewe with Bottle Jaw has me surprised that she is still alive.  We have thrown everything available into her and she is holding her own so hope for the best but not optimistic.  Her lambs are stocky on her milk but we are keeping an eye on them.  I thought about pulling them to help her out but then the stress of loosing her babies would be as bad as the parasite load.  Historically, she has been one of our hardest keepers.  She was already scheduled to go but I would prefer it not be this way.

I have already set up the stock trailer where the cows are and tomorrow morning, I'll do a trial run to see how much luck I'll have with them in the enclosure.   I have to say that I'm a little concerned that they will cooperate but we will see how it goes.  A neighbor told me I needed a chute not much bigger than their body width but that isn't going to happen between now and Tuesday when I'm scheduled to take them in for processing.  Worst case I'll try and if what I have doesn't work, I'll postpone and rebuild.

I scanned the over the air channels this afternoon and found a new channel so we are sitting here watching Hee Haw.  

Teresa and I were talking the other day when we had my buddy Mel filling up the back seat in my Tacoma.  He is fine sitting there but if we were going any distance there is no way he could spread out.  So now we will start looking out for a bigger truck as our main vehicle and keep my Tacoma as the work truck.


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## Baymule

I guess you need to take Mel truck shopping with you. Tell the sales person to talk to the dog, if he likes it, we'll buy it.   

When we take animals to slaughter, we load them up the day before. Then if anything goes wrong, we have time to try again. I also don't feed them for a day, sometimes two if I think there will be a problem. Open the trailer and put their feed in there, if they go in, slam the door. If they are in there a few days, you can always offer water and feed.


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## Mike CHS

The first try at loading the cattle was a failure.  I closed the cattle panel on the outside of the chute and thought if I didn't push them I could coax them into the trailer.  That lasted about 5 minutes and first the smokey one jumped the fence and about 5 seconds later, the black one jumped it.


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## Bruce

What is plan B with getting the cattle into the trailer Mike?
Congrats on all the fine lambs.


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## Baymule

It’s hard for people to believe that an animal so big can jump that high. Put their feed on the trailer, their water too. Lots of luck. I think you will might get out of the cattle business after this. LOL LOL


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## Mike CHS

This was a one time event with cows anyway.  I was l just happy that they decided to jump in a spot that I wasn't standing in. 

I have a neighbor coming over to give me some idea of how I need to rebuild the chute.  I talked to him last night and he pretty much predicted how this would go.


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## Ridgetop

I agree with Bay - get out of the cattle business!  Those guys are too big!  Sheep can be rough enough.  LOL

I agree that the show scene is not where we want to be either.  Too much pressure and too political.  Been there - done that in other species.  Frankly, I would rather just breed and sell for slaughter.  On the other hand, if you can sell some of your nice ewe lambs at the auction it might be worth it financially.  Particularly if the sale prices are good.  It would also get your name out there for people wishing to buy in your area.  I wouldn't bother taking any ram ambs since everyone thinks they can sell their ram lambs and brings them resulting in a lot of unsold rams.  Ewe lambs usually sell though.  Lots of work fitting the sheep for the show though so maybe not worth it for you.  Dragging all the equipment, feed, etc. to the show too is lots of work, especially of you don't really enjoy the showing process. 
However, if you don't want to take any lambs to sell, just attending is a lot of fun and you don't have to worry about fitting, feeding, and showing.  

Do they offer any seminars at the shows, or are those only at the breed conventions?

You might try Bay's idea of withholding feed and feeding them  in the trailer.  In a few days they will go in the trailer to eat and you can sneak up and  slam the door on them!


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## Mike CHS

@Ridgetop they did have info seminars at the KHSI event.  We have made it to the Tennessee Association and even hosted it last year but like a lot of those things, it's hard to get people to volunteer so it can be the same people over and over.  We still don't have a host for this springs meeting.

I'm going to rebuild the chute to make it more of a funnel.  I did get them to eat some feed on the back of the trailer this afternoon so they aren't freaked out.


----------



## Baymule

Too bad they aren't crazy over boiled eggs. That's my secret, ok not so secret, weapon for loading pigs. LOL LOL


----------



## Jesusfreak101

With all the cows we helped load i tell you they know what's going on the day you actually want them in there lol. We use chutes as well that get smaller until its a single stall that one cow can fit in but can't turn in and the last place to go is the trailer and that only place left. They get pushed from there and then they get locked in to the trailer.


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## Mike CHS

Jesusfreak101 said:


> With all the cows we helped load i tell you they know what's going on the day you actually want them in there lol. We use chutes as well that get smaller until its a single stall that one cow can fit in but can't turn in and the last place to go is the trailer and that only place left. They get pushed from there and then they get locked in to the trailer.



You got that right.  I have been closing that panel for the last month and they never reacted but obviously they sense that something bad was going to happen today.


----------



## Jesusfreak101

Lol we done the same and they freak the day we go to move them. However the apple candy bait they use for deer drives them nuts lol however i would use with great care lol the buck like crazy for that lol my st and brother were driving to the back with a bag in the truck the cows were chasing them, bucking licking the truck lol.


----------



## Ridgetop

It will take more than a couple days but if they are eating feed off the back end of the trailer, just keep putting it further in until they are getting into the trailer to eat.  You are right that they seem too have a 6th sense that you are taking them somewhere they will not like.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> You got that right.  I have been closing that panel for the last month and they never reacted but obviously they sense that something bad was going to happen today.


Apparently like deer seem to know when hunting season starts. Mike, from Outdoors with the Morgans has mentioned it. He'll point out deer that happen to be in camera view all summer, then hunting season starts and he doesn't see any at all. 

Good luck with those darn bovines! Have you tried the Dr. Temple Grandin method of a U shaped chute? Apparently the cattle are a lot more calm and manageable if they leave an area and think they are returning to it.


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm borrowing some real handling panels and should have something at least started this afternoon.  I was going to just buy some portable corral panels but after seeing how high they can jump we will use cow handling panels.


----------



## thistlebloom

I was going to mention Temple Grandin also @Bruce.


----------



## Baymule

BJ and I hired a couple of cowboys on horses with dogs to load up our cows one time. They parked a cattle trailer in the field, put up some side panels and hit the woods at a run. Pretty soon they came back, the dogs nipping at the cattle heels and they ran those cows right up in the trailer. They made it look easy. It was worth it just to watch somebody that knew what they were doing, do it and do it well. 

We had a bull in that batch that was bad. He liked me though and would come to the fence, hang his head over and I would scratch his ears and base of those big curved horns. Anybody else, it was game on. They all went to auction. 

And that, folks is why I opted for sheep. I don't want to fool with 1500 pounds of pissed off and I'm going to stomp your guts out.


----------



## Mike CHS

The cows are on the trailer and they head to be processed first thing in the morning.  As has been said, Mikey won't be getting cows again.  I got the smokey one on the trailer yesterday and closed him off in the front section of the trailer,  I was in the chute getting ready to see if I could get the other one in and just as I got out of the chute, the 1200 pound steer came jumping out of the trailer.  That made me consider how lucky I was as I only just got out of the chute as he came out jumping.  We used about 10 cattle handling sections to redo the area.  Everybody left except Jay and I and I was giving them some feed and although we hadn't planned on doing it, Jay got behind them and closed the opening we had.

We called his dad and told him we had them in and he said him and his grandson would be right over to try and herd them into the trailer.  Not sure why but the black cow decided to go into the trailer on the own and the other followed.


----------



## Baymule

Who knows what lurks in the mind of a bovine? They are a prey animal but they durn sure don't act like it. 

You had a close one! 1200 pounds of solid beef would be like slapping into a brick wall that comes with hooves to stomp you to smithereens. I know you are heaving a sigh of relief that they are loaded up and off they go. Next you'll be posting pictures of steaks...…


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## Jesusfreak101

Does that mean bbq at Mike's  and Teresa's? Lol


----------



## Mike CHS

Jesusfreak101 said:


> Does that mean bbq at Mike's  and Teresa's? Lol



We are only getting a half and the other three halves are sold but anyone is welcome at anytime.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Glad you were able to get them on the trailer!


----------



## Bruce

Baymule said:


> Next you'll be posting pictures of steaks...…


I suspect so though I don't think we've seen much food from Mike lately.


----------



## Mike CHS

Our processor called this afternoon and gave us the live weights of the cows since that's how we are selling them.  The black is 966 lbs and the other is 1170 lbs.  They were a little over 1200 pounds total when we got them here.

They will be hung between 14 and 21 days (up to the butcher depending how they age).

We got all of the handling panels taken down and put back in place where they came from.  Those friends are one of the families buying a half so we will give them a good discount for the equipment and the help.


----------



## Baymule

Beef! It’s whats for supper.


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## Bruce

It was! We had burgers with beef from my Farmer's Market friend.


----------



## Baymule

We went to a crawfish boil.


----------



## Bruce

Dad and I helped my stepmother peel her plate of crawfish after we finished our dinners the one time I've been somewhere that had crawfish on the menu. Not sure I want to deal with that again! Similarly I'm not real fond of the small legs on lobsters, more work than meat.


----------



## Mike CHS

We got started early so we could go through and check out all of the sheep.  The ram wasn't wanting to follow me so I let Pete (the wether in since he follows me around).  The ram wasn't sure what the wether was and kept trying to decide if it was something he could breed but he did follow me in to the adjacent paddock.  Maisy and Mel are back with the main herd and are happy.

We wormed those that needed it and we gave CDT shots to all of the lambs except a few of the youngest.  We will be bringing them back in in a couple of weeks to do hooves and band the ram lambs.  We wormed more than expected but overall they are getting back into decent condition.

Neither of our usual helpers haven't been available but we tried Jay's cousin this time and he fit right in and did good for us.  He grew up on a farm and still helps work is Grandfathers cattle.


----------



## Mike CHS

@B&B Happy goats - Barb I thought you would like these.  I looked out the bedroom window and one of the lambs was standing on Mel's back eating hay.  By the time I got the camera of course it had moved but I grabbed a shot of the dogs anyway.  The dogs have a choice of shelters but they are out in the rain with the sheep.


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## thistlebloom

That's a great picture. ❤


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Awwww   ...he looks so content and in his element ...
absolutely  love seeing pictures of Mel, his coat looks great , no wonder he doesn't  mind the rain !


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## Mike CHS

thistlebloom said:


> That's a great picture. ❤




Thanks, I was pleased with it.  I didn't notice until I was looking at the picture there is one of the sheep with her front feet on Mel. She was a bottle lamb and has been with Mel since he got here so she would feel safe doing that.  She is almost mature though and was 110 pounds the last time she got weighed.


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## Mike CHS

Our last ewe had a set of very small twins about an hour ago.  We couldn't tell for sure that she was still pregnant and thought she might have aborted.  We decided to take our numbers down in the opposite direction of where we have been heading and our winter count will be closer to 15 instead of 30.  Our fecal numbers from yesterday was the highest that we have seen since starting with sheep so we are going to regroup and see where we really want to go.


----------



## Mike CHS

We are frustrated with our sheep progress but after sitting here watching the news and seeing the devastation across the state of Tennessee, we don't have any problems.  Our prayers are up for everyone involved with the storms.  Some of the damage is in the area that @Rammy  lives in if anyone has heard from her.  We haven't heard from her in quite awhile but we still have concern.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Mike CHS said:


> We are frustrated with our sheep progress but after sitting here watching the news and seeing the devastation across the state of Tennessee, we don't have any problems.  Our prayers are up for everyone involved with the storms.  Some of the damage is in the area that @Rammy  lives in if anyone has heard from her.  We haven't heard from her in quite awhile but we still have concern.


@Rammy and I stay in touch and I heard from her this last weekend. Will text her now and post any updates, just got a text from @AmberLops this morning also....she's  ok


----------



## Bruce

Yeah, heard about the tornadoes in TN, one right in Nashville 

Any idea why the fecals are so high now? Unusually warm or wet this winter maybe?


----------



## Bruce

Say hi to Amber for us!!! I just PMed Rammy on BYC.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Yeah, heard about the tornadoes in TN, one right in Nashville
> 
> Any idea why the fecals are so high now? Unusually warm or wet this winter maybe?



There is almost always a bloom of parasites after lambing but it has been unusually mild and extremely wet which is ideal for Barber Pole.  The reason we lamb in winter is to use it in our favor but it didn't work this year.


----------



## farmerjan

The extreme wet the last 2 years here, and where you are @Mike CHS,  is not something that you can use as a good guide for culling etc.  My son sold quite a few sheep last year, partly due to the wet weather and all the worm and feet problems he was having, plus just not having enough time to do things the way they should be with the way we were changing what/how we were managing our cattle and keeping weaned calves and such.  Plus, the market for the rams has really decreased.  With his breaking his hip, and all the scrambling we did to get things put together to do feeding and all, it is a good thing the sheep numbers are down.  We are still seeing problems with worms and the feet,  and it is still very difficult for him to try to do feet trimming.  Maybe by next year he will be back to his strength to do things better. 
We have had a couple of nights in the 20's, now 40's and days are supposed to be in the 60's, then 40's , then back up.  Worst weather for them.  May just dry lot them and feed hay for a bit, so that they aren't picking up and managing to ingest worm eggs or even larvae that might hatch in this crazy "winter"  that isn't really a winter.  You are further south so probably will have an earlier spring than us.  
I think your worming program is very good and you can only do so much while having this crazy weather. Maybe cutting back will help, but I think that it might only cut into the "income side" of your sheep since you get good prices for the lambs.  I am not sure that reducing the numbers on the land will help the worm problems so much with this wet weather. You have some really nice looking ewes, and get very good growth on the lambs.  Maybe just doing a little more frequent worming- which I know you are trying to breed more resistant ones -  and keeping your numbers up where you are getting a good return until the weather gets to a more normal pattern.  The weather will change,  we might be getting into a warmer pattern, but remember not 20 years ago the severe droughts in Texas, and the droughts out in the midwest just a few years ago. 
Hate to see you sell too many and lose the progress you are making.


----------



## Baymule

Words of wisdom from @farmerjan. As usual, she keep us firmly grounded in a reality check and boosts us up when we get down. What would we do without her?


----------



## Mike CHS

Thanks to you both but our reasons for cutting back isn't just the parasite situation as we can manage that. We have been doing a reality check already over the last couple of months.  When we started with sheep we knew that was going to control our lives for at least one of us all of the time.  With reduced numbers, we can have a life along with having sheep.  With just 20 head they pretty much paid for themselves without a lot of profit but they paid for themselves which is all we wanted.  We aren't firm on numbers yet but what we are doing now is just too intensive and even with the larger number of lambs, that will be mostly eaten up due to the increased need for hay.  Our pastures are such that even with 70 head through the major grass growth months, I'm still going to wind up cutting grass but not a lot.  We have had a fairly good idea about who was going to be culled this spring even before breeding them.  When it gets down to it, Teresa and I really enjoy each others company but we haven't gotten a lot of that over the last several months.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Sometimes you've gotta make those tough decisions, but it sure sounds like you're making 'em for the right reason!


----------



## B&B Happy goats

You gotta do what works for you and Teresa,


----------



## farmerjan

I completely get the animals taking over.  My son and I have been having conversations like that recently,  also.  One of the reasons that we have cut our mature "cow herd" down from the 200 to about 150 and may cut it more.  It is definitely a bigger scale than your sheep, but the same perspective.  We are tossing around the possibility of buying feeders to get our numbers up during the grass season, and then selling them off. Cutting back to 100 cow/calf operation.  And doing some manipulating so that we can buy during the "cheaper cattle price" times, with stockpiled hay that won't "have to be fed" to our cows.  We are also tired of seemingly always working for the cows, instead of them working for us. 

ESPECIALLY with the way cattle prices have been the last few years.  I think I have said on here that if we should see an upturn in prices that I was going to sell off half my cows and bank that money because we are not making it now. 

He is actually been making some money,  going to some of these auctions/cattle sales, and buying some feeders that might be rough looking or thin, or sometimes even too fat,  and bringing them home, and feeding them for a month or so and then putting groups together to resell.   If you know what you are doing, you can sometimes pick up some animals for 10 to 40 cents less than what most are bringing.  Alot of times buying bulls as feeders, for 10-30cents a lb. less than steers,  bringing them home and castrating, then getting them "going" and selling as steers when they are healed.  Making bigger groups to sell together which often bring more per pound than singles do. 

You make your money in cattle at the BUYing price, not at the selling price.   That is where the cow/calf producer, like us, gets screwed all the time.  There is a fixed cost to keep that cow for the year, like with keeping the ewe for the year.  Then you hope she has a healthy baby(ies)  and they all live and grow and that the prices are good when you sell.  When you have to keep putting in more money, like bought hay, and grain, and then your increased time, there comes a point where it is not profitable anymore.   I don't know where all the feeders are going to come from down the road if all the "smaller guys" keep cutting back or go out.  Someday, the  cow/calf, ewe/lamb, nanny/kid producers will be appreciated and we will make some money.  Problem is, it runs in cycles and the ups aren't as good or as often as the downs.


----------



## Mike CHS

A friend of ours is the auctioneer at the Columbia stock yard and he has told us that for as far back as he could remember, 90% or better of the sheep run through there has been the small (under 100 head) producers.   He said many are quitting or reducing herd size as the majority of their sellers are senior.   A couple of months ago, Teresa and I were driving by the boat ramp for Laural Hill Lake and we both looked at each other and said at the same time, "When was the last time we went fishing?"  That led to more talk about when was the last time that I made a piece of furniture and a whole lot more - when questions.   Most here haven't been to our home but every piece of furniture here was made by us.


----------



## Mike CHS

We pulled the twins that were born this morning.  The ewe never did drop any milk so we fed them some colostrum and milk during the day but gave them to our Mennonite friends.  She has been in the stall bawling all day but I just checked her again and there is nothing in her udder.


----------



## thistlebloom

Mike CHS said:


> every piece of furniture here was made by us



That's amazing. That really puts a lot of depth to your history together. To look around the room and say, 'remember when...' .


----------



## farmerjan

Sounds like a smart move on the newest set of twins.  With her being early, she might have come in eventually, but probably not as much as they would need anyway.  One less job for you both to have to fool with.  We have found that raising bottle lambs is just not economically sound due to the amount of time you have to devote and the cost of replacer if you do not have a source of milk. 

I think going fishing sounds like a great prospect.  Speaking of that, caught a news story of the largest Lake trout ever caught in NH by a guy while ice fishing.  Since my parents live in NH and I used to get to ice fish in the winter as a kid, just thought it was neat.  Topped the old record by over 9 lbs.   It was a BIG FISH. 

I am in total envy of your woodworking ability.  I think that is really special.  Hope you get to do some more of it after this years lambs are sold and ewe numbers are reduced.


----------



## Mike CHS

Jan it didn't take much math last year to see what a black hole our two bottle lambs were.  The cost of replacer was indeed more than the sale price would have been.  The Mennonites that we give to have both goats and dairy cattle so they take all the free lambs they can get.  

Ice fishing is one of the few things I miss after living in Michigan.  There was some great fishing on Brighton Lake where my aunt and uncle lived.


----------



## Baymule

I get where you are coming from. You have to take time for each other. Fishing sounds like some much needed fun. You can get too much going on that it becomes a chore and it's not enjoyed as much anymore. 

We got 2 feeder pigs a month ago and just got 50 Cornish Cross chicks, so we'll be tied down to feed, water, feed, water, rinse, repeat, repeat and repeat some more. But it pays for what we keep and we even make a little (very little) on it. I am always glad to see them go. LOL

I am selling a couple of my ewes. I'll worm, trim feet and breed them to Ringo. A young couple we met (when I gave away the pair of silkie chickens) in our neighborhood wants to raise some sheep.

  Let's see......sheep math......
Baymule has 10 ewes, she is selling 2 ewes, how many ewes will she have?
8 ewes!
Baymule is keeping 2 ewe lambs, how many ewes will she have?
10 ewes!
Baymule is taking 1 ewe to slaughter, she will look much better as pan sausage. How many ewes will she have?
9 ewes!
Baymule might possibly cull 2 more ewes...….maybe......
Baymule will have to get a couple more ewes...…


----------



## Baymule

We did visit with Mike and Teresa and they have made some beautiful pieces of furniture. They have a whole wood working shop with everything you could possibly imagine. I bet it hasn't seen much use since y'all moved! 

We understand the moving and building up the farm. We understand the dragging to the house and being exhausted at the end of the day. We still have projects to complete plus the upkeep on what we have already done. It can take over your life. We love the work we do, but we take time to go to a movie or go visiting or just something that we can do together. 

Y'all are wise to take a step back and regroup, getting your priorities in order.
#1. Each other
Everything else takes a back seat to #1.


----------



## Mike CHS

#1.  is why we started this conversation several months ago.  We still enjoy the sheep but there got to be no time for anything else, especially each other and we aren't going to let that happen at this point in our lives.  We aren't wealthy but we don't depend on the sheep for any income.


----------



## Mike CHS

I opened up the two main paddocks as there is some new grass there that I want the sheep to eat down so I can plant some grass seed next week.  All together there is a bit over 8 acres that the sheep are spread out on and Mel has been having a hard time figuring out where to set up watch.  I was out and watched him pick a spot and you could watch him turning his head trying to see where everyone was then he would get up and try another spot.  That went on for about 15 minutes until he figured out he could see everyone from the top of the hill and now he is staying put.


----------



## Baymule

Mel is a heart dog. He certainly captured hearts here on BYH.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Mel is a heart dog. He certainly captured hearts here on BYH.




It took about three minutes for him to capture mine.  I've never heard a booming bark as loud as his.  Good thing the neighbors aren't too close.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa went to Indiana to help an old friend prepare her house for a daughters wedding.  I just got off the phone with Teresa and when I answered her call she said "All I can say is OMG".  I guess besides being a terrible house keeper, she is also a hoarder so my Baby is going to have a long three days.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Poor Teresa,  that is going to drive her crazy as organized  as she is


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa sounds beat but they are getting things done.

I have been using Mel and Maisy to bring the sheep down from the south end to the shop on the north end so I can give them some supplementary feed.  The dogs hear the Ranger start up and head to the shop stall so they hope it's time for their feed and the sheep have figured out that's the signal to follow the dogs.    Before they figured that out, I had to walk half way across so they could see me when I called to them so this works faster.   I have been rotating the sheep in a quick rotation so they are getting new grass enough that they are ignoring the square bales that I have been breaking out for them.  Calling them down to the shop stall lets me get the feed put out without getting mobbed and gets the ewes some feed while letting the lambs hit the creep feeder.  Both of the sheep that had bottle jaw are looking better but one isn't improving as I would like.  I will be surprised if we don't lose her so she needs a shot of Dectomax when Teresa gets back since that isn't a one person thing.  That has worked on the extreme cases we have had but it's almost one of those cases where what you do either saves them or kills them.

We got payment this afternoon for the halves of the cows that are being processed.  The totals for them and what feed we used for them brought in double what we had in them.  Of course that isn't figuring any labor but that was a pretty good return on investment and we will wind up with a good amount of beef in the freezer.


----------



## Baymule

I’m sorry you have had so much trouble with worms. I’m sending one to slaughter that consistently has a “l can’t believe you aren’t dead!” Super high parasite count. I’ve had to really work at keeping the rest of them checked and wormed. My best ones got garlic barrier, but I’ve had some high counts. Even Ringo had 3 barber pole worm eggs. OH NO!!! I love that boy. He is shedding and will follow me anywhere if I am holding a brush. He and Trip compete for my attention. Trip will squeeze between me and Ringo, then Ringo swings his head and pushes Trip away. They are so funny.


----------



## Mike CHS

We give the garlic every time we work them and in quite a few cases that is the only treatment given.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Of course that isn't figuring any labor but that was a pretty good return on investment and we will wind up with a good amount of beef in the freezer.


I'd say 100% return plus beef in the freezer is a financial position that can't be beat!


----------



## farmerjan

It still might be worth  having a couple of feeders to raise and sell some beef and help keep down the grass when you cull down your flock of sheep.  You only have to pen them to sell so now that you know what it takes, won't be such a big project next time.....


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa got back home yesterday and was glad to be home.  We were going to work the sheep today but since it has been raining all day we ran into Franklin for a Costco run.  We only got dog food and a half dozen other items but judging by the loads some people were hauling out of there, the media panic campaign is working.  That store is always fairly busy but the majority were pushing multiple carts around.  I realize many are business but most of the carts had stacks of the items the news has been saying to stock up on.

The dogs were active last night and they have been sleeping most of the day.  Maisy was alseep in the shop stall when we left and when we got back a couple of hours later, the only thing that had changed was she was surrounded by lambs but in the same spot.


----------



## Mike CHS

We brought the herd into the chute and gave shots to the 10 lambs that didn't get it last time and we wormed several.  We have two that aren't getting back into condition even though we have been giving supplemental alfalfa and feed so they not only got a drench, we also gave an injection of Dectomax which has always seemed to work (that is off-label for sheep).  They both got an injection of iron and vitamin.

Our meat processor called and said he would like to buy several of our ewes along with their lambs so we need to do some more talking about price.


----------



## Mike CHS

The sheep are happy now that the grass is growing and we are able to start rotating.  We will be taking about a dozen ram lambs to the sale in two weeks.  Maisy and Mel both act like a couple of pups whenever I open up a paddock.  Mel is still evolving as a guardian.  Both of the dogs will still alert by running to the fences but in the last few weeks, Mel has been hanging back closer to the sheep unless there is a vehicle coming down the drive since neither of them hang back as they both head toward the house no matter where they are in the field. 

That hill in the background is one of the favorite spots for the neighbors young ones during the few times that we get snow.


----------



## Mike CHS

I love looking at our hills but when you walk up and down them for most of the day, it wears you out.  When I checked voltage in several places yesterday, I was finding it down under 1000 volts on the 75 mile fence charger.  and at two gates, I was not seeing any voltage at all so the wire down stream of those gates were not hot.

We already have plenty of parts so we went around and started replacing insulators that were showing wear and replaced the hardware over the two gates that weren't hot.  It took right at four hours but by the time we were finished, the voltage was back over 9000 volts.


----------



## Mike CHS

Early this morning Maisy and Mel were raising a ruckus in the far paddock.  It wasn't full day light yet so I couldn't see what was going on.  I went and got the binoculars and saw they were tag teaming something that was about the size of the lambs. I freaked out and got my shoes on then took off around the lane in the Ranger.  When I got near to where they were and I was relieved to see that they were in the process of finishing off an Armadillo and not a lamb.


----------



## HomeOnTheRange

I bet the adrenaline had your heart pumping!


----------



## Mike CHS

HomeOnTheRange said:


> I bet the adrenaline had your heart pumping!



It did.  Especially after having a dog go from pet to killer overnight last year.


----------



## Baymule

BBQ armadillo ain’t too bad..... LOL


----------



## Baymule

They are hard lil' suckers to shuck outa that shell......both feet, a sharp knife and both hands.....


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> They are hard lil' suckers to shuck outa that shell......both feet, a sharp knife and both hands.....



I took it down the road to where I know there is a roost of Mexican Vultures.    Maisy is still pouting that I took her prey away.


----------



## Mike CHS

This is more for  Barb since I haven't posted many Mel pictures recently.  He has been here a couple of days over 5 months now and both dogs finally seem to have the pecking order worked out.  Mel is a joy to watch with the sheep.  He moves slower than Maisy and the lambs don't even move as he wanders among them.

He has fully recovered from his visit with the skunk and his hair is growing back fast.  We were getting in the car yesterday to go to town but there was a strong smell of skunk.  Teresa and I looked at each other then out to where the dogs were and didn't see anything that they were reacting to.  We weren't gone long but I called them both to the paddock they are in now to check them out.  Our neighbor was coming up the drive and he stopped and just looked at me and finally got out of his truck to ask what I was doing.  I was literally sniffing them from head to tail to make sure we didn't have a repeat of the last time.  He knew the event and just laughed and said it was funny since it looked like I was licking the dogs all over.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

...yepper got that visual in my head , Mike.


----------



## Mike CHS

I started to make a pot of turkey noodle soup and when I started looking for celery, I found that we are out.  I had no desire to run back into town so I went up to the loft and checked our dehydrated stores and found a mason jar full of dehydrated celery with a date of 2012 which was three years before I retired.  I did a test batch to re-hydrate them and they work great.


----------



## farmerjan

Yay, for putting stuff up when in abundance..... and properly storing.  Wish we lived closer,  I would be supplying stuff in exchange for made meals!!!!!!


----------



## Baymule

I dehydrate tomatoes for winter salads. Crumbled up over a salad, they are delicious. I should dehydrate celery too, that is a good idea.


----------



## Mike CHS

We buy stewed tomatoes for the winter anymore.  They at least taste like tomato and are pretty consistent but we like the dehydrated for crumbles.


----------



## Mike CHS

I came close to losing a couple of lambs this morning but thanks to Maisy, they are fine.  Mel was waiting by the feed area this morning so I went down and fed him before calling the rest of the critters in.  I went ahead and put feed out and replenished the creep feeder then took Maisy inside to feed her.  She often wants petting before she eats but this morning she just stood there looking at me.  After several minutes of that I decided she wasn't hungry and opened the door to go out in the stall only to see what looked like two dead lambs stuck in the same opening on the feeder.  They were so tight that I figured I would kill one or both of them trying to get them out but when I got the first one out, it took a deep breath and got right up.  It took the other several seconds but it did the same.  The holes on this feeder are only big enough to let about a 15 pound lamb get its head in and with over two years of use, have never had an issue until this morning.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

OH wow - she knew something was wrong!  Glad you got to them in time.  Good girl Maisy!


----------



## Beekissed

I'm so glad you found them in time!!!  Good dog, that Maisy!


----------



## Mike CHS

The last time I went out to check how the grass is holding up to the sheep,  I started to play with Mels, head a bit and he decided it was OK to do some play fighting with me.  He ran around me a couple of times then pushed himself into me.  My 33 ewe (Wild Thangs sister) was pretty close and after he pushed his weight into me one last time, she head butted him to make him stop.


----------



## Beekissed

I love that!  I love these sheep.  I have a ewe like that...she takes no nonsense of any kind.  She's my favorite.


----------



## Baymule

You got lucky on those two lambs. Good girl Maisy on the alert. Animals talk to you, but you have to listen.


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm going to remove the fence around what was our chicken area a couple of years ago.  It was convenient to use for the LGDs when we were working sheep but other than that it doesn't get used and it's just another area of fence that needs to be trimmed.  I called the sheep in to eat the grass down for a few minutes before I start that.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> My 33 ewe (Wild Thangs sister) was pretty close and after he pushed his weight into me one last time, she head butted him to make him stop


A Shepherd Guardian Ewe!!


----------



## Baymule

Mike, how are you and Teresa doing in this Coronavirus madness? I hope y'all are hunkered down and doing ok. I know your freezers are stocked! LOL LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

Our lifestyle hasn't changed much other than we quit going to restaurants.  We are semi preppers anyway so there hasn't been any impact from the commercial world since we could probably go many months without leaving the farm if we felt that concerned.  Two of the freezers are full and the third is awaiting half of Fred any day now.  

What's funny is that the folks in the metro area are acting nuts while all those we know in our rural area act like nothing is going on.  At least it did seem that way till they shut the schools down yesterday.

Are things that nuts in Texas also?


----------



## Mike CHS

It seems I have to be reminded that our fences are hot on a regular basis.  I was re-configuring some gate connections to portable netting that was tied to a step in post and the galvanized gate by baling string and managed to touch the gate with the contact on the netting and of course this was done just as the gate touched the top of my head.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Ouch 😖


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Ouch.... I know the feeling and I just did it yesterday.  One of the wires that crosses a gate sags a bit.  If I'm not careful to open it all the way it will stop swinging right under that wire and invariably my hand is still on the gate.  I know it's there - I know it can happen - but it happens anyway...


----------



## Mike CHS

frustratedearthmother said:


> I know it's there - I know it can happen - but it happens anyway...



I have to make sure it stays hot because of the lambs when I move them.  They seem to go directly to the fence when I change paddocks and of course it it isn't hot, they stick their head through it (or try to).


----------



## farmerjan

Mike CHS said:


> It seems I have to be reminded that our fences are hot on a regular basis.  I was re-configuring some gate connections to portable netting that was tied to a step in post and the galvanized gate by baling string and managed to touch the gate with the contact on the netting and of course this was done just as the gate touched the top of my head.


OUCH


----------



## Jesusfreak101

I hate when that happens i done that more then once.


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> What's funny is that the folks in the metro area are acting nuts while all those we know in our rural area act like nothing is going on.  At least it did seem that way till they shut the schools down yesterday.
> 
> Are things that nuts in Texas also?



Oh yes, it's totally crazy in the big cities. Not so bad here, but the shelves are bare. BJ wanted ice dream today so I ran into Walmart, empty cases and shelves, but they had ice cream! Schools are shut down here too. 



Mike CHS said:


> course this was done just as the gate touched the top of my head.


You fried your brains! LOL LOL


----------



## thistlebloom

Ouch, that'll give your heart a jump start!


----------



## Mike CHS

I moved the sheep into a paddock yesterday that was an inner unit but it didn't have a shelter so I put Maisy and Mel in the adjoining paddock that did have a hoop house since it was forecast rain all day.  Neither of them wanted any part of that and went up the line to the closest they could be to the sheep so I let them in and opened up the next paddock that did have a shelter.  I wish we had twice the land that we do since I really like the numbers we have in eating the grass coming in. 70 sheep can put away a lot of grass in a short time.


----------



## Mike CHS

I had hoped to get grass seed broadcast today but rain was literally just north of us and I didn't want to get caught with 100 pounds of seed in the hopper if rain started so decided to try again tomorrow.  I've been going to work with that German Shepherd pup that we almost brought home a few months ago to get it working at least basic obedience.  They are friends so I accepted when asked to train the pup when they asked even though they own a kennel and should know how to.  They found the pup a home in Chattanooga that she will drop off when she goes to Virginia to deliver her last 3 Anatolian pups to their buyers.  She is going to spend some time with family there since this virus chaos has her business virtually shut down since nobody is traveling thus don't need a place to board their pets. She has 30 kennels/runs and has only had one dog boarded since this started as everyone had canceled.  She normally is booked full at this time of year and has had to turn away customers.

I spent quite a bit of time going around the paddocks treating what seemed like dozens of fire ant hills and it never did rain.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Fire ants.......gosh they are miserable little critters  with way too much biting power for their size  , hope you  have better success killing them than I have so far this year


----------



## Mike CHS

I don't hope to eliminate them but at least cut them down a notch or two.  We have them worse this year than since we have had our place.


----------



## Mike CHS

I mentioned earlier that a home has been found for the lone German Shepherd pup that is left at the kennel.  The only problem is that nobody had worked with this pup at all.  She had a fit and started raising heck whenever you got near her with a leash.  I have been going over a couple of times a day for the last several days and she is now ready for her new home.  She has all of the basic commands down, no longer jumps on anyone and is perfect on a lead.  We re-considered awhile back about keeping her but our Aussie, (Sassy) made it obvious that it wasn't going to be an easy transition.

They had been calling her Dora since she appeared to be so goofy but that goofiness was the peoples fault and not the pup.  She was easier to train than her sister and she was about as easy at it gets.


----------



## thistlebloom

She's a pretty girl!


----------



## farmerjan

I'm glad that you could do the training to get her to be suitable for someone to take home.  I loved my german shepard and she was as good a dog as they come.  But she still was a dog, as all our animals are animals as well as companions and pets.... People just don't want to realize that IN MOST CASES, they are to blame for their pet/companion not doing as they should.  Discipline is not being mean to an animal.  Just like disciplining a child is not being mean.    I am so tired of people who blame the animal for their own shortcomings of teaching it what they want and what is proper and acceptable behavior.   She looks like a nice dog.  Hope that she does good for the new owners.


----------



## Mike CHS

We picked up our beef from the butcher yesterday and grilled a Ribeye to have with some eggs for breakfast.  It was aged for 20 days and has an awesome taste.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

That sounds delicious,  great timing for refilling the freezer


----------



## Mike CHS

I thought Mel was going to bite me this morning.  The ewe that had bottle jaw is not getting any better no matter what we do for/to her.  She is getting around slower and even when I take food to her, she will eat some but that's about it. When I went out this morning she was on her side and both dogs were laying close to her and I decided I wasn't doing her a favor leaving her alive.  I picked her up and started to carry her toward the gate and Mel started a really low growl but I wasn't sure it was him.  I put her down and let him smell around her and he settled down and didn't growl more when I picked her back up.

She seemed to be getting better for awhile and had a low fecal score or we wouldn't have put it off this long.


----------



## Mike CHS

We finally have a day without rain and none in the forecast for a couple of days so I spent a good part of the day putting Surrender Fire Ant killer on the ants mounds.  I pretty much had them gone last fall but they sure came in this spring.

The Corona Virus event is even making some of the rural people skittish.  Our friends that own the kennel went out yesterday and bought a freezer to put the beef in that they are buying tomorrow.  We are going in halves with them on a hog that they got for $200.  I don't know how big it is but we told them if it wasn't very big, to tell the farmer they are buying from that we will take a whole one ourselves.


----------



## Mike CHS

I called Fred (@CntryBoy777) earlier today to see how he's doing.  He is still having some issues so I wanted to pass on that he is still around and hanging in there and said he will be back on BYH as soon as he is able.


----------



## Bruce

Thanks for the update. I hope he and Joyce are staying safe and healthy.


----------



## farmerjan

Have you managed to get the boat out and  gone fishing yet?   I have thought about that several times since you mentioned it.


----------



## Mike CHS

farmerjan said:


> Have you managed to get the boat out and  gone fishing yet?   I have thought about that several times since you mentioned it.



We went out last week during the one day we didn't have rain. The water was muddy and we only caught a few Crappie but it was a nice day   We hope to go out again after we get the sheep sorted out this week. It's an old boat but the only thing we had to do to it was replace the power pack.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Thanks for the update on Fred and Joyce.  I thought of posting on  his journal, but you were thoughtful enough to do it!  I hope he gets back on the forum soon.  I miss him.


----------



## Mike CHS

We went from no grass to cutting grass for a couple of hours yesterday. I set seeds for our tomato and bell pepper plants and will leave them on the porch till transplanting time.

I have another 100 pounds of pasture blend grass seed to put out after I move the sheep this morning and then we will bring them in Monday to work on a few and see if any need sorting out.  The market in Columbia is surprisingly bringing better prices than in a long time so we will plan on taking the oldest lambs in sometime next week as well as some yearling ewes that are needing culled.

The grass seed that I broadcast last week is coming in well and there is enough grass on the neighbors property that I can cut and bag to give the new grass another couple of weeks to grow.

I got about half of the Roundup applied yesterday on the driveway till the sprayer started getting clogged up.  I had a DUH moment when I finally figured it out so I'll finish spraying today.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> The market in Columbia is surprisingly bringing better prices than in a long time


I wonder if that is due to people stocking up on everything because of the virus.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> I wonder if that is due to people stocking up on everything because of the virus.



I haven't talked to anyone there but I'm guessing based on the market report, it may be more of a demand issue since the sheep sold was about 1/4 of what it usually is.


----------



## Baymule

I hope you get a good price for the lambs you take to the sale.


----------



## Mike CHS

We made an early run to Kroger this morning since we were out of produce and a few other things.  The period from 7-8 AM is set aside for first responders, medical personnel and seniors.  There was 3 other shoppers in the store by the time we got out of it.  Lewisburg is a ghost town so evidently people are taking this virus seriously.


----------



## Baymule

We are taking the corona virus pretty seriously. We sure don't want it and  are doing our best to avoid it. We only go out when we need something and since we are stocked up on practically everything, we don't go anywhere much. 

I just tried to post this, but we are having a storm, so the TV satellite is off and so is the internet. Eh. The rain is coming down hard. the last storm burst we had, we couldn't see the end of the driveway at the road. It was like a white out. We were going to work in the garden tomorrow, but something tells me that we may have to find something else to do. LOL There are three big dogs sprawled out in the floor. Trip, Sentry and Carson. Paris is outside in her doghouse. She never comes in, I've tried to bring her inside, but she gets upset and wants out. She is scared of thunder, her doghouse is her safe place. The TV just came back on, I'll see if this will post now. The joys of satellite internet.


----------



## Mike CHS

Today was the first time we had gone anywhere other than the feed store and we wouldn't have gone to the grocery if it wasn't for a restricted presence.  

Several days ago we had a tornado warning in affect and the thunder ahead of it was like a machine gun.  One big batch of thunder happened all at once and it must have scared Maisy enough that she either jumped the netting or ran under the poly rope but either way I could see her frantically running in the paddock adjacent to the sheep trying to find an entrance to get back in.  The TV weather showed that I had 20 minutes before the storm hit Cornersville (our town) so I went out and let her back in with the sheep.  She has more expressions than any other dog that I have had and it was Total Relief in this case.  The tornado lifted back off so all we had was a lot of noise and wet.


----------



## Mike CHS

I posted this picture on Facebook earlier but the view is out our living room window.  It turned colder today but the grass is growing faster than even the large number of sheep on it can graze it down so we can get into some decent rotations.  I still have the neighbors 2 acres that I can mow to feed them but I normally only get to use their grass into May.  From then through the rest of summer, they just get their grass mowed for them but it still works for us as we normally don't have enough grass in March and April of our own so it lets us not over graze our paddocks.


----------



## Baymule

That is beautiful!


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> That is beautiful!




When we were first starting we laid out the paddocks from the living room window.


----------



## Bruce

What a beautiful sight!


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> What a beautiful sight!



That is a view that I have been looking for a whole lot of years.


----------



## Baymule

You sure found it.


----------



## thistlebloom

Beautiful and satisfying too, I imagine, looking out on your green pastures with your healthy crop of lambs enjoying it.


----------



## Mike CHS

We went out to the pasture to put new flea and tick collars on Maisy and Mel.  Maisy is fine with about anything but Mel assumed that we were trying to do some nasty thing to them so he just lay down just out of reach.  At least he stayed there when I went to him but he went into a submissive posture on his back and tried to push me away with his leg.  We were putting the collar on him while Maisy kept using her leg to pull my arm away from him so it takes both of us to do something routine like that.


----------



## Mike CHS

I got the last two paddocks seeded with grass seed today and repaired a frost free hydrant down at the shop.  I also cut the amount of feed that I have been giving the sheep since they are getting fat as several of them are self weaning their lambs.


----------



## Baymule

Dog dynamics. Aren't they the greatest? Just gotta love them.

Today there was all kinds of excitement for all 4 of the dogs to bark at. Neighbor on the corner has a French bulldog named Pepe. Pepe is a smart alec and he hikes his leg to pee on the fence. This drives our dogs into a frenzy and they bark at him. I have no doubt that they would tear him to pieces if they ever got the chance. Neighbor was mowing and that incites the dogs to bark. They were having a grand time. Enough trucks came down the road so they got their fill of chasing (inside the fence) and barking. A motorcycle went by and they were waiting on it, they raced along the fence barking their fool heads off. A kid on a bicycle with her dog came by several times and they went into another frenzy of barking at the dog. Neighbors from up the road were taking a walk and the dogs went off on them. I don't think they ever shut up all afternoon. We brought them in to feed them and they all collapsed on the floor. Dead dogs.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa is making a big batch of Gyro meat.  YUM!


----------



## Mike CHS

Mike CHS said:


> Teresa is making a big batch of Gyro meat.  YUM!



This is the first time we have done this gyro meat recipe and it may well be the last.    We have a couple of recipes that are easier and taste fine but they don't have the texture of the traditional gyro meat.  The recipe is a traditional version and the taste is like what we get in Greek Restaurants but it has taken the both of us two hours to make 4 lbs of gyro meat.   But that time includes the time to make a batch of Tzatziki sauce and a batch of flat bread so I guess it wasn't that bad.  It would have been easier if we had a food processor but since we don't have one, we had to use our grinder to grind the meat up fine so it can pack dense enough.  I'll post a picture or two when it is all done in case anyone wants to compare recipes or something.


----------



## Baymule

That sounds interesting. Never had gyro, what does it taste like?


----------



## Mike CHS

It is actually neutral tasting until you start the process and the herbs and spices add a subtle taste unique to a gyro.  We changed our mind after having it for dinner.  The taste was good enough to make it again.

When you order gyro at Greek places, they thin shave it and it is almost like shaved steak but it is all ground meat compressed and then baked in our case.  Restaurants usually have big blocks of the meat in a rotisserie.  We used a similar recipe that uses the same spices so you get the taste but not the texture from the process.  The sauce is good enough to about stand by itself.


----------



## Mike CHS

The recipe is at the link and if nothing else, use the spice blend on ground lamb and beef.









						Traditional Gyros
					

Make your own gyro sandwich at home by layering homemade gyro meat, hummus, tzatziki sauce, tomatoes, and feta cheese on a large pita bread.




					www.allrecipes.com


----------



## Bruce

Baymule said:


> That sounds interesting. Never had gyro, what does it taste like?


NOT like chicken fried lamb!!!


----------



## High Desert Cowboy

And that’s one recipe that is being saved thank you!  Very similar to a lamb doner kebab, some of my favorite food but I haven’t had it since I returned to the states.  I will definitely be trying this.


----------



## Mike CHS

High Desert Cowboy said:


> And that’s one recipe that is being saved thank you!  Very similar to a lamb doner kebab, some of my favorite food but I haven’t had it since I returned to the states.  I will definitely be trying this.




It is worth the effort.  We packed the meat as tight as we could and it held together great.


----------



## rachels.haven

Thanks for the recipe!


----------



## Mike CHS

We worked on the sheep for a couple hours checking them out and cleaning up some feet.  We gave 15 of the lambs their second round of CDT shots.  We left them in the main paddock so we can bring them in and work a few more like that till we finish them up.  We will band a couple of ram lambs either tomorrow or the next day that will be staying around for the freezer and the rest along with the culls will be going to the market in two weeks.


----------



## Mike CHS

They bedded down fairly early this evening after having their fill of fresh grass.  There is some glare in the picture from the living room window. 

That area by the tree stump is Mel's favorite spot but unfortunately that fence is being removed.


----------



## Baymule

What a beautiful view.


----------



## Mike CHS

Lockdown isn't so stressful on our place.  They were out grazing as the sun came up and are already resting in place.


----------



## Baymule

Lockdown isn’t stressful for us either. We have plenty to do! We feel Blessed to be so fortunate.


----------



## Mike CHS

Nobody got a lot of sleep last night, especially the dogs.  A wrecker somehow got confused trying to find a wreck and wound up on the perimeter lane going around our pastures.  The dogs never did really settle down and Mel's favorite place to practice his booming bark is right outside our bedroom window.

He's getting some rest ow but we go down to work sheep in a bit so that will change.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

He looks exhausted!  But,, he took care of business last night and that's a good thing!


----------



## B&B Happy goats

We found that Mel is very fond of laying beneath the bedroom window to rest, lol....
.that is one booming bark for sure Mel can wake the dead with it .....give that boy a big hug for me please


----------



## Mike CHS

We still have three weeks before we are safe from a late frost.  All of our fruit trees have bloomed and the two Dwarf Cherry Trees are covered with blooms today.  The bees are having a great time out there.


----------



## thistlebloom

That is lovely!


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> We still have three weeks before we are safe from a late frost. All of our fruit trees have bloomed and the two Dwarf Cherry Trees are covered with blooms today. The bees are having a great time out there.


 



Mike CHS said:


> That area by the tree stump is Mel's favorite spot but unfortunately that fence is being removed.


Meaning he won't be able to get to his spot? I guess he'll find another.


----------



## farmerjan

We are over a month away from "normal" last frost date.  Peach trees have already bloomed here, and are actually getting green leaves.  I am very concerned that we will get a serious frost.cold snap and kill all the fruit on the trees.... besides the stupid landlord stuff....


----------



## Mike CHS

Mike CHS said:


> We still have three weeks before we are safe from a late frost.  All of our fruit trees have bloomed and the two Dwarf Cherry Trees are covered with blooms today.  The bees are having a great time out there.
> 
> View attachment 71982



But worse case, the boat is gassed up and ready to go this week. )


----------



## Baymule

That Wrecker driver must have really been lost..... I wonder just when it struck him that he was driving around a farm?


----------



## Mike CHS

Our neighbor down the road said she was about to call when the truck came out of our driveway because it looked suspicious. You have been out there so I have no idea what he was thinking.  Even harder to figure out how he got turned around out there.


----------



## Mike CHS

I just opened the gates and called the sheep down to the handling area so we can do some more work on hooves and finish the last few lambs shots.  I keep hurting my shoulder so we have only been doing a few at a time to keep from making it worse.


----------



## Mike CHS

We got a half dozen lambs taken care of and 8 of the ewes feet taken care of and this gives us a good chance to see will be staying.  Based on size, parasite resistance and feet, we for sure are keeping two of Notags daughters and a granddaughter.  Notags' grand is 7 weeks old and weighs 42 pounds so she will be a big girl also.  Every birth for all of them have been twins every time.  We are marking each of them as they go through so we can tell at a glance who has had what done to them and what their status is.so all we have to do the last time is run them through the sorting gate and either to the trailer or back out in the field.


----------



## Mike CHS

I fired up the smoker and put on a spatchcock chicken and some leg quarters.  After I get back from feeding I've got 7 pounds of bratwurst to go on.


----------



## thistlebloom

That looks good!


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Yum!


----------



## B&B Happy goats

What time is dinner?


----------



## Mike CHS

B&B Happy goats said:


> What time is dinner?



Whenever you want.  My smoker has so much room that whenever I use it I cook enough food for 7-8 meals.


----------



## Bruce

Take care of that shoulder!


----------



## promiseacres

7# of brats!  sounds yummy!


----------



## Baymule

Sorting and marking a few at a time may take longer, but you don’t have to do all of them at once-that’s just too much! 

Sorry the shoulder is giving you trouble. Didn’t you have surgery on it?


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Sorting and marking a few at a time may take longer, but you don’t have to do all of them at once-that’s just too much!
> 
> Sorry the shoulder is giving you trouble. Didn’t you have surgery on it?



I did two years ago last month.  The doc said he could make it less painful but not completely fix it and that's how it is. It is still nothing compared to the way it hurt before but it's easy to stress the shoulder.  Most things are no problem but we seem to have a couple that decide they aren't staying in the chair and that's what does it.  That is also why we are taking our numbers down to something more manageable.


----------



## Mike CHS

We got all of the raised garden beds tilled yesterday and ready to plant but it will be a couple of weeks before I'll bet on no more frost. It's supposed to get down in the high 30's next week which is frost range here.  I have started seed for our tomato and sweet pepper plants.  I'm not going to plant any hot peppers this year since we have enough canned and frozen already.


----------



## Mike CHS

I needed gasoline so we took the gas cans and filled them and topped off the truck.  Gas was $1.16 a gallon and I can't remember when it was that low.  We also stopped at the Farm Supply to pick up some potting soil and that was the extent of our off farm business today.

I made another raised garden bed using landscape timbers that we already had.  That bed was leveled into the slope so it serves as a bed and also takes care of an erosion problem we had.


----------



## Baymule

BJ’s shoulder replacement gave him a new life. It popped out of socket 1-3 times a day. Just getting rid of the terrible pain was worth it. It still gets sore and it still hurts, but nothing like it was. It has been hard to scale him back to a level he can manage. LOL 

I understand scaling back the numbers. The good part is that you have some VERY good ewes to pick the best from. 

We have been working in the garden, it is time to plant. Pecan trees are leafing out, no frost now!


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Gas was $1.16 a gallon


 Geez and I thought it was REALLY GOOD when I saw gas for $1.99 today. Might get some tomorrow.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> BJ’s shoulder replacement gave him a new life. It popped out of socket 1-3 times a day. Just getting rid of the terrible pain was worth it. It still gets sore and it still hurts, but nothing like it was. It has been hard to scale him back to a level he can manage. LOL
> 
> I understand scaling back the numbers. The good part is that you have some VERY good ewes to pick the best from.
> 
> We have been working in the garden, it is time to plant. Pecan trees are leafing out, no frost now!


We are likely to get some frost but the fruit has set and should be OK.  We have more fruit set this year than we ever had.


----------



## Mike CHS

We continue to plug away with the sheep.  52 of them have gotten whatever was needed and we will finish up hopefully tomorrow as we are down to 10 lambs and 10 ewes.  Even the lambs have gotten so used to the routine that I don't even need to call them but rather just open the gates.  It doesn't take really very long but since we have to bring the whole herd in, it does take time to sort them.


----------



## Mike CHS

We got a late start this morning because we were wimps and didn't want to go out and play in the cold since it was so windy.  We got the last of the lambs taken care of and half of the ewes hooves looked to.   It took awhile since once we decided which of the ewe lambs were keeper candidates we traced our records going back to our first sheep to also have some history on them. 

We pulled one of the two month old ram lambs and put him in with the ram and wether.  He just turned two months old and is a bit over 50 pounds on grass only so we will fatten him up for a couple of months. There is another ram lamb just as big and two weeks younger that we will pull him the next time we bring them in to separate all the keepers from the market sheep.  That will give us three to have for the freezer


----------



## Mike CHS

The weather guessers made some bad guesses about this morning. Last night the forecast was for thunder showers starting around noon today but I woke up to thunder around 4:30 this morning and raining.  I had the sheep and the dogs in the one paddock that doesn't have a shelter so I went down to the barn shelter and put some feed in the troughs and filled the creep feeder.  Of course they were all standing at the gate by the time I got out there so the move only required opening the three gates.  I don't worry about the sheep in the weather but I like to give Maisy and Mel the choice to be in or out of the weather.


----------



## Mike CHS

The thunder is pretty intense this morning.  It's loud enough that it has Maisy unnerved and surprisingly the big boy that doesn't like loud noises isn't the least bit bothered by it.  He was out in the rain staring at the house trying to figure out why the food service was running late.


----------



## Mike CHS

How much room does it take for 74 sheep and two dogs to get out of the rain?  I looks like a few more could squeeze in to a space that is 24 by 32'


----------



## Baymule

Trip woke me up at 5:20 scratching at the back door. He takes a swipe at that metal mobile home door with that big paw and the sound reverberates throughout the house. We had quite a thunderstorm with lots of lightening. We got 2 1/2” of rain. I went back to bed and slept till 9:00!


----------



## farmerjan

Looks like we are going to get your weather late this afternoon and into tonight.  They are saying good possibility of some flooding, heavy downpours, wind, thunder and even a small chance for tornado watch.  Hopefully leaving on Monday.  It has been somewhat sunny this morning, more clouds moving in with still some patches of sun,  I am testing this afternoon.  The farmer and his son are milking and like he said, we can't "do anything" with the lockdown so testing is fine with him.  Works for me.  No set up of meters, they have weigh jars, so just sampling and then computer work on his computer.  Hope my ankle in the boot doesn't get too bad.  Been mostly off it for the past few days after the overdoing last weekend.


----------



## Mike CHS

We made a run into town this morning but played it as safe as possible.  We did an online order at Kroger last week and most of the items on our list was available for pickup today.  There was a few things not available but they were wants and not needs.  We had a spiral and a regular ham on the list and got neither of those.  Romane lettuce was also not available.

We also went by the farm store for some okra seed and Bill (the owner) is only letting one person at a time in the payment area (it is a small area).  The banks are open but only at the teller window as the lobbies are closed.  The CO-OP is only taking call-in orders and bringing items to the parking lot for payment. Of course, feed has always been pickup there anyway.  I noticed gas was down a few more cents at $1.12 a gallon at Kroger.


----------



## Baymule

Our DD made online orders before and is continuing to do so. She usually asks if we need anything and tacks it onto her order. We will have to make a Feed run in a couple of weeks. I think I’ll call first to check on protocol.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Our DD made online orders before and is continuing to do so. She usually asks if we need anything and tacks it onto her order. We will have to make a Feed run in a couple of weeks. I think I’ll call first to check on protocol.



I'm not sure what the feed store is doing where we buy our bulk feed but we have enough to last till most of the lambs are gone.  We were there a couple of weeks ago and the place was packed.


----------



## Bruce

I emailed my cat, chicken and alpaca food order today, they called to get the CC info (wasn't putting that in an email). Picked it up an hour later.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> I emailed my cat, chicken and alpaca food order today, they called to get the CC info (wasn't putting that in an email). Picked it up an hour later.



The CO-OP also does that but in our case we can just have them put the goods on our account and pay at the end of the month.


----------



## Mike CHS

Our cat has a puncture wound on his back quarter that we are going to treat once the penicillin gets to room temp.  Fortunately the puncture is really visible so we can flush that with penicillin and also give it an injection.  We have a feral cat that has been hanging around for a couple of months and evidently the hormones are raging.  We will keep her inside for the next day or two or until I can catch the feral critter in a trap.  As many times as we mess with our critters, I really dread doing stuff to a cat that is determined that you aren't going to do it.   We would take her in to the vet but would rather not go to town again and our vet told us how to treat the wound when we called and talked to him.  

I really like country vets.


----------



## Baymule

If you think he is going to shred your arms to hamburger , put him in a pillow case. Cut a hole to put his leg through. You might not catch him again for a looong time. You can cut a small breathing hole, but not big enough to poke his head through. You can twist the pillow case around him like a mummy and keep him from struggling and getting hurt.


----------



## Mike CHS

She seems to be pretty forgiving.  The Doc said to do the treatment once a day for three days so she won't be getting much outside time.  I used a towel around her and put her on the freezer on the porch so I could use my chest to keep her down.  The wound is far enough back that Teresa could get to it to flush it and she didn't fight too bad since she couldn't move.  Some of the infection started out immediately after the flush.


----------



## Baymule

Sounds like you have a better relationship with your cat, than you thought you did.


----------



## Mike CHS

We went in to Kroger for their early hour and got a couple of things but the shelves looked like a Florida store the day before a hurricane hit shore.  That will probably  be the last time we go to town for quite awhile since we coincidentally bought 1000 lbs of feed before this silliness started.  That is more than enough to get us through weaning since most are already self weaning their lambs.  We changed our plans as far as taking sheep to market.  We will still take most of the ram lambs and the cull ewes next week but we will retain the rest for a bit till we see what the market will do.  In spite of this current cold snap, we will have plenty of grass to graze 50 or more for a few more months or until the meat market stabilizes.

Talking to other folks that raise sheep there seems to be quite a desire from people wanting to make arrangements to grow sheep out and sell off the farm.   If nothing else we can hold them in reserve in case any friends needs some assistance.


----------



## Mike CHS

The cat cooperated (sort of) for another injection tonight but the wound looks much better,  She is sitting on the arm of the chair as I write this so she obiously isn't holding a grudge.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Mike,

I plum forgot to ask, but did you get any nasty weather up your way when the storms came through a few days ago?  I saw where Mississippi and Alabama got hit with tornadoes. 

Senile Texas Aggie


----------



## Mike CHS

Senile_Texas_Aggie said:


> Mike,
> 
> I plum forgot to ask, but did you get any nasty weather up your way when the storms came through a few days ago?  I saw where Mississippi and Alabama got hit with tornadoes.
> 
> Senile Texas Aggie



Thanks for asking.  There was a lot of noise and wind but the tornado activity was south and north of us.


----------



## Mike CHS

We ran the sheep through the chute again this afternoon and did the hooves on the seven ewes that still needed it. We gave everyone a dose of garlic and ran them all across the scale to see how the lambs are gaining.  The last born group is in the 35 to 45 pound range and the majority of the rest are 50-60 pounds and are getting an average gain of a pound a day now that they have steady access to creep feed.  Most of the ewes are getting into good condition in spite of still nursing and most are nursing twins or trips. We will sort again later this week to pull all of the ram lambs and to sort 3 cull ewes to take to the sale along with the ram lambs.

We pulled fecals today on the three aren't where they should be condition wise so see how they are handling the worm load.  We want to pull fecals later also from all of the lambs whose dams have had the most difficulty with a worm load to see how they better than their dams.  Even those that have needed worming weren't as bad as several before last years lamb crop.


----------



## Mike CHS

I forgot to add the picture that Teresa took of one of the ewes in the "Deck Chair" for anyone that hasn't seen one.


----------



## Bruce

Looks like "enhanced interrogation" there!


----------



## Baymule

A hammock for sheep! Nap time! LOL


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Bruce said:


> Looks like "enhanced interrogation" there!





Baymule said:


> A hammock for sheep! Nap time! LOL



I was wondering where the glass of lemonade was!


----------



## Mike CHS

I have a lot of grass to cut today so I took a couple of pictures while moving the sheep this morning.  Since we won't be working on the sheep again until we sort them next week, I walked them over to one of the far paddocks where I can rotate them every couple of days. Two of those don't have a shelter so I will move them again if it looks like we will have rain.  The sheep wear their shelter but I always make sure the dogs have a place to go if they want.


----------



## Bruce

Lovely sight!


----------



## Mike CHS

Since it's getting close to planting our warm weather garden we spent a large part of the afternoon setting up germination tests for our oldest garden seed. We have one of a seed collection bought in 2016 that is 35 still sealed mylar packets that I don't want to assume are going to germinate.  They are all wrapped in wet paper towels and in sandwich bags so we will know in a few days whether to keep them or pitch them.  We already pre-sprouted seed for our okra bed and they have already been moved into 6 packs to wait on the heat.


----------



## Mike CHS

I just had the coolest thing happen a few minutes ago.  I have had the sheep grazing in a paddock that is the furthest from the handling area where I feed them plus the creep feeder is there for the lambs.  I was going to move the troughs down closer to where the sheep were so I only had to call them through one gate and usually when they see me, they come as soon as they hear me call.  Today I had only left the first gate open about half way and even though they saw me and I was calling, they weren't sure what to do since it wasn't the way they went in this morning.  As I was about to walk toward them Mel let out a big boom of his and ran through the gate.  That was the signal to the sheep I guess since they came right on down.  I had the other three gates open already and went on down to the troughs.

I know it was coincidence (or not) as Mel never barks toward me.


----------



## CntryBoy777

It is always nice when things work as they should....lord knows we never forget tbe times they don't.....


----------



## Mike CHS

It's supposed to be raining off and on all day today so will finish up starting another flat of vegetables and one of flowers on the porch although the majority of tomato and pepper plants are already big enough to transplant.  I don't expect any more frosts but I didn't learn the first year but did finally learn my lesson the second year in a row that planting before May 1st around here isn't a wise move.  We bought the last batch of seed that we needed for next year at our favorite Farm Center.  They still sell seeds in bulk and we spent $25 for 15 different seed varieties and that includes 1 1/2 lbs of green beans.


----------



## farmerjan

Even though it looks doubtful that I will have a garden this year, I am going to go to the local farm bureau branch here and see what is available and buy some to have for even next year if I don't get a chance to plant this year.  I  have some old seeds here and will put them back also, and then probably just plant next year and if they don't come up, then replant with something else in that spot.  Can always plant something like lettuce after the  gr beans in the row if the gr beans don't come up... or plant something later.  Usually  I have found that I plant things that I am not sure of germination, along the side where the  vines are going to spread.  Of course I usually have more space than I need anyway.
But I have more than enough garden space  and then I go and get more tomato plants that I don't need to fill up spots....

I am also thinking about availability of seeds in the future.  And like @CntryBoy777 , want to have some of the "heirloom" open pollinated varieties to be able to save some seed for future if need be.  You do have to worry about either distancing for purity of crops, or timing for blooming and pollinating to keep the crops from crossing.  I have had volunteer plants that were definitely crosses of squashs and stuff.

Hey, I have grown a white cucumber that is very tasty and doesn't seem to be bothered by the bugs as much.  In case anyone has ever wondered.


----------



## Mike CHS

I was going to post that Baker Creek (rareseeds.com) had their heirloom seed collection that we bought but I just looked and it's showing out of stock now.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I continue to be amazed at all the "chicken littles" running around these days....I don't mean to offend anyone, but there is a difference between "concern" and "panic"......😏


----------



## Baymule

Our Tractor Supply has been swamped. People standing outside to get in. Manager at the door, taking a head count, only 40 people at a time allowed inside. Every body wants to be a farmer. Haha, reckon how long that white hot heat of enthusiasm with a side order of panic is going to last?


----------



## Bruce

Baymule said:


> Every body wants to be a farmer.


Why not, it is so EASY! Just stick a seed in the ground and you are a successful farmer 



Mike CHS said:


> They still sell seeds in bulk and we spent $25 for 15 different seed varieties and that includes 1 1/2 lbs of green beans.


That is a LOT of beans!


----------



## farmerjan

Long enough for them to find out how hard it is, and when the food becomes more available the  "real ones" will be left standing.  If nothing else, the "wannabe's " will all peter out when the weather gets cold, and the waterers start to freeze, and they are putting more into the hens than the value of the eggs are.....

And when the gardens actually need to be weeded, and maybe watered, and then the whole row of green beans needs to be picked and then processed and frozen or canned right then because they won't keep  for a week until they get around to it..... or that the plants look real good and then the next day the squash plants have all wilted from the squash vine borer killing them.... or the tomatoes all get blossom end rot...... 
The ones that do stick with it will be the ones who remember that grandma  or uncle joe, or that nice lady down the road used to share some really good food..... and the ones who learn by trial and error will appreciate what goes into their food and will strive to a better job next year.... and some will realize that getting in and working the garden is relaxing mentally and a very good way to get exercise and good healthy air.....


----------



## farmerjan

Yeah @Bruce   someone should have shot that dumb @@###@@   for saying that.... But he's made enough money that he will never have to worry about  sticking a seed in the ground to get an ear of corn......  or get his hands dirty.  He can just pay some dumb worker that he is paying little more than minimum wage to that he can convince how wonderful a person he is and how smart he is because he IS smarter or he wouldn't have been able to make so much money....


----------



## CntryBoy777

Better yet...waiting for the "days to harvest" to drag by and they begin to fruit will drive them crazy or they will get bored....they'll starve by that time....also figuring out how many it will take to feed the family....I don't think teach that in school anymore....😷


----------



## Bruce

Gee Jan, seems like you've got a bit more farming experience than Bloomberg 

I have no doubt that the vast majority of the new "bakers/farmers/gardners/chicken raisers" will drop the task as soon as the food shows up in the grocery stores and they can go out to eat any time they want. It still floors me that apparently a LOT of people eat out most of the time or have food delivered. Didn't grow up that way and as far as I know, I don't know anyone outside the forums that lives that way. But apparently folks like us are the odd ones.

Well, actually, I guess I DO know some people like that. My Dad lives in a retirement community in So. Cal.; dinner nightly in the "restaurant" is part of the monthly fee. In-laws and DW's aunt live in a similar place here. But I guess after 65 or more years of cooking dinner nightly (80 years in DW's Aunt's case) I can see being done with that, especially if you are cooking only for yourself.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

We all know how hard farming is.  The newbies don't - yet.  We all started somewhere and I sincerely hope that some of them succeed.


----------



## Bruce

True! Could be some will get the "bug".


----------



## farmerjan

I didn't intend to sound mean.  I do hope that some do "get the bug" and become more self sufficient and able to take care of themselves.  They are also the kind of people that are more conservative in their general thinking and day to day actions.... and show some COMMON SENSE in life's activities in general.  
Unfortunately, so many will try it for awhile, and it will be too hard, too time consuming, their crops will get attacked by bugs, the yields will be small or non-existent,  the weather will not co-operate, and any one of a dozen other things and they will gladly give it up for the comfort and ease of "someone else"  doing it.  

But if one gets it out of 100 we are still better off and so are they.  It might at least make some more appreciative of what all goes into actually feeding people.....


----------



## Baymule

It has our DSIL wanting to stock up for emergencies. DD is still an educated idiot. She is in the crowd of Why? Let someone else do it and just go to the store and buy it.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> It has our DSIL wanting to stock up for emergencies. DD is still an educated idiot. She is in the crowd of Why? Let someone else do it and just go to the store and buy it.



Everyone we know seems to have most of what they need and they are also checking on those less likely to be able to get out to get what they need so the community is behaving like a community.  I started enough garden plants to be able to share with several families including seed if they need it but they already have garden spots.

The internet seed vendors were those that were sold out.  Locally there is plenty of plants available.


----------



## CntryBoy777

It may be wise to have saving some seed from this year's crop...just to be sure for next year's garden...best to be prepared, than to wish ya had and be without........heard my Mom in my ear....


----------



## Mike CHS

We do use our own saved seed from everything except tomatoes since they are all hybrid.   We sometime get a surprise when we plant squash since what we get is not what we thought was planted.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I understand that!!....we had green crooked neck one year that was cucumber flavored....bizarre.....


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa and I spent a couple of hours cleaning out a 4' diameter culvert that runs under our access road to the neighbors gate.  I don't get in that area except to cut grass and when I was cutting grass yesterday I noticed a washed out area and piles of small tree branches and even some rotted logs on the side of the road.  Checked out the culvert and it was completely blocked with debris and tree branches and evidently it's been that way for a couple of months or so.  We got all the debris removed and I'll check it again if it rains tomorrow like it's supposed to.


----------



## Mike CHS

I finished the last of the germination tests for several different kinds of bean seed from 2017.  Last year we only planted a couple of beds of beans but I always check the germination rate for anything older than two years old.  It only takes a few days and nothing is wasted since I plant the seeds that are sprouted.  The bean seeds rate 1as 100%.  Okra was less than 60% but since I only need about 20 plants, I put twice that many seed in the test and got what I need and they are already in six pack pots as we won't plant them for another week or until it looks like the cool weather is finished.

We usually make a run to Costco and/or Sams about once  month but one of the main things we get is dog food.  After this stay home thing started we switched to feed that we can pickup at TSC.  For the misc things we normally get there, we just placed an online order and got it shipped via UPS.  Shipping was free and we didn't have to make the drive.


----------



## Mike CHS

We are being wimp shepherds this morning not wanting to work in the rain but it looks like it will pass by in an hour or so.  Besides that the sheep aren't as easy to move when it's raining since they know I'm taking them out of a paddock with shelters, into paddocks with none.  We want to bring the main herd in to sort the sheep going to market either tomorrow or Monday but I have to bring them through 4 paddocks to get them in the handling area where the boys are now.  The boys will go where the girls are now but they respond to food through the open gate well whether it's raining or not.

I asked Lance if he "wanna work" and he has been staring at me ever since.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I bet Prof Lance doesn't mind a little rain either.... 🤣 ....if it is anything like Gabbie....if ya mention it, then she doesn't forget and keeps reminding ya...ya said it, just in case it slips your mind....every 5mins....


----------



## Baymule

I need to work my sheep. Ran out of gloves and couldn't find any. Bare fingers up a sheep's butt just ain't happenin'.  Finally found some, but have been at DD's beck and call, babysitting the little grand daughters. We'll have them From Wednesday morning to Thursday night-as they pull out for Odessa. Maybe after that I can get my mind back on taking care of business and dedicate several days to collect fecal samples, trimming feet and sit at the table looking through a microscope until my eyes cross.


----------



## Xerocles

Baymule said:


> I need to work my sheep. Ran out of gloves and couldn't find any. Bare fingers up a sheep's butt just ain't happenin'.  Finally found some, but have been at DD's beck and call, babysitting the little grand daughters. We'll have them From Wednesday morning to Thursday night-as they pull out for Odessa. Maybe after that I can get my mind back on taking care of business and dedicate several days to collect fecal samples, trimming feet and sit at the table looking through a microscope until my eyes cross.


Do you see it as your job to discourage me from having brush eating beasties, or is this just one of the perks? Originally, I wanted goats. Then, following all the folk on here, I figured goats are just too much of a PITA to be worth it. Then I hear about Katahdin hair sheep. Developed to keep powerlines clean. Brush eating, parasite resistant, low maintainence, easy birthing, "make sure I got water and then don't worry about me" kind of animals. Even located a Kat. Farm about 25 miles away.
NOW you're talking about poop digging, microscope staring. Next you'll be telling me about sitting up all night to assist with birthing! I certainly don't want animals that are more high maintenance than my children were when they were at pre-K age. (And I never looked at THEIR poop under a microscope).
Sighhhhhh.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Maybe ya can use some dishwashing gloves....be sure to use some ky jelly....  ......I know ya will enjoy your time with gds.........they get some pretty stiff winds out Odessa-Midland way....been thru there many times....


----------



## Mike CHS

We had an almost full box of gloves when the chaos started and happened on an unopened box in my shop finishing area.

I opened the gates before going around to the other side of the field with Lance on the Ranger.  By the time we got half way around I could see that the sheep were already at the shop.  I don't want him to lose confidence over not getting to work so I let him go in and cut a few out and let him work them out and away from the sheep.  He hasn't done that in a long time and it is really hard for a dog to get sheep to leave the herd but he did.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I asked Lance if he "wanna work" and he has been staring at me ever since.


And you haven't been able to move because he has you "held"!


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> And you haven't been able to move because he has you "held"!


He is about as intense as a Border Collie can get.   They have a one track mind which is what makes them do what they do so well.


----------



## Baymule

Xerocles said:


> Do you see it as your job to discourage me from having brush eating beasties, or is this just one of the perks? Originally, I wanted goats. Then, following all the folk on here, I figured goats are just too much of a PITA to be worth it. Then I hear about Katahdin hair sheep. Developed to keep powerlines clean. Brush eating, parasite resistant, low maintainence, easy birthing, "make sure I got water and then don't worry about me" kind of animals. Even located a Kat. Farm about 25 miles away.
> NOW you're talking about poop digging, microscope staring. Next you'll be telling me about sitting up all night to assist with birthing! I certainly don't want animals that are more high maintenance than my children were when they were at pre-K age. (And I never looked at THEIR poop under a microscope).
> Sighhhhhh.


I don't assist births. If I had to be a midwife, I would certainly help the first time a ewe got in trouble. If there was a second time, she would go on the cull list and I would not keep any of her offspring. A fecal exam gives finite numbers of parasite infestation. Identifying which sheep have high numbers and must be wormed a lot puts them on the cull list. Low numbers moves them to the front of the line. It is a tool in maintaining the health of the flock. Not trying to gross you out, I think you pretty much can't be grossed out. It just sounds like something you don't want to do. It's not something that I would call fun, but It was fun when Teresa taught me how and it was fun when I taught @Devonviolet and @Ridgetop how. Being able to take better care of my flock makes me happy and if that includes some dirty work, well I'll just jump in and do it. Suck it up buttercup. BWA-HA-HA-HA


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> I don't assist births. If I had to be a midwife, I would certainly help the first time a ewe got in trouble. If there was a second time, she would go on the cull list and I would not keep any of her offspring. A fecal exam gives finite numbers of parasite infestation. Identifying which sheep have high numbers and must be wormed a lot puts them on the cull list. Low numbers moves them to the front of the line. It is a tool in maintaining the health of the flock. Not trying to gross you out, I think you pretty much can't be grossed out. It just sounds like something you don't want to do. It's not something that I would call fun, but It was fun when Teresa taught me how and it was fun when I taught @Devonviolet and @Ridgetop how. Being able to take better care of my flock makes me happy and if that includes some dirty work, well I'll just jump in and do it. Suck it up buttercup. BWA-HA-HA-HA



I started to answer that earlier but figured you would do a better job so I didn't.  I was right.


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> I started to answer that earlier but figured you would do a better job so I didn't.  I was right.


Haha you know me and my big mouth!


----------



## Ridgetop

While I enjoyed learning how to do worm tests with Bay and Devonviolet, I would rather pull a lamb or kid (live of course).  So satisfying to see them come alive and stagger up.  Worm poop, not so much.  However it needs to be done.  This summer my oldest DGS has said he will help me.  He is into science.  Family bonding.


----------



## Baymule

Ridgetop said:


> While I enjoyed learning how to do worm tests with Bay and Devonviolet, I would rather pull a lamb or kid (live of course).  So satisfying to see them come alive and stagger up.  Worm poop, not so much.  However it needs to be done.  This summer my oldest DGS has said he will help me.  He is into science.  Family bonding.


I would certainly pull a live lamb, saving it and the mother's life. She would get another chance, but if a habitual assisted birth mother, I would get rid of her. My girls usually have their lambs and surprise me in the mornings. It is a nice system and I like it. LOL Haven't had to assist a birth, have been lucky enough to watch a few, but no midwife duties.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have only had to pull one lamb in 4 years but it was almost 15 pounds.  We did lose one this year while she was lambing but all except 3 of our 30 ewes lambed during daylight hours when we were around.

A picture from yesterday after I asked Lance if he wanted to work.


----------



## Mike CHS

In our getting lambs and culls ready to haul off I ran into something I had not considered.  This is the first time that we have sent ewes and lambs to market at the same time so it was the first time we had ewes and freshly weaned lambs in the same paddock.  When the herd went out to graze this morning literally every lamb out there was attempting to nurse on one ewe.  She head butted them hard enough that they eventually quit but she had a rough 1/2 hour.


----------



## thistlebloom

They all chose the one ewe? Poor thing!


----------



## rachels.haven

Sounds like she had the milkshake machine and all the other ewes were set on skim. Poor girl.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> A picture from yesterday after I asked Lance if he wanted to work.


Let's go Dad!!!


----------



## Mike CHS

Since there are no restaurants open yet (and I doubt I would go if there was), I had a taste for something different.  I found a blog the other day that specializes in copy cat recipes.  They have the entire menu for Panda Express so I copied the Panda Express Beijing Beef.  It tastes just like the original with the exception that I couldn't get the beef crispy like they do.


----------



## thistlebloom

My husband and I took a drive around one of the lakes last Sunday. It's about a 3 hour trip through forests and farm fields. As is often the case dh's mind turned toward thoughts of dinner (doesn't matter what part of the day it is 😄). Food conversation turned to what we haven't had for a long time. We haven't had Panda Express for a long few years I bet. I looked them up on my phone, checked out the menu and ordered us some pick-up. I couldn't believe how easy that was. Mind you, we barely scratch the surface of technology, so this was downright near to revolutionary, haha.

Pick up was at the front door which was blocked by a long folding table extending out one half of the double door. The other half of the entry was closed. An employee came to the door and took my name, retrieved our meal and slid it down the table to me. It was of course already paid for online.
It was interesting...
Dh got the Beijing Beef, which has been a favorite of his. I think I won't tell him there is a copycat recipe.


----------



## Mike CHS

thistlebloom said:


> Dh got the Beijing Beef, which has been a favorite of his. I think I won't tell him there is a copycat recipe.



The nearest one to us is in Franklin (70 miles away) but we occasionally went there when we were making a Costco or Sam's run.  I've got the rest of their items also but we won't tell your husband.


----------



## Ridgetop

*What about the rest of us?       *          How did you get the recipes?  

I rarely pull lambs anymore.  Most of our girls produce just fine.  As you say, the exception is usually a ginormous lamb in a first freshener.  I hate singles because that is usually when they have trouble.  I am going to start holding back grain around the time they are due next kidding to see if it makes a difference in ease of lambing.  

The huge amount of experience I got pulling kids and lambs was from the dairy goats.  Those Nubians would produce quads regularly and often they would be tangled up and cause a blockage.  Then since I was the 4-H livestock goat and sheep leader all the neighbors would call me - the caprine and ovine midwife!  The hardest kids I ever pulled were 2 large kids from a tiny Pygmy!  

The experience was good though since I can identify a ewe in trouble.  The worst case this year was the ewe with the large rectal prolapse.  She was so swollen in the rectum that her rump and vagina were distorted.   The swelling and edema put pressure on the vaginal opening pushing it closed, preventing normal lambing.  That is why I had to surgically make more openings in the vaginal wall to get h lamb out.  I knew she was going to be euthanized so I tried to save the lamb.  While that first large lamb was born alive it didn't make it.  The surprise second lamb did though.  I have kept that ewe lamb for breeding.  If she has trouble prolapsing, or lambing, she will be culled.


----------



## Bruce

Oh go ahead and tell him Mike! He deserves it. She already snaked him out of his Anna Mae cookies.


----------



## Mike CHS

Ridgetop said:


> *What about the rest of us?       *          How did you get the recipes?
> 
> I rarely pull lambs anymore.  Most of our girls produce just fine.  As you say, the exception is usually a ginormous lamb in a first freshener.  I hate singles because that is usually when they have trouble.  I am going to start holding back grain around the time they are due next kidding to see if it makes a difference in ease of lambing.



The amount of feed given to the ewes made a lot of difference in the lambing weight of the lambs.  We overfed our first year and our smallest lambs were twins in the 9 pound range with a bunch in the 11-14 pound range.

After that season we only gave hay up until small amounts of feed determined mostly by their body scores.

Here is the blog where I got the recipes and they aren't just for the Panda Express.





__





						Copycat Recipes Archives
					

With over 100 copycats on the site you'll find authentic recipes from all your favorite restaurants here. Skip the takeout make them for less!




					dinnerthendessert.com


----------



## Baymule

That's a lot of yummy recipes! Thanks for the link!


----------



## farmerjan

Mike CHS said:


> We have only had to pull one lamb in 4 years but it was almost 15 pounds.  We did lose one this year while she was lambing but all except 3 of our 30 ewes lambed during daylight hours when we were around.
> 
> A picture from yesterday after I asked Lance if he wanted to work.
> View attachment 72997


YES, HOW SOON?????????? Let's go right now!!!!!


----------



## Mike CHS

farmerjan said:


> YES, HOW SOON?????????? Let's go right now!!!!!



 He doesn't get a lot of time with the sheep since they go wherever I go.  I have been letting him work the ram and ram lambs and that has been interesting.  Our main ram (Max) keeps trying to challenge him with head butts and has got him once.  Lance looks like a sweet little boy but he can give more than he gets with the rams so Max no longer tries that.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

My English Shepherd, Gracie, is fearless.  She is a long way from a trained herding dog but she definitely has the want to and a natural ability.  Occasionally I let the bucks in an area adjacent to the yard to browse and one of the boys will jump the fence to get into the yard.  The yard is Gracies domain and she's "allowed" to escort the buck out of the yard.  He will occasionally rear up and challenge her and that brings out the beast in her.  My question for you is this:  what do you do when your dog uses teeth?  Is it allowed under trying circumstances or not allowed at all.  Without doubt Gracie knows more about moving animals than I do.  But, being the novice that I am I'm not sure how to respond to the situation when she becomes "insistent."  Any words of wisdom?


----------



## Mike CHS

frustratedearthmother said:


> My English Shepherd, Gracie, is fearless.  She is a long way from a trained herding dog but she definitely has the want to and a natural ability.  Occasionally I let the bucks in an area adjacent to the yard to browse and one of the boys will jump the fence to get into the yard.  The yard is Gracies domain and she's "allowed" to escort the buck out of the yard.  He will occasionally rear up and challenge her and that brings out the beast in her.  My question for you is this:  what do you do when your dog uses teeth?  Is it allowed under trying circumstances or not allowed at all.  Without doubt Gracie knows more about moving animals than I do.  But, being the novice that I am I'm not sure how to respond to the situation when she becomes "insistent."  Any words of wisdom?



They tend to not do more bite than needed so I let them go.  Lance is docile in most cases but becomes intense when he is moving the sheep.  He doesn't use teeth in most cases but I don't try to stop him if he feels the need to protect himself.  If you control too much you mess with his confidence and he will be confused.  You have so much experience in other things that are similar so use your instinct.  I don't intervene unless the dogs are completely out of line and in most cases, they aren't.  These dogs make us look so smart and they are good at doing that.  

I haven't worked English Shepherds but I have seen them work and their handlers do the same work with them as Border Collie handlers.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Thanks!  The only time she gets fierce is when he just doesn't listen and becomes aggressive with her.  She definitely has the right to defend herself so I've tended to just stay out of her way.  She's so intuitive and the little things I work with her on she's very receptive.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I would really like to have been there watching and learning.....especially having had petting and talking to him and Sassy...I think back to that visit  often.....I would've like to see Gabbie with animals around.....heck, she herds us and the cat, Callie.... 🤣


----------



## Mike CHS

frustratedearthmother said:


> Thanks!  The only time she gets fierce is when he just doesn't listen and becomes aggressive with her.  She definitely has the right to defend herself so I've tended to just stay out of her way.  She's so intuitive and the little things I work with her on she's very receptive.



We always use a long lead while training and it takes a long time but if you think she has a handle on it, it might be worth a trial..  The long lead prevents a lot of retraining.    I'll be happy to help with more info if you want.


----------



## Ridgetop

Mike CHS said:


> The amount of feed given to the ewes made a lot of difference in the lambing weight of the lambs. We overfed our first year and our smallest lambs were twins in the 9 pound range with a bunch in the 11-14 pound range.
> 
> After that season we only gave hay up until small amounts of feed determined mostly by their body scores.



I am going to try that.  I am still in the woolly breed sheep and dairy goat mindset I guess.  You have to feed them well for milk and growth.  Dorpers not so much.  In fact, I was just reading a couple of articles that said if you try to finish a Dorper lamb over 100 lbs. he/she puts it all into fat on the carcass.  This time I am going to cut them back on hay a month before lambing and stop all grain.  All our lambs were at least 9 lbs., with some singles around 11-12 lbs.  The only lamb under 9 lbs. was a small twin who weighed 7.7 lbs. His brother was 9.9 lbs.  That little guy looked like a midget, but finished out the same weight as the other wethers.  The smaller lambs were just as lively if not more than the huge ones.  And it is much easier on the ewes.  Thanks, I will try that.


----------



## Mike CHS

Ridgetop said:


> I am going to try that.  I am still in the woolly breed sheep and dairy goat mindset I guess.  You have to feed them well for milk and growth.  Dorpers not so much.  In fact, I was just reading a couple of articles that said if you try to finish a Dorper lamb over 100 lbs. he/she puts it all into fat on the carcass.  This time I am going to cut them back on hay a month before lambing and stop all grain.  All our lambs were at least 9 lbs., with some singles around 11-12 lbs.  The only lamb under 9 lbs. was a small twin who weighed 7.7 lbs. His brother was 9.9 lbs.  That little guy looked like a midget, but finished out the same weight as the other wethers.  The smaller lambs were just as lively if not more than the huge ones.  And it is much easier on the ewes.  Thanks, I will try that.




All of our twins were in the 8 pound range and the trips were all in the 6 pound range.  The trips are all around 40 pounds at 6 weeks and gaining.  All of the trips have normal gain at almost 1 pound a day so I'm happy.


----------



## Ridgetop

That would suit me fine.  The ADG is more important than birth weight.  Some of the best White Dorper rams are from Paul and Kathy Lewis.  They are on NSIP and Lambplan and when buying you can look up the records to see what their lambs will do.  That testing and record keeping shows which rams produce faster growing, lower birth weight lambs.  My Lewis ram is supposed to produce lower birth weight and fast growing lambs and last year his lambs gained really fast, finishing at 100 lbs. at 4 months old.  The lambs I just took to slaughter did not grow as fast as last year but they were out of 2 different rams.  The spring lambs are out of Lewis, and are growing very fast.  This year his lambs were larger than I expected so I probably was feeding them too well!


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> He doesn't get a lot of time with the sheep since they go wherever I go.


Well then, you go to the far end of the pasture and tell Lance to take the sheep to the gate


----------



## Mike CHS

We took 16 sheep to the sale this morning.  They are doing the safe distancing which works fairly easy the way they are laid out.  They have a pull through unloading area so all you have to do is open the trailer gate and they are gone.  I actually felt guilty with this bunch since the three ewes are about the tamest that we have.  We didn't run them through the chute but rather I went in the trailer and Teresa opened the panel and the sheep ran to me in the trailer.  We used the smaller horse trailer this morning and this number of sheep had it full.


----------



## Bruce

Kind of hard sometimes.


----------



## Mike CHS

Lunch wasn't healthy but it sure was tasty, fried okra and green tomatoes with a home made remoulade sauce.


----------



## Mike CHS

We are watching the livestock auction online and today was the day to take meat goats in and sheep prices that we are seeing is the best we have seen.


----------



## Bruce

Hey, okra and tomatoes are vegetables (OK fruit that we call vegetables) right?? That makes your lunch healthy.


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## CntryBoy777

That surely is promising for ya....


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Glad you hit the auction on a great day!


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Mike CHS said:


> We always use a long lead while training and it takes a long time but if you think she has a handle on it, it might be worth a trial.. The long lead prevents a lot of retraining.  I'll be happy to help with more info if you want.


I appreciate that!  

English Shepherds like "order."  She knows where each animal belongs.  One day a pig walked out a gate right behind me...I never even saw it get out - but Gracie saw it.  I opened the gate and asked her to bring that pig home.  That's all she needed....that pig was back where it belonged in a blink of an eye.  

She's doesn't get a lot of practice because my goats are like your sheep - they follow me anywhere.  

 I've wondered for awhile now if I'm doing her a disservice.  She's so naturally good that I wonder how she would do with someone who actually knows how to direct her?


----------



## Mike CHS

Lance has the pedigree to possibly be way up there in the trial world but we don't have the time it takes to be in that world.  I make sure he is happy even if it is just throwing a ball.   I do make sure he gets some time on sheep but he seems happy to just stare at them when we put them out in our training pen which is adjacent to our sheep paddocks.

This gent is no longer with us unfortunately but his videos are what I first used training our dogs.  He gets long winded at times but I attribute that to him getting older, not that I can relate to that.  There is a whole series of videos that his daughter put up when a book publisher wouldn't pay him for his work. We also had an active training farm that we used to solidify our dogs and they are friends for life. If nothing else, I like watching his videos.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Thanks for posting that @Mike CHS ....I'll have to watch and see some new things to work with Gabbie....her instinct to herd is amazing and she is very alert....


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> Thanks for posting that @Mike CHS ....I'll have to watch and see some new things to work with Gabbie....her instinct to herd is amazing and she is very alert....



I still watch his videos just because.


----------



## Mike CHS

We dropped Netflix about 6 months ago since we rarely saw any new programming then we get an email today telling us that one of our favorite Netflix originals had another season available.  The series is called The Last Kingdom and takes place during Old England during King Edwards time based on the books written by Bernard Cromwell.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

CntryBoy777 said:


> Thanks for posting that @Mike CHS


X2!


----------



## Bruce

They are trying to reel you back in Mike!


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> They are trying to reel you back in Mike!



It worked. ) At least for the time it takes to watch the season.  We subscribed to HBO whenever a new Game of Thrones came out but canceled as soon as we watched it.


----------



## Mike CHS

We received a bizarre UPS package this afternoon. We had ordered two bags of Diamond dog food from TSC since it was showing ad available online and shipped to home vs not available in the store.  ??? The box was sloppy but sealed and too big to get out of the side door so we opened it in the truck. There was also several items with the Kirkland name which is Costcos.  A large container of olive oi, same of canola oil,  some grape juice and a couple of other things with labels that were faded so bad you couldn't tell what they were.  We told the UPS we would haul it off since we sure were not going to use it.  He couldn't explain how they all got in the same box.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Weird!


----------



## CntryBoy777

Obviously...somebody sure didn't have a good day at work that day....


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## Baymule

At least you got the dog food.


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## farmerjan

I hate to even ask this, but is there an expiration date on dog food?  Maybe this shipment was pulled from old stock and someone else was supposed to get it and they put the wrong shipping label on it?   I can't imagine how they got it so messed up, with stuff that looked old.... maybe sun bleached from being in a window, or something.  I would be a little concerned about "fresheness" of all of it.


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## Bruce

I suspect the Amazon warehouse people are WAY over worked. Mistakes happen.


----------



## Mike CHS

farmerjan said:


> I hate to even ask this, but is there an expiration date on dog food?  Maybe this shipment was pulled from old stock and someone else was supposed to get it and they put the wrong shipping label on it?   I can't imagine how they got it so messed up, with stuff that looked old.... maybe sun bleached from being in a window, or something.  I would be a little concerned about "fresheness" of all of it.



The dates on the dog food is good.  There is no esplanation for all of the other things.  Somebody had a funny moment while packing to get rid of the trash.


----------



## Mike CHS

We got our payment and the breakdown on the quality of the lambs we took in the other day.  The ewes were graded as one thin and one fat but we expected that (which is partly why they were being culled).  Of the 14 lambs that we took, 9 were graded as choice and the rest were prime.  We didn't weigh them the day we took them in but we had weighed them 10 days before.  They had all put on 10-14 pounds in that 10 days so it was a fair trade for us based on the prices for them.


----------



## Mike CHS

It looks like this is going to be our first day in the 80's but it has been a pleasant spring.  We are getting ready to bring the sheep in tp pull all of the lambs for weaning and finish up the sale list since they are all in that ideal weight range right now.


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## Baymule

Going to be lots of BAA BAA BAAING going on at your place!


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## Mike CHS

We finished with the sheep right at 1:30 so it wasn't too bad since we had to wait for a neighbor right in the middle of it and move them again.  He wants to buy a couple of exposed ewes and as luck would have it, the two that he wanted were among the first batch which was already our of the handling area.  We pulled fecals on all of the adults that we are retaining.  We changed our mind on some of the replacement ewes that we had thought to keep and we are keeping a couple that wasn't in the plan since their rate of growth is super.


----------



## farmerjan

We do the same thing as far as keeping replacement  heifers.  They actually get looked at 3 times.  Initial looking over, "I like that one, I don't like that one. that one is a bit cow hocked, that one has a narrow front end or rear end"   etc.  Then after making the initial cut, and selling them, then the next time is a few months after weaning, and re-evaluating and maybe picking out some other things.  Disposition also always being considered.  Then there is the yearling look over to be sure before they get put out to then go into the breeding group.  I have changed my mind a few times over the years for who to keep.  And some depends on whether we are keeping certain cows, say if one has some age and comes up open, we might keep her heifer to keep the "line " going if she is decent but maybe not outstanding, because the line has always had consistently  good calves. 
Hope all your picks to keep do what you want in the future. 

Are prices that good there?  I understand that here they have fallen off with all this virus crap..... because the one sale that usually has the best prices and biggest number of buyers has been restricting attendance..... But I haven't really heard what "fallen off" is in comparison.


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## Mike CHS

Sheep and goat prices are actually up with goats being especially higher than normal.  Meat goats last week were going in the $3.50 range for prime.  Sheep were bringing from $2.25 to $2.45 for the 40-60 lb range but most of those get shipped to Virginia.

We have sold several 2 year old ewes but they will stay here for a couple of months to be bred back.  We placed a flyer at the feed store and have had several call from virus panicked people but after talking to them we pulled the ad.

@farmerjan I don't remember if I posted about the sale barn before but they are allowing only buyers in to the sale and no spectators.  Farms drop their animals off before the sale and they give you the option to get your check mailed or you can go back to pick it up.  We usually opt for mail since you normally get it no later than two days after the sale and we can avoid another 45 mile drive.  Up till now, you would pull in the drive through chute, go back and open your trailer and they would come help get them out.  Now you drive in, stay in your truck, they stand back to get your account number and you drive off.  Seems to work for them as they haven't missed a sale yet.


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## Mike CHS

I don't have a picture of this so you will have to use your imagination.  I think most people have seen the circus routine where a car pulls up and clowns start getting out.  It seems like they will never stop getting out.

As we were working sheep down in the chute, I saw some movement above us where there shouldn't have been any white critters yet.  I saw that it was Mel coming out of the dog house literally on his belly because the door is only about 20 inches high. I'm watching him slowly almost crawl out and it seems like he just keeps coming, and coming, and coming until he is all the way out.  The first thing I though of was the clowns in the car. 

I'm attaching a picture of the  dog house with Mel beside it for scale.


----------



## Baymule

Sounds like the sales are giving y’all a good price. Curbside auction barn. LOL LOL Pandemic pandemonium, everybody suddenly wants to be a farmer, without the foggiest idea of how to go about it. You would have been sending your lambs to a certain death due to ignorance.


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## CntryBoy777

🤣.....I don't know if Barb ever told ya about our "adventure" of getting him in the backseat of her truck @ 3am....but, just think about squeezing Babar into a small space and he isn't enthusiastic to fit.........we knew we didn't wish to face that very many times along the way.........glad prices are up for ya and the demand should increase some with the plants shut down as people look for alternatives.....pork and chicken is pretty thin in the meat cases and noticed the 10# bag of legqtrs have jumped from $4.90 to $6.47 and the beef stew meat is close to $7/lb....we got a 40# of legqtrs for $23 thru a meat mkt....so we have meat for a bit....one thing about chicken...it can be fixed in so many ways ya can always think ya are eating something different....


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> 🤣.....I don't know if Barb ever told ya about our "adventure" of getting him in the backseat of her truck @ 3am....but, just think about squeezing Babar into a small space and he isn't enthusiastic to fit.........we knew we didn't wish to face that very many times along the way........



That is why we are seriously looking for a bigger truck.  That poor boy has to tuck his head and shoulders down to rife in my Tacoma but he jumps right in (with some help on the back end)


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Sounds like the sales are giving y’all a good price. Curbside auction barn. LOL LOL Pandemic pandemonium, everybody suddenly wants to be a farmer, without the foggiest idea of how to go about it. You would have been sending your lambs to a certain death due to ignorance.



I'm sending them to their death when we take them to market but they had a good life till that last day.  I won't let someone take them that will sentence them to a slow death.


----------



## Beekissed

My fence post guy asked me if I had any "cheap lambs" for sale as his neighbor wants a few.   I didn't quite know what to say...cheap lambs?  I almost suggested that he sell his neighbor one of his cheap calves, instead.  There are no cheap lambs on this place.  

It will be interesting to see what market prices for lamb are when mine are finished...I think everything is going to be going pretty high.


----------



## Baymule

Slaughter death is better than abuse, ignorant starvation death. 

Cheap lambs? Like what? Twenty bucks? What a moron. You can’t fix stupid and they keep breeding more of themselves.


----------



## Bruce

Baymule said:


> Pandemic pandemonium, everybody suddenly wants to be a farmer, without the foggiest idea of how to go about it.


Oh come on Bay, it is EASY! You just stick seeds in the ground, doesn't take much smarts to farm. Bloomberg told us so.


----------



## farmerjan

Yeah, MR KNOW IT ALL.....They all ought to get hungry and find out how easy it is..... except he has so much money he will never get hungry....SOB


----------



## farmerjan

@Beekissed ; There are always people who want something cheap.  And there are always a few animals on most any farmstead that will qualify as cheap.  We have a few calves that are not great that are sold "cheap".  Had one that the cow didn't milk good, that was a bit stunted, that was a "cheap calf".  We have had bottle lambs that will qualify as cheap.  @Mike CHS  gives away some lambs to neighbors, that otherwise would probably qualify as cheap..... and many will bring more money than I would want to charge someone, if I were to sell at the market. 
 Maybe the guy was looking for some that aren't doing or growing as someone would want.   @rachels.haven  talks about a couple of goat kids that have never grown the way they should have because they got a less than great start because the dam wasn't feeding them the way she should have been.  Those are what would fall into the category of "cheap"  because they are going to take more than is warranted to get them up to where they should be,  if they ever get there.   It may have not been meant as a slight to you.  
Not every animal we raise is top quality, and not everyone deserves to bring top price.  You try to do a good job, but there will be some that just aren't the "best".  Anyone who says they never raise a less than perfect top quality animal is not telling the truth.  @Mike CHS  said they re evaluated their sheep and kept a few ewe lambs they were not going to because of above average growth, and are culling some ewes instead.  It is a constant reassessment of what you have and what you are striving for.  He's got NICE sheep.  I doubt he has many that would fit the category of "cheap",  but a bottle lamb is often thought of that way because they are a pain for most people to raise and are not worth the amount of money tied up in them in milk replacer or time.  Lose a couple along the way, and you are in the hole.  We would rather sell our bottle lambs for 20-30-50 each, than put the time and money into them as they seldom do as good as a dam raised lamb.  We have done the math and they are not economical to raise.  We pick our battles and pick where we can get the best return on our time and money.


----------



## Mike CHS

We went into town early and stopped at Kroger for a few things. We got there a little after 7:00 and saw there was only two other customers in the store.  I saw they had one of their associates individually cleaning the shopping carts before bringing them into the store.

There was quite a few bare shelves but that isn't uncommon for a Sunday morning as Saturday they are really busy all day long.  We got a couple of pork loins and a couple whole roasting chickens.  That was all we needed and there didn't seem to be a shortage on meat except for ham (which we have been trying to get for over a month).  They also haven't had my favorite Bob Evans Sausage Patties for that same month.  We cut the chickens up and get multiple meals out of each bird.  We also cook a good batch of breaded chicken cutlets out of sliced breast meat that we like to have on a biscuit for breakfast.  While we are at it we make a big batch of chicken broth so literally, none of the birds are wasted. We like to slice the pork loin into thick chops and vacuum seal them in meal size portions so they keep good in the freezer.


----------



## Baymule

I got two cheap lambs. And their mother too! She is a bad mom, keeps such a high worm load that I ask her why she isn’t dead. Her lambs are small, so small that they aren’t worth the $85 to take them to slaughter. The ewe will go to slaughter for ground meat, the legs for tenderized round steak. I may put those 2 little dummies on Craigslist for a low bargain price just to get them out of here.


----------



## Mike CHS

@Baymule one of the ewes going to the market on the 11th is literally the sweetest ewe in our herd but she won't accept a lamb.  We have had a couple reject their lambs but we were able to get them to nurse in confinement and they were fine after that.  This ewe should have gone to market last year but we couldn't ID her lamb since all lambs were being nursed so we gave her a second chance since we have had another ewe adopt a lamb on her own.  When she lambed this season and immediately got up and walked away she was history.


----------



## Mike CHS

We just had a severe thunderstorm come through with winds over 70 mph.  We knew it was coming so I was out putting away anything light and brought all of my seed starts back in.  As I was finishing up there was a nasty gust of wind and as I looked out a heavy 10x10' kennel that had a tarp roof just went airborne flying across the yard and landed on the paddock fence that had all the adult ewes in it.  The corner post literally broke and there is a pretty good chunk of fence bent over.   Our neighbor saw it happen and before I finished getting the sheep moved to an interior paddock, he was pulling up to help me get the kennel off the fence as the sky opened up and started dumping rain.  That kennel was tied to several branches of a bradfore pear tree and they snapped as the kennel went flying.


----------



## farmerjan

Holy cow .  I need to look and see if we are in line for anything crazy like that in the next day or 2.  Hope that the kennel can be put back to rights without too much problem.  So sorry about the fence.  It is always a B@#$# when posts and fencing gets torn up.  Thank goodness you have the multiple paddocks to be able to move animals.  Best of luck getting things put back to rights.


----------



## Baymule

Wow! Good thing the dogs weren’t in it or orphan lambs.


----------



## Bruce

Baymule said:


> The ewe will go to slaughter for ground meat, the legs for tenderized round steak.


OK, you have my permission to chicken fry the leg from an old ewe


----------



## Baymule

Haha! Thank you @Bruce!


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Wow! Good thing the dogs weren’t in it or orphan lambs.



There was a rooster in there but there will never again be an orphan lamb in there.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Thanks Mike for THE LAST KINGDOM  reminder, we had started watching it awhile ago and got distracted...this weekend we started from the beginning  and are enjoying it  very much..... although it can't  hold a candle to GOT


----------



## Mike CHS

B&B Happy goats said:


> Thanks Mike for THE LAST KINGDOM  reminder, we had started watching it awhile ago and got distracted...this weekend we started from the beginning  and are enjoying it  very much..... although it can't  hold a candle to GOT



Nowhere close but it is an easy to binge watch.  We only have the TV on probably a couple hours a night and we are getting ready to watch the last episode.


----------



## Mike CHS

Replacing a fence can be as much a pain as putting it up to start with.  We are replacing almost 100' of fence plus the hot wire starting tomorrow.  We got all of the damaged fence taken down and rain a roll of electric netting just to have more than one layer of fence between the outside and the ewes.  There was a 10' gate there but rather than have to dig a hole to China to get that post out, we went and got a 12' gate to replace it with.  Of course I have been finding a lot of rock there and after pounding with a rock bar for about 30 minutes, I am almost 2' down.

Neither one of us felt like cooking dinner by the time we quit for the day which is why we keep some prepared meals from the friendly Schwan truck.  They are restaurant quality and ready to heat and serve. We had their enchilada casserole for the first time tonight and it was super.


----------



## Bruce

Rocks, gotta live with them.


----------



## Baymule

Bruce said:


> Rocks, gotta live with them.


I don’t. Neener neener neener!


----------



## frustratedearthmother

I had a rock here once.  Thought it was a goat turd at first... but nope...it was a little brown rock.


----------



## Mike CHS

frustratedearthmother said:


> I had a rock here once.  Thought it was a goat turd at first... but nope...it was a little brown rock.



That will make me feel good when I start whacking at them tomorrow.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

I hope rock whacking goes better today.  I just can't imagine dealing with that.  Tree roots are about the worst we deal with when digging a post hole...


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Enlist  the help of Mel, he sure can dig a crater 😌


----------



## Mike CHS

23 pounds doesn't seem like a lot of weight until you hit the one hour point of whacking at rock with the rock bar.  

I had to come in for some water and to let my heart rate get back to normal but I'm ready to set that post if the rain stays away.


----------



## CntryBoy777

.....not to mention the screaming shoulders, hands, and forearms...  .....glad ya got it ready and hope the drops hold off for ya to get it done.....


----------



## Mike CHS

The post is in, the gate is hung and the gate latch is mounted.  I always regretted not putting a latch on this gate since it is on a slope and it is nice to be able to operate a gate one handed and not have to mess with gate chains.  I mounted latches on all of the other main gates but the one I was working on today was one of the first gates and we never thought of it.

We built over 4000' of fence on this place and if I had to spend a full day on a single post, we wouldn't have the first 1000' done yet.


----------



## Bruce

Baymule said:


> I don’t. Neener neener neener!


You have a bazillion rocks!!! A few millennia ago they were just a few big rocks.


----------



## Baymule

I bet you feel glad to have that done! Are you on your recliner taking a few hours rest? I wouldn’t say a day off, because we all know farmers don’t get a day off.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> I bet you feel glad to have that done! Are you on your recliner taking a few hours rest? I wouldn’t say a day off, because we all know farmers don’t get a day off.



We didn't run the wire yet since I set that post in cement and wanted to give it a couple days to cure since we have netting up to cover the 100' that is down.  It rained off and on again all day so I ran down to Alabama for feed.  We even put another small order in to Kroger and they even got me a 19 pound twin pack of pork shoulder and two boxes of Bob Evans sausage so I'm happy.  It's the small things that please me.  

We have 3 slabs of ribs in the freezer so we will smoke all of them and the shoulders at the same time after we eat the pulled pork already in the freezer.


----------



## Baymule

We were going to butcher more Cornish Cross chickens today, but it is drizzly. One weather station says it will be cloudy, the other station says it will rain at 11:00 so we decided to take a day off from chickens. I have Painted Mountain corn to set out, so will work in the garden today. If it rains, it is easy to run inside. If we have a table covered with dead chickens ready for plucking, it's not quite so easy to quit. Also need to pick broccoli, it is coming ready. Going to Odessa, our DD and family MOVED to the butt end of nowhere and the truck and stock trailer is full of their outside stuff, we are taking it to them this weekend. One day of travel going, one day to visit and one day of traveling back. I have to make a lot of preparations to be gone for 3 days and show our friend and neighbor Robert how to feed the darn Cornish Cross chickens and pigs. Everything else he already knows. So I guess I'll play Domestic House Goddess and do some laundry, put up all my chicken paraphernalia until next week, blanch and freeze the broccoli and blah, blah, blah.


----------



## Mike CHS

Robert is a Blessing in your lives.


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> Robert is a Blessing in your lives.


No kidding! The nice thing about butchering Cornish Cross is that we can "pay" with a chicken. LOL We owe neighbor Russel a chicken for cutting stumps out of the way of my chicken tractor, we owe neighbor Jimmy a chicken for the free ice from his ice machine and we will pay Robert with a chicken for feeding for us while we are gone. We also take care of their dogs when they are gone. We sure have great neighbors! So far, we haven't had a chicken dress out less than 6 pounds, the heaviest was 7 pounds, 9 ounces.


----------



## farmerjan

Those birds really grew good for you.  Nice looking carcass.  I plan to pay for some vegs from the guy who is always trying to give away produce with a chicken or two this year and get more from him since I doubt I will have a garden, even if I get in the new place, unless it is a "fall" garden.


----------



## Mike CHS

@Ridgetop you asked about prices in the corona thread.  The market report is pdf format so it didn't hole well but you can still see the averages.  Price dropped as low as $1.05 a pound for cull ewes. This is last months sale and they expect it to be a little better for this next one.


HAIR- Choice and Prime 2-3 (Per Cwt / Actual Wt)
Head Wt Range Avg Wt Price Range Avg Price Dressing
88 47-49 48 215.00-225.00 222.02 Average
124 51-58 53 200.00-222.50 218.59 Average
118 65-67 66 210.00-230.00 221.58 Average
1 70 70 215.00 215.00 Average
7 81-85 83 210.00-215.00 212.20 Average
11 90-93 91 150.00-200.00 190.90 Average
4 109 109 152.50 152.50 Average
HAIR BREEDS - Good 1-2 (Per Cwt / Actual Wt)
Head Wt Range Avg Wt Price Range Avg Price Dressing
10 47 47 202.50 202.50 Average
1 50 50 210.00 210.00 Average
2 63 63 200.00 200.00 Average


----------



## Ridgetop

Beekissed said:


> My fence post guy asked me if I had any "cheap lambs" for sale as his neighbor wants a few. I didn't quite know what to say...cheap lambs? I almost suggested that he sell his neighbor one of his cheap calves, instead. There are no cheap lambs on this place.



Raise the price, then give him the normal price "just for him".  LOL  

I had a friend that had a retail store and she said they would run sales around the holidays, jack up the prices by 20-30%, slash through that price and lower the new inflated price by 10%.  Everything sold!  LOL


----------



## Ridgetop

Those are great prices.  I think even I could make a small or profit and I order lots of expensive hay.  Not a profit to live on you understand, but enough to support  the sheep.


----------



## Mike CHS

Ridgetop said:


> Those are great prices.  I think even I could make a small or profit and I order lots of expensive hay.  Not a profit to live on you understand, but enough to support  the sheep.



They pay for themselves which was our intent all along.  When I feed I get a custom blend sweet feed in Alabama which comes out to under $100 per 1000 lbs and it works for us.


----------



## Mike CHS

We did get the fence installed today.  We still have to run hot wire but that won't take but a short while since we already put all of the insulators on.


----------



## Bruce

Ridgetop said:


> I had a friend that had a retail store and she said they would run sales around the holidays, jack up the prices by 20-30%, slash through that price and lower the new inflated price by 10%. Everything sold! LOL


The farm and garden store did that with the layer feed. Advertized $1 off but the price went from $11.99 to $13.99 so the "sale" price was $1 more than the old price.


----------



## thistlebloom

There was a chain department store here that used to do that. It made me quit shopping there, because it's deceptive, and I don't like being treated as an idiot. They don't do it anymore because they went bankrupt.


----------



## Ridgetop

I have been checking on  lamb prices at the various auction barns.  Apparently the call for lamb has gone way up since we were selling our unwanted buck kids.  

The Halal market (Muslim) will pay $150 for a 40 lb. lamb.  They will take up to 5 a week.  My lambs are  40 lbs. by 7-9 weeks so that works for me.  I am not feeding much to the lambs at that point so I can probably break even and get the ewes bred back by 90 days post partum.  The Halal market sounds like the most cost effective marketing for me.  Plus the butcher will pickup from so no traveling.  Saves on gas and time.  The auction barns are getting $100 for 50-60 lbs. lambs and $180 for 80 lb. lambs.  The Dorpers go higher since they are more popular  here.   

I will have the Halal butcher out to see if my currently 2 month old lambs are too big for him at 50 lbs.  If they are , I can still get them to the sale yard for around $100-180.  I didn't realize lamb had gotten so popular here but should have known with our ethnic population. 

I need to divide my flock up more in order to have a couple ewes lambing every 2 weeks or month.  I currently have 4 jugs and am going to add a 5th.  By carefully rotating my ewes I should be able to have a couple lamb every month.  More lambing work, but by culling out those with lambing problems I can make it work.  The Halal butchers prefer ram lambs with tails and testicles, but he said he would also take ewe lambs.  That will work for e since I plan to dispose of all wooly ewe lambs to cull for clean shedders.


----------



## Mike CHS

We got the hot wire finished up today and I only got shocked one time.   We don't turn the power off because we have two groups of sheep in paddocks that have electric netting.  I've only had issues two times while using netting and both times it was not hot so we work around potential shock issues.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Long as ya didn't have to get up off the ground ya should be fine... 🤣


----------



## Mike CHS

We brought all of the lambs in for a final look this morning and we stayed with the 10 replacement ewes that we had already chosen.  We also have 4 ewes that are sold that the buyer wants left in the field to get bred.


----------



## farmerjan

Nice to take a second look and still like what you chose the first time.   

Did you have any frost?  we had frost on the windshield this morning when I left for work at 4 a.m.  Farmer said it is the third morning in a row they have had frost...... My temp thing said we were down to 31.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> We don't turn the power off because we have two groups of sheep in paddocks that have electric netting.


Maybe time for a few strategically placed switches?


----------



## Mike CHS

farmerjan said:


> Nice to take a second look and still like what you chose the first time.
> 
> Did you have any frost?  we had frost on the windshield this morning when I left for work at 4 a.m.  Farmer said it is the third morning in a row they have had frost...... My temp thing said we were down to 31.



We did and that is frost for the last three mornings here also. There has been so much wind though that I guess it kept the frost from taking out the garden plants that are already up.


----------



## Mike CHS

Going to the sale wound up being an all day affair.  We had to haul the sheep in two loads and the barn is 35 miles from us.  Todays sale is the last one until mid June so everybody and I mean everybody that has lambs to move seemed to be there.  The first drop was not long after they opened and there was only two in front of us.  The second trip was an hour and 20 minute wait to offload but lambing season is officially over.


----------



## farmerjan

Oh @Mike CHS , I can so sympathize with the hauling 2 loads and the waiting with a second load.... We will BE AT the sale barn on a friday morning @ 5 am to unload starting at 5:30 or 6....(meaning at the barn by 3:30 a.m. to get the cattle in and to load and drive 25+ miles to town) ......whenever they get their crew together (officially it was 6)  and somethimes have been 6th in line at that time.... Then the second load I will often take if my son has to work and I have sat in line for nearly 4 hours with 30+ truck/ trailer  rigs in front of me.  But when there is a big run of cattle like that, especially in the spring, there are also many order buyers there,  so often the prices are pretty decent.  So you do it because of several reasons.  Like you, it is time for them to go;  often the markets are looking good, and in a few weeks we at least are going to be into hay and whatever else.  
Sure hope that prices are still good for you.  All the pictures you have shown, tells me that you have some nice animals so I hope you get a return reflective of the quality of your animals.


----------



## Mike CHS

farmerjan said:


> Oh @Mike CHS ,
> Sure hope that prices are still good for you.  All the pictures you have shown, tells me that you have some nice animals so I hope you get a return reflective of the quality of your animals.



You have had your hands more than full and I admire what you are getting done.  The prices were good here and we are happy with what we have accomplished this year.


----------



## Mike CHS

When Teresa went to Indiana several months ago to see friends she brought back a couple of things.  They had an Air Fryer that she had never used and an Insta-pot that had been used once that she sent home with Teresa.  We rarely do fried foods but we do like fried foods so this works for us.  So far all of the things we have used it for has the taste and texture of fried without all of the oil.  We already had and use a pressure cooker but the added capability of the Insta-pot is appreciated also.  What got me to thinking of posting about the gadget was the Corned Beef Brisket we had for lunch today.


----------



## rachels.haven

Instant pot is fun. I've got two, but the tiny one serves as our rice cooker when I have lazy dinner nights. Or a yogurt maker. We use them a lot. Set and forget and do laundry or dishes instead of hovering.


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## CntryBoy777

I don't know if ya like baked potatoes, but the Air Fryer makes the best ones....in our opinion anyway....we have them often.....


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## Mike CHS

We have used it for baked potatoes and love it.  It almost has the twice baked.


----------



## Baymule

Hmmmm……. I got an air fryer for a White Elephant Christmas gift and have never used it. I guess I should get it out and try it. Greasy fried foods are high on my list of edibles. All my life I was skinny (not now, just somewhere between slender and not fat LOL) and people asked how I stayed so slim. My answer was fried greasy foods, lots of red meat and chocolate. Sadly, now I have to watch what I eat -- right up to my lips. OK, I do try to eat healthier, lots of veggies, less carbs, but the call of fried foods is pretty danged strong...…. now where did I put that air fryer?


----------



## Mike CHS

The 10 ewe lambs have now been without any adult ewes around now for three days and are starting to act less flighty.  They are all 12-14 weeks old and have only been weaned for 2-4 weeks.  When there were adults around, all I had to do is yell "here sheep" and they would all come including the lambs. Monday I was getting real close to going to get Lance when they decided getting fed wasn't such a scary thing to do.  We had to drive them in again in the afternoon but this time they went straight to the feed troughs once we gave them a nudge.  Now as soon as they hear the Ranger coming down the hill they are waiting at the troughs for me to put feed out.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Doesn't take 'em long to figure out that the previously scary human isn't so scary when they bring the feed!


----------



## Baymule

Feed is a great motivator for sheep. I think you could almost teach them to do a back flip for feed. LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

I haven't been taking as many pictures as I used to but I did grab a couple when I was down feeding this morning.  The lambs are the 10 that we retained.  They all have that long legged/long body look that we have been working toward. A couple of them are smaller but they were the last born and were triplets.

Mel was being called out of the shop after eating and you can tell how excited he is to be leaving.  The other is just because I love this big boy.  That is the look he gets when he is being petted and has his big paw over my legs.


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm assuming that we have had our last freeze but either way, we got 20 tomato beef steak type plants in the ground as well as a couple of cherry tomatoes.  We have lettuce ready to harvest and green beans and potatoes growing well.  I'm still not sure how the frosts that we had over the weekend didn't kill them unless the wind we have been having kept the frost off them.  The beds the tomatoes are in is a little over 5' wide so we will inter-plant radish and onions around the tomatoes to make use of it till the tomatoes get more size to them.


----------



## Mike CHS

We got the results from the sheep and goat sale Monday.  All of the lambs were Prime or Choice and one of the cull ewes was listed as fat.  I've never quite understood that classification, especially with this ewe who just weighed 112 pounds which is 20-40 pounds lighter than most of our sheep.


----------



## Bruce

Good condition on those sale sheep 



Mike CHS said:


> Monday I was getting real close to going to get Lance when they decided getting fed wasn't such a scary thing to do.


Poor Lance, cheated out of his fun.


----------



## Mike CHS

I got a message on Facebook this morning from the folks that bought all of our market ewe lambs.  We were already Friends on there but he looked up the ear tag number on the lambs and saw that they came from here.  He was happy that he was able to get all of the history on the lambs and I was happy to see they went as breeders and not market lambs.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I can't remember if I ever told ya, but the trip to ya that I had the accident....I was going to talk to you about arranging  a deal on some stock....Hoss was the "target" I was aiming for and a couple of ewes. I was gonna use them for maintaing the fields....but, looking back at it all now....guess the wreck had a reason for happening.....I will always wonder "what would've been", but wasn't meant to be....  ....in saying that, I for one, wluld like ya to know that the quality of your animals has been noticed for awhile now....and it truly reflects your management practices...and both yours and Teresa's hard work, along with your attention, dedication, and decisions in the improvement of your herd.....

I have "experienced" the Mel treatment myself....my leg went to sleep on me....🤣


----------



## Mike CHS

Thanks Fred.  We have made our share of errors but thankfully, our sheep have gotten better in spite of them.


----------



## Mike CHS

There is enough growth in the garden beds to post a few spring pictures.  The peach tree besides the bed of cabbage is 5 years old and this is the first time we have had peaches on it.  We are able to get a good stand of cool weather veggies even as it gets hot due to the beds we use are in a micro climate among our fruit trees.

I got 15 of the tomato plants in the ground the other day and still have 10 to plant.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Sure is looking good Mike!!....those peaches especially...what variety are they?...


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> Sure is looking good Mike!!....those peaches especially...what variety are they?...



That one is an Elberta. It's the only early variety that we planted and I seriously considered taking it out last year.  Six years old and frost got it every year until this year.  Orchards around here dozed most of their early peaches and planted later bearing ones.


----------



## Mike CHS

Now that the ewe lambs are starting some sort of routine, I'm working on the taming process so they see me as safe, if not one of them.  They will come in now while I'm putting feed out and don't respond as I walk among them.  I feed Maisy and Mel inside the shop and a couple of them have started coming in to see what is here as their curiosity always helps get them on my side.  For the last couple of days, after I put feed out, I just sit there on the door stoop with a bowl of feed held out next to me.  There is a couple of them that have no fear and also have a desire to see what this non sheep entity is up to.  Both of them will come up and sniff and more recently will come up to eat out of the bowl which is a fairly small Tupperware type of bowl. It only took 3 feedings and they went from running out of the stall when I opened the door to feed, to following me around while I'm putting feed out.  It's funny that most of the other lambs will ignore the feed in the troughs trying to figure out what the two are getting out of that bowl from a non sheep thingy.  

This is the first lambing season that we didn't get a lot of hands on with the lambs early on but there was just so many of them.  Also, since we lamb in the field, the only human touch is the day of birth when they get ear tags and that's it until they are separated from their dams.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I've always enjoyed the feel of being accepted as a member of the group......sure makes things much easier and allows for monitoring their developement regularly.....


----------



## thistlebloom

You have a very nice garden going on there Mike and Teresa!


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## farmerjan

The peaches  look gorgeous..... makes me want to cry since it looks like there will be none in this area after the frosts/freezes we had.  Everyone I talked to said peaches will be hard to find. My trees were loaded until that cold snap a couple of weeks ago.  Oh well, you know what that is like after losing them for several years before this. 
Garden is starting to come along.  We are supposed to be done with any weather cold enough for a frost so most everyone is getting the "warm weather" crops in.  We are due to have several days of rain/showers so it is a good time to get things in and let the rain settle them in....


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Mr. @Mike CHS, sir,

I am about to show my ignorance of peaches (what else is new?) but isn't there a way to prevent or lessen the likelihood of frost damage?  I seemed to recall that peach farmers would put out smudge pots and light them so that they would burn during the night to provide enough warmth to prevent frost?  I seem to recall that orange growers in Florida will light kerosene or propane heaters during cold spells in their orange orchards.  Is there something you and Miss @farmerjan could do akin to that?

Senile Texas Aggie


----------



## Mike CHS

The growers down south do that with a lot of success.  A couple of the biggest peach growers in Tennessee are a few miles from us and they don't even try.  The seasons have been changing and the last frost is a few days later every year that we have been here.  That's why both of those growers got rid of all of their early bearing trees.


----------



## Mike CHS

We found another casualty from that straight line winds last week. Our broadfork was in the ground in a garden bed when the dog kennel hit it and knocked it out of the bed. I went to use it to break up one of the beds today and both handles were broken.


----------



## farmerjan

@Senile_Texas_Aggie  yes there are places, mostly citrus  fruits that do and have employed smudge pots and heaters to just keep the temps high enough to help prevent so much damage. Also some use "wind" like strong breezes to keep the frost from settling on the plants/trees.   But it just isn't practical in most small home settings.  And like @Mike CHS  said, the more practical route is to go to a "later" variety so it blooms later, normal frosts don't hit it.  Since my trees are "volunteers" , I was hoping that they would be more "climatized".  But you can't expect miracles with the weather so crazy warm this past April.... With things like the strawberries, you can actually spray water on them so the water actually makes an "ice shield" on them which is supposed to help by thawing the ice and the underlying berries/blossoms fruit will not freeze and the cell walls burst..... been done for some different crops with varying degrees of success. 
You just can as much as you can during a good year.... make jams and butters and can slices and halves and whatever  you can against a year like this.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> The seasons have been changing and the last frost is a few days later every year that we have been here.


Curious, it seems to be the opposite here.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Curious, it seems to be the opposite here.



We have friends who have lived here their whole life that usually started their gardens mid April with never a problem.  They have all lost their first planting for three years now.  I don't even think about warm weather plants till May 1st up till this year but I saw the weather out west a couple of weeks ago and thought that now changes to May 15th.


----------



## CntryBoy777

The changes in the jet streams from Texas to Georgia can change the routes those storms take....we always planted in 2-3 waves so if the "exception" comes thru, there are others to replace with and starting replacements at that time assures late season production if needed or wanted....  ....the elberta was mom's favorite....sure have worked up and ate many of tons....


----------



## Baymule

I was late setting out the tomatoes, and we got a late frost. Sure was glad that I was procrastinating!


----------



## Mike CHS

I gave some friends a bunch of tomato and pepper starts the middle of April and told them I wasn't planting until early May but they immediately planted.  They have none left.


----------



## Bruce

We don't even think about putting peppers and tomatoes out before the end of May.


----------



## CntryBoy777

How are things going with Maxwell?....with ya retaining 10 ewes he must be adding some to what ya was looking for....


----------



## Mike CHS

Max has been doing well and is chomping at the bit to get back with the girls.  They are in good condition and we will let him back in with them in a couple of weeks.  Four of the adults are sold but they will be exposed before they leave here.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have such a short window to grow lettuce type plants here as we normally don't have much of a spring and the hot weather turns lettuce bitter.  The weather was perfect this year although we didn't plant a lot.  Enough for us to get several pickings and also give the neighbors some.


----------



## Baymule

That is some pretty lettuce!


----------



## CntryBoy777

Mom had the same problem there in Mississippi....that is what spurred her to using remee over her cool weather crops in early Spring and again the late fall....it did help some, but some yrs it is just too many hrs below freezing.....


----------



## Mike CHS

The 10 ewe lambs are still skittish but they are getting better.   Watching them I can tell that is is one ewe lamb that is causing them to stay that way so I have been working on her.  I let them on some fresh grass this morning and confirmed she was the lead when I called them in for feed this afternoon and she was the lead.

I moved the main herd back to fresh grass in the paddock that had the fence wrecked by the airborne dog kennel and they were happy as the crabgrass was a foot and a half high.


----------



## Baymule

You have the prettiest pastures I think I have ever seen. I have lofty aspirations of my pastures looking as good as yours someday.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> You have the prettiest pastures I think I have ever seen. I have lofty aspirations of my pastures looking as good as yours someday.



I still spend a good bit of time walking the paddocks cutting and spraying the thistle before it blooms.  As @thistlebloom can verify they are beautiful when they bloom but I went from 18 acres of almost solid thistle to a handful in each paddock.

Teresa is going to work a couple of hours for the first time since this chaos started so I took out 4 slabs of ribs yesterday to do on the smoker today.

We are taking advantage ofall of the vendors we deal with offering free shipping so we haven't been inside a store for quite awhile.  Even TSC is doing curbside pickup so we don't even go in for dog food.


----------



## thistlebloom

Spray away, I don't feel threatened Mike! 😅


----------



## Mike CHS

I helped the neighbor cut his grass.  There is a bit of weeding to do in the bed where I'm putting my okra starts and I just put some ribs on the smoker.


----------



## drstratton

Mike CHS said:


> I helped the neighbor cut his grass.  There is a bit of weeding to do in the bed where I'm putting my okra starts and I just put some ribs on the smoker.
> View attachment 74113


That's making me hungry just looking at it! 😊


----------



## Mike CHS

This spring is all over the place.  Less than two weeks ago we had frost and this afternoon, we ate our first peaches.

We got all of the 18 sweet peppers planted and another couple of tomato plants and some basil.  The only starts we have left are some Spaghetti, Delicata, and Butternut Squash.  We planted a lot of radishes around our tomato plants since they will be ready to eat before the tomatoes get a lot of size to them.  

We usually plant a couple of hot peppers  but we checked our canned goods the other day and we still have 4 quarts of Jalapenas left from last season.


----------



## drstratton

Mike CHS said:


> This spring is all over the place.  Less than two weeks ago we had frost and this afternoon, we ate our first peaches.
> 
> We got all of the 18 sweet peppers planted and another couple of tomato plants and some basil.  The only starts we have left are some Spaghetti, Delicata, and Butternut Squash.  We planted a lot of radishes around our tomato plants since they will be ready to eat before the tomatoes get a lot of size to them.
> 
> We usually plant a couple of hot peppers  but we checked our canned goods the other day and we still have 4 quarts of Jalapenas left from last season.


You have ripe peaches already...that's amazing! Cherries come first here. They should start picking around the first part of June, then apricots, peaches nectarines around the 4th of July. Then apples and pears at the end of the summer into the Fall, sometimes apples are still being picked after the first snowfall. I grew up a migrant worker, we followed the crops from CA all the way to Florida. I remember my parents picking apples in the snow in Missouri!


----------



## Mike CHS

These peaches are what most of the orchards took out since they are so early they rarely got a harvest and are on the small side.  Our large peaches are still 2-3 weeks away.  We have a couple of dwarf cherries that is probably 3 weeks or so before they start turning.


----------



## Mike CHS

The ribs turned out good.  We had some for supper with potato salad, gave some to the neighbors and vacuum sealed the rest for 11 more meals.


----------



## drstratton

Mike CHS said:


> These peaches are what most of the orchards took out since they are so early they rarely got a harvest and are on the small side.  Our large peaches are still 2-3 weeks away.  We have a couple of dwarf cherries that is probably 3 weeks or so before they start turning.
> 
> View attachment 74123View attachment 74124


We have fruit trees in our yard, but sadly we won't have a crop this year, the spring frosts took them out...maybe next year!


----------



## Mike CHS

I can't remember if I posted about a problem on one of our fruit trees or not.  I know I did on Facebook because that's where I got an answer to what was going on.  I went back several pages on BYH so if I'm repeating myself I will credit that to getting old.  

One of our fruit trees have (had) what we assumed was some sort of fungus but wasn't sure.  I posted pictures on Facebook and our Extension Agent replied that it was a fungus called Black Knot.  It also has another common name but I won't post that.  The remedy is a real pain getting rid of the fungus so we took the easy way out and completely dismembered the tree this afternoon and left about 4' of trunk left that I hope will be enough leverage to push it over with the tractor.

I'm just posting to help others possibly as it is hard to get rid of which is why I decided to take the tree out.

This one tree was the only one in our orchard that had the problem and the "cure" is more than I wanted to deal with.  This tree was a cherry tree that we planted 5 years ago and had not bore any fruit.


----------



## Baymule

Those are some pretty peaches! They look good enough to eat! Our peach trees have some little green peaches on them, I hope they make it to ripeness. 

That is ugly looking stuff that your tree had. Haha, cull chickens, cull sheep and ya' gotta cull the durned tree too.


----------



## drstratton

Mike CHS said:


> I can't remember if I posted about a problem on one of our fruit trees or not.  I know I did on Facebook because that's where I got an answer to what was going on.  I went back several pages on BYH so if I'm repeating myself I will credit that to getting old.
> 
> One of our fruit trees have (had) what we assumed was some sort of fungus but wasn't sure.  I posted pictures on Facebook and our Extension Agent replied that it was a fungus called Black Knot.  It also has another common name but I won't post that.  The remedy is a real pain getting rid of the fungus so we took the easy way out and completely dismembered the tree this afternoon and left about 4' of trunk left that I hope will be enough leverage to push it over with the tractor.
> 
> I'm just posting to help others possibly as it is hard to get rid of which is why I decided to take the tree out.
> 
> This one tree was the only one in our orchard that had the problem and the "cure" is more than I wanted to deal with.  This tree was a cherry tree that we planted 5 years ago and had not bore any fruit.
> 
> 
> View attachment 74150View attachment 74151View attachment 74152


Wow, I've never seen that. I'm going to ask my oldest son if they have ever had to deal with it. He works for 2 different orchard companies. He's in charge of the spraying & all of the organic & global gap certifications among many other things!


----------



## Mike CHS

drstratton said:


> Wow, I've never seen that. I'm going to ask my oldest son if they have ever had to deal with it. He works for 2 different orchard companies. He's in charge of the spraying & all of the organic & global gap certifications among many other things!



We have a few wild plum trees on our place that I checked to see if they were infected but they weren't.  I'm going to take them down anyway since they don't have any use for us.


----------



## Baymule

We pick wild plums, little cherry sized tart red plums. They make the best jam! We pick on George's fence, he's an old bachelor living in a house that his grandfather built, on 150 acres. I always give him plum jam and he loves it. When the county was cutting back the growth on the sides of the road, George hung surveyors tape on his tree and told the county workers not to cut his tree!. They didn't. This year, no wild plums, late frost got 'em.


----------



## thistlebloom

There are Canada cherry trees growing wild right next door to my big job. There are in a unmaintained section of the neighbors property, but unfortunately right next to my clients outdoor  hot tub. They are infected with what looks like that same fungus. The arborist I use called it cat (poo) on a stick.


----------



## Baymule

Cat poo on a stick. Sounds like festival food. LOL LOL


----------



## thistlebloom

Baymule said:


> Cat poo on a stick. Sounds like festival food. LOL LOL



Haha, that makes me wonder about the festivals you attend. 😄


----------



## rachels.haven

Your black knot is sootier than the stuff we get. I don't think that means much, as it's still a problem either way. Good luck.


----------



## Mike CHS

rachels.haven said:


> Your black knot is sootier than the stuff we get. I don't think that means much, as it's still a problem either way. Good luck.



That tree was taken out yesterday and burned.  When we first saw it I was pretty sure it was a fungus but I had never seen it before.  We have a dark fungus that covers everything when the wind comes at us out of Lynchburg where the Jack Daniels distillery is.  The area and trees around the distillery looks like it has been blow torched so that may have something to do with it being sootier.


----------



## farmerjan

thistlebloom said:


> Haha, that makes me wonder about the festivals you attend. 😄


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> a fungus called Black Knot. It also has another common name but I won't post that.


It would have anything to do with poop would it??? 

Yep black knot, the only way to get rid of it is to cut off the offending branches and burn them as you did. AH next door neighbor at our prior house (SMALL lots) had a plum tree in the front yard that was FULL of black knot, not to mention the sawflies that infested the fruit every year. He eventually cut the tree down .... and threw everything over the back fence into the ravine. Fortunately I don't think there were many, if any, other fruit trees in the neighborhood. Certainly not at any of the nearby houses. No idea how his tree got it. He never did anything to rid the area of sawflies.


----------



## drstratton

I'm back home and I asked my oldest son if he had heard of Black Knot...he hasn't!  It must be more prevalent in your neck of the woods! It doesn't seem to be a thing in the Pacific NW!


----------



## Baymule

So what’s going on at the Jack Daniels distillery? Black sooty stuff all over, what causes that?


----------



## CntryBoy777

More than likely the making of charcoal briquets from the barrels the whiskey is aged in....


----------



## Mike CHS

I cut and pasted a bit of an article by a writer about what he observed after going on a tour of the facilities.   That tour is at the top of requests to see for people that visit us.


The bark was extremely black and gave the trees a dramatic appearance. That's because they have been tainted by Baudoinia compniacensis — a whiskey fungus that's found near distilleries.

This fungus attaches to warehouses and walkways at the 150-year-old distillery. Larry Combs, Jack Daniel distillery general manager, said the fungus has been cleaned off a few of the buildings at the distillery for cosmetic purposes.







                  Here is a sign posted in front of a tree at the distillery.         
"The funny thing about distilleries, especially old ones like Jack Daniel, they are where they are because of the water supply. You'll find these microorganisms near the water, and so the mold just comes with the setting," Combs told Business Insider.

This particular type of black fungus is common near distilleries because it uses ethanol as a source of energy for growth.


----------



## Baymule

That is strange. Whiskey fungus. Who knew?


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Do the fungi have AA meetings for those that get carried away?


----------



## Mike CHS

We went to Kroger this morning right at opening time to pick up a few things.  We have been using their online ordering process for the past several weeks but there literally was only two customers in the store besides us and everyone there was wearing masks.

We bought a couple of whole chickens to do some Hot Wings and Legs tomorrow plus Teresa wants to do a batch of broth in the pressure cooker.


----------



## Mike CHS

We need to have an HVAC service call but I doubt we will get one fast since everybody just started using their AC.  It got up to 87 in the house this afternoon then we both remembered that window unit that we bought when we first moved here since we didn't have central AC at that point.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Sometimes, keeping stuff around is a Benefit....  ....my problem seems to be the "need" doesn't come until 3mnths After I got rid of it...........sure hope ya get it going without spending too much on it....I couldn't make it without AC these days....


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> Sometimes, keeping stuff around is a Benefit....  ....my problem seems to be the "need" doesn't come until 3mnths After I got rid of it...........sure hope ya get it going without spending too much on it....I couldn't make it without AC these days....



We had forgotten about even having it since it was covered on an out of the way shelf.  What reminded us about was I mentioned that we need to run to Home Depot and buy a window unit.  That reminded both of us that we already had one.


----------



## Mike CHS

I meant to post this the other day but forgot.  For The Last Kingdom fans, Amazon Prime has a series called "Vikings" that is as good and takes place during the same era.  This was an easy one to binge watch.


----------



## drstratton

Mike CHS said:


> The recipe is at the link and if nothing else, use the spice blend on ground lamb and beef.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Traditional Gyros
> 
> 
> Make your own gyro sandwich at home by layering homemade gyro meat, hummus, tzatziki sauce, tomatoes, and feta cheese on a large pita bread.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.allrecipes.com


Thank you fro the recipe...I will definitely be trying this one out!


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> We went to Kroger this morning right at opening time to pick up a few things. We have been using their online ordering process for the past several weeks


Do they have an up to date selection "live" so you can order exactly what you want and know they will have it?


----------



## Mike CHS

You can specify "allow substitutions" (or not) but if you don't they won't fill that item.  It isn't what I would call live.  Being a small town though we have gotten several text messages during the order fill slot telling us what is available but I'm not sure they would do that everywhere.


----------



## Mike CHS

We got all of our squash starts transplanted along with the few cantaloupes that I started.  We did a couple of hills of watermelons and planted a bunch of bush beans in between the rows.   I got my markers plant mixed up so we'll see what's there when the squash starts putting on fruit. 

The potatoes are starting to flower so we should be able to get some new potatoes fairly soon.


----------



## Baymule

I have my first zucchini on the vine. I still have golden patty pan squash to plant. We had a late frost too. We have had so much going on, the garden slid to the back burner. It's back on the front line now! LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

This stay at home thing has made Teresa think about how much she wants to work away from home.  Her work started as a favor for a few hours a week  that grew to 30 or more hours and they were pretty labor intensive. After the stay at home effort started, she saw how much more could be done around our place so she is going to curtail most of that.  She told our friend that I didn't want her to work so many hours so I'll take the blame.


----------



## Baymule

That’s the great advantage to being married. It gives you someone to blame. LOL LOL


----------



## thistlebloom

If I could get a sponsor I'd choose home work over away work in a heartbeat.
Everything that just gets a lick and a promise now could get the proper attention and I could really make it shine.
 But strangely nobody seems to be willing to just send me a monthly check.

I'm glad Teresa will be spending more satisfying time working at home, even if it makes you look like a curmudgeon.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Well Mike....we all have to "take one" for the team now and then....we certainly have "roles" to play.....


----------



## Mike CHS

We called a tech this morning to check out our AC unit and he came out this afternoon since he had another service call on our road.  It was low on coolant (which he topped off) although he couldn't find a lead.  It has been hot but the little window unit kept us comfortable.

We have lost three chickens in the last three days and although we have three cameras set up, we haven't seen the critter yet.  I'm guessing a fox but we shall see if I need to spend some time in the woods.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Must be that " chicken theivin time of year again"  ......


----------



## CntryBoy777

Growing babies this time of year have them teaching young, and the appetite of the young is increasing....smaller prey ain't cuttin' it any longer......don't count owls out....they don't only hunt at night, coons too.....tho, didn't ya say cougar is showing up in that neck of the woods?


----------



## Mike CHS

Our neighbor thought they saw a cougar a couple of months ago but it was never confirmed.  They have been confirmed in the county north of us and they can cover a lot of territory.


----------



## CntryBoy777

That is one animal I hope never to "run into"....in the dark...in the woods.....I can assure ya hearing that cry closeby will surely make your butt "pucker"....  ....we do have panthers here, just hope them and bears remain elsewhere....


----------



## Mike CHS

Two of the game camera showed a big racoon trying to figure out how to get to the chickens last night so we have the trap outside the fence.  Since it is also coming around during the day we are putting a couple of cameras pointing toward the woods to get a heads up hopefully.  I'm guessing it has babies somewhere nearby.


----------



## farmerjan

Glad that you at least have something to target  now that is getting after the chickens.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> She told our friend that I didn't want her to work so many hours so I'll take the blame.


Ah, she should "woman up"!


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Ah, she should "woman up"!



This works better since neither one of them can say no this gets it back to where it started at a few hours a week.


----------



## Bruce

So the mean old man is keeping the woman down!!!!


----------



## farmerjan

Bruce said:


> So the mean old man is keeping the woman down!!!!


 No, it just allows everyone.....namely Teresa..... to get out of working so many hours without hurting anyone's feelings, allows her to get back in control of her time and enjoy what she wants to do without having to feel guilty of saying no.... I can relate to not wanting to say no to people then quietly resenting all the time I am putting into the job.


----------



## Mike CHS

farmerjan said:


> No, it just allows everyone.....namely Teresa..... to get out of working so many hours without hurting anyone's feelings, allows her to get back in control of her time and enjoy what she wants to do without having to feel guilty of saying no.... I can relate to not wanting to say no to people then quietly resenting all the time I am putting into the job.



That sums it up well.  She had been putting in between 30 & 40 hours a week which left everything on our place to me.  In spring and summer, maintaining fence lines and weed control is about a full time job for me and that doesn't count taking care of the animals.

We had a good chat with her this morning and she wants to keep everyone happy and she knows that I don't have a problem saying no so she will happily take the reduction.  She has other help available but just likes how Teresa does it.

We have been waiting almost a year for the guy that originally did our shop gutters to come out and give us an estimate on putting up new gutters now that the addition and handling area is done.  We got tired of waiting so called another company this morning.  He showed up this afternoon to give us the estimate and hopefully will get it done fairly soon.


----------



## Mike CHS

We started seriously looking for a replacement for our old Tacoma.  That one has been good but it is 16 years old and I have put on almost 300K miles on it, The prices for one year old used trucks are probably 20% less than what they were a month ago so it looks like it's time to get a new to us truck.


----------



## thistlebloom

We have an '04 Tacoma. It's just a 2WD 4cylinder. It has 200,000 on it, but has never so much as hiccuped. It's a spare now as we bought an '04 Tundra to pull the horse trailer and use as my work truck. Can't beat a Toyota.


----------



## farmerjan

Had a toyota small pickup with the little 22R engine.  Had a wreck and I cried because I loved that truck.  You couldn't kill that engine and they went in the snow and everything you threw at it.  Mine was a 2wd, it was a real older one.....80's?


----------



## CntryBoy777

.....okay....I've waited patiently....so, I will ask....🤣....have ya found a truck yet?....what about the coon?....any bad storms come thru?......have seen some fairly intense colors south of ya and DD#3 down Gadsden way has said they have been getting quite a bit of rain.....


----------



## Mike CHS

We actually had a nice enough day I was able to cut grass for a about three hours.  We haven't found the right truck yet or at least we didn't act fast enough on the couple of right priced deals that we did find.  What is funny is that we are finding the prices better on 2019's than on those a bit older. We need a 4WD so there aren't quite as many of them as 2WD.

Rain just started here a few minutes ago and we should have off and on storms for most of the night.

We have seen the racoon on camera each night but he wasn't tempted by the bait we had.  I went and got a couple of  Honey Buns to put in both of the traps.  Our neighbor said that works for him every time.


----------



## Mike CHS

We seem to have an invasion going on in our chicken lot.  We haven't seen any possums on our game cameras but that is what was in the two traps when we went out this morning.


----------



## Mike CHS

I ordered a Battery Tender (trickle charge) to put on our Polaris to help keep the battery charged.  The charging system leaves a lot to be desired for a vehicle that doesn't get a lot of run time.  I leave it running when I'm out doing chores but it isn't enough to keep it charged.  I figured spending the few dollars that the Tender cost would keep me from having to crawl under the Ranger to hook up a battery charger.  The Tender is hooked up permanently and sits in the cab so all I have to do is run an extension cord.


----------



## Bruce

Much better than running gas through it when it isn't doing anything useful and then still not managing to keep the battery up.


----------



## Baymule

Honey buns lured innocent possums that weren’t even after your chickens. Oh well, too bad possums. Guilty by being in the wrong place at the wrong time.  BWA-HA-HA-HA


----------



## Mike CHS

We have caught several possums out there when we start finding broken eggs and dead chickens with a hole in their neck.  No critter that doesn't belong to us is safe out there.  

By the way, we took a closer look at some of the video from the camera.  It's a low-light camera but video at night is still not real clear.  The raccoon must have gotten in there shortly after the possums and you could see him scratching at the trap trying to get to the Honey Bun.


----------



## thistlebloom

Maybe tonight it'll be his turn.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Bet that was the Best bun its ate.....he enjoyed every bite knowing the coon couldn't take it from him.....


----------



## Mike CHS

We spent half a day today locating a problem with our hot wires. Our ewe that was a bottle lamb last year has figured out that it didn't hurt too bad when she raised the poly rope and scooted under.  I saw her go under once and when I checked the electricity barely registered on tester so we saw why she wasn't afraid of it.  We finally found the problem and It's closer 10K volts now so we shall see if she does it anymore.


----------



## Bruce

Glad you found it, shame it took so long. But then you have a LOT of hotwire to check.


----------



## Mike CHS

The weather has been perfect for the last couple of weeks.  I don't post a lot of garden pictures later in the season so here are a few for now.


----------



## Bruce

"later in the season"  
I just barely got my tomatoes in (and dodged a bullet last night, there was frost on the cars this morning!!!) a couple of days ago. The peas and chard are barely into their first true leaves coming out and the beans are JUST curling their stems out of the ground.


----------



## Baymule

Has your ewe tried to get under the poly rope yet?


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Has your ewe tried to get under the poly rope yet?



I'm guessing she tried because today is the first day that I haven't seen her out at least once.  She wouldn't go anywhere but I don't want her teaching the others.  I've let her out unintentionally before and she goes to the house and waits for someone to come out.


----------



## Mike CHS

We went in to look at pickup trucks but since none of the plants are making new trucks, there was a pretty small supply of what we wanted in slightly used trucks.  They did have a new 2019 close out for about the same price range as the used trucks we were looking at and it followed us home.  It has all the bells and whistles with several that I have never seen since I have been driving a 16 year old truck.  It has the trailer package and is 4WD.  I take it back on Wednesday to have bed liner sprayed on and running boards installed since it sits so high.


----------



## Baymule

Congrats on the new truck! It is beautiful!


----------



## Mike CHS

We will be using cruise control a lot in our little speed trap of a town.   That bit V8 has a whole lot more get up and go than my 6 cylinder Tacoma.


----------



## drstratton

Mike CHS said:


> We will be using cruise control a lot in our little speed trap of a town.   That bit V8 has a whole lot more get up and go than my 6 cylinder Tacoma.


Beautiful rig!  I have to watch myself in my SUV!  We bought it certified preowned...the warranty is better than if we'd bought it new!  We're kind of kicking ourselves for not getting a new truck instead, with all of the changes going on!  Enjoy your ride!


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I've let her out unintentionally before and she goes to the house and waits for someone to come out.


with treats?


----------



## CntryBoy777

Really nice truck!!....  .....it just so happens to be a Ram....go figure.........ya didn't happen to name it Ringo did ya?.....


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> with treats?



She doesn't think she is a sheep and is one of the two that ran everywhere the dogs ran.  And if we are out there she will be right there with us as long as we are there.  She doesn't need treats and answers to her name.


----------



## farmerjan

Congrats on the new truck.  Hope it serves you well.


----------



## drstratton

CntryBoy777 said:


> Really nice truck!!....  .....it just so happens to be a Ram....go figure.........ya didn't happen to name it Ringo did ya?.....


Mopar all the way... 😂


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> Really nice truck!!....  .....it just so happens to be a Ram....go figure.........ya didn't happen to name it Ringo did ya?.....



We didn't name it but being a tight wad for most of my life this is the first new truck that I have had. I have always had a pickup but I have had a total of two of them (slightly used) in the past 25 years if that says anything.    For the first time, I need to read the owners manual as there is a lot of buttons that I have no idea what they do.  There is even an electronic adjustment of the gas and brake pedals that Teresa loves.


----------



## Bruce

I'll bet the price of a new truck made your heart skip a few beats  Given your truck history, this one will likely last as long as you need it to so no sticker shock in the future.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> I'll bet the price of a new truck made your heart skip a few beats  Given your truck history, this one will likely last as long as you need it to so no sticker shock in the future.



I have had two pickups in the last 27 years.    We had been looking for awhile we knew what the sticker was going to be plus they chopped enough off the price of the new one to put it in the same range as the 1-2 year old trucks.


----------



## Baymule

BJ's truck is a 2004. Sticker was $43,000, I worked there so got it for $32,000 and Ford ran a no interest sale, so we got that too.  I think a new truck would give both of us a fainting spell. LOL 

Now that you have a brand new truck, you need to put a glass jar under the seat with the lid off. It must stay there for a full 24 hours. Then slowly open the door, reach under the seat and clap the lid on it. Screw it down tight and put the jar in the glove box. 
.
.
.
.
.
.
Why? 
Because after you've had it several years and it no longer smells "new" just open the jar and let the new truck smell out!


----------



## farmerjan

God Bless you for buying a new one.  Since it made more sense to go new rather than a 1-2 yr old one I can see it..... and since your history of owning a truck is so good; it will last until you just don't need a truck anymore.  Plus you will probably put less miles on it than you used to because of not running to and from work and such.  I wouldn't know where to start with something that new, and would get very frustrated to not be able to fix things that are simpler on the older ones.  I will be putting any "new truck money" into the house I am trying to buy..... since you already have your place, then good for you.


----------



## Bruce

Baymule said:


> Why?
> Because after you've had it several years and it no longer smells "new" just open the jar and let the new truck smell out!


Good question! Why??? New car stink is nasty.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Good question! Why??? New car stink is nasty.



This truck  doesn't smell nearly as strong as some that I've been in.

I'm going to be using cruise control about everywhere I go since going from my 190 HP Tacoma to the 395 HP of the ram could get expensive.  I took the truck back to the dealer to get the bed liner sprayed.  Also since both Teresa's and my butt is built too close to the ground we are having them put on some running boards to make getting in it a little more effortless.


----------



## Mike CHS

I just happened to look down at the date on the computer and remembered that about 9:00 PM on this day 51 years ago, I arrived for Boot training at Great Lakes Illinois.

I had no way of knowing at the time but after leaving Boot Camp, I would be working with pretty much the same people in the same field for the next 48+ years.  

I guess I never could figure out what I wanted to do when I grow up.


----------



## drstratton

Mike CHS said:


> I just happened to look down at the date on the computer and remembered that about 9:00 PM on this day 51 years ago, I arrived for Boot training at Great Lakes Illinois.
> 
> I had no way of knowing at the time but after leaving Boot Camp, I would be working with pretty much the same people in the same field for the next 48+ years.
> 
> I guess I never could figure out what I wanted to do when I grow up.


Thank you for your service!  We definitely can't see to far into the future can we!


----------



## CntryBoy777

Ya may need to build a loading ramp for Mel and Maisy....


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> Ya may need to build a loading ramp for Mel and Maisy....



You aren't getting either one of them in the back.  It's either in the back seat or they aren't going. LOL


----------



## farmerjan

Running boards are the ticket.  And they are even more appreciated when getting out so you don't have to come down too hard on the joints either.   Going from a tacoma to a big truck like that will take some getting used to.


----------



## Baymule

Running boards are a definite YES! Our son has a King Ranch diesel dually, the running boards are electric and come out when you open the door. That truck is nicer than my house!


----------



## farmerjan

Baymule said:


> Running boards are a definite YES! Our son has a King Ranch diesel dually, the running boards are electric and come out when you open the door. That truck is nicer than my house!


FANCY PANTSY  on the running boards.  Saw them on a truck at a fair a couple years ago..... My son doesn't need them at 6'6" tall and can't seem to get to installing the set I got for the one truck I was supposed to be driving that I haven't had except for a couple times.


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm not sure how much longer we will be eating the spring veggies before the heat has an impact but everything has been tasty so far.  The tomatoes are starting to put on fruit and the potatoes are about ready to dig.  All of the squash, melons, peppers, beans and okra are growing fast now that the weather has warmed up at night.

The red lettuce is one big hear and the green (Buttercrunch) lettuce that are all from thinning the bed this afternoon.


----------



## Mike CHS

We ran the 10 ewe lambs through the chute this morning so we could check their weights .  Hooves look good and they are gaining steadily and only a couple got wormed.


----------



## Baymule

That lettuce and broccoli is as pretty as any floral arrangement!


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Mike CHS said:


> They did have a new 2019 close out for about the same price range as the used trucks we were looking at and it followed us home.



Congratulations on your new truck! I know you will be happy with it for years (except maybe when time to fill up with gas! ).



Baymule said:


> Running boards are a definite YES! Our son has a King Ranch diesel dually, the running boards are electric and come out when you open the door.



We have those kinds of running boards on our truck.  They are really nice.  Both of us are not tall (at least our legs are long enough to reach the ground ), so having them helps us get in and out of the truck.  Plus, having the running boards retract helps with ground clearance.

Senile Texas Aggie


----------



## Mike CHS

We have had to harvest lettuce faster than we can eat it so the neighbors are happy.  We are going to cook up some wilted lettuce for dinner tonight and that uses up quite a bit.

We are going to bring the adult ewes in to work on this week then put them in with the ram.  Pete the wether has been keeping the ram company but he can be moved in with the ewe lambs till breeding season is over then Max will be looking for another home probably.

Princess my escape wizard ewe is being sold in the next week or two.  We will separate here this week so we have time to do a fecal and have her ready for her new home.  She is as tame as they get but it's just a matter of time before she teaches the other ewes to follow her lead getting out.  She just sucks it up and drops down and quickly raises the hot poly rope up and comes right under.  She has realized that she can be under before the rope pulses a time or two and just takes the shock.


----------



## Baymule

Sneaky Princess!! Haha, she would teach the other sheep to do the same thing. I hope her new owners appreciate her intelligence. 

Have you a new ram picked out?


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Sneaky Princess!! Haha, she would teach the other sheep to do the same thing. I hope her new owners appreciate her intelligence.
> 
> Have you a new ram picked out?



We haven't even started looking yet and since we only breed once a year, we have time.  I'm enjoying a bit less work and also a bit more fishing.


----------



## rachels.haven

Hey, you use poly rope? Other than Princess, how does it work for you? Is it durable enough to be worth it?


----------



## Mike CHS

rachels.haven said:


> Hey, you use poly rope? Other than Princess, how does it work for you? Is it durable enough to be worth it?



We use the poly rope for the semi permanent interior paddocks and netting to further subdivide that.  This ewe is the only sheep that has challenged it in three years of use but she was a bottle lamb that was raised with the LGD's so I think some of their smarts rubbed off on her.  

It has worked great as long as I make sure to keep it hot and like mentioned I have had this in place for more than 3 years.  I have had lambs go under it accidentally and then I have to go out and turn it off to move them back in but that has only happened twice.  We now keep lambs in permanent fence until they get some size and then train them to it before moving them.

Edit to add:  We even ran the two steers behind it and they never challenged after the first time they stuck their nose up to it.


----------



## CntryBoy777

How many of your original ewes do ya still have?....sure sorry to hear Max will be moving on.....we are gonna be getting our license this next week....so, totally understand the fishing desire.....


----------



## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> How many of your original ewes do ya still have?....sure sorry to hear Max will be moving on.....we are gonna be getting our license this next week....so, totally understand the fishing desire.....



We still have 4 of the original 10 and they will retire here since they act more like house pets rather than sheep.  Even Wild Thing wants petting now and no sign of wildness.     What is nice is the other 6 are still going strong in their new homes and they still come running when I'm visiting.   It has taken quite awhile but Max is actually approaching the point that he acts more like Ringo but I wouldn't trust him with young ones around.  We had a couple of episodes where we had to discuss things but they worked out.


----------



## Baymule

Fishing is a good pastime. It is fun, it is nice to just sit in the boat and enjoy the water, sky and a beautiful day. Plus-you get fish! I'm glad that y'all are enjoying your boat.


----------



## Mike CHS

My shoulder told me it wants to wait till tomorrow to work the sheep so we are going to run in and get a window AC unit to put in down at the shop.  Since the temps have gotten into the 90's the shop gets up around 100-102 which means I'm not going to work down there.  It hasn't made much difference up until now but I just didn't do much work inside.  Now that the outside is under control, we are working more inside.  We don't need to keep it cool but want to at least make it where it is bearable.  We have a small unit on the porch and it keeps it comfortable without much effort and doesn't draw any more electricity than the window fan we have out there.  Keeps the dogs happy also.


----------



## Bruce

Baymule said:


> Plus-you get fish!


And if you don't put a hook on the end of the line, your nap won't be interrupted.


----------



## Baymule

Our dogs go under the porch in the heat of the day. BJ feeds them around 6, then they go to work. They much prefer the night shift. LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

A little nostalgia caused me to cook us BLTs for breakfast. I was looking around outside and for some reason I got to thinking about the dozens of trips back and for while renovating our house.  Before we moved here we would get an early start on our way back to Charleston on Sunday morning.  We would get off the highway and go through the little town of Decherd that had a cafe that opened early and order BLT's to start the day.


----------



## Mike CHS

I think @Senile_Texas_Aggie was visiting our place this afternoon.  We have been getting showers often enough that my grass looked like it hadn't been cut for a couple of weeks.  It finally dried out enough that I figured I would get most of my cutting done which usually takes a couple hours.  I was almost finished when I ran over a tree limb  that I didn't see and it came up over the mower deck and did something to the linkage.  I walked up to the shop and got the Ranger, Teresa and a chain and we pulled it back up to the shop to see if it was something obvious.  We couldn't see anything obvious so we decided to load it up on the trailer and take it in to CO-OP.  Of course the trailer is full of galvanized fencing from the damaged kennel that we can't get rid of since the transfer station isn't taking any metal because their bins are full due to the Covid lock down.  No big deal to unload so we got that done and I then walked up to start the Tacoma to hook up the trailer to haul the mower.  I turned the key and all I get is clicks so out comes the charger and an extension cord.  Hooked it up and the charger isn't showing any power to it.  Tried another cord and it worked so the first cord shows bad after trying it with another appliance.   I'll take the Tacoma battery in to have it load tested tomorrow since I can use the Ram to haul the mower.


----------



## Baymule

Haha, yup, it sounds like STA is lurking about!


----------



## Bruce

STA is a generous guy, he's spreading the love! 

I mowed a pass around the outside of the fields yesterday, along the west fence line of the alpaca/chicken pasture and a quantity of the inside area. Today I finished the inside, went back out to mow up the north side of the area on the way back to the front of the barn. All of a sudden the tractor just stopped moving. No wheel slipping, no turning, nothing. I had changed the hydraulic fluid and the front axle fluid the day before so I checked the dipstick in case I screwed up and had leaked all the fluid out. Nope, still full. 

I got off the tractor, looked around and saw nothing. Fearing the worst, ala STA, here I was down a hill with a tractor that wouldn't move. I was going to have to call Al and have him pull me up to the front of the barn where the tractor people could come get it for an unknown repair. Then I noticed that somehow the shift lever had popped out of Low and into Neutral (L-N-M-N-H on the shifter). I don't know how it happened but the tractor ran fine after that. 

So, like the day it wouldn't start because somehow the PTO lever had been pushed part way forward, I had another DOH! moment.  Glad it wasn't something actually broken.


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## Baymule

Wow...….ya' know, I think @Senile_Texas_Aggie has been stalking our place too! Sunday BJ got on the tractor and a puff of smoke signaled worse things to come. He said it was out of fuel and drove it to the fuel tank. It died. None of the gauges worked, nothing worked. I called our dear friend and neighbor, Robert and he came right over. A portion of the wiring harness had rubbed against the frame and it was fried. It took most of the day, but Robert rewired it and it works now. Fortunately it was in the shade. We took Robert and his wife out to eat at their favorite café yesterday evening. STA, please don't hex the tractor again!!


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## Bruce

I think STA better get his tractor replaced soon so he can stay home and work his fields!


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## Baymule

Maybe we should pass the hat for a down payment so he'll stay home!


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## thistlebloom

I think you all should stay on that side of the Rockies!


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## Baymule

thistlebloom said:


> I think you all should stay on that side of the Rockies!


Are you a-skeered?


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## thistlebloom

Dang right!


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## farmerjan

My mower all of a sudden has a gear or something that is in the steeringthat the guy who did the mowing for me said is messed up.  Also got a wheel that has not been right and the bearing is going bad in it .....  A new(er) mower is not in the buying a house budget.......


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## thistlebloom

See? That's what I'm talkin' about!


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## Baymule

farmerjan said:


> My mower all of a sudden has a gear or something that is in the steeringthat the guy who did the mowing for me said is messed up.  Also got a wheel that has not been right and the bearing is going bad in it .....  A new(er) mower is not in the buying a house budget.......


@Senile_Texas_Aggie gets around, don't he?


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## farmerjan

@Senile_Texas_Aggie   we REALLY DO LIKE YOU.... but please not now.....


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## CntryBoy777

Don't forget that @Ridgetop crossed them thar rockies and went All the way to Texas and back.....😮....it sounds like sumthin is in retrograde.....be Careful!!!.....🤫🤫🤫🤫.....


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## Baymule

Hi-jacking someone else's thread sure is fun! 



CntryBoy777 said:


> Don't forget that @Ridgetop crossed them thar rockies and went All the way to Texas and back.....😮....it sounds like sumthin is in retrograde.....be Careful!!!.....🤫🤫🤫🤫.....



You reckon @Ridgetop and @Senile_Texas_Aggie are conspiring against machinery? I guess I need to park my tractor in a Ferriday cage!!


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## Senile_Texas_Aggie

I'm just spreading the love!


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## Mike CHS

We have seen that our main chicken predator is a raccoon but it is proving hard to catch.  We watched it on camera and thought that it had been caught before based on the way it was going after the bait without going inside.  We found out that our neighbor had caught one in a trap and let it loose because he had to go to work..  We will keep after it  but we have caught two possums in the last three days.  I guess if you live in the woods, you live in the woods.


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## CntryBoy777

Hope ya told the neighbor to just drop em off as he goes by and ya will take care of it for him.....🤣....glad ya got the possums....does your camera "time stamp" the pics?....just wondering about a pattern of showing up about the same time.....


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## Baymule

Thanks neighbor.


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## Mike CHS

The cameras show time but there is no pattern.  It's all over the place.


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## Mike CHS

Teresa got an alert about 4:00 this morning and saw the video of the raccoon in the trap.  We went out this morning to take care of it and it was not in the trap.  There was video of it going through all kinds of contortions trying to get out but the viedo stopped so we couldn't see how it raised the door.


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## Baymule

That is one crafty raccoon. Their paws are just like human hands, they can get into and out of anything. I bet you have a hard time trapping him again, but just in case, RUSH out there and shoot him.


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## Mike CHS

Teresa has her alarm set for the camera on her phone so I will go out next time (if there is a next time).  Teresa called our neighbor and asked him if his son would be interested in getting paid to spend a night still hunting our chicken yard.


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## CntryBoy777

One of the toughest coons that I have gotten was denning in a hollow of a huge oak tree and using the "limb highway" to get to other areas....I got it just after dark coming out of the den....


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> Teresa called our neighbor and asked him if his son would be interested in getting paid to spend a night still hunting our chicken yard.



That beats running outside naked with a shotgun. HAH! Put THAT on America's Funniest Videos! Winner-winner-coon-don't-get-a-chicken-dinner!


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## farmerjan

Or like I did, in my T-shirt/sleeping shirt, in the POURING down rain, on crutches with my still healing ankle ..... after the chicken that was screeching that I couldn't get to in time....


----------



## Beekissed

Mike CHS said:


> We have seen that our main chicken predator is a raccoon but it is proving hard to catch.  We watched it on camera and thought that it had been caught before based on the way it was going after the bait without going inside.  We found out that our neighbor had caught one in a trap and let it loose because he had to go to work..  We will keep after it  but we have caught two possums in the last three days.  I guess if you live in the woods, you live in the woods.



I can't believe your dogs are letting anything near your coop!


----------



## Mike CHS

Beekissed said:


> I can't believe your dogs are letting anything near your coop!



The coop is on our property line and there is woods on the neighbors side.


----------



## Bruce

Time to move the coop closer to the dogs or at least farther from the property line?


----------



## Mike CHS

The coop has to stay where it is so we will keep working at catching or hunting the critter.  Harvey (our neighbor) has a friend that runs hunting dog so we will get it one way or another.  The losses are our fault as we got complacent about locking the chickens up at night since it had been so long since we had any problems.


----------



## Mike CHS

We moved the ewe lambs to a holding chute this morning then brought the adult ewes down for a condition and weight check since they will be going in with the ram next week.  All except one are back to their normal weight and most are beyond what they were.  We have two young ewes that I was considering culling based on their size but they have surpassed the average weight in our flock.  I was happy to see that since they are also two of the easiest to handle plus they both had twins.  Wild Thang is the only ewe that hasn't gotten back to her ideal weight and is about ten pounds less than her ideal.   The smallest of the ewes was 130 pound with most in the 150 pound range.  Our solid black ewe weighed in at 178 pounds,  She is sold once we are sure she is bred since I can't handle her size.


----------



## Mike CHS

It seems I spend more time grooming Mel's coat than anything else for the last couple of weeks.  I keep a 25 gallon trash can by the spot where I groom both of them but I have literally filled it up with the hair coming off of Mel.  Maisy is typical of the long haired Pyrenees so I have to do her year round but Mel didn't need anything until about a month ago.  He sits there patiently for the longest time but when he has had enough he will walk to the door for me to open it up.  Last week I ignored his wish to go outside and then he pouted for the next day and a half to the point that he wouldn't even come in to eat without a lot of coaxing.  I've found that as long as I let him out when he asks, he is fine with coming back in for more.  He has made it clear that he will tolerate a lengthy grooming session but he wants to make sure that when he says he is finished, he is finished.


----------



## CntryBoy777

....Gabbie does the same, when her "routine" is disrupted she will sulk until we "get to it"....🤣


----------



## Baymule

Our dogs are spoiled rotten. LOL I got a mental picture of Mel pouting and not "talking" to you.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Our dogs are spoiled rotten. LOL I got a mental picture of Mel pouting and not "talking" to you.



That is exactly what it was.  I yelled at the sheep one day when they were mobbing me and he went off into the far paddock so I quit doing that.    That boy is the most loving dog that I have ever seen but he wants things to be regular and no trauma and especially no raised voices.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Mel didn't need anything until about a month ago


I remember   talking about how much Mel shedded when he got started.


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## Mike CHS

We got caught up with weeding in the garden beds today.  The picture is the types of produce that we have getting on a regular basis and the neighbors have bringing their baskets down to take some of it off our hands.  Tomatoes and peppers are putting on nicely now also.


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## thistlebloom

Very nice! Looks like stir fry material to me!


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## Mike CHS

Stir fry it was.


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## Mike CHS

I'm not sure how many raccoons we have around us but our neighbor caught another one two nights ago and we caught another one last night.  We have video that shows it going in and bringing out the doughnut to eat then it decided to go back in for the egg that was still in the trap. The egg caused it to trip the door.


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## Senile_Texas_Aggie

2 down, 98 to go!


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## drstratton

I'm glad that you caught it...hopefully there aren't 98 more...lol!


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## Mike CHS

We are down to 5 hens right now which is down from 17 three months ago. It got the rooster last wee also.  We have the incubator full of eggs with some of our own before the rooster got taken. Also have some from a couple of friends including a couple of exotics that I'm not crazy about but Teresa likes the look.


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## Mike CHS

Senile_Texas_Aggie said:


> 2 down, 98 to go!




That is actually 7 down plus a skunk and 4 opossums in the last year.


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## B&B Happy goats

Your ahead of us catching the varmints...I am trying to catch up with you !


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## Mike CHS

B&B Happy goats said:


> Your ahead of us catching the varmints...I am trying to catch up with you !



The possums and skunk were tempted by sardines but the best thing so far for raccoons is donuts and eggs. 

I had a teeth cleaning appointment at 10:00 this morning and when I was walking in the building I saw a cat that looked just like our Puddy.  Turned out it was Puddy when she started meowing at me  I'm not sure where she was under the truck but she's lucky to be alive as that was a 15 mile drive and fortunately I had made no stops before the dentists.


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## Bruce

Puddy rode UNDER the truck all the way to the dentist's office? Wow. And you were sure lucky you saw her or she'd have gone into hiding in the bushes. Phew!



Senile_Texas_Aggie said:


> 2 down, 98 to go!


 
Maybe not 98 but I'd bet there are babies out there that were getting fed chicken dinner. Best to keep those traps out and baited.


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## thistlebloom

Mike CHS said:


> The possums and skunk were tempted by sardines but the best thing so far for raccoons is donuts and eggs.
> 
> I had a teeth cleaning appointment at 10:00 this morning and when I was walking in the building I saw a cat that looked just like our Puddy.  Turned out it was Puddy when she started meowing at me  I'm not sure where she was under the truck but she's lucky to be alive as that was a 15 mile drive and fortunately I had made no stops before the dentists.



Wow, glad she hung on and you saw her! We lost a cat that belonged to Kid#2 when he was little. He and his brother were the best rodent control we ever had. He was a beautiful black cat and was always hopping in trucks. The UPS man removed him from his truck a few times. One day dh was working at a job about an hour away and said he saw a cat just like July wandering around the lot. Turned out that it was July but dh never spotted him again.


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## B&B Happy goats

Better tell Puddy cat that his trip cost him one of his nine lives......better be careful  PUDDY CAT !


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## Mike CHS

B&B Happy goats said:


> Better tell Puddy cat that his trip cost him one of his nine lives......better be careful  PUDDY CAT !



That is at least two lives used up.  Right after she showed up here she got curious about the sheep in the stall by the house.  What she didn't know was that one of those big white things was Maisy and Maisy will kill any cat (or most anything else) she can catch.  Puddy got through the fence about one foot sooner than Maisy got there.

Covid has arrived in our neighborhood. One of the neighbors tested positive yesterday and unfortunately she has started started the recovery process for a 4 wheeler accident.  They and several of the other neighbors have been getting together on a regular basis as if there was nothing going on so we are hoping it doesn't/hasn't spread more.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

I take it you and Teresa have been keeping a safe distance ?
People here are still wearing masks as the new covid cases continue to rise in our state and area......sure hope your neighbor recovers quickly....


----------



## Mike CHS

We have avoided going anymore than we have to and since we are pretty well stocked, we only go about every couple of weeks.  We aren't paranoid but we are careful and make use of the pickup options that stores are offering.  We didn't have any positives in our county at all until two weeks ago and that suddenly jumped to several hundred since most were not taking it seriously.  We even did a curb side pickup at TSC this morning for dog food.  I'm not sure how much money Kroger is losing on their pickup.  We ordered two pork loins this morning along with several other things and wound up with two packages of pork tenderloin since they were out of the loins.  The loins were $1.90 per pound and the tenderloins were $5 something a pound but you pay the loin price instead of the tenderloin price.


----------



## Mike CHS

I meant to mention earlier that I'm super pleased with the gas mileage on the new truck.  In town it gets right at 18 which is better mpg than my 6 cylinder Tacoma.  At highway speeds locally it is getting between 29 and 31.  I was surprised for an engine that big.


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## Bruce

That highway MPG is pretty darn good for a truck!



Mike CHS said:


> Covid has arrived in our neighborhood. One of the neighbors tested positive yesterday


  I hope you haven't been hanging around with that neighbor. Probably several of the people who have will now test positive.


----------



## Mike CHS

We haven't been in close proximity to any of the neighbors well before this stuff started. Even their older family members haven't been around them because they weren't taking it seriously plus the Grands have several young children living with them so they too have been careful.


----------



## farmerjan

Mike CHS said:


> That is actually 7 down plus a skunk and 4 opossums in the last year.


WOW didn't realize you had had that much of a problem.


----------



## farmerjan

I realize that there is a spike in cases, but some of that is the increased testing that is showing many more due to many many more being tested.  Did this neighbor have symptoms? Or was it picked up due to the accident?


----------



## rachels.haven

Dang, that's the milage my van gets when things are good. Nice!
I hope you can batten down and avoid getting that virus and that the neighbors fare well with it. A few get lucky. You want all your friends to be one of those.


----------



## Mike CHS

farmerjan said:


> I realize that there is a spike in cases, but some of that is the increased testing that is showing many more due to many many more being tested.  Did this neighbor have symptoms? Or was it picked up due to the accident?



She had no symptoms.  She was tested as part of the routine now at the hospital.


----------



## farmerjan

So, with no symptoms, does that mean that it makes it a disaster that she tested positive???  YES, I REALIZE THAT IT IS STILL SPREAD BY NON-SYMPTOMATIC PEOPLE....  but does this mean that we have to stay locked into little rooms with no contact and if it is never eradicated,  WHICH IT WILL NEVER BE,  JUST LIKE THE FLU OR COMMON COLD .... how do we go about our future lives?????
And are these tests actually accurate enough to prove that it is an ongoing infectious stage, or are these tests actually showing that we have antibodies and virus particles in our systems???? I read that there are antibody tests, as opposed to the tests that show actual infectious  cases......I read about how the tests are often inaccurate.  Where do you start to get the real answers? 
I cannot believe that there are as many "new cases" as there are just more and more tests done that are showing more accurately how many may have been exposed and possibly  have contracted the virus.  Why didn't we get this outraged over the thousands that die from flu and flu complications,  year after year?   Don't tell me that it is more contagious, or the symptoms are more extreme.  It may have spread faster, maybe the infectious stage lasts longer,  but it is still on the same level as to lives lost.  And every time you turn around, they are saying that it lasts on surfaces for several days, then, they change and do a 180 and  you are not able to pick it up off of surfaces for nearly as long a time as the time as the  infectious time is much shorter.   It hits the older population and those that are immune compromised..... but so does the various strains of the flu.  In fact the "flu" may be considered worse in that it will hit more age groups randomly.   I am not saying that it is not a threat to people or that it is not a serious disease.  But, if we keep isolating ourselves from everything, if we keep trying to "protect"  ourselves from every kind of infection there is, we are going to weaken our immune systems to where we are going to catch everything and we will not be able to fight it off.

I am sorry she has it,but if there are no symptoms, and if she had not had to go to the hospital, she would have never have known.....she would have gone along and gotten over it....yes others would have been exposed, but maybe they MOSTLY all would have had mild to no symptoms and gotten an immunity in their own systems.  It is the "herd immunity" premise that we have to build some resistance to these environmental threats and it happens by exposure and by vaccination.  Will it mutate???? Yes I think so;  just like the various flu strains.  If it does, there will never be a true vaccine but only shots to help minimize catching the strain that is most popular at the time, just like our flu shots.  They are not a true vaccine as they do not prevent it. 

I hope she has a speedy and uneventful recovery from it.  And from the accident.


----------



## Mike CHS

We weren't able to get pictures but we saw a silver colored squirrel on the road yesterday.  It had more white than silver but either way, it was pretty.


----------



## rachels.haven

That's wonderful. Your friend is lucky so far. Hopefully it was early and they can isolate themselves and their family for 2 weeks and be done with it with no spread and no complications. Then they can say they've already had it and are over it.


----------



## Mike CHS

I got my mower back yesterday so I'm catching up on grass cutting outside the pastures.  My Kubota needed all the fluids changed and an annual service so we called our mechanic out to do that.  This is one of those things that is not a need but I love the convenience of having everything done and checked on the tractor and they are very reasonable on price.


----------



## Bruce

farmerjan said:


> but it is still on the same level as to lives lost.


Not the same level. 
"This season CDC estimates that, as of mid-March, between 29,000 and 59,000 have died due to influenza illnesses." 

How they can have such a spread for a specific period is beyond me. Apparently 30-60K is an average year. Through yesterday 103K have died from Covid since Feb 1 and only 10 of those were in February, less than 3,700 were in March. The deaths peaked mid April and have declined since, only 461 last week   



Mike CHS said:


> and they are very reasonable on price.


And that is key! My dealership charges $110/hour to work on tractors. Doesn't take long to get real expensive.


----------



## Baymule

Stay healthy. Eat right and get enough rest.
Take your vitamins and minerals. Your body can't fight off infection if it is deficient.
 Wash hands, use sanitizer, etc.
 Yes, we need herd immunity, but people aren't exactly volunteering for this stuff.
We wear masks when we go to town. And we limit our time and trips to town.
If I can skip getting this virus, I will happily do so. 

Mike, I hope your neighbor recovers and doesn't suffer a long illness from this. 

Mike, you were darn lucky to recover Puddy Cat. I had a cat ride with me to work one day. She stayed under the car all day and didn't get out until i cranked it up to go home. That scared her and she ran. I saw her clawing at the door, then she ran out in the parking lot. My daughter, BJ and I were looking under cars, calling the cat, but couldn't find her. We drove around, still no cat. I went home, BJ went to get us hamburgers. When he pulled up in the driveway, the cat came out from under my car! I guess after her tour of the parking lot, she preferred her own car and she rode back home.


----------



## Mike CHS

We only knew the cat was there because another lady getting ready to pull out of the parking lot saw it and called to Teresa.

Besides the usual vitamins, we are both taking a pill that is called Immune Active that Teresa's Nurse Practitioner really likes.  She is really holistic and surprisingly, our son in laws Father recommends the same thing.  He is a Pharmacist at a hospital in California and according to him, they are using it out there..  Quertcetin, NAC, zinc, EGCG, and vitamin C.   I have no idea what a couple of those things are I'll take Teresa's word for it.


----------



## farmerjan

The CDC also quit counting influenza deaths long before the season ended.... like before early April this year,  when they used to count them until May.  They even announced that.  And how many of the "covdi-19" deaths were actually other things that the person also caught the virus and it exacerbated the death?  Since MANY (not all) of the serious cases, and deaths are due to people with many other compromising issues, you cannot blame c-19 alone.  Several states have also done some "readjusting of their numbers"   of the covid deaths.  Because they get paid more for them from Medicare, they are claiming everything is a covid death.  That has been shown in several states.

@Mike CHS  there are a couple of different ImmuneActive ones listed when I searched.  What is the company that makes them?


----------



## Mike CHS

farmerjan said:


> @Mike CHS  there are a couple of different ImmuneActive ones listed when I searched.  What is the company that makes them?



The maker is Metagenics.  Cathy had been trying to order them for a couple of months before this all started so evidently the supply is less than the demand.


----------



## farmerjan

Mike CHS said:


> The maker is Metagenics.  Cathy had been trying to order them for a couple of months before this all started so evidently the supply is less than the demand.


Thanks.  I am going to look into it.  I saw a couple other brands when I was searching....


----------



## Mike CHS

We brought the ewes in again this morning to check condition and pull fecals on a couple that we haven't done in awhile. The 6 that we pulled last week were clean except for one that had a single egg.  We did hooves on a half dozen of them then walked them back to another paddock.  We showered and was going to eat some lunch but since I was going to do a batch of gumbo for dinner, I went ahead and made it for lunch.


----------



## Mike CHS

We had 7 more fecal samples to look at today but decided after doing three of them that we will wait a couple of weeks and pull some random samples since everything we checked had zero eggs except the one I mentioned earlier and she had a single egg in her sample.

Putting the ewes up in the chair to do hooves, I checked my #54 girl pretty close and I'm betting she is already pregnant so either I didn't pull Max soon enough or he got her through the fence.  She was barely at breeding weight last season to the point that we almost didn't breed her but she weighed in at 142 pounds and is in prime condition now.  She is about as tame as you can want and her dam is exactly the same.


----------



## farmerjan

If their condition is good they will breed back faster than you believe.  I have a couple of first calf heifers that I think are bred back.... 30-45 day calves on them.  Hadn't pulled the bull out yet which we should have,, back in March but with my surgery and then recovery and then the virus crap, things just got busy and here it is June and he should have been out for a 3 month break.   He was going to go back in and breed them after the first of July,  May as well leave him in there and get out some of the bred ones, and then pull the calves off the ones that calved last fall and give the cows a break before they start again in the fall.  Most are in pretty good shape except 2 that have a several sucking off them.  They need a break from the calves.


----------



## Mike CHS

farmerjan said:


> If their condition is good they will breed back faster than you believe.



This ewe stays in prime condition all year so evidently she was ready.  We are letting the ram in next week so we will just have one earlier than planned.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I've been meaning to ask ya about the red crabgrass and your thoughts on your pro&cons on it?.....also, if ya have sown anything else lately?....


----------



## farmerjan

Great results on the fecals.  The rotations you are doing are certainly working out well.  Plus you are not overgrazing and that is one way to get a higher concentration of worms.... they will go up on the stems and often in the bottom 6 inches.... so if the grass isn't "eaten down to the roots"  there is less chance of the animals picking up the larvae off the lower stems.


----------



## Baymule

Are you still using Max or have you gotten another ram? Zero eggs, except for one, that is a count to be proud of. You and Teresa have worked hard and culled hard to achieve this.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Are you still using Max or have you gotten another ram? Zero eggs, except for one, that is a count to be proud of. You and Teresa have worked hard and culled hard to achieve this.



Max is the hitter for this breeding season.  We planned the last lambing so the replacements we kept wouldn't be ready until fall to breed so we will have another ram by then.


----------



## Mike CHS

Our hot weather has arrived but ours isn't as bad as many places since we almost always have a fair amount of wind.  It has been dry but I intentionally haven't cut any of the pasture forage.  I will run the cutter over several of the paddocks in the next couple of weeks just to knock the tops off and keep some shade on the low plants that the sheep like.  I cut too much last year which resulted in having to feed hay way earlier than we had planned.  We have enough paddocks in the rotation now for our number of sheep that we can have the equivalent of a couple hundred bales of hay in the field and still have a good rotation especially with the good cool season grasses that we have.


----------



## Mike CHS

We are on day 18 with our 40 eggs in the incubator and removed the turner tonight so they hopefully will start hatching in the next couple of days.  We have the brooder all set up out in the coop so we are anxious to see what we wind up with.


----------



## Mike CHS

I wish the raccoons would move on but I guess they have gotten used to chicken dinner since we caught another one last night.  The internet must have been off last night since the cameras didn't pick up any movement so we didn't know we had one in the trap until we went out to let the chickens out.


----------



## Mike CHS

We brought the ewes in again to do hooves on 6 more of them and check their weights and give a dose of garlic to those that are worked.  The black ewe that is one of the two that are sold is weighing in at 182 pounds (and the reason she is sold).


----------



## CntryBoy777

That is a Big girl!!....and I sure understand your decision...


----------



## Bruce

Hopefully you are drastically reducing the coon population! Even if you get them all gone eventually a new one will move into the territory but at least the pressure and predation will be cut down.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Hopefully you are drastically reducing the coon population! Even if you get them all gone eventually a new one will move into the territory but at least the pressure and predation will be cut down.



They seem to have a revolving door but even when we don't have issues with them, we keep cameras running so we can then start baiting traps again. Like I said earlier, we got complacent from not having problems for so long that we got lax securing the chickens.


----------



## farmerjan

Since they started on the road/drive for the access to the cell tower, it is wide open and I haven't seen any sign of the fox.  Still not letting them out loose except for a little while when I go there and do feed and water fills.  But the predators seem to just come out of nowhere.  I am like you @Mike CHS , I got lax last year, no predators and they were pretty big so not easy to carry off either.  Then this year I just never expected to have so many get taken so quick.   The 15 left are growing good and seem pretty content.  Tomorrow the other friends' birds go out, and he will call me in the morning and let me know how things look.  One house had a virus and he said that any left there will be killed off as the house has to be sprayed down... but that the other house has done fine.  So if there are any left that are decent he is going to call me.  I told him that I would be at PT but then could come get them. We'll see.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have had a couple of busy days getting things done that had been on the back burner.  We had to modify the fence on the handling area since we finally got a company to come out and give us an estimate on gutters for the shop add-on.

We harvested all of the broccoli since they looked like they were getting ready to start flowering.  I didn't count but there was a dozen or more heads.  We cut it up and blanched and froze it on flat pans so we could freeze in vacuum bags.  We are starting to get green beans and zucchini and the winter squash is starting to form. We finished off the root plants since the heat was getting them spicier than we care for but we were getting tired of them anyway.   

We got the biggest bed weeded since the melons and squash vines are filling the bed in pretty fast.  Melons are starting to form and I saw yesterday there was a couple of volunteer cantaloupes coming up but I left them alone since there was room.  We got our first okra yesterday and I did them with zucchini and steak on the grill.  The okra has only been in the ground for less than a month but I transplanted them from starts in the house.  Most of the tomatoes are doing well but I think I got a few of them with some over spray from when I was spraying the drive with glyphosate.  We are going to swap them out today with some plants that I had started last month.  We are still getting lettuce in spite of the heat since they are planted in raised beds in the orchard so they only get morning sun.


----------



## Baymule

My cool weather plants were done long ago...….   I have Amish melons that are bigger than softballs, waiting impatiently for them to grow and ripen, same with watermelons, but some of those are about soccer ball sized. Picked tomatoes last week!  The garden is coming along, on phase 2. Cool weather plants are gone, hot weather plants are just beginning to make or just coming up due to pulling up cool plants and planting hot weather seeds.

Nothing beats fresh veggies!


----------



## Mike CHS

Our incubator is starting to look like a popcorn popper.  I was looking in and in a matter of seconds we went from none hatched to 6 of the chicks out.


----------



## Bruce

Baymule said:


> Picked tomatoes last week!


Watered tomatoes last week! And this week! And the rest of the garden as well. I have to do it again after dinner tonight unless it rains. Radar shows we MAY get a little rain but I'm not holding my breath. There is cloud cover so at least that should help it from getting any hotter today. Sharky the pool thermometer is begging me to throw in some blocks of ice!


----------



## Mike CHS

We have had threats of rain for three weeks now but nothing yet so we have been watering also.  I'm glad I decided to lay off my "neat" look on the paddocks not being used as the taller grass and weeds is shading the lower growth that our sheep like.

We did get another dozen tomato plants in the ground this afternoon and a couple of no heat jalapenos name Coolapenos.    One of them had a couple of small peppers that I tried and they had great taste without the heat.  I've tried low heat peppers a couple of times and they were still hotter than I like now.  I used to be "the hotter the better" taste but no longer.


----------



## Bruce

Sounds like a "hot" pepper I could tolerate. I'm a total wimp when it comes to hot spices.


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## Mike CHS

We got a little over 1/2" of rain this evening which isn't near what we need but I'm happy to get it.  There is more of the front coming through tonight but it seems most of it is passing west of I-65 with us being east of I-65 by a couple of miles.

The chick count isn't increasing fast but we are up to 9 now.  A couple of the chicks are 1/3 the size of most so we are assuming they are the exotics we got from a friend.  A couple are the black sex-links (ours) and the rest so far are from another friend.  Our cat has been sitting on top of the couch staring at the incubator so we will secure her in the loft for the night.

We are going to work on the last of the ewes hooves tomorrow and then move Max in with the ewes and Pete (the wether) into the paddock with the ewe lambs.   Pete has made me wish that I had not banded him but I did so because he was so small.   He has since gotten some growth and is probably around 150 pounds which is small for a ram but decent for processing.  I won't like it since he is so tame but I keep telling myself I have enough pets.  He is a son of Max but his dame is a Ringo daughter who is our gentlest ewe that has the exact personality that Ringo has.  You can go out with a bucket and he will patiently stand there till you show that he is allowed to have some.


----------



## Mike CHS

It's bed time and Puddy was still in the watching mode on the incubator.  So she gets to spend the night outside so the cheeping chicks get to live another day.


----------



## Mike CHS

I think probably most on the forum have been involved with hatching poultry but if you haven't I snapped a quick picture of the chicks doing their thing while we had the top off to add some water.  There are 14 chicks out now.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa just talked to a friend of ours and supposedly she has three Mosaic hens and one rooster she wants to sell that we will buy if she doesn't change her mind.  She is talking about selling her place and retiring so not sure if it's a knee jerk reaction to something or if she is serious.  She is the friend that owns the stable and kennels where Teresa worked at.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

I had to look those up.  They are gorgeous and quite unique!


----------



## Mike CHS

frustratedearthmother said:


> I had to look those up.  They are gorgeous and quite unique!



They are pretty and every one has a unique color pattern.  I was going to post a picture but since they all come from the same farm, I didn't want to stir up an ownership issue with the picture.


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## Baymule

What is Mosisc hens?


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## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> What is Mosisc hens?



Here is a link to the breeder.





__





						Mosaics
					

Mosaics



					www.goldfeatherfarms.com


----------



## Mike CHS

So far there are 4 of the chicks in the incubator that are Mosaics also that we got from our friend that has them.


----------



## Bruce

Sounds like you've got some pretty special birds there! I wonder what birds they have in their genetics to have blue skin.


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## Mike CHS

I looked on the site a bit but didn't see anything specific about the breeding types.


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## farmerjan

This may be a good way for you to add to the birds "paying their way"..... start selling hatching eggs or shipping chicks if you get these breeders.... I would be interested in some once I get the house just to see how they do.


----------



## Mike CHS

farmerjan said:


> This may be a good way for you to add to the birds "paying their way"..... start selling hatching eggs or shipping chicks if you get these breeders.... I would be interested in some once I get the house just to see how they do.




That's what we were thinking.  We only have 5 of our mixes left and the rest that we have will be the Mosaics. We have buyers for all the other chicks we have now.


----------



## Mike CHS

We needed a couple of things in town so we went to Walmart at 7:00 this morning followed by a quick stop at Home Depot.  Both places had only a couple of customers and most in both places were wearing masks. 

I'm losing track of the critters we are catching in the chicken yard but there was another possum in the trap this morning.  We haven't seen any more raccoons on the camera but we will keep looking.


----------



## Mike CHS

I moved Pete (wether) in with the ewe lambs and moved our ram (Max) in with the ewes and then moved them to a fresh paddock.  Max started doing his job within about 30 seconds and the ewes are standing for him so the first lambs this fall could be as early as 17 November.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Nothing like TCB right off the bat... 🤣 ....sure hope the upcoming season goes just as well....

We had a grey fox in the backyard yesterday chasing the wild jungle fowl....we chased it off, but Gabbie was sure wanting to get outside.......


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> Here is a link to the breeder.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> __
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Mosaics
> 
> 
> Mosaics
> 
> 
> 
> www.goldfeatherfarms.com


Those are some pretty chickens. Eggs and eye candy too!


----------



## misfitmorgan

Bruce said:


> Sounds like you've got some pretty special birds there! I wonder what birds they have in their genetics to have blue skin.



They are cast offs from the ayam cemani. Ayam cemani are those all black birds...inside and out, well Greenfire farms imported them and were selling them as day old chicks. The first gens came out looking like they should but far as i know most people who hatched out 2nd gen had white leakage on the feathers. So the mosiac's take advantage of that, along with probly another breed or two maybe the swedish black hen too. The pictures are altered far as i or anyone else can tell with the saturation turned up.

If you want to see real life pictures of mosiacs BYC has a thread on them from 2017 to now. Basically mosiac's are what they did with the "trash" from ayam cemani because Green Fire Farms problys did some extensive crossing with their original stock or imported from someone who did. Don't misunderstand me i love the ayam cemani and the mosiacs they are goregous but the cost is hype and several people on the BYC forum are buying them as adults for $15/bird or as hatching eggs half a dozen for $20. So how long the prices will stay up who knows.


----------



## rachels.haven

Hey, it's a good time to have nice rare birds and not have to get them from Greenfire though. I was curious as to what they were up to lately and stumbled upon their google rating, which has fallen dramatically since my Marans days. Their reviews have a couple of people reporting their chicks came down with marek's and gave it to their whole flock and greenfire doing the typical legal bum covering...sounds like they may have imported some vaccinated carriers or similar and are spreading the love around the country for a premium price and being a typical money loving business about it. I wouldn't use them with that reputation. I'd buy from someone like Mike if I had to have them. Mareks is rather serious, and a bit of a death sentence with exposed, diseased, but vaccinated birds acting like a typhoid mary the rest of their lives. I don't want that, and we specifically don't vaccinate for it because I'd rather know I have it so I can cull everything rather than spread it around.


----------



## misfitmorgan

rachels.haven said:


> Hey, it's a good time to have nice rare birds and not have to get them from Greenfire though. I was curious as to what they were up to lately and stumbled upon their google rating, which has fallen dramatically since my Marans days. Their reviews have a couple of people reporting their chicks came down with marek's and gave it to their whole flock and greenfire doing the typical legal bum covering...sounds like they may have imported some vaccinated carriers or similar and are spreading the love around the country for a premium price and being a typical money loving business about it. I wouldn't use them with that reputation. I'd buy from someone like Mike if I had to have them. Mareks is rather serious, and a bit of a death sentence with exposed, diseased, but vaccinated birds acting like a typhoid mary the rest of their lives. I don't want that, and we specifically don't vaccinate for it because I'd rather know I have it so I can cull everything rather than spread it around.



I have never liked Green Fire's attitude and have never done business with them because of it. I've just heard and seen to many things that make me believe they are only in it for the money. I am glad they are importing these beautiful/unique breeds but I dont trust their practices. Green Fire stopped selling the Ayam Cemani, I can only assume it is because they had bad stock and got to many complaints on the birds. They do sell the Swedish Black Hen now though.


----------



## Mike CHS

These chickens are laying eggs which is about all we care about.    We went from almost out of chickens to having too many.  The 15 we watched are out in the brooder and doing well and two of the Mosaics are sitting on eggs so we won't pick them up till they hatch them.


----------



## misfitmorgan

Mike CHS said:


> These chickens are laying eggs which is about all we care about.    We went from almost of of chickens to having too many.  The 15 we watched are out in the brooder and doing well and two of the Mosaics are sitting on eggs so we won't pick them up till they hatch them.



Hey $20 for 6 eggs is still way more then i got for my normal eggs so nothing wrong with that. I would love to have some mosiacs they are beautiful birds.


----------



## Mike CHS

we took out three 6 year old fruit trees this morning.  One of them was a plum tree that we removed since it no longer fit where it was located.  The other two haven't bore any fruit since they were planted so all they were doing was taking up space and since they were fairly close to some garden beds, it opened the space up for them.


----------



## Mike CHS

I also meant to make mention of a documentary that we have been watching on Amazon Prime.  It is titled "Against all Odds: Israel Survives".    This series is one of the best about Israel's history that I have seen.  It's unique in that each episode covers an event or a real person and events that happened there. It doesn't all center on the WWII years like so many of them do.


----------



## CntryBoy777

It is sometimes amazing as to the changes that we make from our initial "plans and decisions"  as the years go bye.........we have areas that will change....but, at the time, a "decision" was made and then the "flaws" are revealed and we wonder....what was I thinking??...glad ya have the opportunity to "improve" on your previous "decision".........having "bearing fruit" trees will be much nicer, than "hoping for" each year....


----------



## Mike CHS

The trees were put in even before we had much done on the house renovation.  What is garden beds now was originally intended to just be a terraced walkway to eliminate erosion on the slope.  It turned out to have less rock than most of that area so we figured we could get 3 or 4 years out of them before the trees encroached on them but since they haven't bore fruit, the garden beds are now permanent.


----------



## farmerjan

Sad to say, but someone had better be doing something like that on the USA history as the idiots are trying to erase it all..... 
Sounds like a good series.


----------



## Mike CHS

farmerjan said:


> Sad to say, but someone had better be doing something like that on the USA history as the idiots are trying to erase it all.....
> Sounds like a good series.



That is one of the reasons I mentioned it.  I saw a lot of similarities to what is now going on here but it is also a different perspective of history that offers a different view over the usual documentaries.


----------



## Bruce

Sad that those trees never bore fruit though I guess it is easier to pull them since they were slackers.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have been spending some time with the garden beds so I thought a spring tour might be in order.  The garden is starting to really yield fast right now since the weather has been perfect other than those late frosts.  The okra in the small bed is putting on now but I didn't plant as much as usual since we still have so much left from last year.

The bare ground next to the beds in the next picture are where the two six year old fruit trees were that we took out Saturday. One of them had that Black Knot fungus and the other Teresa didn't like where it was so it came out also.  I think I mentioned before that those "beds" were initially put in to be a walk way terrace and the ground between them would have been filled in.  When we saw how few rocks were there we decided to use them for garden beds at least until the trees started to provide to much shade.  There is pickling and slicing cucumber in the bed in front and green beans just planted in the other beds.

Melons and a variety of squash are in the next jungle like bed.  Zucchini is supplying us and the neighbors and the winter squash is really taking off.  There is also a bed of potatoes at the end of that bed that are close to being ready.

Something was getting our first planting of tomatoes so put in another dozen tomato plants in case I couldn't nurse the first ones back to health.  I finally saw the culprit and started spraying them for a couple of days and the plants are recovering now and putting on a bunch of fruit.  The first planting would have been enough for us to can for the year so now that we have twice that much, I guess we will be canning for the next year and we just won't grow as much next year.  Of course I say that every season and never stick with it.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Everything looks wonderful!


----------



## Mike CHS

Rural life can't be beat but then you have some critter throw a wrench in perfection. I let Sassy and Lance out for the last time tonight before bedtime and they immediately went after what I thought was probably a rabbit.  About the time they started rubbing their snouts in the grass, I saw the skunk wandering away.  The cat was with the skunk so evidently they are buddies.  Baths were had but the smell is still pervasive.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I know it really isn't funny, but it is surely one of those times ya chuckle, cause ya are sooo glad that ya ain't the one smellin' it........sure hope it dissipates fairly quickly for ya....


----------



## farmerjan

Got a skunk that is living right here somewhere close and every night the d#@% thing lets loose and it stinks.  Must be the cats bothering it outside.  Glad that I don't have a dog right now to get into it.


----------



## Mike CHS

Taking a water break from dog bathing.  We did Lance first since he will stand in the trough without being held until he is released.  It took three sessions but we could smell anything after the last one.  You have to leave the soap solution on him for about 20 minutes before rinsing but catching the Frisbee while waiting to rinse kept him happy. The vet said to use a solution of Dawn dish detergent, hydrogen peroxide and baking soda.  Now we get to start on Sassy but we think Lance got the bulk of the spray.


----------



## Mike CHS

That soap concoction seems to have done the trick.  Three hours of bathing dogs make me appreciate all the herding training we did with these two.  Tell them to "stay" and they won't budge till told to move.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Sure must make it much easier and nicer than having to hold them....  .....Gabbie is fine til the water touches her skin....🤣


----------



## Baymule

I was going to mention the hydrogen peroxide. Glad you got the recipe for anti-skunk phew. Lol

So they found themselves a two-toned striped kitty with a fluid overdrive?


----------



## Mike CHS

I needed to take our side-by-side in for maintenance this morning and had another one of those things that made me smile.  Hooking up a big trailer can be a minor nuisance hooking up by yourself as you get pretty close, then get out to see which way you need to go one or more times till you get it right.  This morning I borrowed a friends 20' trailer and with the backup camera on the new truck, you can see the ball go right under the hitch on the trailer perfectly.    I know it's not new technology but it is definitely new to me.


----------



## thistlebloom

Mike, you big show off!  Just kidding, lol.
 I have No Technology, so it's the in and out, 2 inches left, oops, 3 inches right, oh dang 2 inches left again, about 4 or 5 times until it's close enough to fudge it in. It's good exercise though so I'm not complaining.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Something I use to do, was put a piece of tape on the tailgate directly above the hitch....it takes the guessing game out of it....not percect, but better than guessing....  ....we are still adjusting to the "new to us" technology on our '05 van.....


----------



## thistlebloom

I try to line up using the space between two rivets on the tailgate. Still haven't perfected it.


----------



## Baymule

Our Technology method is BJ backing up and me holding a stick on the trailer tongue so he has a better idea of where that confounded trailer tongue is.


----------



## thistlebloom

I prefer to hitch up alone. Otherwise I'm the guider... 'back a teensy bit more...nono, go that way! I mean the other way! oops too far...' we haven't worked out a hand signal system and dh has a hard time hearing. Getting in and out of the truck six times just seems less complicated.


----------



## CntryBoy777

When ya backin to drop the trailer, place a concrete paver behind the rear tire of the truck and when backing up to reattach to it, ya backup til the tire hits the paver....works like a charm...


----------



## thistlebloom

That's a great idea!


----------



## Mike CHS

Friend of ours called and asked us to take her Game hen and 4 chicks that she was sitting on.  She said the hen kept running off two other hens that were sitting on nests.  We were hoping she would adopt the chicks that we hatched in the incubator but so far it doesn't look like it's going to happen.


----------



## CntryBoy777

May take her a bit to adjust to the new surroundings and it at least gives the others something to trail behind....hope she warms up to them for ya....


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa and I are running 2' chicken wire all along the perimeter fence to keep the chicks in the chicken pen with all of the predators we have had recently.  The fence has never been an issue with chicks following their mom but incubator chicks don't have that tie.  

I was helping the neighbor cut his grass this morning and I found where something had been feeding on a young deer leg.


----------



## Bruce

My guess is that the incubator chicks are too old. Plus since the hen has her other chicks, she knows which ones they are. Hopefully she'll let the incubator chicks hang with hers even if she doesn't mother them.



thistlebloom said:


> Mike, you big show off!  Just kidding, lol.
> I have No Technology, so it's the in and out, 2 inches left, oops, 3 inches right, oh dang 2 inches left again, about 4 or 5 times until it's close enough to fudge it in. It's good exercise though so I'm not complaining.


That is how I have to get the implements on the back of the tractor.



CntryBoy777 said:


> When ya backin to drop the trailer, place a concrete paver behind the rear tire of the truck and when backing up to reattach to it, ya backup til the tire hits the paver....works like a charm...


I have a big metal bar (MAYBE it is a short piece of railroad rail??) that I put behind the tractor wheel at the right distance to pick up the flail. Unfortunately one has to be exactly on not only "fore and aft" but also at exactly the right angle - ie perpendicular to the implement.


----------



## Mike CHS

The chicks are the same age but the hen is a game hen so they are a lot smaller.  The hen let them all gather with her at first but that was when she was stressed.  Once she calmed down she figured out which ones were hers.


----------



## farmerjan

Game hens are notorious for taking care of THEIR chicks.... but unless they were day old, and you snuck them under the very first night, the chances of her taking them are pretty slim.  Ours will sometimes kill stray chicks unless there are like a couple other GAME momma's out and about with chicks, then they all sort of look out for the chicks but the chicks know who their own mommas are.  If she doesn't try to kill them then she might tolerate them enough that they might learn to go under her with her own....  I have had some hens that would take any/all chicks she could find but they are few and far between.  My son's game chickens have taught me over the years.... some even will not allow a chick that is a different color when we have set them on a nest of eggs that we wanted hatched.  They all have to look alike.... or several of each "color pattern" so there were no "single odd ones"..... which the silver duckwing and black breasted red chicks all have that chipmunk pattern....  I did used to get them to hatch out my lt brown leghorn eggs as they are also that chipmunk pattern as chicks.


----------



## Mike CHS

We separated them this afternoon since it was obvious the chicks weren't going to make it in the same brooder with the hen.

We saw our problem skunk on the neighbors side of the fence this evening.  I had a shotgun handy but it was out of range and by the time I went into the house to get a rifle, it was gone by the time I got back out there.


----------



## Mike CHS

It took us all day but we attached chicken wire to the woven wire fence to keep the chicks in and other critters out.  Hopefully that will also keep the skunk from going through the fence as I would rather keep it out as put it down.


----------



## Baymule

Skunks will eat bee, a problem if you are a bee keeper. But they also eat yellow jackets that nest in the ground and attack you in mass attacks. And that is a good thing.


----------



## farmerjan

Mike CHS said:


> It took us all day but we attached chicken wire to the woven wire fence to keep the chicks in and other critters out.  Hopefully that will also keep the skunk from going through the fence as I would rather keep it out as put it down.


Can't agree with you on that @Mike CHS , except for the smell.... as skunks are carrying more and more diseases.... and they are often rabid here in Va.  I will tolerate/ignore them up the road, in the pasture away from here, but here at the house......NOPE.  If I was going to be staying here this one would have been caught and disposed of.... now I just don't care.  Next persons problem.  I agree with keeping it out.... but they are notorious for digging.... a big part of their diet is grubs and stuff.... I sure hope this solves the problem for you.


----------



## Mike CHS

Sassy and Lance finally got released from their exile to the porch this afternoon.  They finally got a bath where there was no skunk smell after they were dry but we lost track of how many baths they have had since the skunk got them.

We picked our last cabbage this afternoon that was so big that it wouldn't fit in the vegetable crisper in the fridge. And another small basket full of beets that we will process tomorrow.  
The squash of all kinds is some of the most productive that we have had but they are all in a bed that has been idle since mid summer last year and it has been where we have been composting all of the sheep manure that comes out of the lay down areas.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Hopefully it will be their last time in "exile"........give em both a good rub and pat for me........that is a pretty big cabbage.......did ya weigh it?.....our tomatoes are burnin up and the fruit is getting smaller.....squash is gone and it never produced, only had male blooms on it....never have seen that before, but all the commercial fields are finished for this season....we'll get a better start for next year....wouldn't mind some of that compost down here, but @B&B Happy goats said we could have some from her "goat pile" and 80mi sure is better than about 800....🤣


----------



## farmerjan

I could send some real good green grass cow manure, but if they opened the box they might arrest you for receiving some sort of serious national security infraction..... don't want to get you in the hoosegow for receiving suspected contraband that might blow up!!!!!!


----------



## Mike CHS

We didn't weigh the cabbage but it's the biggest I have ever grown.  I loved the early planting that you get by living in Florida but I also didn't like the short growing season because of the heat.  Our temperature here gets up there but it's not that unbearable heat you get there.  I wouldn't even think about growing cabbage as a spring crop down there but it always did good in the fall.


----------



## Mike CHS

So far letting the vegetation in the paddocks grow has worked well.  I cut the paddocks too short too early last year which caused us to start feeding hay in early October (two months early).  Each paddock where the breeders are gives them almost two weeks of good grazing before moving them so all I'm doing now is topping the old tough and tall growth that they won't eat anyway.  Even though we had almost a month with no rain, the lower grass is still doing well.  

The Game Hen that we brought home to help our friend finally decided to join the rest of the hens in one of the coop.  
We first put her in a small coop below the chicks we hatched but that was just for the first day.  The second night we caught her and her four chicks and put them in the nest boxes in the main coop.  We went out this evening to see if we had to round her up and was happy to see that she had her chicks all comfy in one of the boxes so evidently she is adjusting.   Being a Game hen, she is much smaller than our other birds but they give her plenty of room and don't dare mess with her chicks.


----------



## Baymule

I’ve had game chickens before, they laid well, brooded lots of chicks and were some hardy chickens. 

We got a hard rain last night! We sure needed it, especially after spreading composted sheep barn clean out on  3 small pastures. It was very dry, our sand was powder.


----------



## Mike CHS

We are definitely in our summer routine.  I think the rain stops to pick up a load of fertilizer on the way down as the grass needs cutting every 5 days on the lanes outside our perimeter fence as well as the dog play run and house lawn.  I need to spray herbicide on both the interior and perimeter fences or they are going to start grounding the hot wires.  We have have had afternoon showers for the last 4 days with more in the forecast for the next 4 so probably no point in wasting the chemical.  We have been wanting to go out and get some fishing in but that forecast has stopped that also.

We worked the ewe lambs this morning to pull fecals and gave them a dose of garlic and as we were starting, the garlic jar got knocked over.  It's a good thing a garlic smell doesn't bother us since it is STRONG.  We will move the ewe lambs out to fresh grass tomorrow after we look at the fecal samples then rotate the breeders back into the shop paddock so we can check them out.  The ram seems to be doing his job as most are noticeably with lamb and all except one are in great condition.  The one that is not in condition is one of the remaining ewes from our original bunch.  We will separate her when we work the rest and put her with the ewe lambs so I can give her some extra feed and then send her to market.


----------



## Baymule

What a terrible problem to have—too much grass! Your sheep thrive on it. Y’all have done a lot of work on your pastures and now the sheep reap the rewards.


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## farmerjan

I would think that a couple of calves for just the summer to use the grass would be a good way to put some pounds on off the already growing grass..... Wouldn't have to keep them for 1 1/2 years for beef.... buy early in the spring, sell late fall when you are stockpiling for winter grazing....


----------



## farmerjan

Thought you would like that!!!!!


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa and I worked the ewe lambs again this morning but we got a late start waiting on the rain to go around us.  We got started on a little project in the shop around 1:00 this afternoon the temp in there was right at 97 until we opened up the doors and windows and turned on the big shop fan.  It got down to right at 90 and was actually pretty comfortable with the air moving.  We are making another next box to attach to the coop that will attach to the outside of the coop.


----------



## Mike CHS

This has nothing to do with BYH but it's a little nostalgia from my life way back. I was looking at a link from the USS Forrestal 1978 Meditteranean cruise book and ran across a picture that I don't have.  Even though aircraft carriers are pushing 1100',  work space real estate is really compressed.  The ATC radar space is roughly 14' x 26' and usually has 6 air traffic controllers, 2 or more supervisors and usually 3 airmen behind the plexiglass status boards writing all of the aircraft states and profiles writing backwards.  I don't remember the photo being taken but I assume it was staged since usually the only time the khakis would be that many and that close over a controllers shoulder was when a bad thing had happened.  I'm working the left radar approach control console and you can see the huge console to the far left which is the first of the automatic radar systems where we could lock on to an aircraft and fly it back to the ship.  That system first became operational during Viet Nam to try and get aircraft back to the ship that otherwise might not have made it back since the pilot was injured.


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm not sure where today went but we were busy.  I need to spray the interior fences if it ever quits raining but they needed to be cut again so that got done.  What used to be the neighbors garden spot needed to be mowed and that took an hour plus the outside lane took another hour.  I have limed it twice now plus I'm hauling the sheep manure down there to spread out and it is finally starting to look great.  I have been encouraging a good stand of clover there and it looks like it will be ready to fence in.  That will be another acre and a half of good graze but I have been holding off to not crowd our neighbor more than needed.  He is 87 and been going through a lot of medical issues so I let him have as much freedom with that section as I can without letting him abuse it.  I did the mowing while I was rotating the sheep through three paddocks to get them where I actually wanted them.  They get excited and come running when I call and open a gate so it makes for an easy move.  

While I was mowing, Teresa rigged up a tarp over the coop that is housing the chicks.  She was excited this evening when she went out to put them in the upper area since they FINALLY went up on their own.  The added nest box was finished today except for the cover and we will install that tomorrow


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## Baymule

I hope you don't think I'm going to feel sorry for you with all that mowing--cause I don't!   I mowed the yard today. I let the girls out on it and closed the gate to their barn so they couldn't go back home. Finally at 5:30 I let them in and gave them a little feed. Yard looks pretty good and they all had full bellies. LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

I took a couple of pictures today after I moved the herd for the last time today.  As I mentioned earlier, we decided to be more retired than we had been.  We have our breeders down to 16 with the 10 ewe lambs in reserve for a fall breeding.  This spring lamb sales has already paid the expenses for this year plus winter hay so it's a good place to be.    I need to take some pictures of the ewe lambs that we kept as they are nice.   Way off is the ram and one of our older girls that Max was pestering all day.





girls


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## Baymule

That is a pastoral scene. Lush grass and lovely sheep.


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## Mike CHS

I don't know if this can be blamed on the virus or not but it's a first in 6 years for us.  This is the time of year that we always make a run out to the Amish community to buy sweet corn and a few other things for our canning/freezing.

They were completely sold out of everything and this was a little after 9:00 in the morning.  They said they had been selling out most things by 9 at the latest.


----------



## Mike CHS

We brought the adults in to do the last of the girls hooves and walked them all through the foot baths.  The girls have been in that chair often enough now that they fight it more than they used to.  They are going to get in that thing one way or another but there is a couple that weigh as much as I do that are more of a challenge.


----------



## Mike CHS

It looks like we won't be buying any of the Mosaic Chickens from our friends.  She took back a problem Anatolian that the buyers were having problems with.  The pup got in the chicken coop and not only killed the Mosaics but he killed all of the rest except a couple of huge hens.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

That's horrible...


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Boy that sucks for your friends all the way around, ......hope they can find a solution for the problem anatolian  pup


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## farmerjan

So sad for the friends, and the problem LGD.  Not a good sign.  Did you already hatch some of the Mosaics?  
Sheep may not be the smartest in the world, but they do learn what they like and don't like..... like the chair.....


----------



## Mike CHS

farmerjan said:


> Did you already hatch some of the Mosaics?



There are some Mosaics among the chicks that we already hatched but since they had more than one rooster, there is no telling whether they are a cross or not.  It doesn't really matter as long as they lay eggs.


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## Baymule

I think it very likely that the virus is the cause of your Amish friends selling out so early. People are scared of bare shelves again. There isn’t a canning jar or lid to be had in our town. I always keep a good supply so I’m not in a bind. But I only have a half bag of pickling lime, so will have to go on a quest soon! Haha! 

That is a shame about the Anatolian puppy and the chickens. I know your friends must be sick over it.


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## Mike CHS

I'm guessing you are right @Baymule.  We got there this morning as they were setting up and even had to wait for them to bring in the corn so we are good for the year once that gets processed.  She said that she usually has people that she knows by sight but this year she is getting as many new folks as the usual.


----------



## farmerjan

Yeah, the virus and another round of "shutdowns" and all are making people get more stuff and many are going back to preserving stuff to have for the possible shortages.  See it around here too.


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## Baymule

I guess it's just my wacko personality, but when we walked through the empty grocery store, I laughed at the bare shelves. It reminded me of the panic buying prior to a hurricane and the emptiness of grocery stores afterwards, as no power means everything cold or frozen ruined and has to be thrown out. Covid panic is much the same, but it sure has lasted a heck of a lot longer and covers practically every product.


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## Mike CHS

I keep enough generator fuel on hand to be able to keep everything in the freezer frozen until I have time to process everything in it.  I've said before that having spent the majority of my life in hurricane country keeps me from having to do panic buying.  

I pulled the last of our onions a couple of days ago and chopped them up to get them ready to freeze.  We have been eating them fresh for a couple of months but I still wound up with a little over 46 pounds.  We still have around 5 pounds left over from last year that I will dehydrate and turn into minced onion flakes and some will become onion powder.


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## B&B Happy goats

Mike CHS said:


> I keep enough generator fuel on hand to be able to keep everything in the freezer frozen until I have time to process everything in it.  I've said before that having spent the majority of my life in hurricane country keeps me from having to do panic buying.
> 
> I pulled the last of our onions a couple of days ago and chopped them up to get them ready to freeze.  We have been eating them fresh for a couple of months but I still wound up with a little over 46 pounds.  We still have around 5 pounds left over from last year that I will dehydrate and turn into minced onion flakes and some will become onion powder.


I couldn't  live in this state without  a generator as much as the storms leave us without power....yepper, hurricane central, you best be prepared ...


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## Bruce

And we've JUST gotten back to where you can reliably find flour on the shelves. I wonder how long that will last.


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## Baymule

Bruce said:


> And we've JUST gotten back to where you can reliably find flour on the shelves. I wonder how long that will last.


Probably not very long-better stock up!


----------



## Mike CHS

It's in the mid 90's today so other than hang a screen door on our shop entrance, we stayed inside and processed garden items.  I didn't think about pictures until we were finishing up but the picture is a sample of what we worked on today,


----------



## Mike CHS

Another item I meant to post earlier but forgot what I logged in to post about.    I have said many times that it's the small things that please me the most.  About half of our garden every year is dedicated to several varieties of squash, mostly winter squash but also the never ending summer squash.  I planted a couple of hills of Delicata Squash this year and we had our first taste this afternoon.  It will never be a main squash for us since it doesn't keep as well as the harder shelled squash but it has a permanent spot in all future gardens. 

The slightly chewy peel _is_ a great contrast to the sweet, velvety flesh, which tastes _like_ a cross between butternut _squash_ and sweet potato to me.


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## frustratedearthmother

I love that stuff!  It's absolutely delish.


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## Baymule

Try this variety.









						Honey Boat Delicata Squash
					

(C. pepo) 105 days. One of the sweetest squash varieties in existence. Oblong, Delicata-shaped squash has tan skin with green stripes. Excellent quality and produces early. Developed by Dr. James Baggett, Oregon State University. So delicious and flavorful!




					www.rareseeds.com


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## Mike CHS

I'm really pleased with our garden beds this year.  We did more inter planting and maybe it's a coincidence but we have had less insect problems this year than in the past.  We are getting enough green beans to process that we won't need to plant a second planting this year.  We are getting about the same amount as the picture every other day now.  We will probably do a couple more pickings and then let one bed go for seed next year.  A really early frost last year messed with my seed saving plans but we still had plenty from the year before.  This year I marked the first okra pod so it is my seed base for next year.

The only thing we have had to spray was one bed of tomatoes since it had a mite infestation that was doing a lot of leaf damage.


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## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Mr. @Mike CHS,

I've just now caught back up on your journal.  Regarding the picture of the USS Forrestal, do you appear in the picture?  And would you at some point describe your service time?  I enjoy reading about your current life and how you and Miss Teresa are enjoying retirement.  But I would also enjoy reading about your time in the military, at least the unclassified and non-FOUO history you can share.

Senile Texas Aggie


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## Mike CHS

This for STA

I'm working Approach Control in that picture and I'm the 5th from the right.  The two guys on the right are working Final Approach Control.  Approach gets the handoff from what is called Marshal anywhere from 24-50 miles out and brings them down out of their holding pattern altitude and vectors them to the ship.  In a nutshell, the two Approach controllers receive every other aircraft so each controller is working anywhere from 6-12 aircraft into the approach pattern.  Approach hands off to Final normally about 8 miles out who works the aircraft to 3/4 at which point the Landing Signal Officer takes over and keeps the aircraft informed about his profile coming in (too high/low or right or left of the centerline.  There is what is called a Fresnel Lens system that moves according to the aircrafts movement so they can work on their lineup.

ATC on a carrier isn't for the faint of heart.    At shore stations, we used FAA separation standards which is a minimum of 1000' altitude and 3 miles distance from other aircraft.  On the ship everyone is brought down to 1200' (which is the pattern altitude and 1 1/2 miles lateral separation.  On shore aircraft are slowed to approach and landing speed fairly early but on a ship, the aircraft stay at 250 knots until told to drop their landing gear.  The reason for the close interval is the ships survivability. The ship needs a minimum of 30 kts of wind across the bow to safely land aircraft and it needs to stay on the same course as much as possible so the aircraft don't have to chase the deck.  The idea is to stay 'in the wind' for as little time as possible so there is an aircraft over the deck every 60 seconds.

I joined the Navy in 1969 and retired in 1991.  I was in ATC the whole time and when I retired I was the Leading Chief at our group of schools that was on the base at Millington, TN.   I went to work as a contractor for a company that was doing upgrades on our radar simulators that had never worked as paid for.  That was supposed to be for a year but stretched into 3 years when we finally got the simulators up and running. This trainer was built using voice recognition technology that at the time only existed in that simulator.  That job was as much engineering as operations but to make a long already story short,  I was then offered a job at the Navy Systems Center in Charleston where we managed, built and maintained Navy and Marine Corps ATC equipment all around the world.  I worked there doing fleet installations until 2004 when I was moved to another Department at the same base where we managed ATC for Air Force units in Afghanistan and ran ATC for the National Science Foundation site in Antarctica.  At first they worked all ATC from on-site but later switched all of the enroute work to a remote system also located in Charleston.   I can't say much more about most of that but it was interesting to say the least.  I worked that until I retired again for real and came here.


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## farmerjan

@Mike CHS  all I can say is WOW..... as the saying goes "way beyond my pay scale..... I am very impressed and humbled by your  service and knowledge and abilities....

Thank you for your service and your expertise.   You must get bored now......sheep are pretty tame in comparison....


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## Mike CHS

farmerjan said:


> @Mike CHS    You must get bored now......sheep are pretty tame in comparison....



I am happier now more than I have been at any other time in my life.  I can walk out in the field and my sheep come up to see what treats might be available and just see if their human is going to open another paddock. I do love raising these boring animals.


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## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Mr. @Mike CHS,

Thank you for sharing that story with me/us!  Just like Miss @farmerjan, I too am impressed with what you accomplished.  And I understand why you would enjoy retirement.  I am loving it as well.  I am happy for you and Teresa.

Senile Texas Aggie


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## Mike CHS

A few pictures of the chicks and the sheep after moving them to fresh grass.   The chicks that we hatched are three times larger than the Game hens chicks although one of hers is twice the size of the others.


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## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Beautiful pictures!  I can see why you and Teresa are so happy there!


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## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> The ship needs a minimum of 30 kts of wind across the bow to safely land aircraft


OK, I followed everything but this. I ASSUME that means the ship heads into the wind and has to travel at a speed that when added to true wind speed is 30 kts or more? The carrier has to steam on at 30 kts in a dead calm? 
And, thank you for your superb service!



Mike CHS said:


> I am happier now more than I have been at any other time in my life.


I bet, that ATC work is STRESSSSSSSFUL! Much calmer to look out on your pasture full of sheep, chickens and beautiful LGDs.


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## Mike CHS

You got every point Bruce.


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## Mike CHS

We planned on eating rather light this evening so we got some of our pre-cooked gyro meat out of the freezer to have with our salad.  Teresa made some Tzatziki Sauce to go along with the salad.   The gyro meat freezes really good after cooking so when we make it, we make several loaves to have down the road.


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## Bruce

You have to stop talking like that Mike or I might show up for dinner! 
I first had Tzatziki in Greece, boy is that stuff good.


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## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> You have to stop talking like that Mike or I might show up for dinner!
> I first had Tzatziki in Greece, boy is that stuff good.



There is a place in Franklin that has some of the best I've had since I was last in Athens but we haven't gone in several months.  Teresa makes it as good so that is a plus. 

Oh, and you can show up for dinner anytime.


----------



## Mike CHS

The crew finally showed up this morning to add gutters to the roof area over the handling area and also both sides of the 12 foot add-on that we did for the shop. When we made arrangements to have it done, the contractor was honest enough to tell us that since this was such a small project for them that they would get too it when they had a hole in their schedule but they would get to it.  This isn't a complicated project but I quit doing work that requires a ladder a long time ago.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Mike CHS said:


> The crew finally showed up this morning to add gutters to the roof area over the handling area and also both sides of the 12 foot add-on that we did for the shop. When we made arrangements to have it done, the contractor was honest enough to tell us that since this was such a small project for them that they would get too it when they had a hole in their schedule but they would get to it.  This isn't a complicated project but I quit doing work that requires a ladder a long time ago.


Work that requires a ladder....smart man !


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## CntryBoy777

Don't blame ya a single bit...I don't get too high off the ground either, seems balance sure decreases as the yrs increase....


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## Bruce

I'll go up a ladder but only so far. About got shaky and nervous last night watching Buckin' Billy Ray climb a fir (on a YouTube video) WAY up into the thin top cutting limbs as he went and leaning on his spikes and climbing rope. I'd bet it wasn't 6" in diameter when he stopped climbing and dropped the top. Then down the tree dropping 6-8' sections of the trunk as he went. The man really knows what he is doing but    !! Of course even when he was at the top we all know he made it back down safely, after all he's shooting and editing the videos but still. Shudder


----------



## Mike CHS

We went back to one of the Amish farms in Ethridge to pick up more corn to process for the winter.  We had a bushel last week but one of our neighbors wanted to put some up and she doesn't get around well so we gave her that batch.  We noticed the last time that we were out that way that several of the Amish farms had no signs out saying they had corn so we figured that had not started harvesting yet.  One of the families was coming in out of the corn field when we drove up so it doesn't get much fresher than that.

I figured most would have no idea what I meant when I said "signs" but all of those that sell or provide a service have signs at the road with what they have to offer.









						Visiting Tennessee's Amish country: Ethridge makes a good day trip for all ages
					

See another way of life when you visit the Amish in Ethridge; $10 wagon tour tour gives you an inside look at Amish



					www.tennessean.com


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## Bruce

No electricity, no indoor plumbing, no running water (but I have a Smart Phone in my shirt pocket). I can't figure out the whys and wherefores of their "you can have this but not that" decisions.


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## CntryBoy777

I have seen them in northern Indiana take a horse a buggy to a lot and then get in a school bus to pickup the kids....


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## Mike CHS

CntryBoy777 said:


> I have seen them in northern Indiana take a horse a buggy to a lot and then get in a school bus to pickup the kids....



I haven't tried to figure out what their rules are but all of those that I have dealt with are good people.  The men are a bit stand offish at first but they don't take a lot to get them to lighten up.  Most of the farms we have been to had generators.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Oh yes....they certainly were in Indiana too....many worked at the companies that built RVs on the frames I would haul up there from the Freightliner plant in Gaffney, SC.....never had a problem at all....very helpful....


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## Mike CHS

Teresa made her version of Old Charleston Shrimp and Grits for dinner tonight.  Some of the best are made in restaurants in Charleston but hers is as good as any that I have had anywhere.

To cut back on carbs a bit she only made half of the cheesey grits and made some riced cheesy cauliflower to go with it.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

That looks delicious!


----------



## Mike CHS

frustratedearthmother said:


> That looks delicious!



It isn't one of those that you just throw together but it's one of those that is worth the effort.


----------



## Mike CHS

We now have a single guinea hen in our chicken pen but no idea where she came from as none of the near neighbors have any.  She spent most of the afternoon on the back side of the fence agitated since she couldn't figure out how to get in with the chickens.  We opened one of the far gates and she came right in so she obviously has been penned up.  She isn't tame but she is no more skittish than our chickens.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

That's probably the one I lost a couple years ago.  Last time I saw her she was flying northeast!


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## Mike CHS

I just saw a good use of zucchini on Facebook and it makes good use of those that you let get a little bit too big also.

Slice into rounds and place in a single layer on a cookie sheet.  Then add toppings like you would for a regular pizza: sauce,  pepperoni, and mozzarelli and then bake in the oven.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

That sounds good.  I do that with eggplant too.  Pretty tasty!


----------



## Baymule

Cheesy shrimp grits! I've had them at restaurants and they are delicious. Looks yummy! I slice zucchini and use them for lasagna noodles. 

that article link you posted sounded like a fun tour to take.


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## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Dang, Mike!  That picture of breakfast made me gain 10 pounds!


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## Mike CHS

We found the owner of the guinea hen and they are going to come over tonight at roosting time to see if they can't catch it.  It stayed in the coop the first night but wouldn't go in last night so we shall see.

We picked another half bushel of green beans this afternoon then pulled the plants.  We have enough green beans now processed to last through winter but planted another small bed of them to supply fresh beans through to the fall.  We gave several melons away since there is no way we can eat what we now have before they go bad.  We have more than enough in the freezer to do us.

The Acorn and Butternut squash are coming along great and hopefully we can harvest most of them so I can clean the weeds out the big bed that they are now in.

The sweet corn that we bought the other day wound up yielding a little over 16 pounds of cut corn.   That all got vacuum sealed.  We have enough okra to keep us through winter already so I'm opening that bed up to a neighbor who loves okra but doesn't have room to grow it.


----------



## Baymule

Your garden has been very good to y'all!


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## Mike CHS

Teresa is putting up some more pickles this morning.  With just the two of us we usually go through around 10 quarts a year so with the 7 she is processing this morning and the 5 still left in storage, we are about finished with doing pickles for this season.  The neighbors are liking us getting through with most of our canning this early since the summer garden that is left is still doing well.

We also use a lot of bell peppers so we grow and freeze a lot.  I chop them up and freeze them on a flat before vacuum sealing plus I'm going to dehydrate a batch to grind up for seasoning.  I did a small batch already but I have already used much of that.  We will also dehydrate some chopped cucumbers to grind up to use in sauces this winter. 

I have lost track of how many tomatoes have put up but we use a lot and never seem to have quite enough from one season to the next.  We bought a bushel last year at the auction but haven't needed to do that this year.

I have been lax on my picture taking this garden season as it seems like it has all been seen before.


----------



## Mike CHS

I did something to either my back or my hip a week ago last Sunday.  I had 3 or 4 days where walking was extremely painful and carrying anything without support wasn't going to happen.  I have been through the back treatment before so I won't go in to see what they can do until I have some history to even talk about to the doc.  It has gotten a bit better and I can walk without dragging my left leg but it seems to want to give out although I can usually feel it coming. Teresa at first thought I was being stubborn not going to the doc but having a lot of history with back problems and surgical history I will go when I think something might be accomplished.

This all started two days after working the sheep last but also two days after I got knocked on my rear again by hitting the top ground and hot wire while I was weed eating around a gate.  I landed on the hip area that hurts so that is likely the cause.  I'll give it another day or so to see how it is working and then go see it looked to.  I tried the inversion table one day last week but that put me in a chair doing nothing so no more of that.  I'm not looking for sympathy but I have been posting less lately and wanted to say why.


----------



## CntryBoy777

if ya need relief, ya should try the Salonpas Lidocaine patches...Joyce uses them often and swears by them....she has nerve issues in the hip back area and it runs down her leg and at times drags her foot when it is really bad....the Doc told her he couldn't do her any good until she couldn't lift it any longer....so, she is making do the best she can when it acts up....  ....hope it gets better and not a cracked pelvis...


----------



## Mike CHS

We use something similar and it does help.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Holy cow, Mike!  I hope you get over your pain issues!  It is hard to enjoy working on the farm when you can hardly move.


----------



## Bruce

Maybe a chiropractor or massage therapist?


----------



## Mike CHS

I have a wether in with the ewe lambs and the dogs that is putting some serious effort into not going to the butcher.   When I'm out feeding the dogs, I take a bucket with me to sit on while the dogs eat.  Pete (the wether) will come up and lay his chin on my leg so I can scratch his ears.  He is always the first one up and he would rather get petted than go to the feed.  He has worked really well at getting the lambs tamed down since they follow him around and mimic his behavior (which is always calm).  He was one of the lambs that ran with the dogs when they went on alert and ran to the fence line with the dogs.  He still does that but is starting to stay with the lambs when the dogs go out.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Every place needs a "mascot" and being a "trainer" oughtta count for somethin'.....


----------



## thistlebloom

Yep. You gotta keep Pete.


----------



## Mike CHS

Pete isn't going anywhere soon.  It's funny since he was a runt when we were putting on ear tags to take a load of lambs for processing with most being around 3-4 months old.  Pete was a runt and as I picked him up to do the ear tag I saw that he was plenty small enough to go ahead and band him since we didn't have any that were prepped to band and butcher.  He kept our ram Max company until we were ready to start breeding again and he is taking care of the lambs so he has no worries.


----------



## Baymule

BJ fell off the back step, which was bad enough, but Paris thoughtfully dug a deep hole next to the step. She also exposed a pipe, so when BJ fell (she knocked him off balance, thank you Paris), he fell in the hole she dug to China and the small of his back hit the pipe. He couldn't get up and yelled for me. I ran out, braced and pulled him up. He had a huge knot in his back and the darkest bruise I've ever seen showed up. 

He uses Theraworkx for muscle cramps. It relieves them in seconds. So he wanted me to spray some on his back. As I rubbed it in, he could feel relief from the pain. It's available at drug stores and walmart. It has really helped him and it might help you too. He is still not able to do much, but is getting better. 

I really need to fill in that stupid hole and put a cow panel over it but I've been so busy putting up garden produce that I'm beginning to think maybe I should drag my mattress into the kitchen.......

Tell me more about the dehydrated cucumber. I love them but won't buy one from the store. My vines (second ones, bugs killed the first) are starting to produce and I need to make another batch of pickles. What sauces do you make with the dehydrated cucumber?


----------



## Mike CHS

I haven't used the Theraworkx but I'll give it a try.  The sharp shooting pain is gone and it's just a dull feeling that something isn't connected but I'll go and look at getting something started if it's not better by Monday.  I have been giving it sort of light duty as much as I can.

I use the cucumber powder in Tzatziki sauce variations for meats and salads and Ranch dressing and they even add a nice taste to soups.  I just peel the skins before slicing. I find the peels kind of tough and bitter when dehydrated. I peel, slice around a quarter inch slices... And dehydrate them. around 135. How long depends on just how juicy they are, but it can take all day or overnight.  I have done them like veggie chips but they don't seem to hold their crispness very long.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Pete isn't going anywhere soon.


Sometimes it helps to suck up


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## Mike CHS

We got some canning done this afternoon.  We are through with pickles now for ourselves but like I mentioned once before that we have a couple of neighbors that aren't able to garden so we will do some for them.

The borers finally found our zucchini plants so they are about to give up the ghost.


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## Bruce

Nasty bugs eating our plants! I went out just now with the black light flashlight, found 6 hornworms ranging from tiny to medium large. Guess I have to go out every night.


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## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Nasty bugs eating our plants! I went out just now with the black light flashlight, found 6 hornworms ranging from tiny to medium large. Guess I have to go out every night.



We have yet to see our first horn worm but normlly by now we have to constantly pick them off.  There has been a small group of birds (no idea what kind) landing on the support posts that must be getting them.


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## Baymule

I hate hornworms. They creep me out, I won't touch them. They give me shudders up and down my spine. Haha, me-who can gut a hog or clean a gut shot deer with no problem-gets weirded out by a little worm! I guess hornworms are my Achilles Heel.


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## Bruce

So how do they get removed from the plants Bay? Do you call BJ?


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## Mike CHS

Some friends have a herding dog trial every year on Labor Day that is sanctioned so we went up to see if they needed a hand.  We took Lance to see if he remembered how to work in their much larger pasture than we have.  He actually did good considering he hasn't worked that big of an area in over a year.

We dug up the beets this afternoon and processed them for the freezer.  We did 6 batches about the size of the plate in the picture.


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## Baymule

Bruce said:


> So how do they get removed from the plants Bay? Do you call BJ?


No i knock them off with a stick and stomp them. Gooshy, I hate them.


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## Baymule

I make spiced pickled beets. I can eat half a jar at a time. We roasted them as they got ready. When they were all ready, I processed them and canned them. 
Do you know what happens when you eat a LOT of beets? Your pee turns red.


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## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Mr. @Mike CHS, sir!

Maybe you have mentioned it since the last time I recall and just missed it, but I seem to recall you and Teresa were considering downsizing your flock in order to provide the two of you more leisure time to do things like going fishing.  Are you two still planning that or have you rethought that plan?

Senile Texas Aggie


----------



## Mike CHS

Senile_Texas_Aggie said:


> Mr. @Mike CHS, sir!
> 
> Maybe you have mentioned it since the last time I recall and just missed it, but I seem to recall you and Teresa were considering downsizing your flock in order to provide the two of you more leisure time to do things like going fishing.  Are you two still planning that or have you rethought that plan?
> 
> Senile Texas Aggie



We did downsize a bit.  Right now we just have 16 ewes and 10 ewe lambs.  The adults are in with the ram now and the lambs will be bred in October-November depending on their size.  There is still 3 ewes in with the breeders that were sold and will be leaving shortly.   I injured my hip several weeks ago so there won't be much activity until I get that resolved.


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## Bruce

Baymule said:


> No i knock them off with a stick and stomp them. Gooshy, I hate them.


You must have quite the knack. Those things hold on TIGHT with their sucker feet. Takes a really long and strong pull to peel them off.


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## Baymule

Bruce said:


> You must have quite the knack. Those things hold on TIGHT with their sucker feet. Takes a really long and strong pull to peel them off.


Maybe you don't hate them enough.


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## Mike CHS

We forgot to put out a Hummingbird feeder until a couple of days ago.  They were ready for it since they were on it in a matter of minutes.  I think there is 4 of them but can't be sure since they all run each other off so fast but they seem to stay away enough that each can get some of the nectar.  I took the picture through the blinds on a window so there is a bit of a glare.

I went in and got a steroid shot for my hip this morning and it seems to be helping.  I have PT starting next Tuesday so we will see how that works.


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## Baymule

Mike, are you headed for hip replacement? BJ has complained about his hip hurting, followed by he's "not going to have hip replacement". Yesterday I told him, Fine! You'll wind up in a wheelchair being a grouchy old ba$tard. I think I'll "tell on him" next time he goes in for a check up.


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## Mike CHS

I don't know.  You know the routine that they won't even do an MRI until you go through PT and jump through all of the hoops.  Tell BJ that I spent a year and a half in a wheel chair almost 40 years ago and he doesn't want to go there.  The Navy tried to give me a medical discharge when I had 19 1/2 years in since I was diagnosed as never being mobile again and I got my Congressman involved.  That was back in 1983 so I obviously won that one.

My issues aren't nothing like I went through way back before my back surgery so I'm still optimistic that this time is a result of getting dashed to the ground by the hot and ground wires. The doctor seemed to be sure that it's sciatica but I had a couple of years of that and this isn't the same.  It's just that when I have back pain, I can take it easy for a couple of days and everything is back to normal.  You would think that after having that fence there for 5 years and getting thrown to the ground many times, that my little pea brain would be aware of that.    If it reaches the point where it seems hip replacement is in the picture I will definitely do it.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> We forgot to put out a Hummingbird feeder until a couple of days ago.


I put ours out a couple of months ago when I saw a hummingbird. It has been popular since ... even to a woodpecker ??? Also interesting - I bought a "super on sale" feeder last fall, clear glass "hot air balloon" shape with a rubber cork attached to the metal "dish" with 4 small red "flowers". They MUCH prefer that to the old one, similar shape but all red plastic.

This isn't it but is pretty close, I guess "less is more" as far as the birds are concerned. Or maybe the plastic makes the sugar water taste different? Glass is definitely less reactive.





The one they BY FAR do not prefer, mine has a perch that hangs off the flowers. When they do use this feeder most often the hummers do not sit on the perch. They do, however, perch on a dead branch on the nearby fir tree or the dead lilac bush. I was going to pull the lilac a couple of years ago until we saw that the birds were using it.





We have both male and female, no idea if they built a nest somewhere. Not sure when they'll start migrating hopefully not for a few weeks. 



Mike CHS said:


> You would think that after having that fence there for 5 years and getting thrown to the ground many times, that my little pea brain would be aware of that.


Trying electroshock therapy?  I hope your hip improves quickly.


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## thistlebloom

Our hummers come mid April and leave usually by mid August.
There is much anticipation for the first sighting and I try to have the feeders out a few weeks earlier than the date on the calendar that we saw them the year before, just in case someone gets a boost to arrive early by the weather.

They are such amazing little creatures and the fact that they fly so far to come here and raise their young is honoring to us. We just love them. We have 4 varieties, Black chinned, Calliope, Rufous, and Broadtail. 
I watched a program about a ranch in southern Idaho that tracks and bands them and they had a female that had returned for 12 years.

You can tell our regulars because they will drink at the feeders in front of the window even when you are standing on the other side watching them. The new ones, and the babies are very skittish. If I haven't hung a feeder in the "regular" spot they will go there and hover as though looking for it.
We had a lot of traffic this year. I'm guessing we had a lot of last years babies return.

Ours have their favorite feeders also, we use all glass ones. I have swapped feeder positions to see if it's just the location they prefer, but it's definitely the feeder.


----------



## Bruce

I'm hoping to see the babies (if there are any), I ASSUME the parents will bring them to the feeder. Saw both genders while eating dinner tonight though not at the same time.


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## thistlebloom

Bruce said:


> I'm hoping to see the babies (if there are any), I ASSUME the parents will bring them to the feeder. Saw both genders while eating dinner tonight though not at the same time.



From what I understand by the time the babies are old enough to fledge and be on their own they are the same size as the adults, so it would be hard to know if it was a "baby" drinking from a feeder.
I just assume that at this time of year the skittish drinkers are the new generation. The others are very used to us and will even come and drink from a hand held hose spray within arms reach.
I was watering the clematis on the chicken pen last week and a female came and drank from the spray then sat on the fence wire and bathed herself in the spray mist. I could have reached out and touched her. That clematis vine got a lot more watering than it needed, I was so transfixed by the hummer.


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## Senile_Texas_Aggie

OK, ignorant question -- how do yu distinguish a male from a female hummingbird?  I know in some species of birds the male is often quite colorful while the female is usually more drab (or camouflaged).  I haven't noticed much if any difference among the hummingbirds that we see here at our feeders.


----------



## Mike CHS

The males here have some bright feathers on their necks but  I have read that immature males don't have any color.  None of those here have really colored feathers.


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## Mike CHS

Teresa's favorite aunt passed early this morning in Hospice.  She has said she has been ready for quite awhile and just had her 104th birthday.


----------



## thistlebloom

Senile_Texas_Aggie said:


> OK, ignorant question -- how do yu distinguish a male from a female hummingbird?  I know in some species of birds the male is often quite colorful while the female is usually more drab (or camouflaged).  I haven't noticed much if any difference among the hummingbirds that we see here at our feeders.



You're right about the males being more colorful. Males always have a patch of colored feathers at their throat, differing by species. Our four varieties have red, orange, or black. The feathers are iridescent, brilliant when the sun catches them just right.
You may have a lot of females coming to your feeder, though obviously where the females are the males will be around also.
Juvenile males are colored more like females, they haven't developed the neck feathers yet.


----------



## thistlebloom

Mike CHS said:


> Teresa's favorite aunt passed early this morning in Hospice.  She has said she has been ready for quite awhile and just had her 104th birthday.



Wow, 104, that's amazing. My condolences to Teresa.


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## thistlebloom

I didn't see your hummingbird answer Mike, I was freshening my coffee cup. I basically repeated what you said.


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## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Teresa's favorite aunt passed early this morning


Sad but not. After 104 years she was ready to move on. Hard to lose them in any case. DW's aunt will be 103 in November. 

We only have Ruby Throated hummingbirds here. The shiny red throat is only on the adult males, sure does shimmer in the sunlight.


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## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Sad but not. After 104 years she was ready to move on. Hard to lose them in any case. DW's aunt will be 103 in November.
> 
> We only have Ruby Throated hummingbirds here. The shiny red throat is only on the adult males, sure does shimmer in the sunlight.



She had been saying she was ready to go for the last year and she was at peace.


----------



## farmerjan

My grandmother passed several years ago at 98.  She said for the last year or 2 that she was more than ready to go, but her heart was very strong and wouldn't quit.  She lost her sight to macular degeneration in her early 90's, it just kept getting worse and worse, and that was really the "end" for her.  She said everyone in her "group" was gone so what was the reason for her to stick around.  Tried to get her to do some tape recordings about the family tree and stuff and she refused.  I've tried to write some of it down, but don't have alot of it.  My father is the next generation, and he won't record stuff either.  It is a little hard to do it when you are 500 + miles away.... So much was lost with my grandmother.... she refused to let anyone record her voice... said it sounded terrible... but most all of us don't like the recorded sound of our own voices as it is different than what we "hear" when we are actually talking. 
Her mother was 89.  My grandfather was 87 or 89. his mother  was 94 and her sister was 102 or 104.... she broke her hip 2 years before she passed on.... There are some families like your wife's, that are just long lived. It is nice if they are still mentally  "with it".   The font keeps changing on here for some reason.... GRRRR .... this computer drives me nuts... I am trying to find the one I normally use....maybe I won't get it.  Maybe it will reset it's self when I turn it off...maybe it is the size?????


----------



## Baymule

It is always sad when an elder member of the family passes away. So much is lost with them, a lifetime of accumulated knowledge, memories of great times and the love they freely gave. Teresa was fortunate to have her aunt for such a long time. Longevity runs in my family, I'll be around for a long time. LOL


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## Bruce

We'll try to stick around with you Bay 



farmerjan said:


> It is nice if they are still mentally  "with it".


Yep and all of DWs "elders" were with it to the day they passed other than the aunt that was married to FIL's oldest brother. Her Dad and surviving aunt still have 100% of their mental faculties. My Dad's father had dementia for years. Short term memory shot many, many years before he died a couple of weeks shy of 96. Other than somewhat bum knees from years of farming he never had any medical issues.


----------



## Mike CHS

I ran across an oddity in the garden today.  I am pushing 70 and have been picking okra since I was 5 years old with my Grandma and have never seen a double pod of okra on a single stem.  The attachment at the base is oval rather than the normal round shape so it looks like the two stems were joined where it originated at the plant stem.


----------



## Mike CHS

We had rain showers all around us today but not a drop fell on us.  We normally have semi drought conditions this time of year but not quite this bad.  We have been keeping the sheep on a pretty fast rotation so even with the lack of rain, the grass is filling in with no problem so far.  Our numbers seem to be just about right now since none of the adults are getting any feed and they are holding condition very well.  I have 2 of the 18 breeders that I'm not sure are bred but the rest definitely are.  None of these girls are first timers and every one of them had twins or trips last season and we will start dropping lambs in November.  We will figure out the status of the 10 ewe lambs later on but they are doing very well on grass.

Maxwell did himself proud again but since he only had 18 ewes this time instead of the 30 he had last time, we would expect that to not be a problem for him.  Ringo managed over 30 ewes and never even got winded.    You can tell by his body score that he hasn't had to work very hard and if anything, he has put on more weight since going in with the ewes.   It looks like we might be swapping Maxwell with a ram that originally came out of Tavalin Tails Farm just north of Nashville that is now owned by a good friend who is also our UT Extension Agent.  It's a good swap since both rams came out of NSIP programs and are within a month of being the same age.  That swap should happen in about a month from now (assuming it happens).  If nothing else I won't have to spend two days on the road to bring home another ram.  We only run a single ram since our setup doesn't accommodate more.

I had my PT this morning and am happy with my therapist.  I got more information about what's going on from him that I did from my doctor by a long shot.  Most of the therapy was chiropractic in nature and I lost a lot of the pain so I'm happy.


----------



## farmerjan

Mike CHS said:


> I ran across an oddity in the garden today.  I am pushing 70 and have been picking okra since I was 5 years old with my Grandma and have never seen a double pod of okra on a single stem.  The attachment at the base is oval rather than the normal round shape so it looks like the two stems were joined where it originated at the plant stem.
> 
> View attachment 76792


NEAT.  Saw a picture today of 2 cukes that were joined from end to end, but were 2,  that like fused together.


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## Baymule

Love the okra picture! LOL

That's good news on the ram swap. Best of all is no long trip to get another ram. Isn't it great when something works out like that? Of course you know we will be waiting on pictures! Are you keeping any ewes from Maxwell?

That is good news on the pain relief too. I'm glad that you are seeing a good therapist and getting what you need to feel better. We drove halfway to Odessa and back yesterday, to get our granddaughters and will meet again on Saturday, so BJ's hip was "talking" to him before we got home. LOL He really doesn't want to go through another operation and the months of recovery and therapy, but pain is becoming a motivator. He is getting closer to the idea of seeing the doctor.


----------



## Mike CHS

We kept 10 ewe lambs out of Max but still haven't firmed up that they will all stay.

I hope BJ makes that decision sooner rather than later.    I have only had two surgeries in my lifetime but the thing that really sticks out with both of them is that I had wished I had done it a whole lot sooner than I did.


----------



## Mike CHS

I made a run down to our feed store this morning and while I was gone, Teresa put the squash bed to rest.  I'll add some composted manure and then get it ready for some fall veggies.  We have enough squash put up to last us through the winter so a lot of this will be shared with a neighbor.  She has been out of work for a couple of months due to a fall/injury so they like getting the veggies.


----------



## Mike CHS

Here is a picture of the ram that we may be trading for.  Matt is just finishing up breeding also so it works well for both of us.  We were going to wait until later in the year but we will still have the wether to keep him company and I expect we will have several lambs to wether for meat next spring.


----------



## Baymule

What a handsome boy! He looks like a good baby daddy! LOL


----------



## Baymule

What a handsome boy! He looks like a good baby daddy! LOL


----------



## Baymule

What a handsome boy! He looks like a good baby daddy! LOL


----------



## Baymule

That is some beautiful squash. It’s good of y’all to share with the neighbors. Groceries get kinda scarce when one is out of work.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

How is Mel doing ?


----------



## Mike CHS

Mel is doing great and finally quit shedding.   They are both in summer routine now with the heat that I never know how much they will eat in the afternoon.   He followed Maisy's lead at feeding time as she won't eat her food till she thinks she has had her fill of petting.  He won't start eating and stands on my other side for petting till she starts to eat.  They seem to have finally settled on the pecking order and she quit being a bossy bitch.


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## B&B Happy goats

Gotta  love that bossy bitch , she keeps Mel in line   ...we still have the pictures of the two of them out with the sheep hung in the kitchen, give that big boy a hug for me please


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## Mike CHS

I'm smiling tonight.  We haven't had any rain in a month but we finally had a half inch yesterday and a good shower that started about a half hour ago.


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## Baymule

I’m glad Mel and Missy have settled into their routine. It seems that Missy is Top Dog and you are her willing servant. LOL At feeding time here, I just get out of the way as BJ spoils the dogs, pandering to each of their idiosyncrasies and silly habits. Aren’t the dogs wonderful? Life is good, made better by our dogs.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have been having trouble keeping a charge on our golf cart so we called the help line and did the basic trouble shooting.  We called and had O'Reilly order the six batteries and even with a 15% discount they still billed in at a little over $800.  The newest battery was over three years old and that thing gets a lot of use so it's easy to justify.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Wow, $800 for batteries....glad we bought a gas powered one, a $800 surprise  like that would definitely  upset my day, 
But we don't  use ours as much as you do, I guess it all works out  in the end, sure wouldn't  like to have to walk your fence line Mike...it would take me all day with your hills and all that acreage


----------



## Mike CHS

When we were looking for a golf cart we were looking for gas powered.  About that time was when my Aunt passed and I bought her golf cart because my uncle said that every time he walked past it, he emotionally went places he didn't want to go.  He wanted way below market so it works out in the long run.  I use the Polaris for most of my doings but Teresa uses the cart all of the time.


----------



## Mike CHS

Our UT Agent came by today to check out our ram and liked what he saw so we will be swapping probably sometime in September.  Two of the biggest sheep producers in the state also have their bloodlines in almost every herd of sheep within 400 miles.  That is also the reason I went to northern Missouri to pick up our ram so it works.  Also since we only run one ram we can't chance starting with an unproven yearling so we have to make a point of getting proven rams.  This rams name is Cooper.


----------



## Baymule

That’s much better than a 2 day trip and much more convenient. It’s working out good for both of you.


----------



## goatgurl

handsome new ram mike.  i crossed to the dark side this year and got a 2 year old katahdin/dorper ram.  he has several really nice daughters that his previous owner is keeping so he was looking for a new home.  he found one here, at least for a while.


----------



## Mike CHS

goatgurl said:


> handsome new ram mike.  i crossed to the dark side this year and got a 2 year old katahdin/dorper ram.  he has several really nice daughters that his previous owner is keeping so he was looking for a new home.  he found one here, at least for a while.



What are your plans for him?  We have come a long way with our breeding but we really like the crosses that we started with.  Our current bunch look better but they aren't as hardy.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> We called and had O'Reilly order the six batteries and even with a 15% discount they still billed in at a little over $800.


Those things aren't cheap! Of course nothing dealing with vehicles is. It cost just a bit more than that to replace the rear rotors, calipers and pads on DD1's car.


----------



## Mike CHS

We got the batteries all installed and fully charged only to find that now the golf cart doesn't want to go.  Teresa spent a couple of hours all together on the Club Car help line. They kept mentioning wires and several other things that didn't correlate with what we were looking at so we had to stop and take a bunch of pictures to send to the patient man on the other end.  Once he saw that what we had wasn't stock, we were now able to do some quick trouble shooting.  Evidently when my uncle bought the unit for my aunt, he had upgraded several of the drive units.  Once everyone was talking about the same machine, it only took a couple of minutes to identify a faulty solenoid which is now on order.


----------



## thistlebloom

So you may not have needed the batteries after all?


----------



## Mike CHS

thistlebloom said:


> So you may not have needed the batteries after all?



None of the batteries would hold a charge like they should so they did need replacing.   According to the Help Line, the increase in voltage evidently finished off the solenoid which was original on the cart.


----------



## Ridgetop

Since I am assuming that your 10  ewe lambs are out of Maxwell, you are getting Cooper just in time to use him on the youngsters.  You will have several breeding seasons out of him before having to replace him to use on his daughters. Father/daughter breedings are ok for one generation and if you are planning on all meat sales, you can actually use him on daughters for 2 generations.  After that watch out!

Are you getting a Brucellosis test on the ram before trading?  If you know the owner well it is probably not necessary.


----------



## Ridgetop

I certainly envy you your garden!  We only had a few crookneck squash meals out of ours before the Plague of Ground Squirrels hit.  We are planning for next year with electric fencing round the garden, earlier planting, and different garden beds.  I think using the old water troughs to plant in did not work out due to the possibility of the roots overheating. Not sure but the gardens beds that sat on the ground with wire under them did great.  Lots of growth just no veggies -probably due to the GSs but also not as much fruit setting.  Very disappointing since we always have tons of tomatoes and squash.  The zuchinis did not even produce!  

We'll be thinking of you and your bounty this winter while drinking our alfalfa soup.


----------



## Mike CHS

The ram has been tested previously as has ours and both herds are closed.   Matt is one of the UT folks that teaches the Master Small Ruminant Certification program.

We actually have decent springs here so the heat doesn't start beating our gardens until right about now.


----------



## Mike CHS

We got the shop building organized again and ran across a few things that haven't gotten any use so we will list for sale.  Among them is a Taylor pea sheller that I bought prior to moving here since I envisioned bushels and bushels of Shelling peas needing processed.  Come to find out Teresa had developed a sensitivity to them so it only got used one time.

I got to looking on the vendors site since I couldn't what we paid for it and found another casualty to Covid.  They are shut down since they can't get any parts and what they had on hand is sold out.


----------



## Mike CHS

The temp is a pleasant 85 degrees today.  I'm still having pain issues walking but I cut the grass with the rider this morning.  I broke out my knee pads so I could kneel at one of the garden beds and we planted some beets, cabbage, lettuce, radishes, beets and kohlrabi that should be mostly ready not long after our first frost and the lettuce will be ready before then.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

I hope you get back to feeling like your normal self soon Mike, your terrain  is hard enough to walk for a totally fit person, let alone someone  having body aches and pain....   ...


----------



## Mike CHS

I had my 4th session of PT this morning and my hip is finally feeling a bit better.  We did a new exercise movement Tuesday that we won't be trying again anytime soon.  About half way through the movement the pain shot and my leg buckled so that was the end of that.

The rest of the day was installing new sensors for our security system.  We have had our equipment for going on 9 years and although some of them are fairly new, we were getting error alerts when the system did a check with the monitoring system.  We would also get a fail about half the time when we did a system test.  We called them last week to see what we needed to upgrade and wound up with all new equipment for a little over half price since we had been with them for so long.  I guess that also shows the percentage of markup on these gadgets.  We have a few sensors in the shop so we will move the old sensors from the house down there.


----------



## Ridgetop

Is the security system for the house or the barn when lambing?  I would like one for the barn to keep an eye on my ewes. Right now we don't need any since I can see into the night fold from my BR window, and the barn window with a view down into the lambing jugs is only 25 feet across the driveway from the door.  Oh yes and our wrought iron fencing with dead bolts and 3 Anatolians works well to.  Bubba is very menacing and they can all get to the driveway gate fro anywhere in the 6 acres in 30 seconds.  When we move I will put in something to let me know if someone shows up to the house or gate while we are in the barn or fields since on a larger property we will need more notice.


----------



## Mike CHS

We had/have sensors on both the house, the shop, the lambing shelter and our garden shed.  It may have changed but we didn't get the cameras from SimpliSafe since at the time, they didn't have a wireless system.  We have a stand-alone camera system (Arlo) that we bought at Best Buy.  We have more sensors than we would normally have or need because our home was empty except for 3-4 days a month and we have several thousand dollars worth of tools and material for our renovation plus we had a full system at our home in Charleston.   When we first started staying here we didn't know anyone nor how secure the area was so we also had a stand-alone motion sensor for our driveway that we got from Harbor Freight.  It worked well and the only issue we had with it was that whenever my parrot heard the ding dong sound it made, he would echo it for the next half hour or more.

We use cameras that are night vision outside at the stall and one aimed out in the paddock that we use for lambing plus motion sensor activated cameras in the house and shop are even the chicken pen when we are seeing predators around.  We have some that aren't easily seen but we put cameras out where they can easily be seen rather than hidden.  We have hired several of the young fellas around and we make sure they see at least some of them since even though they are pretty good kids, they are still subject to temptation.


----------



## Ridgetop

That sounds like a great system.  I have considered using wildlife motion triggered cameras to try to catch pix of predators but now with our 3 dogs it will be rare for one to get in.  Do yours have a recording tape arrangement?


----------



## Mike CHS

When we set it for us being out of the house it records anything that trips a sensor. We only have them recording in the access areas when we are home but they are also triggers with the motion sensors.  They are pretty flexible and have evolved well over the years.  On older systems if an intruder could get to the control pad they could disarm the system by destroying the pad.  That is no longer that way and all destroying the control pad does is send a signal to the monitoring system.  It used to be that cutting a land line phone would take out an alarm but anymore they are all cellular.

You can log on via computer if you wanted to view any pictures, otherwise it auto deletes every 48 hours unless you change the setting.


----------



## goatgurl

sorry to take so long to answer.  basically he's just here to make babies.  hes got a nice hip on him and i'm counting on him passing that along.   i've cut the number of ewes down to 5.  thats enough to keep me and my family members in lamb and a few extra to sell.  he is snow white and we know how i like my spotted sheep.  i sure hope i still get those speckles on next hears crop of lambs. 
i hope that PT helps helps with your pain and decreased mobility.


----------



## Ridgetop

Thanks Mike.  I may look into one of those.  Right now, with our deadlocked gates, Anatolians, and being on a private road with neighbors that have no problem demanding why strange cars are present, we probably are ok.  When we move to our next place with more acreage and possibility of intruders, we will look into setting one up.  It sounds like a really great system and I like the fact that is keeps the footage for 48 hours in case you have to download it for the police.  In our case with Bubba and his backup maybe just to find the remains and bury them.   Any intruder has it coming.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have used Food Saver brand vacuum sealers and have for years but we seem to wear one out in 3-4 years and then buy a replacement.  We use them a LOT and didn't think anything about any warranty issues until the vacuum on the latest quit working.  We bought a new one then noticed that they have a 5 year warranty on the new one so we checked and found that they old one did also.  Teresa emailed them about a month ago and finally got a response a couple of days ago asking for more info.  She responded to that and we got packing slips today to send in the broken unit so they can send a replacement.


----------



## Baymule

That is good to know. I have one too, but it is still in the Land of the Living. I haven't killed it yet. I use it a lot and I love it. I've been wanting a better one, but this one still works.


----------



## Ridgetop

When the children were small, I fed our entire family of 6 from our garden and fruit trees, Southern California, no AC and I canned all summer long!  

I have been admiring everyone's canning accomplishments and thinking about doing the same again.  I do make jams and jellies when I have free fruit but the family can only eat so much of that.  

Remembering all the work involved in my old garden, (unlike the unproductive garden I now have), the planting of different tyes of veggies, picking, prep work, and running the canner all day and half the night again was really making me feel really *OLD and TIRED!*  

Then I suddenly realized that I don't have to can *quarts* anymore!  I can put up *pints*!  Twice as many jars will fit in one of my pressure canners, cutting down the time.  Pints will make twice as many jars and take less work and veggies!   Then I realized that I don't need to can my tomatoes in quart jars anymore since all my recipes take *15 1/2 ounce* cans of tomatoes.  That is 1 pint jar!  *DUH!!!*

Can anyone say *"STUPID"!?

LOUDER PLEASE!*


----------



## Baymule

You aren't stupid, you were still on the big family program. I canned _quarts _of spaghetti sauce, pints are not enough, quarts are too much. Eh


----------



## Ridgetop

Thanks for reminding me of that whole "big family" program.  You are right.  I used to go through half a pint of jam every 2 days!  Now the open jar of jam just sits in the fridge.  I should probably give more of it to my daughter for the grandkids.  It will definitely be simpler when DS2 and FDIL are nit here.  FDIL has gone back to San Diego with DS2 who will be working there for a year.  She will only be here intermittently which makes the whole cook for a family thing easier.  The grocery bill and electric bill might show a difference too.  LOL

Can the spaghetti sauce with everything in it except the meat.  Then you can just add either sauteed ground beef, lamb, or sausage to the pint of sauce and done!   Or if you are already making the sauce without meat with the quart jars, add the meat first and use the pressure setting and times for canning meat.


----------



## Baymule

I can it without the meat. So far, I have canned 8 quarts. I start with 3 BIG pots on the stove, condensed down to one pot, kept simmering until it is thick, then canned.


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## Ridgetop

Here is an easy way to condense sauce, catsup, applesauce, or fruit butters without simmering on the stove top.

Chop it all up and bring to boil on stove till the tomatoes are soft.  Then pour it into large flat roaster pans and bake in the oven at 275 degrees..   I make catsup and apple butter this way.  You only have to stir it about every half hour or so and it doesn't burn.  If 275 degrees isn't hot enough you can adjust the oven higher to 300 degrees.  You don't want it to boil, you want it to simmer slowly and condense.  Takes about 3 hours depending on how thick you want it.  Much easier than standing over the stove stirring.

When I do fruit butters, catsup, and BBQ sauce, after boiling the fruit soft, I will let it cool slightly, then run it through the food processor so it is smooth before putting it into the roasting pans.  To make BBQ  sauce, I just adjust the spices and sugar in the catsup recipe.


----------



## Mike CHS

I did my rain dance yesterday since we still need rain.  My rain dance consists of spraying herbicide which usually results in rain within a couple hours whether or not it's in the forecast.

We need enough items to make a Costco run worth the time to drive there.  We have been taking advantage of their free shipping up until now but we are needing some perishable items now among other things.  This is the first time we have gone there since this Covid thing started.  Teresa can't eat sugar so we will also stop at Publix which is right by Costco since they have the best selection of low sugar products of the stores we have to choose from.


----------



## Baymule

Ridgetop said:


> Here is an easy way to condense sauce, catsup, applesauce, or fruit butters without simmering on the stove top.
> 
> Chop it all up and bring to boil on stove till the tomatoes are soft.  Then pour it into large flat roaster pans and bake in the oven at 275 degrees..   I make catsup and apple butter this way.  You only have to stir it about every half hour or so and it doesn't burn.  If 275 degrees isn't hot enough you can adjust the oven higher to 300 degrees.  You don't want it to boil, you want it to simmer slowly and condense.  Takes about 3 hours depending on how thick you want it.  Much easier than standing over the stove stirring.
> 
> When I do fruit butters, catsup, and BBQ sauce, after boiling the fruit soft, I will let it cool slightly, then run it through the food processor so it is smooth before putting it into the roasting pans.  To make BBQ  sauce, I just adjust the spices and sugar in the catsup recipe.



Why have I never heard of this? I must try this!


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I did my rain dance yesterday since we still need rain.


Shouldn't be a problem around Sat am.


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## Baymule

Gotcha on the rain dance. We are doing a hurricane dance LOL. We have ants in the house.    So we have an exterminator coming in the morning, he will spray inside and OUTSIDE. Of course, that will get washed away when hurricane Laura comes through around midnight. Maybe the damned ants will drown.


----------



## farmerjan

Crock pots are a great way to cook stuff down and only need occasional stirring especially in the beginning.  I make my apple butter that way, and spaghetti sauce a few years ago.  I am not a big spaghetti eater, so don't make much.  Love my fresh tomato sandwiches, but don't eat alot of tomato"y" things because it bothers the joints.  Any plant from the nightshade family will aggravate arthritis and I can tell if I forget and eat alot of tomato stuff .... joints get to really hurting (yeah, even worse than normal!!!!).  Potatoes are another thing but I have a hard time giving up mashed potatoes..... I am not a big french fry eater anymore either.... baked  or mashed or just boiled with a little butter,  salt and pepper...


----------



## Baymule

I've had too much to use a crock pot, but that is a good idea. This year, I have developed an allergy to the tomato vines. I break out in blisters and whelps if the vines touch my skin. Oh joy.     I wear gloves and a long sleeve denim shirt to go tomato picking. I'm hoping that I will still be able to eat my favorite members of the nightshade family-tomatoes, peppers and eggplant. My mother developed a sensitivity to them in her late 50's and would break out in an itchy rash if she ate them.


----------



## Ridgetop

If you have the storage space and on want multiple crock pot for canning, go to the Salvation Army or various Thrift Stores.  They usually have a bunch of them cheap although you can buy them new for around $20 particularly around Christmas when the stores bring in specialty gift stuff as leaders.

I did use my InstaPot slow cooker feature for spaghetti sauce last time,  Worked well and also no stirring or scorching.  I may start using it like that as well as the pressure feature.


----------



## rachels.haven

@Baymule , that is how I respond to tomato plants BUT I can still peppers, tomatillos, ground cherries, potatoes for the most part. Eating eggplant annoys me, but I never liked eating live packing foam much anyway. I have trouble giving up the tom plants, so I feel for you, but hopefully you'll still be able to enjoy at least the level I can. Oh man, do those welts feel like bruises...but tomatoes are so pretty with such a fun history and fun to grow...so I MUST PINEAPPLE TOMATILLO IT! Yum.








						Pineapple Ground Cherry (Heirloom 75 Days)
					

It really tastes like a pineapple! The large spreading plants are 3 feet across and covered with hundreds of fruit that are quite different from other tomatillos. They are only about 3/4 inch in diameter and soft so they are great for eating fresh. They fall from the plant when ripe. Great for...




					www.superseeds.com


----------



## Mike CHS

We have enough chopped peppers in the freezer to last well into next year and we still haven't used up the last of the peppers from last summer.  We still need another batch or so of canned roasted peppers but this is another bed of veggies going to neighbors.  We use this little chopper that makes short work of it and we freeze on a flat till the morning and then bag and vacuum seal them.  I think Teresa Tom Sawyered me since the few times she processed peppers, she didn't freeze them before bagging and you wind up with a bell pepper ice cube so that became my job.


----------



## Baymule

Teresa ain't no dummy.


----------



## Baymule

rachels.haven said:


> @Baymule , that is how I respond to tomato plants BUT I can still peppers, tomatillos, ground cherries, potatoes for the most part. Eating eggplant annoys me, but I never liked eating live packing foam much anyway. I have trouble giving up the tom plants, so I feel for you, but hopefully you'll still be able to enjoy at least the level I can. Oh man, do those welts feel like bruises...but tomatoes are so pretty with such a fun history and fun to grow...so I MUST PINEAPPLE TOMATILLO IT! Yum.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Pineapple Ground Cherry (Heirloom 75 Days)
> 
> 
> It really tastes like a pineapple! The large spreading plants are 3 feet across and covered with hundreds of fruit that are quite different from other tomatillos. They are only about 3/4 inch in diameter and soft so they are great for eating fresh. They fall from the plant when ripe. Great for...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.superseeds.com


I have never tried ground cherries. Do you just eat them fresh, make pies, or what do you do with them? No eggplant? LOL I do love me some fried eggplant. What can I say, I'm Southern, fried is always better!


----------



## rachels.haven

Hmm, I didn't know you could fry it. I may have to try once for kicks. Maybe the healing effects of artery lubricating deep frying will counter the negative effects of the nightshade eggplant and it will all go fine, lol.

The great thing about pineapple tomatillos is you just eat them. They are very good popped straight from the wrapper. I think there are a few other varieties other than just pineapple, but I haven't tried them yet. When they get loose on the bush or when they fall off they're done. I'm sure you could use them for something, but I usually plant them as my guilty pleasure and do not share or let them get to the house, so I haven't tried. Maybe next time when I get my veggie garden set up I'll share or try something fun. In Michigan and Iowa they had a short growing season because they really like the heat and hot summer was short. You may get better results.


----------



## Ridgetop

Fried is always better!  I don't like okra because it is slimy.  Maybe I just don't know how to cook it or use it properly.  BUT when I come to Texas I always get deep fried okra wherever I find it.  Yummy!  Our local little store that offers cheap veggies and has a butcher counter had "catfish tidbits" on sale really cheap  We tried them battered and fried and they were good so got a lot more  Just love fried catfish.  I usually get the catfish filets at Costco but these were 1/2 the price and since I usually cut the filets into smaller pieces these worked out perfectly.  Yum!  Several meals of batter fried catfish coming up!  They also have what they call "pork chunks" cheap  I think they are hind quarter meat that didn't go for hams.  I cook it with onions and chili verde sauce in the Instapot and freeze it in smaller batches to use with tamales and rice.  Costco has some green chili cooked pork in the special food aisle that is very good too,  I buy that as well as the tamales Costco sells.  We used to get them from a lady who made them herself, but these are better.  Hers had too much cornmeal on them,  Except the pineapple ones she sold at Christmas.  Crab salad tonight since we were out playing bridge with friends.  It is still very hot and when it is that hot, I get lazy about cooking.  LOL


----------



## Baymule

Ridgetop said:


> Crab salad tonight since we were out playing bridge with friends.  It is still very hot and when it is that hot, I get lazy about cooking.  LOL



You made that crab salad the night we went to your RV. I watched you make it and since them have made it for us several times. It sure is good!


----------



## Ridgetop

Great quick meal in hot weather!  I buy the packs of imitation crab on sale and shove them in the freezer.  Also good in Fettucini Alfredo for a quick hit meal.  I am a big believer in having ingredients on hand for quick meals when we get caught up in chores that "will only take a few minutes" but end up taking most of the day due to our propensity for trouble!  LOL


----------



## Baymule

I hadn’t thought about the Fettuccine Alfredo ! Yum! I’ll have to make that, I have a package of frozen imitation crab , maybe tomorrow!


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## Baymule

Mike, we veered off track, hope you don’t mind the highjack! LOL LOL


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## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Mike, we veered off track, hope you don’t mind the highjack! LOL LOL



Those veer offs often make a slow moving thread move faster.


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## farmerjan

You may think you are a "slow moving thread" but I for one really enjoy your posts.  Just wish you were closer..... I would gladly pay for some of the meals you guys eat.  This cooking for one is just the pits, and when I am busy at the barn, it would be nice to come home to something easy to just pop in the convection oven, or ....


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## Bruce

Ridgetop said:


> Fried is always better!


You'll fit right in when you move to TX and chicken fry your leg of lamb "steaks".


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## Baymule

Bruce said:


> You'll fit right in when you move to TX and chicken fry your leg of lamb "steaks".


That really gets to you doesn't it? Hahahaha! Chicken fried leg of lamb round steaks are the best!


----------



## rachels.haven

This thread has taught me, among other things, that Mike and co. cook better than I do. If things ever get "slow" I assume he's off doing that and will probably come back ready to show me how I'm a slacker on that or some other point. Sorry for hijacking.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> That really gets to you doesn't it? Hahahaha! Chicken fried leg of lamb round steaks are the best!




We do the same and most of the sheep producers that are our friends do it also.  And that is a large number.


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## Bruce

It must be a southern (but not southern California) thing 



rachels.haven said:


> This thread has taught me, among other things, that Mike and co. cook better than I do.


You got that right! 
OK, I guess that sounds bad since I have NO idea of your culinary skills so I'll change it to: SAME HERE!! Mike has posted some mighty tasty looking stuff.


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## Mike CHS

It seems like handling sheep has been a low priority for the last couple of months but it seems that the PT is working and I'm more mobile now. I have been rotating the adult herd every 6 or 7 days and I'm happy that I think we can go well into winter without having to buy hay with our stockpiled grass.   We are getting ready to separate Maxwell from the ewes so he can go to his new home and we will bring the new ram (Cooper) in with Pete (the wether).  Cooper is hand tame and comes to a voice call so it's a good swap.


----------



## Baymule

Glad the PT is doing good for you. More mobility is always good. 

Want to see pictures of Cooper!


----------



## farmerjan

Glad the PT is helping.  Mine does, even with the knees being so bad, I do get some positive out of it.  Now doing the pool one day a week and reg PT the other day.  I wish I had access to a pool close where I could get in a couple times a week.  The lack of gravity really helps to move the joints.... yes it is tiring because you don't think you are doing that much.... but it helps just to move without the pain... so you move more/better. 
Glad the ram swap is of benefit to both.  Hope Cooper is another Ringo for you.


----------



## Mike CHS

I was going to spray herbicide on the fence lines this afternoon since there was no rain in the forecast but by the time I got everything ready to spray, I was ready to quit.  I guess that was a good thing since while I was out changing out water it came a gully washer.   The temps dropped about 10 degrees though and it's supposed to get down to 60 tonight.

While I was out checking on the girls my #32 ewe (three year old) came up as there were several others getting some  rubbing on their backs.  This ewe has never been skittish but she is one that never seemed to care if she got any attention or not up until today.  Then she kept following me for me until I started to head out of the gate.


----------



## farmerjan

Amazing how they just have to do it "on their own time".... have a couple of cows that are the same.  No real friendliness, then all of a sudden one day, they have to be right there to see if you have anything for them.  
We got a downpour this afternoon also.  30-40 % chance yesterday and got a sprinkle....slight chance this afternoon as the front wash pushing through, and got a real quick soaking shower.  
Glad you didn't get the spraying done and then have it all wasted.  DS started cutting the sorghum at the main farm;  and will get that finished and do the other 10 acre field tomorrow .  Got a decent window between now and next Tuesday... it is still so thick and all, it will get wrapped for baleage.


----------



## Mike CHS

@farmerjan what went through here today shouldn't be a lot by the time that it gets to you but it always changes.


----------



## farmerjan

Calling for an outside chance of a shower probably from your direction, but then clearing and cooler....We'll probably get a gully washer, because he cut some of the sorghum.....


----------



## Bruce

I went to the Farmer's market today, as usual on Summer Saturdays. Mostly looking for 2 ears of corn but my ground beef suppliers got their most recently processed animal back so I bought a pound of that. AND .... I saw a sign that said Lamb! They didn't have much to choose from, will have more in October. I got a 1/2 leg and NO I AM NOT GOING TO CHICKEN FRY IT!!!! 

This farm just opened last year, pasture raised, some grain at the end. Katahdins.


----------



## Mike CHS

We worked the ewe lambs and Pete a couple of days ago.  Mel and Maisy were kind enough to pose together just outside the handling chute.

Last but not least, We haven't been to a restaurant since covid started and even worse, we haven't been to our favorite Mexican so Teresa made us a really great plate of Camarones (shrimp) a la Mexicana.  She had a good friend in California that was a Mexican immigrant who taught her the ropes and this dish was a good as it looks.


----------



## Mike CHS

I have two paddocks that I let the sheep graze fairly heavy so broadcast Rye Grass seed on them.  The normal time around here is around the first of October but the forecast is good for seeding now.  We had a freak real early frost last year that wound up making us start feeding hay in October instead of late November/early December which is normal.  We went through 32 large round bales last winter but the two cows went through as much hay as all of the sheep.  No cows this winter so it should take a lot less.

Plus, last winter we went through winter with 35 adult ewes.  Right now we have 18 adult ewes and the 10 ewe lambs but 4 of the adults are sold and will be moving out this week so we will be down to 24 ewes through winter.


----------



## Bruce

That should make your winter workload lighter! 

Love those doggies!

The Camarones al la Mexicana looks great! (though someone can have my peppers)


----------



## Baymule

That's a great picture of Mel and Maisy, give them a hug from me! 
That is a yummy looking plate of food. @Bruce I will take your peppers. LOL Glad you found leg of lamb. How are you going to cook it? We expect pictures!


----------



## Bruce

I'm gonna chicken fry it! 

Already roasted and mostly eaten. DW and DD2 aren't big fans, more for me.


----------



## Mike CHS

I was giving Sassy and Lance some cooked egg yolk this morning but we try to even keep the easy things as training since Sassy is prone to be hard headed.  It works plus they get some good tasting treats.

They will hold until they hear "OK"


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Mike CHS said:


> They will hold until they hear "OK"



"Please say OK!  Please, please!"


----------



## Mike CHS

It looks like canning season has come to an end.  We went out to the Amish farm area to see what they might have and they are pretty much through.  One of our favorites still has sweet corn coming in next week but we already have plenty of corn.

We got home and decided to give Sassy and Lance baths and that's a two hour project with their long hair.  The yard looks like it had been the site of an animal kill with dog hair all over the place.


----------



## Bruce

My coop area is starting to look like a pillow fight happened and the cases were old and rotten so the feathers weren't held in.


----------



## Baymule

I'm not real sad that canning season is over. I worked my garden hard this year and it worked me right back. LOL 

When I brush or pluck the 2 Great Pyrenees, it looks like it snowed. It's fine like cat hair, it floats on the air, somehow I wind up with hair all over me, in my mouth, eyes, and stuck to my sweaty arms. I look pretty much like a Great Pyrenees myself.  The Anatolians are so much easier to keep their coats nice.


----------



## Mike CHS

Mel is easy.  He starts blowing his coat and it is done a few weeks later and all in clumps.  Maisy starts her shedding and it goes on for a month or better but to make it worse, she makes a point of rolling in everything that has a scent for the next couple of days after she gets groomed.


----------



## Mike CHS

It started with thunder storms around 11:30 this morning and has been steady until a few minutes ago when it lightened up some.  I checked the rain gauge and it is showing right at 4".

One thing good about the rain, besides us needing it to help the rye grass seed I put out Monday is Teresa can't sit still so she's making me one of my favorite dishes.  It's a Cajun dish called Maquee Choux with shrimp and Andoullie sausage.


----------



## Mike CHS

I had to come back and post the usual taste bud picture.    This Maque Choux (pronounced mock shoe) is pretty easy to make and has that taste that you get in the best restaurants back in Charleston.

I'm not going to post the recipe since it is copy writed but if you would like to try it, a search for Maque Choux with sausage and Southern Living will bring it right up.  We follow the recipe except that use shrimp and sausage and cut back on the corn and more than double the okra.


----------



## Baymule

That sure looks good!


----------



## Mike CHS

I came up with a whole new definition of the word "frustration".  We had watched an old episode of Law and Order from the late 90's only to find out when it was over, that it was a crossover episode from another TV series that we couldn't get. 

We looked on Amazon but the price was ridiculous and then did another search.  It turns out it was available on Youtube so the frustration ceased to exist.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Mike,

I bet you wished you still resided in Pensacola, since you are missing out on a lot of fun there with hurricane Sally.


----------



## Mike CHS

@Senile_Texas_Aggie I moved back to Pensacola from Charleston, SC in 2003 after having been gone from P'cola for 8 years of which there was not a single named storm that whole time.  Every year until I got a chance to go back to South Carolina in 2006, there was anywhere from one storm and up to 4 storms that came ashore in my back yard (literally) so no, I don't miss them.  

One year I had to go to Biloxi AFB for a must do job in the middle of a hurricane that had been sitting just off of Mobile and Mobile Bay was literally dry as the hurricane sucked up the water.


----------



## Mike CHS

I took a few pictures of the poultry yesterday morning.  The 14 chicks are 9 weeks old now and most are growing fast the Game hen also has her 3 chicks and two of them are going to be game chicken size while the 3rd is bigger than the hen.  We have been gradually clipping wings on that hen and the chicks since it would take a lot taller fence than we have to keep them in.  They can free range now that the garden is mostly gone but their pen is 75'x150' so they have more room than many.

No telling what some of the chicks are going to wind up growing into but several have the coloring of the Mosaics but they won't be full bloods.

The adult hens are all two years old or older and will be going into the freezer as soon as the young ones start laying.


----------



## farmerjan

The first picture of the 3 are light Brahma's... looks like 2 cockerels and a pullet in the back.... They will get very tall and stately when they mature but they are a "slower " growing breed.  The feathered legs are a giveaway on them. Not sure the one in the bottom picture in the front right looks like a columbian rock pullet... the darker bodied one on the left isn't anything that I can tell right off, but is a cockerel.  Didn't you or Teresa get a mixed group?   I am not sure about some of the others in the middle picture... 
They look good and healthy though... You will have a few for the freezer by the looks of it...


----------



## Mike CHS

farmerjan said:


> The first picture of the 3 are light Brahma's... looks like 2 cockerels and a pullet in the back.... They will get very tall and stately when they mature but they are a "slower " growing breed.  The feathered legs are a giveaway on them. Not sure the one in the bottom picture in the front right looks like a columbian rock pullet... the darker bodied one on the left isn't anything that I can tell right off, but is a cockerel.  Didn't you or Teresa get a mixed group?   I am not sure about some of the others in the middle picture...
> They look good and healthy though... You will have a few for the freezer by the looks of it...



The friend we got the eggs from do have Brahma's and we expected that.  Any roosters will be going in the freezer as we decided that we have enough friends that we can get eggs from that we don't need a rooster.


----------



## Baymule

Old layer hens are tasty! Do y'all ever can the meat and broth? Canned chicken makes for instant meals without having to bake or simmer for hours to make them tender. And the broth is delicious in a lot of foods, not to mention that if you have a cold, a cup of hot broth with fresh garlic and ginger in it helps to unclog your sinuses.


----------



## Mike CHS

We do can chicken and always make our broth during the year even if all we boil is chicken wings and backs. 

We use a lot of broth for flavoring so we usually use pints and freeze them.


----------



## Mike CHS

Hurricane Sally took out a section of the 3 Mile Bridge that spans Pensacola bridge between Pensacola and Gulf Breeze this afternoon.

I mentioned Hurricane Ivan earlier on this thread and it took out the I-10 bridge as well as the U.S. Hwy 90 bridge and coincidentally, Ivan hit the area on this day in 2004.  My commute to work went from 20 miles to 120 miles one way because of the bridges.


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## Baymule

The Gulf coast is really getting slammed this year.


----------



## Bruce

I think it might have been a good time to take a few vacation days Mike!


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> I think it might have been a good time to take a few vacation days Mike!



My job at the time meant staying in place.    Our work spaces were located at NAS Pensacola which is only about 10 feet above sea level.  We put all of our equipment up off the ground about 5' but considering Hurricane Ivan had a storm surge of 30' we were about 15 feet short of what we needed.  

Today was a beautiful day with a high right at 82.  I had almost three hours of mowing to do and never got the least bit hot.  We are going to work sheep tomorrow and separate the ewes that are sold and the wether and the ram Maxwell so we can let the ewe lambs go in the same field as the pregnant ewes and the dogs. We will see whether they accept Mel or not so I'll spend some time and a lot of Animal Crackers making sure it works out.  Mel was with the adult ewes but we had to move him out before we put the ram in and he hasn't been with them when they were pregnant.  Maisy knows to stay out of their way when they are doing their hormone thing but Mel hasn't been with them when pregnant.   I have visited our next ram (Cooper) several times to get him comfortable with me and I know I am getting the better part of this swap.  Cooper was a 4H ram and is almost Ringo like and leash trained.  A plus is that he loves Fig Newtons so I have been giving him some Animal Crackers to convert him to my method.  

I have my last PT this Friday and feel good about the progress.  I have been careful but I have made a point of doing everything that I have to do on a daily basis to make sure that everything works the way it's supposed to so if a surgery was needed, I was going to force it.  I have also been doing resistance exercise every day since this started and it seems to have worked.  I have had some chronic back pain since I had surgery way back in the 80's but it is minor.  On a 1-10 scale it is on most days at a 1 and for the last couple of weeks it has at the worst been at a 3 and that was when putting sheep in the deck chair.  I'm happy and will call it fixed for at least for the time being.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Glad you're feeling better!


----------



## Baymule

Cooper sounds like a sweetheart. I bet he loves those animal crackers! 
Glad that you are feeling better and i hope it continues.


----------



## Bruce

Mel is pretty chill, my guess is he'll be fine in with the pregnant ewes.


----------



## Mike CHS

Mel doesn't bother the sheep but the ewes are pretty aggressive at times.  The dogs can in with the here until the first week in November.

We brought the adults in this morning and separated the ram and the wether from the rest.  While we were running them through the chute to separate the 4   ewes that are sold and loaded them up and delivered them,  We set up the foot baths in the chute and let them stay in that for a bit.  We walked the girls out to a paddock next to where the ewe lambs are and I'll let them all mix together this afternoon.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

So happy you are. Feeling less pain Mike , give the big boy a hug for me please


----------



## Mike CHS

B&B Happy goats said:


> So happy you are. Feeling less pain Mike , give the big boy a hug for me please




I will do that.   On a scale of 1-10, most days any pain barely gets past a two and other days there is so little that I don't notice it.  I'm exercising more like I used to before it started hurting and the stretches the PT folks showed me all seem to helping also.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa is so proud of herself that she is walking around smiling.  After we delivered the sheep earlier today she asked me to leave the trailer hooked up so she could practice backing it up.  She actually picked it up pretty fast and even got the trailer backed into our loading area which is not easy to do.  There is only about 10 feet of room to maneuver when you start backing and the trailer has to wind up at almost a 30-40 degree angle to the truck to get the trailer lined up right.


----------



## thistlebloom

She should be proud of herself! Good job Teresa!  

I have a regular sized 2 horse straight load, and a 4'x4' work trailer that holds all my long handled tools, my backpack sprayers, and all the liquid deer sprays and other chems.
I would way rather back my horse trailer than my work trailer. That little short one can jackknife itself in a matter of inches, and can only be backed by craning around backwards and watching it through the rear window. If you can see it in the side mirrors you're already in trouble. Plus any irregularities in the ground like ruts, dips or humps and it follows the path of least resistance.


----------



## farmerjan

Good for Teresa.  Backing a trailer is an art that some just never get comfortable with.  When I learned to drive, back in the stone age..., my dad blocked off the inside mirror so I had to learn to use the side mirrors on the truck. Great lesson for learning to back the trailer as I depend on those mirrors. Yeah, it is soooo easy to get in trouble with a short trailer.... same as the implements on the back of the tractor.... seems like in 5 feet the whole rake or tedder does a 180 and gets you in trouble. I used to be really good with the horse trailer that was a pull behind, but don't have much practice with one now. It's all the gooseneck cattle trailers and they are 20 and 24 feet long. They also respond differently than the "bumper hitch" pull behind type.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have a 6X8 lawn trailer that can be a real challenge no matter how good you are.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

I can back up any trailer, any where, no matter how short or long it is - as long as nobody is watching me, lol!  Put somebody out there as a witness and all bets are off.


----------



## Baymule

Way to go Teresa!! Proud of that Wonder Woman!! 

I suck at backing a trailer. BJ can put it in narrow spaces, he is really good. So I don't really mind bragging on how good he backs a trailer up to the loading/unloading chute........


----------



## thistlebloom

I have a customer that has a narrow 100' driveway. I have to back my little trailer out of there. Sometimes I look like an expert, and sometimes it's oops, pull forward, start again, over and over. The times I get it perfect it's me and the crickets. The days I have to pull forward and straighten it out 100 times is when there are lots of people with nothing better to do than watch me.


----------



## farmerjan

thistlebloom said:


> I have a customer that has a narrow 100' driveway. I have to back my little trailer out of there. Sometimes I look like an expert, and sometimes it's oops, pull forward, start again, over and over. The times I get it perfect it's me and the crickets. The days I have to pull forward and straighten it out 100 times is when there are lots of people with nothing better to do than watch me.


Been there, done that... know the feeling....


----------



## Mike CHS

thistlebloom said:


> I have a customer that has a narrow 100' driveway. I have to back my little trailer out of there. Sometimes I look like an expert, and sometimes it's oops, pull forward, start again, over and over. The times I get it perfect it's me and the crickets. The days I have to pull forward and straighten it out 100 times is when there are lots of people with nothing better to do than watch me.



I can relate to that.  I need to take a picture the next time we load sheep since there is zero room to maneuver where our loading area is.   We have had people bring a trailer to load sheep that don't even try it so I do it.


----------



## Beekissed

My difficulty backing my trailer is a key component in how I'm designing my sorting pens and loading chute....the frustration I feel when I back that jackknife dream inspired the whole setup.     I can back a huge trailer but the smaller one I use for transporting sheep jack knifes so easily it's nigh impossible to get into tight spaces.


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> I can relate to that.  I need to take a picture the next time we load sheep since there is zero room to maneuver where our loading area is.   We have had people bring a trailer to load sheep that don't even try it so I do it.


I KNOW! We didn't have a trailer when we picked up Ringo! LOL You and Teresa picked him up and rolled him into the back of our truck with the camper shell on it. And just backing the truck in there required skill.   

Our Pig Palace isn't exactly set up for optimal trailer backing, but BJ pulls it off every time. I stand where he can see me in the side mirror and give him directions, such as STOP! LOL Loading up the steer ought to be fun.......Russell said he'd bring his black mouth cur pup that he is training to be a cow dog. I'll take pictures!


----------



## farmerjan

One word of caution... if the calf is not used to being worked with dogs it could backfire.  We do not work our cows with dogs and every time the vet used to bring his dog, the cows would get up in arms and we had a horrible time getting them calmed down.  Dogs are great most times... but sometimes it is not the best deal.  We have cows that will fight a dog and then they all get riled up.  Some comes from being protective and the coyote problems we have had over the years.  Most of the time we can do most anything with our cows with buckets and a few prods with a cattle stick.  Have used an electric prod a very times on one being real stubborn going into the head chute.  But, like with @Mike CHS , his sheep are accustomed to being worked with dogs as well as coming to him so they will do as they are supposed to because it is not a brand new experience.


----------



## Bruce

thistlebloom said:


> That little short one can jackknife itself in a matter of inches, and can only be backed by craning around backwards and watching it


I have that problem with both the poly dump cart and the log splitter, the only two "rear implements" I have for my garden tractor. Add seriously unlevel ground and backing straight becomes nearly impossible.


----------



## Baymule

@farmerjan I don’t think it will be a problem. The steer was in a lot with a couple others. Russell used them training his pup. He took the pup in the lot and used him to move them to another lot, then after awhile, he’d have the pup move them back.


----------



## farmerjan

That's great about the steer being used to dogs working him.  Ought to be a ++ all the way around.


----------



## Mike CHS

I got two more paddocks over seeded with rye grass seed which is a little over 5 acres.  The weather has been perfect fall like weather for the last few weeks and the rye grass that I already broadcast is coming up nice.  The two biggest paddocks aren't seeded and probably won't be since they have the nicest stand of graze of cool season grasses.  I can probably move the sheep back and forth between those two and they can probably graze them for another month before I need to move them.  I'm really curious to see how the grass stands up to their grazing once we get a frost.  

The last garden items still active are tomatoes and bell peppers.  We have more peppers than we need to get through to next spring but they store great in vacuum sealed bags.  This batch of peppers was either the 3rd or 4th over the last week or so and other than leaving a few plants for eating fresh, I'm going to pull up most of them. I spread a lot of composted sheep manure on several of the beds yesterday and they won't be used again this year.


----------



## Bruce

When you overseed do you do any ground prep or just broadcast the seed and hope they will get into the dirt?


----------



## Baymule

That's a nice bunch of peppers. Y'all have had a good garden this year.


----------



## Mike CHS

I've had pretty good growth just broadcasting.  I get more growth if I time it so that the sheep have eaten it down quite a bit but if I time the seeding after quite a few days of no rain, it gets good ground contact even in the paddocks where I already have stockpiled grass.  I get the best growth in paddocks that have been cut and there is time to get good growth on the rye grass but I did that last year and we had a hard freeze a month early and I not only got minimal growth from the seed, I also had a lot of die back of the perennial grasses so I was stuck feeding hay 6 weeks earlier than planned.

I have so much graze stockpiled already that I'm going to have to top cut several of the paddocks as it is since they can't keep up with it.


----------



## Mike CHS

Today was a light day of getting rid of to-do list items which included table top panels to go on top of the dog kennels on the porch.  Nothing fancy but just plywood panels stained and coated with varnish to give the kennels a not so "rough" look.  That is about the last of the things that need done out there so we called it finished.  

I did a bit of weed eating then we ran into Home Depot to get some elastomeric paint to use on the tarps over our cattle panel shelters.  Some of the tarps are showing a bit of weathering and the paint can add several years to their life span.  The weather is supposed to be pretty again tomorrow so we will work on those together.


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> I have so much graze stockpiled already that I'm going to have to top cut several of the paddocks as it is since they can't keep up with it.


Gee, what a tough problem to have! LOL


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Mike CHS said:


> did a bit of weed eating then we ran into Home Depot to get some elastomeric paint to use on the tarps over our cattle panel shelters. Some of the tarps are showing a bit of weathering and the paint can add several years to their life span.


I need to check into that - have some things around here that could use some life extension. Thanks!


----------



## Mike CHS

We did a lot of tree trimming on the lane outside the paddocks to get them back out of the way.  We got two of the shelters painted and still have two to paint and one that we let go too long so it needs to be replaced.  I took some pictures but they don't show enough that matters but we have one that we got one side done and started on the other half and they just seem bright.  

Our friends in South Carolina turned us on to this finish and they report that they can double the life of the tarps as long as you catch them before they start ripping.  We had a couple of small holes but Home Depot also carries patch material for use with the finish.


----------



## farmerjan

Had never heard of that extender stuff... Am definitely going to check into it.  Makes a tarp covered panel or whatever seem like a much better bargain..... Thank you @Mike CHS .


----------



## Mike CHS

This coating isn't cheap but then the tarps we use aren't cheap either.  They are all heavy duty UV rated so even adding a year or two is an easy choice.


----------



## Beekissed

Mike CHS said:


> Today was a light day of getting rid of to-do list items which included table top panels to go on top of the dog kennels on the porch.  Nothing fancy but just plywood panels stained and coated with varnish to give the kennels a not so "rough" look.  That is about the last of the things that need done out there so we called it finished.
> 
> I did a bit of weed eating then we ran into Home Depot to get some elastomeric paint to use on the tarps over our cattle panel shelters.  Some of the tarps are showing a bit of weathering and the paint can add several years to their life span.  The weather is supposed to be pretty again tomorrow so we will work on those together.



Never heard of painting tarps!  That's interesting and I'd like to try it.


----------



## Mike CHS

Beekissed said:


> Never heard of painting tarps!  That's interesting and I'd like to try it.



It's a pretty good bang for the buck.  We did one last year that we actually thought we should replace because it had tiny pin holes where the sun was breaking it down.  A couple of coats sealed them all back up and it hasn't leaked yet but we'll add another coat since we are already doing the rest.


----------



## Beekissed

Mike CHS said:


> It's a pretty good bang for the buck.  We did one last year that we actually thought we should replace because it had tiny pin holes where the sun was breaking it down.  A couple of coats sealed them all back up and it hasn't leaked yet but we'll add another coat since we are already doing the rest.



Now, can the tarp be removed and folded up after the painting or does the paint stiffen it into that hoop shape?


----------



## Mike CHS

The coating doesn't stiffen them up and they stay flexible but I haven't tried to fold one up.

We have had the ties that hold them down come off a couple of times and the tarp flaps like normal when the wind blows.


----------



## Mike CHS

We gave up trying to fix the golf cart and decided to haul it to Columbia to let them take care of it.  There are some advantages to living on hills as we hooked up the trailer down the hill and dropped the ramp.  All we had to do is push the cart out of it's parking spot on the driveway and just let it coast down the hill and up on the trailer.


----------



## Bruce

Of course if some of us tried that it would somehow miss the ramp.


----------



## Mike CHS

It is forecast to get down in the 40's for a couple of nights this week so I guess it's time to break out some long pants.


----------



## Bruce

Yeah, I saw a map of the jet stream, looks like you are going to get Alberta's air.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa made sure we had our Mexican food fix for the week.  This week it was Chicken Enchiladas and it was great!


----------



## Baymule

Those look delicious!


----------



## Mike CHS

The solenoid we ordered for the golf cart was a newer version than the old and had additional connections.  So itt turned out we had the wires connected to the wrong spot plus the tech found an additional wire that was shorting out but it is back at home.  Teresa's oldest son and family is coming in a couple of weeks and the cart is their means of getting around the farm since I still have the Ranger (that I don't let kids or visiting adults use.  

I have had trouble starting the boat motor every time we have taken it out and I have gotten to the point that I don't trust it.  Because of that I have two newer and better maintained boats to look at this week and we will sell the older boat.  Both of the boats we are looking at are mid 80's models but have newer engines that have been in steady use and completely updated and maintained.   We are going to take one out tomorrow and sees how it behaves.  This one has a 55 HP Evinrude motor and is 16' long.  The other we are going to test ride later in the week is the same size but has a 115 HP motor which I'm thinking is a LOT of motor for a fairly light weight 16 footer.

This is the boat we brought over tonight.  That strange looking PVC pipe in the boat is to keep a tarp up so the rain can run off.  The picture isn't real clear  but I'm just posting to be posting something.


----------



## Baymule

I been meaning to ask if y'all been fishing lately. And here you are getting a new boat. Way to go.


----------



## Mike CHS

There was a couple of months when my hip was at it's worst we didn't go a lot but we went when I was having good days even if only for a couple of hours.  Winter fishing around here is as good or better than warm weather so whatever we get will get used now that we are both feeling good.  I just want to play mechanic a lot less and have something I can trust.  I got so I wouldn't go any farther away from the ramp than what I figured the trolling motor would get us most of the way back to the ramp.


----------



## Baymule

What's your favorite fish to catch and eat?


----------



## Mike CHS

My favorite fish to catch are Crappie and Bass but my favorite to eat is Channel Catfish.


----------



## Baymule

I love fried catfish with Tabasco. Yummy!


----------



## Mike CHS

This morning was in the high 50's when I went out to move the sheep to fresh grass.  Teresa wanted to take a picture of my fall attire but I left before she had the chance.  It was cool enough to wear a light jacket along with gym shorts and muck boots because of the tall wet grass.


----------



## thistlebloom

Mike CHS said:


> It was cool enough to wear a light jacket along with gym shorts and muck boots because of the tall wet grass.



I love it, haha!

About a million years ago I was a stable hand for a lady whom I also did gardening for. I fed the horses 7 days a week and we lived 3 miles away. On Sunday mornings we would stop off and I'd feed on the way to church.
One day one of the college daughters was visiting her mom and caught me racing around with flakes of hay in a dressy dress, hose, and muddy barn boots, lol.
She liked my outfit.


----------



## Bruce

Baymule said:


> I love fried catfish with Tabasco. Yummy!


Chicken fried catfish!

Mike, it is cheaper to replace the boat than just have the motor in the current one looked at/repaired or maybe just replace it? I agree 115 HP on a 16' boat seems like too much, easy to get in trouble.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce,  The one we have had virtually every part replaced that could be.  The motor checked out like a new one but it was always hard to start.  We got a good buy on the one we are buying and every bit of the boat has been restored to like new condition.  We had it out this afternoon on the Duck River and it did great.


----------



## Mike CHS

This is an old picture but it brought back some good memories in training this boy and also brought back some good memories with friends.  My only regret with Lance is that he had the potential to probably be one of the best dogs in competition in the country but that wound up not meeting our goals.




,


----------



## Baymule

Bruce said:


> Chicken fried catfish!



Not chicken fried, rolled in cornmeal and fried.    I need to get some out of the freezer and fry it. Maybe Sunday.


----------



## Bruce

No no, I'm SURE it would be much better chicken fried, everything is, even lamb!


----------



## Mike CHS

Our ram Maxwell headed off to his new home a few minutes ago and our new ram Cooper is out trying to figure out whether or not Pete (the wether) is female or not.

Cooper got off the trailer and when I opened the gate and showed him an Animal Cracker, he came right up.  Maxwell also cooperated and hopped up in the trailer as soon as I opened the gate.  Cooper has been getting an occasional Fig Newton at his old home so he'll have to adjust to the crackers.


----------



## Baymule

You know we want pictures of Cooper!


----------



## Mike CHS

I'll get some pictures tomorrow when I go out.  He has settled right in and wasn't sure what I was giving Pete to snack on but that made him curious enough to come up and try some.  His previous farm called their sheep in the same way I do so he responded right off the bat to hands clapping.


----------



## Baymule

Are you keeping any ewes from Maxwell?


----------



## Mike CHS

We kept 10 ewes from Max


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Cooper has been getting an occasional Fig Newton at his old home so he'll have to adjust to the crackers.


Animal crackers have a longer shelf life in your pocket.


----------



## Beekissed

Baymule said:


> You know we want pictures of Cooper!



Ditto that!


----------



## Mike CHS

I took a picture out the window since I'm waiting for it to get a bit warmer before I go out there.


----------



## Bruce

It was up to 47° when I went out to do chicken and alpaca morning chores.


----------



## thistlebloom

Mike CHS said:


> I took a picture out the window since I'm waiting for it to get a bit warmer before I go out there.
> 
> View attachment 77944



Maybe you could trade your gym shorts for jeans. Warmer! 😆


----------



## Baymule

Cooper is a pretty boy! I like him! What a great trade for both of you.


----------



## farmerjan

I have to disagree with @Baymule   not pretty, very masculine looking and good length to him.  Looks to be a fertile male.  Hope he does good for you and now you have a good way to do some crossing with Ringo's and Max' s daughters....


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Cooper is a pretty boy! I like him! What a great trade for both of you.



He was a 4H ram lamb and has the attitude that goes with all of that handling.  He has no fear of humans but he also has good manners for a ram.  No aggression at all and came up when I was sitting on the door stoop and waited for crackers.  He finally decided that Pete isn't female and they have gotten along ever since.


----------



## Mike CHS

farmerjan said:


> I have to disagree with @Baymule   not pretty, very masculine looking and good length to him.  Looks to be a fertile male.  Hope he does good for you and now you have a good way to do some crossing with Ringo's and Max' s daughters....



Matt (where he came from) has some great looking sheep but he showed us a herd of his daughters that he produced compared to another from the year before.  His daughters are visibly longer bodied without exception.

The majority of our adult ewes (except 4) are Ringo's and the other 12 ewe lambs are Maxwell's so we are hoping for a couple of nice lamb crops.


----------



## Baymule

He sounds like a fantastic addition to your flock.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> so we are hoping for a couple of nice lamb crops.


I wouldn't mind a couple of nice lamb chops.


----------



## Mike CHS

The Mexican Vultures have gotten brazen about hanging around the pastures so I took my shotgun along with the camera and hung out with the critters for awhile.  On the way down I stopped by to see Cooper and the wether Pete to give a few treats.  I let my kill permit lapse so all I can do at this point is make noise with the shotgun.  Occasionally that's enough to make them go away but Teresa has already called about updating our permit.  The ewe lambs are in with the pregnant ewes but those that will be lambing are due starting the middle of next month.

The ewe on the left in the second picture is Princess (who had been one of our bottle lambs).  She finally quit going under the poly rope so hopefully she got broke of that and we will keep her around.  She was one of the last put in with the ram so she won't lamb until sometime in December.  The spotted face ewe lamb next to her is going to be one of the biggest sheep that we have.  She weighed 137 several weeks ago and she still has several months before she reaches maturity.

I'm not sure how I got two pictures of the ram!


----------



## Baymule

Hurry up on the permit! Those awful black vultures need thinning out. Beautiful ewes, Princess is spoiled, glad she’s learning to stay in her pasture.


----------



## Bruce

Yeah, what Bay said!!


----------



## Mike CHS

It seems the Black Vultures have decided it's healthier elsewhere so hopefully it stays that way.  We have our permit to take them if they decide otherwise.  I understand the migratory bird preservation laws but I still can't see how a vulture fits in that class.  We know one sheep producer that had so many losses to the vultures that he literally got out of the business.

We fed the dogs and made sure everyone had plenty of water then headed to Laurel Lake on David Crocket State Park to do some fishing.  The crappie weren't biting but it was a beautiful day and we enjoyed it enough that we are going again tomorrow.    We still have another light week then we have to start the pre-lambing routine so we are taking advantage of the slack time.


----------



## Baymule

Yes, do all the fishing you can! A friend handed me a bass over the gate yesterday. It's been a long time since I filleted a fish, but I did so and bagged them in the freezer.


----------



## Bruce

Fishing with the new boat? Did you get the reasonable one or the one with the oversized motor?


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Fishing with the new boat? Did you get the reasonable one or the one with the oversized motor?



We are taking advantage of the nice weather .  We got the boat with the 55 HP outboard.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have gotten so much rain that the garden beds are saturated and my pepper plants were falling over so I went and thinned them out some.  I was going to leave all of the peppers on the plants till they changed to red and got more size on them but that plan didn't work out.


----------



## Baymule

I have picked over 800 jalapeños off 6 plants. The sheep have been cleaning up the garden for me. They finally got around to the peppers. They look so funny!


----------



## Mike CHS

I only grew two Jalapeno plants this year since we still had so many left from last year and they were the low heat variety.  

I need to get some pictures of a few of our ewes.  There are several that usually have trips and they are already waddling with still over a month to go before they could be lambing.


----------



## Mike CHS

Lazy day today other than I made some Beef Stew that hit the spot.  I guess the cooler weather has me into soup like meals as I made a gumbo yesterday.

We are still getting showers off and on but it has been nice and steady so the rye grass I seeded is already almost a foot tall.  Right now is when we usually put out seed but I took advantage of that extended mild period last month so it's already a good stand in half of our paddocks.

The next time I move the sheep I'll broadcast seed in the paddock they are in now.


----------



## Baymule

We had a dry summer, then got quite a bit of rain, now it is dry again. The sheep have cleaned up all the pastures, the garden and yard. Tiny green dots of clover are coming up and slender filaments of fescue, so I have to hold them off pasture to let it grow. They sure are disappointed right now. Poor sheepies!


----------



## Mike CHS

If I had a way to add a caption in the picture it would be something like "OPEN THIS DARN GATE!"


----------



## Mike CHS

I cooked a couple of steaks on the grill this afternoon.  As I was plating them I stepped on a piece of hot charcoal that had fallen out of the grill and just about threw one of the steaks up in the air.  I guess I'll start wearing shoes when I'm grilling anymore.


----------



## thistlebloom

Yikes!


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Ouch!   Sorry about that!


----------



## Baymule

And I bet if you had tossed that steak, you would have found a way to catch it. No letting steaks hit the ground!


----------



## Mike CHS

I haven't done any culinary posts in awhile so here is a big batch of Country Style Pork Ribs that just came off the smoker.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Looks delish - as usual!


----------



## Baymule

Oh man, that looks good! I've had a hankerin' after some BBQ chicken.  I guess when BJ feels better, we'll cook some up. I got a heap of CCX dirty birdies out in the chicken tractor. Right now, they don't look nor smell too appetizing. I don't think BBQ sauce would help.


----------



## Mike CHS

This was some of the best tasting that I have done. 

Teresa's oldest son and family will get here about 9:00 in the morning.  They plan on leaving Charleston right around midnight so their kids will sleep for most of the trip.  This will be our first chance to see Hattie who is only 3 months old.  Teresa had planned on being there for the delivery but covid changed all of that.  We set up some projects for the two boys and we have the boat set up to take them to the lake a couple of times during the week that they will be here.


----------



## Baymule

Awww.... this will be a wonderful week for all. I’m so glad they are coming to see y’all. 3 months old and haven’t seen Hattie yet! That has got to have Teresa climbing the walls with excitement! I predict lots of hugging and cuddling with the kids! The boys will love, love, love going fishing! Y’all have a super fantastic week!


----------



## farmerjan

Hope that you all have a great week.  The kids will love spending time with their grands!!!!!  I suspect the grands will enjoy the kids too.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I haven't done any culinary posts in awhile so here is a big batch of Country Style Pork Ribs that just came off the smoker.


Stop, you're killing me!!! 
OK, don't stop, sure looks good.


----------



## Mike CHS

I brought the sheep in this morning and we used our company to assist.  Son learned how to give CDT shots and put ear tags in the ewes that are going to be registered.  We also have several that are really nice that we are going to Record as 75% Katahdin.

I have been getting lots of baby smiles from Hattie.


----------



## Baymule

How adorable. Nothing like babies!


----------



## thistlebloom

She's perfect! It seems to me that she bears a strong resemblance to you
(only cuter) haha.


----------



## Mike CHS

The boys always enjoy themselves and we have been enjoying some beautiful weather.


----------



## farmerjan

Nothing like a PROUD Grandpa!!!!!!Enjoy the visit and the weather!


----------



## Baymule

I bet those boys can't wait to get to the farm so they can get outside and play!


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> I bet those boys can't wait to get to the farm so they can get outside and play!



Something came up so they have to go home Tuesday so we will go out fishing for awhile tomorrow.

Their home has three acres so they have a lot of room to roam but they like the dogs and being in with the sheep since they are so calm.


----------



## Bruce

That is too bad, such a short visit.


----------



## Mike CHS

Our company headed home to South Carolina last night around 10:00 and got in and settled this morning.  The oldest Grand and I share a birthday in a couple of days so we got a Red Velvet cake on Saturday night.  The boys like helping their Dad on projects so one of their gifts were tool belts with kid sized tools. We had them make a couple of bird houses that they did completely on their own that came out very well.


----------



## thistlebloom

Happy Birthday Mike! Sounds like you have some keepers for grandkids. 
Great memories for them, and you.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> We had them make a couple of bird houses that they did completely on their own that came out very well.


Do they have "shop envy" like I do? 

Happy almost birthday.


----------



## Baymule

Happy Birthday from me and Hop Along.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Happy Birthday from me and Hop Along.



Thank you.  So how is the young fella progressing?


----------



## Baymule

He is doing great. He is using the walker, sometimes a cane. Thigh is swollen, big bruise on the back of his hip to his knee. The pain is nowhere near what it was on his knee of shoulder. Therapist and nurse are coming this morning and they are impressed by what good shape he is in and his overall health. He has to take it easy for awhile, he doesn't like that part. LOL


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Happy birthday Mike


----------



## Mike CHS

Thank you.  I'm going to celebrate by broadcasting my last paddock with rye grass seed.


----------



## farmerjan

Happy Birthday.  I will celebrate your birthday by tedding about 25 acres of hay and raking another field of 6-10 acres that was tedded yesterday!!!!  Enjoying the sunshine and very nice temps again today...


----------



## Mike CHS

It is a beautiful day here also.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Happy birthday, Mike! 🎂


----------



## Mike CHS

Thank you STA


----------



## Mike CHS

Today was a bits and pieces day.  I got a lot of grass cut and we went out to get a blood sample for the DNA tests for those that we are registering and the several that are great and good enough to record.  This is another example of it being nice to having tame sheep.  I can walk right up to them and hold them while Teresa gets the blood sample.  They don't react at all as long as they get their Animal Crackers.

The new ram Cooper has lost all of any tendency to be skittish and shows the results of being raised as a 4H ram


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> Thank you.  I'm going to celebrate by broadcasting my last paddock with rye grass seed.


that sounds like a good birthday to me!


----------



## Mike CHS

Yesterday I found another treat that Cooper likes better than Animal Crackers.  I had a pack of peanut butter crackers on the Ranger that were getting a bit stale so I gave one to Cooper to see what he thought.  After he ate that one he kept sniffing my pockets to see where the rest of them were.


----------



## Bruce

He's becoming a high cost animal


----------



## Hens and Roos

Happy Birthday a few days after! Glad you could celebrate with family!


----------



## Mike CHS

We broke out our telescope last night to view the night sky.  The Moon and the planets Jupiter and Saturn appeared only a couple of degrees apart when viewed from our house.  The view of the Moon has shifted quite a bit tonight but the two planets still appear together.


----------



## farmerjan

Our local news was saying that there some meteors or something to view just recently.  I don't keep up with it as much as I should I guess.  Shooting stars they said, would be visible for several hours... like 10 per hour or something.  Did you guys know about it or were they visible down there?


----------



## thistlebloom

Mike CHS said:


> We broke out our telescope last night to view the night sky.  The Moon and the planets Jupiter and Saturn appeared only a couple of degrees apart when viewed from our house.  The view of the Moon has shifted quite a bit tonight but the two planets still appear together.



Oh I saw that! A little neighbor dropped in for a visit. I haven't seen her for a long time -she used to practically live here until she got horses of her own. 
It was dark when she was summoned home so I gave her a ride. The sky was beautiful when we went out.  I didn't know which two stars they were, but knew it was a special occurrence.


----------



## Mike CHS

farmerjan said:


> Our local news was saying that there some meteors or something to view just recently.  I don't keep up with it as much as I should I guess.  Shooting stars they said, would be visible for several hours... like 10 per hour or something.  Did you guys know about it or were they visible down there?



We didn't see or hear about those. There were reports of some a couple of weeks ago but we never saw any when we were out.


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm glad that Teresa doesn't mind doing paper work.  She has been working on our sheep records for most of the day and just finished updating them.  I prefer using a computer spread sheet but she has always liked doing it on paper and since she is the one doing them, that's the way it got done and of course with my support since I didn't have to do them.  We basically had all of the info but going on our 5th generation of sheep, the records were getting hard to track so everything got added to spread sheets.  We are Recording 8 of our commercial sheep since they are better than most of the Registered sheep that we have been seeing.  Of the 10 ewe lambs that we have, 6 of them will be registered and the other 4 are good candidates to Record depending on if they mature as expected. Of our 16 mature ewes, 4 are what is left out of our first bunch and the rest are a mixture of Ringo's and Maxwell's daughters and they are all quality registered ewes.  We didn't spend a lot of time going through the sales sheets but we have sold somewhere around 80 lambs in the last two lambing seasons.


----------



## Beekissed

Wowza!  That's a lot of lambs out of a flock that size!   

I too have to work on sheep records, though mine won't be near as difficult to do...just need to make myself sit down and get it out of my head and onto paper.  

Hope to stay more current and on top of it next year.


----------



## Baymule

That is awesome. Teresa has her act together, she has more energy than the Energizer Bunny. It’s to be expected that she would get a little behind and have to catch up, it’s hard for her to sit still that long!


----------



## Mike CHS

We have been around sheep for going on 11 years now and for the first time, I got bit by one of them.  I was out feeding the dogs and I had just given several of the ewes a bit of crackers.  I was standing there giving scratches and my oldest ewe (Notag) decided she wanted some more and stuck her snout in my sweat shirt pocket sniffing them out.  Evidently she smelled some pieces and she bit down on them. What she got was the skin on my hip and boy did that get got my attention.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Ouch!


----------



## Beekissed

Mike CHS said:


> We have been around sheep for going on 11 years now and for the first time, I got bit by one of them.  I was out feeding the dogs and I had just given several of the ewes a bit of crackers.  I was standing there giving scratches and my oldest ewe (Notag) decided she wanted some more and stuck her snout in my sweat shirt pocket sniffing them out.  Evidently she smelled some pieces and she bit down on them. What she got was the skin on my hip and boy did that get got my attention.



You HAVE been lucky!   I have been bit several times now over the cookies, either through the clothing or from an overly eager recipient that jammed their mouths over my fingers before I could pull them back.  It hurts.  Who knew sheep could bite so hard?


----------



## Bruce

At least she didn't bite you on purpose!


----------



## Mike CHS

I started back cleaning up our fence line this morning that borders a CSX railroad tunnel since the weather is so mild and the back doesn't hurt.  I got about 100' of it done and brushed on glyphosate on the stumps.  Most of the saplings are an inch or under and I was wondering if that would kill the sapling since they are going dormant but articles I read said now is actually the best time to do it.

I didn't use any chemical on the trunks in this same area when I did it early last spring which is why I'm having to do it again.  All of the saplings I cut today are growing out of roots that were left untreated.  All of our other fences are clear of trees so this is the only one we have to do this to.


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> We have been around sheep for going on 11 years now and for the first time, I got bit by one of them.  I was out feeding the dogs and I had just given several of the ewes a bit of crackers.  I was standing there giving scratches and my oldest ewe (Notag) decided she wanted some more and stuck her snout in my sweat shirt pocket sniffing them out.  Evidently she smelled some pieces and she bit down on them. What she got was the skin on my hip and boy did that get got my attention.


BJ got a good laugh out of that.


----------



## Beekissed

Mike CHS said:


> I started back cleaning up our fence line this morning that borders a CSX railroad tunnel since the weather is so mild and the back doesn't hurt.  I got about 100' of it done and brushed on glyphosate on the stumps.  Most of the saplings are an inch or under and I was wondering if that would kill the sapling since they are going dormant but articles I read said now is actually the best time to do it.
> 
> I didn't use any chemical on the trunks in this same area when I did it early last spring which is why I'm having to do it again.  All of the saplings I cut today are growing out of roots that were left untreated.  All of our other fences are clear of trees so this is the only one we have to do this to.



What are you trying to eradicate?


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> and brushed on glyphosate on the stumps.


Are you using the "high test" stuff or the regular "get it at Lowes" stuff? My understanding is you really need the high test to kill a stump.


----------



## Mike CHS

Beekissed said:


> What are you trying to eradicate?



A couple of thousand saplings that are coming up out or tree roots.

Bruce - I use the 41% that has worked fine (when I used it).   Triclopyr works also but days like today has so much moisture in the air it would probably be a waste of time as the clouds are right at ground level so it is almost raining (not fog).


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Mr. Mike,

Both on my journal and in the thread "Making a Pasture and Keeping It Managed", Mr. Greybeard told me/us about a product called Remedy(*).  I mix the glyphosate and Remedy together and spray on the plants, shrubs, and trees.  It takes a few days for the effects to manifest on green plants.  On freshly cut shrubs/trees/stumps, you should never see any resprouting if you apply immediately after having cut the shrub/tree.

Senile Texas Aggie

(*) See the following posts:




__





						Making a pasture....and keeping it managed.
					

I have four sheep coming, hopefully that will help, while I research remedy.  Before I tell you what I know about Remedy, NEVER believe every glowing thing any herbicide, feed supplement or breed association says...more on that later in the thread. I keep this website bookmarked..you can find...



					www.backyardherds.com
				







__





						Senile Texas Aggie - comic relief for the rest of you
					

Troy Bilt As one of my old shop managers once said: Troy shulda never built a %$*&%^ thing.  My Stihl powerhead I use for both string spool and brush blade was bought in 2008...I do not know how many hours I have on it but it's a lot, and I've abused the heck out of it. Same with the Stihl...



					www.backyardherds.com
				







__





						Senile Texas Aggie - comic relief for the rest of you
					

Could it be sumac?



					www.backyardherds.com
				







__





						Senile Texas Aggie - comic relief for the rest of you
					

Could you folks help me identify them? Are they birch? Ash? White oak? Something else? They have bark on the lower end of the trunk near the ground, but it appears to peel off the higher you go. I have quite a few White oak here yet and it's bark doesn't peel off. It's a rough flat kind of bark...



					www.backyardherds.com


----------



## Mike CHS

Even though we have had a couple of light frosts, we picked enough bell peppers to fill a gallon Zip Lock bag of chopped peppers.  We have been harvesting small amounts of turnips and Romaine lettuce that is great tasting after the cool weather that we have been having.


----------



## Mike CHS

We just came up with a very UNscientific conclusion about the health benefits of turnips.  Teresa is a borderline diabetic and is very careful monitoring her blood sugar.  She had checked it around 11:00 and then we decided to get something for lunch about an hour later.  Her level earlier was at 120 and when she checked it again it was down to 90  which is the lowest it has been with her for awhile.  The only thing she had done was eat some sliced raw turnips.

Out of curiousity we looked up blood sugar and turnips and found a year long study (using turnip extract) that showed a very beneficial affect on blood sugar as well as cholesterol benefits.  We found no study on raw turnips themselves but since we are harvesting turnips now she will keep double checking to see if there is a consistent result.


----------



## Bruce

Interesting. I might need to eat some turnips for my borderline cholesterol.


----------



## thistlebloom

I grew turnips one year and looked up their health benefits. They were pretty amazing (although I have noticed that when I look up "health benefits of _________ " everything is pretty amazing, sooo.... ) but the greens were a powerhouse of amazing, lol. 
We put them in our green smoothies. They were very pungent and I admit it was a happy day when we had no more. 
Glad to hear that they could be beneficial to diabetes though. Dh is borderline also, so maybe I'll need to grow some again next year. Thanks for sharing Teresa's observations.


----------



## rachels.haven

Smoothies? Recipe/example?  I thought you just stewed turnip greens with vinegar and salt...maybe with ham or pork if you were served them at a party or special occasion. As a kid that grew them in the summer I was at a loss for what to do with the ball part of the turnip. I think I left them out long enough that my dad would just pickle and eat them or something. They kind of just disappeared, thank goodness. I never liked them.


----------



## farmerjan

You can mash turnips just like mashed potatoes.  In fact mixing some in with the potatoes makes them much more acceptable.  Some varieties are milder than others.  I don't like turnip greens, but will eat mashed turnips.  Might be a "yankee thing" as lots of the old timers that my family knew/was friends with,  all talked about turnips.  Plus they keep as well or better than carrots.


----------



## Mike CHS

I have mashed them before and like them but my favorite is thin sliced and just eat them raw.    I don't care for the greens though at all.  The sheep like them though so no waste there.


----------



## rachels.haven

Sounds like dad should have had sheep, lol. He disappeared a LOT of turnips. I sort of feel bad about that. He didn't like wasting anything. I have memory of at least a few occasions where they got microwaved and treated like a slightly pungent potato, so I don't doubt that mashed turnips are good, probably to most people. I wish I liked them. It's a fun plant family, brassicas. Livestock fodder, edible flowers, edible roots, greens, edible stalks, rape seed/canola, cabbage...I should grow some turnips again at some point and see if goats like them. Sheep might be more flexible on feed and willing to try stuff though. Sounds like they know turnips were cultivated for them and other domesticated ruminants first. Probably means they are great for you.


----------



## Baymule

I love turnip greens and mustard greens too. I like the turnips raw, cooked is ok with butter, salt and pepper.


----------



## Bruce

farmerjan said:


> You can mash turnips just like mashed potatoes. In fact mixing some in with the potatoes makes them much more acceptable.


Somehow I don't think that would work at my house. DW won't eat mashed white potatoes other than to be polite at someone else's house and DD2 won't eat most vegetables.


----------



## thistlebloom

rachels.haven said:


> Smoothies? Recipe/example?



No "recipe" lol. But an example of our smoothies is as much mixed greens as can be crammed into the blender, add some water and chia seeds, blend, chug it down quick and make a face. The face part is involuntary because they are not tasty. Some are not bad at all depending on the variety of greens, but some are tougher to get down. Our smoothies are not for the faint hearted or people with functioning taste buds. 
I don't add any fruit because I have no problem eating fresh fruit, but the point of the smoothies *for us, *is getting more greens and chlorophyll and various antioxidants into our bodies.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

I'm glad the smoothies work for you.  I fear that they would work as an emetic for me.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Mr. Mike,

I fear that the senile part of me is about to manifest itself, and I will ask a question that I have asked before and don't remember.  I think I remember your once telling the story in your journal about one of your neighbors telling you about a ditch in your property that was masked by tall grass, and that you found the ditch by driving around your property with your tractor with the bucket lowered.  Is that true?  Well, the part I don't remember is asking and your answering where that ditch is on your property and if you ever took pictures of it.  Just curious.

Senile Texas Aggie


----------



## Mike CHS

@Senile_Texas_Aggie that was quite awhile ago and I never took a picture of it.  It ran from a storm catch pond right through the middle of our place down to where there was a pond that wouldn't hold water.  It was around 3' wide and 4' deep but that was among the first of our projects to get it filled in.  I knew from the neighbor that the ditch ran north to south so I just kept running back and forth (east to west) till I found it.  Dragging the bucket was just to give me leverage when I ran into the ditch with the rear wheels on the tractor (which I did).


----------



## Mike CHS

The weather gave us a reason to stay inside and do a few of those chores that need to be done often.  With two dogs and a cat in the house a lot, keeping hair down is a priority.  We had a bunch of objects of every sort displayed on top of the kitchen cabinets that we were both getting tired of dusting around so we took everything down and dusted and wiped down the cabinet tops. They are finished on top for ease of cleaning not to mention rough cabinet tops would be an eye sore from the loft.

Our ceilings are tall and the cabinet tops are over 8' so Teresa did the cleaning standing on the lower cabinets so it went pretty fast.  We replaced all of the assorted items with a few things and a couple of plants so we both like it better.


----------



## Baymule

Looks nice! I have a couple of projects waiting on bad weather days....... LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

When we were at a lake last week we were fishing just across from the boat ramp and saw a fisheries truck come down the ramp and empty a load of young fish into the water.  About 10 minutes later there was a large flock of Terns flying around diving into the water to get their meals for the day.


----------



## Mike CHS

We winterized the chicken coops today since it's supposed to get down to freezing this weekend.  When we finished up we neglected to open the doors up for the chickens so when we went out to secure the doors, there were chickens everywhere except inside the coops.  They weren't too stubborn so it only took about 10 minutes to herd them inside.


----------



## Mike CHS

The state is letting restaurants open up now but we still aren't going so we had another eat out night in our dining room.    Teresa made a dish called Chili Lime Steak Fajitas that was awesome.


----------



## Baymule

that looks really good!


----------



## Mike CHS

We have good neighbors.  Our sheep are in a paddock that is closer to them than to us and they heard a noise they had not heard before.  They couldn't really describe it other than it was a new one so we went out and checked.  We couldn't find anything going on and we aren't due to lamb for over two more weeks but I would rather they call several times a day than not.


----------



## Baymule

That's great that they would call and alert you. Whether it is something or nothing, it's the thought that counts.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

What do you do to make a chicken coop winterized?


----------



## Mike CHS

Senile_Texas_Aggie said:


> What do you do to make a chicken coop winterized?



Close up all of the openings.  The bottom half is open all the way around in warm weather.


----------



## Mike CHS

We brought some problem ewes in this afternoon. We have two that aren't near the condition they should be plus we have one of our senior ewes that has what I'm pretty sure is Lumpy Jaw (the prognosis isn't optimistic but she isn't showing any signs of pain and is in good condition).  We pulled fecals on the two out of condition ewes and gave a shot to the other.  I figured I would have to use Lance to separate the sheep that we didn't need but it just happened that all of the ewes that we needed to mess with came on their own when I opened the gate.  The rest were enjoying flush rye grass so it worked out well.


----------



## Baymule

Hope your ewe is ok.


----------



## Mike CHS

We stayed busy today but the most notable thing I saw today is that I REALLY  do not like Daylight Saving Time.


----------



## Baymule

My internal time clock is set to real time. I sleep better on real time.


----------



## farmerjan

I DESPISE daylight savings time.  I much prefer to have the daylight in the morning than in the evening.  My body also works better on Standard time.  People that work at day time jobs like the savings time better because they have more uninterrupted time in the evening to do stuff.  I mean it is hard to start a project in the morning for an hour then go to work, then try to pick up again after work....instead of them just getting home and having 3-4 hours of time to do something start to finish.  But I would be glad if they never set the clocks ahead again. And funny thing is nearly 9 out of every 10 people I have ever talked to prefer the standard time.  I always feel like I am running behind on daylight savings time.


----------



## Finnie

I am one that prefers the daylight in the evening. But with or without daylight savings time, which is only a one hour shift, I just don’t like how short the days are in the winter. I could never live in Alaska.


----------



## Mike CHS

Finnie said:


> I am one that prefers the daylight in the evening. But with or without daylight savings time, which is only a one hour shift, I just don’t like how short the days are in the winter. I could never live in Alaska.



I spent a little over a year in Alaska and won't repeat that.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> We replaced all of the assorted items with a few things and a couple of plants so we both like it better.


Looks great but who waters the plants way up there? We have an OLD house, ceilings downstairs and upstairs in the original house are  7'4".


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Looks great but who waters the plants way up there? We have an OLD house, ceilings downstairs and upstairs in the original house are  7'4".




We have a step ladder and Teresa uses it to step up on the lower cabinets.  This room and loft was what the original house consisted of.  It was a two room cabin.


----------



## Mike CHS

The chicken coops got cleaned again today and we are trying to find new homes for the young roosters we have.  Of the 16 chicks that we hatched, 8 were males and they are all intent on tearing up one of the Game hens.  We called a couple of people so that should happen soon.  We won't use the usual media ad sites since there are so many people around here that want fighting roosters.  We give our roosters away and don't care whether or not they butcher them but we won't send them to a death in a fighting ring.

We spent some time today making sure the paddocks are lamb proofed since we will start lambing in 10-12 days.  We had some erosion in several places where the water coming down the hills turns into a river so we changed things a bit to keep lambs safer.   I had a couple of gaps that I filled up with big pieces of slab rock that isn't going to move.  We have a couple areas that can be really dangerous for lambs so we closed those off.

We added some chicken wire to the panels on the outside of our handling area.  There was two times last lambing season where we went down to feed and found lambs on the wrong side of the fence because of the opening size on the cattle panels.  Most of our lambs are big enough that they can't go through but the triplets slide through like butter since they are usually around 5 pounds or so.


----------



## Baymule

It’s the little things that needed attention. Making everything safe for the lambs, when are the ewes due? 

We butcher young roosters and old laying hens. Before BJ had his hip replacement, I had a neighbor come over to help me butcher 8 old layers. He learned how to butcher chickens and went home with the meat. Win-win.


----------



## Mike CHS

Assuming Maxwell started promptly, we could have lambs starting on the 17th.

We used to butcher the excess chickens but we got to the point that if we can buy a whole chicken for $4, we won't go to the effort of butchering.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Mike CHS said:


> We had some erosion in several places where the water coming down the hills turns into a river so we changed things a bit to keep lambs safer. I had a couple of gaps that I filled up with big pieces of slab rock that isn't going to move.



Mr. @Mike CHS,

Do you think you could post some pictures of your work?  I have a few areas that I would like to control erosion better (in fact, I plan to post pictures on my journal of the worst places) and while I don't need to worry about lambs being born, I would like to slow or stop the erosion.

Senile Texas Aggie


----------



## Mike CHS

There isn't much to show but I'll take a picture later on.  This is one spot at the bottom of a paddock where the run off from 4 hills all hit in one spot.  I have used a piece of cattle panel wired to the fence to take out some of the gap and a piece of ledge rock to fill it a little further.  We had a runoff ditch at the top of our property that had a ditch literally 4' deep and 4' wide that I added several bags of dry cement to the base and it has pretty much filled back in.


----------



## Mike CHS

We went out after the chickens had gone in the coop last night and caught 6 of the young roosters.  We have Amish friends that took them to process.  We still have three left but at least we don't have more roosters than hens now.


----------



## Baymule

Getting them off the feed bill is a good thing! Roosters are like teen aged boys-empty all the time and want to EAT! LOL LOL 

Real foggy this morning, can barely see the front gate. But I can see Goldie the steer waiting by his feed tub, looking this way! Guess I need to go do chores. 

Mike, I only have 2 lambs right now. I built them a creep feeder, how much Feed should I give them daily? It is a sweet textured feed. Yesterday I gave them 1 cup, they ate most of it, then came back later to finish it up.


----------



## Mike CHS

I give them a little over a pound a day each and they will pretty much convert that to a pound a day for the first 90 days or so.  When we are feeding for the market they will average out at 90 pounds a little over 90 days depending on their birth weight of course.


----------



## Mike CHS

I just filled the smoker with beef ribs.


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> I give them a little over a pound a day each and they will pretty much convert that to a pound a day for the first 90 days or so.  When we are feeding for the market they will average out at 90 pounds a little over 90 days depending on their birth weight of course.


I know you buy bulk feed, do you feed the same feed to the lambs? I bought a 50# bag at $13, that could get expensive real fast with a lot of lambs. It is 18% protein. The pellets the ewes and Ringo get are a 14% protein. If you don't mind my asking, what are you paying for the bulk feed?


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> I know you buy bulk feed, do you feed the same feed to the lambs? I bought a 50# bag at $13, that could get expensive real fast with a lot of lambs. It is 18% protein. The pellets the ewes and Ringo get are a 14% protein. If you don't mind my asking, what are you paying for the bulk feed?



The ewes won't be getting much in the way of feed until they lamb then they will also get around a pound each with the lambs getting as much as they want for a few weeks and then only grass.  The feed store bags up the feed but in order to get the bulk price of $6 per 50 pound bag you have to buy 1000 pounds at a time.  They also carry their own All Stock blend that is 16% protein that I'll probably use starting next month since I still have 400 pounds of that that needs used up.  Their All Stock is 50 cents more per 50 lbs but I use it when I'm feeding less and don't have to make room for 1000 lbs of it.


----------



## Baymule

My two lambs tore into it this evening. Yesterday and this morning, I had to catch them and shove them in the creep feeder. This evening, they didn't need my help. LOL


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I just filled the smoker with beef ribs.


Looks like there is enough for all of us


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Looks like there is enough for all of us


We got enough for several meals for ourselves but 80% or more is for the dogs.  We eat the smaller/leaner pieces but the thick pieces have way to much fat to bother with.  They do make a pretty picture though.


----------



## Beekissed

Mike CHS said:


> I just filled the smoker with beef ribs.
> View attachment 78834



Awww, man!   I can just TASTE that...well, I WISH I could taste that!!!   Yer killin' me, Smalls!  Yer killin' me!


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> We got enough for several meals for ourselves but 80% or more is for the dogs.  We eat the smaller/leaner pieces but the thick pieces have way to much fat to bother with.  They do make a pretty picture though.


Woof!


----------



## Baymule

Looks like y'all got a new dog..........probably ain't house broke......


----------



## Bruce

Yes it is mostly


----------



## Baymule

He’ll be outside peeing on your tires..... at least it won’t be your recliner. LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

It's cold and dreary out and we felt like some comfort food so I made meatloaf.  I made two loaves and quartered them to freeze so we have several meals out of these.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Yum!


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## Baymule

I have a pork roast in the crock pot. Tomorrow we feast!


----------



## Mike CHS

We used to use a crock pot quite often until we got an Instant Pot.  I still prefer the crock pot in some ways since meat is a bit more chewy in the Instant Pot.


----------



## Mike CHS

I was moving the ewes to fresh grass this morning and took a couple of pictures of a few just because I enjoy watching them.  We could start lambing within the next week or so and a few are bagging up.  The ten yearling ewes aren't bred this season but will be late spring of 2021.  The first picture is Ginger who is one of the sweetest ewes we have and she has been that way since the day she was born.  She is the one I have to watch to keep her snout out of my pocket looking for crackers because she has bitten me more than once now  as she latches down on cracker crumbs.

The next one is Notag who is one of our oldest sheep and one of the first sheep we brought home.  The last ewe (54) is a Grand Daughter out of one of our first ewes and sired by Ringo.  She has had triplets each time she has lambed and hasn't needed worming since she was three months old (she is going on 3 years now).


----------



## Mike CHS

We like Fried Okra every once in awhile but the picture is the real reason we grow it.  I made a batch for an early dinner this afternoon.  I call it a stew rather than gumbo since we like it more soup like and use Andouille sausage, shrimp and clams.


----------



## Baymule

Love the sheep pictures! Lovely ladies. 

The soup looks yummy!


----------



## Mike CHS

We got the last of the summer things cleaned out of the beds and broke out the row covers for the cool season veggies.  The weather has been just cool enough so far that we are getting all of the lettuce we can handle.


----------



## thistlebloom

Is that one head? Boy, think of the green smoothies you could make with that sucker! 🤣 or 😩


----------



## Mike CHS

That is one head.


----------



## Baymule

That is some beautiful lettuce! I grew good lettuce in Livingston, but haven't figured out the magic potion for growing it here. So far, all my lettuce efforts have been failures.


----------



## Mike CHS

I picked up all of the leaves along the driveway using the mower with the bags attached and put them all on the garden beds.  There is enough grass mixed in with the leaves that they should compost fairly well.

I'm cutting grass and bringing it to the ewes plus they are getting some feed in the evenings.  The plan is to move any ewes that have their lambs into the main paddock by the barn with their lambs.


----------



## Mike CHS

Sassy (our Aussie) communicates extremely well.  We were watching a couple of our favorite TV shows that were recorded and evidently she had tried to get our attention a couple of times so she could go out.  Since we weren't paying attention to her, she walked over in front of the TV and sat so that her upper body and head was in between the TV and us.


----------



## Baymule

That is one smart dog! LOL LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

We had a couple of large pork shoulders we wanted to smoke today for pulled pork but I didn't get them on the smoker till 11:00 this morning.  They got up to about 180 degrees and stalled out so I pulled them off of the smoker and we will finish them in the oven since they still have several hours to go.


----------



## Baymule

Try this recipe. A friend gave it to me, it's good! We served it over rice.

Slow Cooker Jalapeno Pineapple Pork

Ingredients
6 pound pork shoulder roast
1 yellow onion , diced
2 jalapenos , 1 sliced thinly for garnish and one diced
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 pineapple , peeled, cored and cut into 1" chunks
1/4 cup fresh cilantro or parsley for topping


Instructions
In a small bowl add the yellow onion, diced jalapeno, soy sauce, brown sugar and pineapple chunks and stir to combine.
Put the pork in the slow cooker, fat cap side up.
Pour over the pineapple-jalapeno mixture.
Cook on low for 8-9 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.

If you'd like to reserve the liquids at the end remove the pork and pineapple pieces then drain the liquid into a glass measuring cup.
Let the fat settle to the top and spoon it off or let it chill in a refrigerator and then just scrape it off the top.
If you'd like this pork to taste like crispy carnitas you can crisp it up in a pan with a spoonful of the fat on medium high heat, or just spread it onto a sheet pan and put under the broiler for 45-60 seconds.


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## Baymule

I cooked the pork roast first and shredded it. I put it in a pot, put the pineapple mixture over it and roasted it awhile in the oven. I used canned pineapple.


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## Mike CHS

That one is saved to my recipe file as I like anything cooked with pineapple.  

We just finished doing a rough pull on the pork shoulders only because they weren't going to be cooled off until well past our bed time.  We wound up with a little over 15 pounds of pulled pork.  We vacuum seal all of our smoked meats in one pound packs so it makes it efficient to do a lot at one time.


----------



## Mike CHS

We are in an almost winter routine now even though the temps will be back to spring levels tomorrow.    We have enough cool weather grass that I cut for the sheep but we are getting to the point of starting with hay.  Apparently, Maxwell and the ewes weren't in sync when we put them together since the first due date was the 17th but several of the ewes have all of the symptoms of being ready any minute and most have bagged up.  When you feel their bellies, you can feel the lambs already in full stride on several of the girls.


----------



## thistlebloom

Sounds like they were pretty well synced to me!


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## Baymule

I can envision your lush green pastures. Our winter grasses are barely up, we have had a long dry spell, but got a hard rain last night. The storm should be over you now. It knocked out power for 15,000 people across east Texas. Hope it makes the fescue, rye grass and clovers grow! 

Can't wait for lamb pictures!


----------



## Mike CHS

The summer grass is brown rather than lush but the rye grass is doing well.  The storm front moved in early this morning but so far all we are having is a light steady rain with a bit of wind but the most severe weather appears to be up toward Nashville.


----------



## Baymule

We got a half inch!


----------



## Baymule

You and Teresa have a Happy Thanksgiving.


----------



## Mike CHS

I hope you guys have a great one also.  There will probably be a Zoom get together and phone calls but that isn't a big change for us now since all of the family is so far apart.


----------



## Baymule

There will be 6 of us at my sister's. Daughter and family aren't coming because 13 year old granddaughter got exposed to Covid.  We will spend the night tonight and come back tomorrow.


----------



## Mike CHS

I looked out the living room window to see a set of twins running around and it looks like they were born yesterday evening.  That pile in the line of view is one of the garden beds with grass and leaves piled up.


----------



## Mike CHS

I moved the ewe and her two ram lambs into the nursery paddock by the shop and then spent the next hour and a half working with Maisy.  She claimed the lambs right off the bat and as soon as Mel even looked like he was going to go toward them, she attacked.  I'll spend most of the day out making sure things work out and if not, I'll separate the dogs.

The ram lambs are 9.2 and 9.5 pounds.


----------



## Mike CHS

Even though Thanksgiving dinner was just Teresa and I we made the kind of meal we always made for company (just less of it).  We called friends up the hill and asked if we could make them a plate and Jamie said David wasn't feeling like eating so one plate would be plenty.  I imagine it will be.


----------



## farmerjan

Nice surprise (?) lambs?  Didn't think you were expecting any this soon but I can't remember.  Meal looked real good.  Had a good meal at a friends and ate enough that I didn't even feel like dessert..... Should've brought some of them home but I didn't.


----------



## Mike CHS

farmerjan said:


> Nice surprise (?) lambs?  Didn't think you were expecting any this soon but I can't remember.  Meal looked real good.  Had a good meal at a friends and ate enough that I didn't even feel like dessert..... Should've brought some of them home but I didn't.



We could have had lambs starting on the 17th of this month if they had been cycling when they went in with the ram.


----------



## farmerjan

Okay, I was somehow thinking that there was a catch... but in the back of my mind I was thinking they were coming due the middle of Jan....Maybe the ram just wanted to make sure they all had them around the same time so waited until he saw some good heats to start breeding????


----------



## Baymule

That was a nice Thanksgiving present!  Twin lambs! Somehow I am not surprised that Maisy staked her claim to the lambs and let Mel know it.   She is a bit bossy.

That looks like a nice Thanksgiving dinner. I know y'all would have loved for your families and friends to have been there, but it is what it is. I think y'all made the most of it. Taking a plate to your neighbors was a kind thing to do. Isn't he the one with cancer? Bless you both for being good neighbors.


----------



## Mike CHS

I spent most of the day with them and by the time I left, they had called a truce.  I wish I had a video of a couple of things.  Mel is super smart and knew what was setting Maisy off so he avoided getting around the lambs for most of the time I was out there and stayed with me where it was safe.  For whatever reason, the lambs tend to follow Mel around and every time they got close to him he would go off in the opposite direction and never let them get close.  He would watch the lambs and then look around to see where Maisy was.    They have it worked out today and the lambs are good with everything.  The ewe is one of our first generation but calm and the lambs have that same trait.  Often on day two, lambs want nothing to do with anything or anyone other than their mom but these two come in with her when she comes in for feed and have no fear of people.  They come right up and don't mind being handled but they were handled several times on their birth day and their mom never reacted.


----------



## Baymule

Mel is the best. He is so intuitive and just _knows_ without being told. Very wise of you to spend the day with them and let the dogs work things out under your supervision.


----------



## Mike CHS

The dogs seem to have come to a routine now and it works mostly because Mel does his watching of the lambs from a distance.  Maisy is obsessed with the two ram lambs and unless I'm out there, wherever you see the lambs, Maisy isn't far away.  This is the first time she has been like this but it's also the first time she has been in with so few sheep.  Up until this lambing, we kept them in an adjacent paddock until the lambs were all born and then let them in.  We had 48 lambs last spring and I guess there were just too many for her to have a favorite.


----------



## thistlebloom

I had to laugh at your description of Mels behavior, trying to avoid the lambs.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Baymule said:


> Somehow I am not surprised that Maisy staked her claim to the lambs and let Mel know it.  She is a bit bossy...  Taking a plate to your neighbors was a kind thing to do. Isn't he the one with cancer? Bless you both for being good neighbors.





Mike CHS said:


> I spent most of the day with them and by the time I left, they had called a truce.



When I first read this, Mr. Mike, I thought you were talking about your neighbors, not Mel and Maisy!  Sorry, my Texas Aggie I/Q got in the way again!  Miss Baymule is right -- that was a neighborly thing for you to do!


----------



## Mike CHS

We were looking for a recipe using Butternut Squash that was a bit different to go with a Meatloaf this afternoon.   What we came up with was a Thai recipe that is excellent although a little sweet for me so next time I'll use less sweetener.  The recipe calls for brown sugar but we always use a Splenda Blend to keep the sugar count down for Teresa.  I'm pasting the recipe in case anyone is interested.

Butternut Squash in Coconut Milk
Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings 

Ingredients
1/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
½ small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
¼ cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled and cut into large cubes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
Cilantro sprig and purple kale (optional) (We use a Cilantro paste)

Preparation: 
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread coconut in baking pan. Bake 6 minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool and crisp.
2. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir 3 minutes or until tender. Add coconut milk, brown sugar, fish sauce and red pepper flakes; stir until sugar is dissolved.
3. Bring mixture to a boil; add squash. Reduce heat to medium; cover and simmer 30 minutes or until squash is tender. Transfer squash to serving bowl with slotted spoon.
4. Increase heat to high; boil remaining liquid until thick, stirring constantly. Pour liquid over squash in bowl. Sprinkle with toasted coconut and chopped cilantro. Garnish, if desired.


----------



## Baymule

That sounds good! I'll have to try that, put some of those Giant Pink Banana Squash to use other than pie or bread.


----------



## Mike CHS

I actually followed the recipe and it is great.  The taste comes from the reduced mixture at the end.  Before that the squash is good but after adding the mixture it is great.


----------



## Mike CHS

It wasn't intentional but I think Teresa decided to maximize our cholesterol intake this morning.  She made an excellent spinach omelette with Hollandaise sauce , oven roasted potatoes, bacon and biscuits.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Mike CHS said:


> It wasn't intentional but I think Teresa decided to maximize our cholesterol intake this morning.


Sometimes you just gotta do what  you gotta do, lol!  Looks delish!


----------



## Baymule

That looks yummy!


----------



## Mike CHS

It looks like winter has finally gotten here.   We got a very rare snow last night and the temp is in the low 20's.  It is still nice since we don't have any wind which is also rare around here.  I posted this same view several years ago when we got a little more than 4" of snow and the local kids were sledding down this hill at the edge of our place.


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## Baymule

What a beautiful view! Low 20’s is cold!


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## Bruce

It is 50°F here today  
It is actually pretty appropriate, today is our 30th anniversary. It was 50°F in Stowe the day we got married, WAY not normal. My sister from So. Cal. had to take her 2 year old up to the Notch to see snow. 

But the cold is coming up from the south, temp will drop to below freezing tonight. We won't likely see 40°F in the next week and probably not after.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> It is 50°F here today
> today is our 30th anniversary



Happy Anniversary Bruce!  Ours is in 6 days but nowhere near 30 years.


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## Baymule

Happy Anniversary Bruce and Happy Anniversary Mike (in 9 days LOL)


----------



## farmerjan

Yes, Happy Anniversary.....We were 36 this morning after the rain... windy and very chilly.  Supposed to be colder tonight and tomorrow in the 40's ....then a little warming trend in the 50's.   Didn't get any snow, it stayed to the west.  Okay by me....


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Beautiful picture, Mike!

Sorry that I am a day late, Mr. @Bruce, but Happy 30th Anniversary!  I hope your celebration was wonderful!  And Happy Anniversary to you and Teresa, Mr. @Mike CHS.  Do you two have anything wonderful planned.


----------



## Mike CHS

Every day is wonderful but no plans off the farm this year.


----------



## Ridgetop

Just catching up on this posting!


Mike CHS said:


> Cooper was a 4H ram and is almost Ringo like and leash trained.


It makes the entire sheep thing easier when they are halter or leash trained.


Beekissed said:


> I can back a huge trailer but the smaller one I use for transporting sheep jack knifes so easily it's nigh impossible to get into tight spaces.


I could ever back up our little 2 horse Miley, but have no trouble with the big bumper pull 16' stock.  Longer trailers are easier to keep straight - either the wheel length or tongue.  DH would know.  He also says that 5th wheel style trailers are also easier to maneuver but they turn differently.   I do know that knowing how to drive ad back up a trailer myself, makes it easier to guide DH - particularly since now he is deaf and we have to use hand signals.  It is always hard to hear over the diesel truck engine but add in deafness and it becomes a real problem when he insists on backing the trailer himself.  Luckily he is a fantastic driver and used to drive big rigs so is able to put the trailers where he wants them by himself.


----------



## Ridgetop

Congratulations on your start to lambing season!   I notice that your ewes are mostly white now.  Have you gotten away from spots and color?  You have some nice thick ewes there.  Breeding for length and thickness as well as parasite control is the way to go.  More meat on the carcass means more $ in the wallet.  

Now that our 2020 lambing season is over, I will register all the ewe lambs.   Easier to do it now when I am still working with their weights, tagging, etc.  We have 2 Lewis sired ewe lambs and 4 MoyBoy sired ewe lambs.  All Axtell's lambs were rams.  The final 4 ewes are not due until January.  Two are bred to Axtell so it remains to be seen about his get.  I am still not sure about him.   The ewes that are bred to him have produced some excellent keeper lambs so what they produce bred to him will be the deciding vote.  I am prepared to sell him if I get an offer.   

We have a  couple of really nice fall ewe lambs.  I will have to make an effort to have Elizabeth and David halter break them.   Daniel doesn't like animals!  Strange!  Could he be a Changeling?  LOL  I will have Elizabeth start halter breaking Snowflake since she is very gentle and already tame.  

I plan to go through last spring's crop and send several to the auction along with a couple of yearlings.  Cull heavily and don't falter!  Luckily Snowflake has turned into a lovely eweling and is as large or larger than the others her age.  We were worried that she had been slightly stunted by being kept in the barn jug for so long due t her mom's prolapse.  

Good start on lambing!  Great start on reseeding grass too.  If you reseed just before a snowfall, I have read that it is good too.  Not sure what the benefit is for the seed, but it s supposed to bring the grass up very lush when the snow melts.  DH wants to seed the front pastures with a pasture grass mix.  I told him he should do it just before the first snowfall to get the best results!    He looked at me very funny.


----------



## Mike CHS

Hopefully the lull in lambs is over or at least I hope so.  The ewe that we used to call Wild Thang had a ewe lamb this afternoon  I picked up the lamb and got them moved into the nursery pen.  I didn't even sex it since I had to keep my eye on the ewe.  Most of our ewes will quietly follow me when I move their lambs but this girl constantly rubs her head on my hip while she is deciding whether or not she can get by with a head butt to get her baby back.


----------



## Mike CHS

I cooked some Delicata Squash sort of like chips that turned out really great.  I cut them fairly thin and added some olive oil, sea salt and pepper and shook to mix then baked them at 425 degrees.  I baked them till they looked almost burnt and they were tasty.  We haven't had any potato chips for a couple of years so it was a pleasant treat.


----------



## Mike CHS

A "just because" picture.  Mel and Maisy have gotten back into a good routine now that they have sheep to watch over again.  One of them will stay wherever the sheep are as the other will go out and check things out.


----------



## Ridgetop

Great partnership skills showing an LGD pair that are truly working as a team to protect their flock!  They really have adapted to working as a team instead of individual LGDs.  

I love the way they "assign" their guardian chores in shifts.  The dogs will "talk" to each other about their duties somehow.  I remember coming out 6 months ago to find all the sheep clustered around the field gate with Angel sitting bolt upright staring into the gully.  She remained that way for about 15 minutes.  Then she got up and starting getting happy - Rika appeared out of the gully, they touched noses and stood a moment that way.  Then Rika ad Angel walked into the gully together leading the sheep down.  Obviously, Rika as ranking pack member posted Angel to guard the sheep on the top of the gully while she reconnoitered.   Angel was still only 18 months old - a puppy - but old enough to watch the sheep in a safe spot while Rika dealt with any threat.  A real teaching episode by a senior dog to a puppy that I was privileged to see.

I always know who has the majority of night duty - they go missing after morning feeding time.  All 3 dogs greet each other and play a bit then settle into the guard routine.  One stays up on the hillside overlooking the gully, one disappear to get some sleep, and the other settles wherever they have a good view of the area they feel needs the most protections.  We can even drag the sleeping LGD around by the tail and it stays asleep BUT a warning bark from the ones on guard has the sleeper on its feet ready for battle in seconds!  

Usually all 3 will be on guard at night during a period of predator activity (which is happening again now).  Unfortunately Rika and Bubba will be working harder than usual since Angel  is in season again  and on vacation at the boarding kennel.  I planned to have her fixed but was dissuaded hoping to get her registered and have a litter.  But boarding is expensive and she is out of commission for 3 weeks every 6 months!  

We need a thread where we can post these episodes as we witness them!


----------



## Ridgetop

Mike CHS said:


> The ewe that we used to call Wild Thang had a ewe lamb this afternoon I picked up the lamb and got them moved into the nursery pen. I didn't even sex it since I had to keep my eye on the ewe. Most of our ewes will quietly follow me when I move their lambs but this girl constantly rubs her head on my hip while she is deciding whether or not she can get by with a head butt to get her baby back.



Do you have to put up your LGDs to move the ewe and lamb?  We have to put Bubba up when we transfer sheep, particularly ewes with new lambs, since he really objects to us moving them from his territory to a new spot.  It is very annoying and if we forget to put him up or in the house, he chases the ewe back to her previous location.  He also tries to steal the baby.

I am rethinking his behavior.  Perhaps he does not want us to move her from his area (where he can watch her and knows there are not dangers) into the barn where she might be exposed to new dangers he has not checked out.  Also I wonder if his trying to take the lamb - which includes him trying to grab it with his mouth out of our arms - is his way of trying to return it to the ewe who is circling behind us bleating.  I will consider this possibility and discuss it with Erick. Once the ewe and newborn are safely in the jugs, Bubba is calm and lays down right next to the pens.  If the ewe lambs in the open field, he is calmer and unless we try to move the ewe he just waits near her.  

Anyone have any thoughts on this?  Remembering that Bubba is a male Anatolian with a very high protection drive who adores lambs.  Rika and Angel also want to guard the ewe and lambs but will allow us to move the ewe.  If Bubba is interfering, Angel gets excited and rushes with him.  If Bubba is removed or penned, neither bitch interferes, but follows the ewe to the new location, checks it out, and returns to their duties.  

Have you seen this behavior Mike?


----------



## Mike CHS

I was still working on the tree line encroachment as it was getting dark this afternoon so Teresa looked up a recipe for one of her favorite dishes which is Cod Puttanesca or actually any seafood Puttanesca.  She had dinner ready when I came in and this particular dish is one that she has always asked me to make because she thought it was pretty complicated.  She did mention that I had her fooled all of these years over dishes like this since they are so easy.


----------



## Baymule

@Ridgetop you are right about it being a privilege to  watch these dogs work! Sheba is starting to see hawks and buzzards as a threat to the chickens, I've seen her looking upwards at them. 

Trip loves the lambs but is OK with us moving them or picking them up. Sentry is the same.


----------



## Ridgetop

Mike CHS said:


> She had dinner ready when I came in and this particular dish is one that she has always asked me to make because she thought it was pretty complicated. She did mention that I had her fooled all of these years over dishes like this since they are so easy.


Alas! Mike. you may have lost your reputation as the chef of complicated dishes!    On the other hand, any time my men want to cook for me I am happy to have them do it.  Teresa is probably the same.  Being able to cook together must be a lot of fun.  I am pretty much the only cook in this household so any man that likes to take over the cooking chores is a hero to me!  I have been cooking for a family of 6 ever since my mother went to work when I was 15.  I would look forward to retirement but there is none for women.  

You know the old proverb "A man must work from sun to sun, but a woman's work is never done."

@Baymule - Our Pyrs were fine with it too, although that may have been because with dairy animals they are moved twice daily to the milking parlor.  Probably it is just Bubba, sigh . . . . 

So glad to hear that Sheba continues to grow into her guarding potential.  You are right about the large birds, our Anatolians used to chase away ravens, hawks, etc.   Glad that in spite of Sentry's health issues, he is also doing well and has become a good guardian.  Good old Trip and Paris (crazy though she may be) are good role models for them to follow and learn from.


----------



## Baymule

Sheba has grown bigger than poor stunted little Sentry. She now bulldozes him, grabs him by the nape of his neck and shakes him. She grabs a hind leg (NO Sheba! Not the bad leg!) stretches it out and knocks him down. She does the same with his front legs. I find tiny bite marks on him where she played too rough. He falls down, probably to minimize damage, but she wools him like a rag. When he finally gets enough, he fights back, but it is a losing battle. I marvel at his patience.


----------



## Mike CHS

I need to take a few pictures this morning.  The ewe we call Notag must have been holding her twin ram lambs in waiting on me to get there.  Just kidding of course but this is the third time in a row that she had twin lambs while I was out with them.   They are moved down to the nursery paddock already.


----------



## Mike CHS

Ridgetop said:


> Have you seen this behavior Mike?



We don't have that problem but we move the dogs out of the birthing paddock just before the ewes are due to lamb.  Maisy likes to help clean new born lambs and then doesn't want to let them go back to the dam and we wind up with bottle lamb(s).

I took a few pictures - so far one ewe lamb and the rest are ram lambs which is fine since we weren't planning on retaining any ewes this time other than any that are exceptional and rate registering.


----------



## Baymule

Norah just wants you around when she is lambing. You are a ewe whisperer. LOL


----------



## Ridgetop

I talked to Erick today and he said that the overly protective behavior of LGDs with lambs is part of the genetic coding that makes them such good guardians.  We leave the dogs with the ewes prior to lambing and move the ewes that we identify as due at any time into a single large pen adjacent to the night fold to lamb.  They are near the house and away from perimeter fencing so are well protected.  The dogs do not go into that pen.  

He told me how he trains his dogs when they are pups to allow him to carry kids and lambs even if the dogs are super protective.  I'll talk about it on my Ridgetop journal.


----------



## Mike CHS

Maisy doesn't like it when I handle the new born lambs but she doesn't get aggressive.  She has this passive/aggressive thing she does when she is stressed where she will bite on air if that makes any sense.  You can hear the chomp but it's always passive and not directed at me.

Mel will try to get between me and any lambs that I'm heading towards but backs off when I tell him to.

The first year when we were still building fence and needed our herding dogs to move sheep, I could put Maisy in a "stay" and she was fine with the dogs herding the sheep.  We never attempted it with lambs so I have no idea how they would have reacted but assume it would not have been pleasant the way she latches on to the new borns.  I used Lance the other day to hold some sheep but it was only because it was a good chance to give him some time.    Mel is more the typical LGD and only minds when it fits what he wants to do and there is no way I would try to use the herd dogs with him loose.  He may have been quite the house dog for several years but he has reached his prime.  I love it that it has worked out for him the way it has.


----------



## Baymule

Mel has come into his own.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Marvelous  Mel   .....sure has had a interesting  journey in his life travels,... dear boy has always been surrounded by people who love him..... I'm  sure he is getting big smiles from above


----------



## Mike CHS

We were working on a cattle panel cutting out some access holes and making it where we can use it as a hay ring.  I got a reminder that when you use a tool an awful lot, you get complacent about safety aspects.  I have a good pair of machinist safety gloves and of course I wasn't wearing any when the angle grinder took a big chunk out of my left hand index finger.


----------



## thistlebloom

Ouch! 
I used my angle grinder a lot last spring making peony cages out of CPs for a clients landscape.
I just wore my Atlas garden gloves and was being careful and attentive until the property manager showed up and we got to talking a bit. When he left my mind was elsewhere and I zinged right through the glove and into my thumb. That woke me up!


----------



## Mike CHS

The grinder won't go through the gloves I have but you have to be wearing them to do any good.


----------



## Baymule

That sounds painful. Even more so because you knew better. Bet’cha don’t do that again.


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Mike CHS said:


> I have a good pair of machinist safety gloves and of course I wasn't wearing any when the angle grinder took a big chunk out of my left hand index finger.





thistlebloom said:


> I zinged right through the glove and into my thumb.



Dang!  I am a bad influence on you two!


----------



## Mike CHS

It's throbbing a bit but the worst thing was getting blood all over the shop floor before we got it cleaned out and wrapped


----------



## Mike CHS

I mentioned the other day that our wedding Anniversary is today but it is also Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day 79 years ago.

We didn't do anything special but we did treat ourselves to a nice dinner of surf and turf.   I had a baked potato and Teresa had sweet potato and sauteed spinich.


----------



## farmerjan

Happy Anniversary..... easy to remember, nice way to also honor the sacrifices of our (your) military brothers....


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa chose the date but I did remind her of some of the history on that date to make sure she wanted to keep it on that day.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Happy anniversary  to you both


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## Baymule

Happy Anniversary to you and Teresa. This is a double special day.


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## Mike CHS

Like all of you, every day is special.


----------



## thistlebloom

Happy anniversary! I like your attitude.


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## Mike CHS

The latest within an hour of each other - both had a ram lamb and a ewe lamb.  The first is trying to figure out where the milk is.  I love the markings on the ewe lamb in the second and wondering how much of it will fade.


----------



## Ridgetop

*STOP POSTING PIX OF THAT DEICIOUS FOOD!     

I WANT TO BITE MY COMPUTER SCREEN!*

I am the only cook and getting tired of cooking after 55 years cooking for a large family starting when I had to cook for our family of 6 because my mother worked the swing shift.  When I got married I only knew how to cook for 6 people! We had a tiny apartment refrigerator/freezer at first so poor DH had to eat the same meal for 3 straight days!  It took several years before I figured put that even if I bought family size packs to save money, I could just separate them into 2 person meal sizes.  The only problem there was that we could never have an impromptu guest since there were only 2 portions.  LOL   Otherwise I would rush into the kitchen and convert our dinner into stew or soup.


----------



## Mike CHS

I did most of the cooking until we left Charleston and now it's just about even or we do it together.  Teresa worked as a manager an O'Charley's with some pretty strange hours so it worked for us.


----------



## Bruce

Happy belated anniversary!
How is the wound? I've not cut CPs with the angle grinder, I've used bolt cutters. Of course the angle grinder would cut much closer to the adjoining piece.


----------



## Mike CHS

Thanks Bruce.  It looks gross but it's more annoying because the bandage gets in the way with everything.  It's also a pain to type without an index finger.  

A cutting blade on the grinder cuts the joints flush since the opening will have sheep heads using the holes to get at the hay bale


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> It's also a pain to type without an index finger.


I bet, even harder for those who are 1 or 2 finger typists!

I'm sure it does cut closer, but I didn't think about the angle grinder the last time I needed to cut one. Didn't have it the prior time. But there is always NEXT time! The angle grinder sure makes cutting metal roof panels a lot easier. And it is so useful to "repair" new cast iron pans


----------



## Baymule

Congrats on the 2 sets of twins. I never grow tired of lambing. That is some pretty markings on that lamb, hope her spots don't fade.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Congrats on the 2 sets of twins. I never grow tired of lambing. That is some pretty markings on that lamb, hope her spots don't fade.



I don't know if you remember Percy that we sold as a herd sire but he was marked like this ewe and he is even prettier now than when he was a lamb.


----------



## Baymule

Yes I do remember Percy, he was gorgeous!


----------



## Mike CHS

Our 54 ewe had a single ewe lamb this morning (which is a first for her) and we got the newborn lambs and their dams moved into the nursery paddock.  The other pictures are just because pictures.  Maisy was going around memorizing lambs scent and Mel was doing what Mel enjoys doing the most.


----------



## Baymule

The look on Mel’s face says it all. 
is that another spotty lamb? How pretty! 
Good girl Maisy! Take care of the babies!


----------



## Mike CHS

That is another spotty lamb.   I'm hoping they grow out well since so far all of the spotty lambs are ewe lambs.


----------



## Baymule

Eye candy!


----------



## Mike CHS

No pictures yet since they aren't finished but three ewes are in labor.  We will give them time to do their thing then move them to the next paddock.


----------



## Mike CHS

We went down to the shop shelter and got caught up with ear tags.  We have to run in to the vets for Lance's shots but it looks like there are at least 5 new lambs out in the paddock so Maxwell must have had a good day 5 months ago.  No idea who belongs to who but we'll figure that out and move them when we get back.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Mel was doing what Mel enjoys doing the most.


Became a good LGD but hasn't forgotten his "I used to be a pet" side.


----------



## Mike CHS

I lambing cycle got cut by quite a bit today.  The  ewe with the twins is one that usually has trips but I prefer twins with her.  She is one of our original 10 sheep and is getting up in years.  The last picture has had singles now three times in a row so her future here is uncertain but she does make pretty lambs though.  The remainder are first time having lambs.


----------



## Mini Horses

They are all in such wonderful condition!   Twins are nice, hope she gives you a few more sets.. The last may only single but that is a good looking ewe!!!  Have you kept any of her ewe kids, and do they twin?   Singles don't upset me since I spent years with horses.  But I generally get twins from my goats, except a young FF.


----------



## Mike CHS

The last one is from a Katahdin farm down in Georgia.  One of our registered yearlings is her daughter and is built just like her dam but hasn't been bred yet.  They are easy keepers and stay in condition on just grass.  I don't mind singles so much if hey make up for it in other ways.  We just moved the ewes and their lambs and her single ewe lamb weighs 12.2 so there wasn't much room left in there for a twin.  Her yearling daughter weighed 12.6 which was our biggest lamb last season so that's her norm.

The third picture is also one of our originals and she is almost impossible to keep in condition but she is good with parasites.


----------



## Baymule

The lamb count is climbing. Maxwell did good! There is even a little color here and there.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> The lamb count is climbing. Maxwell did good! There is even a little color here and there.



I want to watch the ones that have the black, since that will last.  I don't much care what the market likes since that is what I want.


----------



## Mike CHS

I'll get pictures when there is more to post but we have another set of twins from one of our best girls (one each male/female) and they are 8.8 and 9.2.  I move them to a small 3/4 acre paddock that separates the lambing paddock and the home paddock.  I went out this morning and opened the gate so they can move when they are ready.  Our two senior ewes 33 &34 are siblings and seem joined at the hip.  34 was already in the home paddock so when I opened the gate, 33 came running through (leaving her lambs behind) and joined with her sister.  They both came back and got the lambs so she didn't forget them.


----------



## Mike CHS

I've been working on the seemingly never ending fence line tree removal but we took a break and ran into Kroger before the crowd gathers.  They have a nice sale going on Prime Rib Roast so we got one of them to have as our Christmas dinner.  They had a limit of one per customer or I would have gotten more and cut them up for steaks.  We stocked up on their 8 piece fried chicken and got 4 of those.    We vacuum seal meal sized portions so we usually wind up with a dozen or more meals and at 2 for $10 it's hard to beat the bargain.


----------



## Mike CHS

We got caught up on ear tags this morning and also tagged a single ram lamb that was born this morning and that lamb is the 146th lamb born on our place.  There is a lot to be said for being really hands-on with our sheep. The sheep we were tagging this morning were from 4-7 days old which can be a challenge to catch two days after they are born.  Our ewes stay so calm when we are among them that the lambs don't know that they are supposed to be afraid.


----------



## Baymule

You are having a good lambing. That is a sweet story about your #34 and #33 ewes.


----------



## Mike CHS

Our sheep have always been pretty good about not destroying the round hay bales until this winter.  We have a sheep and goat panel that wasn't being used so I cut enough openings in it that the sheep have access to the bale without being able to use their hooves to tear at the bale.  We also have enough partial panels to use on a round bale in the other paddock that we are using so our actual hay consumption rate is a whole lot better (almost double the time so far and there is still a lot of hay within the panels.

We ran across a recipe called Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup that we had tonight.  I can see why they use that name since Bell Pepper Soup wouldn't have a whole lot of draw.   It's basically the ingredients (chopped) that you use in the stuffed peppers then add beef broth and stewed tomatoes to make the broth for the soup.  Same awesome taste with and very satisfying.


----------



## farmerjan

Would you adopt me so that I could eat some of these tasty sounding meals??????


----------



## Baymule

We are having leftover orange chicken, it’s yummy! Your bell pepper soup sounds good too. Been raining here and drizzling all day. It’s headed your way. We got 1 1/2” and glad to have it. Been cold, wet and icky all day.


----------



## Mike CHS

Orange Chicken is one of my favorites.


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> Orange Chicken is one of my favorites.


I never made it before yesterday. I just ordered it at Chinese restaurants. I found the recipe and put it together. It came out good.


----------



## Mike CHS

Evidently Maxwell got a respite in his taking care of his harem duties.  We still have three left to lamb but they are showing all of the signs.  I wasn't even sure that Princess (our earlier bottle lamb) was even pregnant until the last few days.

I worked on my fence line again this morning and got a few areas that I have been avoiding done.  These were spots that had more briars than saplings but they were thick and had more sharp edges than my gloves could handle but they are now gone.  The plan is to get this cleaned up back to the fence that has been mostly gone for the last 20 plus years and I'll use the sheep to keep it cut.  I have been letting them out to graze on the lanes but I obviously have to stay out there to make sure they stay where they need to be.  This "lane" varies from 25' up to 50' wide but it goes a little over 1500'  but it can be fenced in a couple of days this spring.  Of course since I said a couple of days, it will probably take closer to a week since there will still be a lot of standing timber on the line.

I didn't get as much done as I wanted today because we had ordered bulk feed at the feed store we use just across the state line in Alabama.  It's only 30 miles away but we get a half ton of our feed blend (minimum order) so by the time I go down there, then drive back and then get all of the feed out of the bags and stored, it's time to do afternoon chores and take care of critters.


----------



## Baymule

Hooray on cleaning fence row, boo on briars! That will give you more pasture.
We buy an all purpose pellet. It started out being horse feed, then sheep, even the chickens. I feed it to feeder pigs, but the last two we had were picky, wouldn’t eat it and I had to buy them hog feed. LOL


----------



## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Mike CHS said:


> I worked on my fence line again this morning and got a few areas that I have been avoiding done.



Did you get any pictures?


----------



## Mike CHS

Senile_Texas_Aggie said:


> Did you get any pictures?



That tree line is a never ending project so I didn't get any pictures.


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## Mike CHS

I was on the web site that holds my IRA since I turned 70 and figured this year would require me to make a distribution only to find that the age requirement had changed to 72 instead of 70 1/2.


----------



## farmerjan

The rules change is to give people a false sense of security..... so that once they change the rules again, you will be limited to what you can take and it will be subject to other rules and taxes.   My suggestion ...... start taking whatever you can because if the "incoming administration" has their way, they are talking taxing the retirements of millions to help " your fellow man" and to make it more "equitable" for others..... They have outright said this... and if the ones behind the incoming president elect have their way, he will be declared mentally incompetent, and we will be in such a way to not be able to stop some of what they have proposed.  I want my money that I saved for and put away.... they are not going to start taxing it MORE, for those that  "need it" because they have less than me and won't work but want to be "taken care of"........
Took out a chunk when I bought the house, and am going to take out more after the first of the year.... for the new "heating system" at the house..... not going to leave it there to be possibly taxed  or otherwise "borrowed" by the gov't.


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## Mike CHS

I take out any cash every year since I no longer actively trade.


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## Baymule

So they moved the goal post on you? That is not right. What @farmerjan said is right, get your money out of reach by the legal thieves.


----------



## Mini Horses

Mine is already out.   😁   I'm gonna start looking for what ways I can take " theirs".  Gimme, gimme.


----------



## Mike CHS

I think three of my ewes are waiting on warmer weather to have their lambs.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Smart girls


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> I think three of my ewes are waiting on warmer weather to have their lambs.


Do they have their back legs crossed, sitting down with their eyeballs bulging out?


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Do they have their back legs crossed, sitting down with their eyeballs bulging out?



I'm not sure what they are waiting on but these three are among the tamest that will come for scratches over feed so maybe they just like the extra attention.  

This morning is one of those days where it isn't very cold but there is a steady rain and nothing happening so I'll post some lamb pictures.


----------



## Mike CHS

I noticed that our HVAC unit had ice all around the intake panels.  We got the ice off of them and off of the copper pipes on the inside of the unit.  Our neighbor saw us working on the thing and called to see what was going on and then came down to check it out.  He works for a Heating and Air company out of Nashville and took care of the problem.  We offered to pay and he said that was just some pay back for all the times I have cut his grass.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Got to love good neighbors, glad it wasn't  something  costly....but wait,.. 2020 isn't  over yet 🤔


----------



## farmerjan

@B&B Happy goats  hush your mouth..... don't even hint that there is any room left in 2020 for any other bad stuff to happen.....


----------



## B&B Happy goats

farmerjan said:


> @B&B Happy goats  hush your mouth..... don't even hint that there is any room left in 2020 for any other bad stuff to happen.....


Sure hope there isn't  Jan   ........


----------



## Baymule

Those sure are some super gorgeous lambs! 

One of our neighbors has a heating and AC business. He does things for us at no charge. We sometimes pick up his kids from school, they know they can always count on us. He and his girlfriend are getting married in March and asked BJ to officiate their wedding. I found a web site and got him ordained. This is going to be good.......


----------



## Bruce

farmerjan said:


> start taking whatever you can because if the "incoming administration" has their way, they are talking taxing the retirements of millions to help " your fellow man" and to make it more "equitable" for others..... They have outright said this...


Can you please post a link to a credible site confirming this?


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> and took care of the problem


Which was??


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Which was??



It had a switch going out.


----------



## farmerjan

Bruce said:


> Can you please post a link to a credible site confirming this?


@Bruce ,  if  you even do a google for democratic party retirement account policy, there are several different places to see what has been proposed... but one that I really think has some easy to understand is an article that is in the FFF article.... Future of Freedom Foundation..... 4-2-2020.... Will 401K's be nationalized.... ; Also CashMoneyLife.... 8-25-2020 Can the US Govt seize your 401K.... Investment news 9-29 Plans to repeal the tax deferral of IRA's....Guideline changing tax rates on 401K's....there alot more that you can pull up and read.
It all leads to things that they have "suggested" ..... if you think that they won't go after your retirement accounts to put more money back into the "economy" .... then you are not looking at this with your eyes open.  One of the articles is saying how it will be like a double tax in the long run. 

I don't trust them as far as I can throw them.

Part of it is that BOTH parties have gone nuts with the national debt.... all the "stimulus" monies , and the BS they have tried to put into this latest stimulus bill that has next to nothing for the little average "joe" and more for all these other countries and BS projects..... WE are either going to go into super inflation.... and economic collapse..... or we are going to just have our money "borrowed", with gov't treasury paper guarantees,  which will continue this insane pace of debt that will lead to collapse anyway.  

I do not have any degree in economics... I would like to find someone to help me figure out all the economic ins and outs to make my money make more money.... BUT..... I no longer feel like it is safe.  I am going to get alot of it out so that I have it in my hand.... not paper money.... but in spendable silver,  and in assets in hand like food and goods.  Look at Venezuela...... the inflation...... because their economy collapsed.  If there is nothing in the bank/retirement account/IRA etc.... then they can't take it/tax it/ confiscate it/borrow it/or give me any kind of a gov't guarantee that they are going to use but here is a paper that says we will give it to you later on.


----------



## Bruce

What I saw said Biden would like to change the 401K from pre tax to a tax credit. And if one doesn't make enough to pay taxes they would still get the credit applicable to the amount of money they put in it for the year. The theory is it is better for the poor and middle class, less great for the upper and rich. I've seen nothing credible regarding the government taking the 401Ks. And even if Biden wanted to do that it would never pass the house and senate.


----------



## farmerjan

If you think it won't pass the senate and house, then you are really dreaming Especially if they are all controlled by the same party.....If it means a way to "finance" the continued give aways that make people more dependent on the gov't, they will go for it in a heartbeat.


----------



## Baymule

Bruce said:


> What I saw said Biden would like to change the 401K from pre tax to a tax credit. And if one doesn't make enough to pay taxes they would still get the credit applicable to the amount of money they put in it for the year. The theory is it is better for the poor and middle class, less great for the upper and rich. I've seen nothing credible regarding the government taking the 401Ks. And even if Biden wanted to do that it would never pass the house and senate.



Laws are in place for scalping bank accounts. The money in your account may be taken to pay off the banks creditors. This was hatched after the "too big to fail" bank fiasco in....... I believe it was in Bush #2 presidency or maybe Obama. After the government bail outs, it was decided to let the depositors bail out the failed bans.


----------



## Mike CHS

The cuts we made in the cattle panel to go around the round bale needed some mods so we got that done this morning.  We have doubled the time it takes the sheep to go through a bale now so that time has already paid for itself.

Teresa and I are sitting here watching "It's a Wonderful Life" and decided this would be a good time to wish everyone a Merry Christmas!


----------



## Mike CHS

The cuts we made in the cattle panel to go around the round bale needed some mods so we got that done this morning.  We have doubled the time it takes the sheep to go through a bale now so that time has already paid for itself.

Teresa and I are sitting here watching "It's a Wonderful Life" and decided this would be a good time to wish everyone a Merry Christmas!


----------



## farmerjan

Merry Christmas to you both also


----------



## Mike CHS

The wind outside is painful.  We didn't leave the house more than we had to but I did go out several times to make sure the sheep had water rather than ice.  We had a Zoom call this morning with the family and opened presents "together".  It wasn't like being together but it was still nice.  We had plenty of laughs and got to enjoy the Grands also.

We made a nice early dinner to celebrate the Christmas day.  We will be eating on the prime rib for several meals or until we decide to freeze it.  Teresa did a peach pie made with some of our fresh frozen peaches that was absolutely perfect.


----------



## Beekissed

Mike CHS said:


> The wind outside is painful.  We didn't leave the house more than we had to but I did go out several times to make sure the sheep had water rather than ice.  We had a Zoom call this morning with the family and opened presents "together".  It wasn't like being together but it was still nice.  We had plenty of laughs and got to enjoy the Grands also.
> 
> We made a nice early dinner to celebrate the Christmas day.  We will be eating on the prime rib for several meals or until we decide to freeze it.  Teresa did a peach pie made with some of our fresh frozen peaches that was absolutely perfect.
> 
> 
> View attachment 79794


Oh, man, that makes me hungry...and I just ate!  Such delicious foods cooked at your house, Mike!    Simply lovely.  

The wind is just picking up here so I figure tomorrow will hurt during chore time.  Today it was only mildly uncomfortable.


----------



## farmerjan

Beautiful looking meal.  Glad you could share with the family in some way.  

So much colder today, breezy, and made it feel colder.... 60's yesterday.... 26 this morning and dropping..... BRRRRR


----------



## Baymule

That looks like a lovely Christmas dinner! Merry Christmas!


----------



## Ridgetop

farmerjan said:


> If it means a way to "finance" the continued give aways that make people more dependent on the gov't, they will go for it in a heartbeat.



Just think but how the government taxes your Social Security - you paid taxes on it going in and you pay again when you collect.  Then the government says that Social Security is one of those "handouts" even though workers put it in.  I want to know when they plan to tax *welfare* give-aways.  The amount a welfare recipient gets in free housing, food stamps, $$ and medical is staggering when you add it up.  If you figure out what you would have to gross to have that much net purchasing power out of your check it is astounding.   It is actually more than a lot of middle class people even earn.  Retired people pay taxes twice on their SS and savings, but welfare is tax free.  Do you really think the government will give up any money it can squeeze out of the working citizen or retired person with a 401K, IRA, etc?  Some of those new rules governing IRA withdrawals is now taxing those funds twice too.  

I was set to take my IRA distribution next year but DH just found out that I have to wait another year since the government moved the age limit to 72.  DH wanted me to wait until I was 70 to take any SS distribution since I get a minimal amount, but I nixed that!  I might as well collect as much as possible in case SS goes belly up.  I can just transfer it to a savings account in case SS collapses.  The government has long considered SS their own private slush fund to draw on for anything they want.  People that have never put in are drawing out - and I don't mean widows or orphan children of SS payors, rather immigrants who never paid in also collect.  Another reason to turn our property in Yelm into a ranch in Texas where we could at least farm to support ourselves (and possibly our children and grandchildren).  

Particularly since the Dems love the idea of a "wealth tax" meaning anything you have scrimped and saved to put away for retirement.  I think we might have to put in a concrete vault on our property to start saving our cash where the government can't find it in the bank.  

Ugh!  Getting depressed again!


----------



## Mike CHS

Ridgetop said:


> I was set to take my IRA distribution next year but DH just found out that I have to wait another year since the government moved the age limit to 72.



Once you turn age 59 1/2, you can withdraw any amount from your IRA without having to pay the 10% penalty. However, regular income tax will still be due on each IRA withdrawal. Traditional IRA distributions are not required until after age 72.  Not required but you can draw from the IRA


----------



## Ridgetop

OOPS!  Thanks MIke.  I asked DH what type we have and he explained I MUST start taking withdrawals at 72.  Not sure now when I will start.  DH will help me decide.  It is invested in a plan that we want to take withdrawals over a certain length of time in order to get the most bang for our bucks.  DH has started taking withdrawals now that he is 77.


----------



## farmerjan

Just don't put it in a vault on your property in paper money.  Get silver or gold.  Paper money is going to be worth nothing with the way the inflation is going to be if they keep printing money willy-nilly and giving away all the rest to everyone and their brother-in-law except for the hard working people still paying the taxes. 
  And I personally am looking at taking near all out of my retirement and turning it into silver and investing the rest in the house.  I don't have much left in there, but they aren't going to get anymore of it than the taxes I pay to take it out.  Being in a much lower income bracket with all the farms that have sold out and quit testing and the ones that only test ever other month,  some of the upfront taxes I had to pay to take out the downpayment for this house I will get back on this year's tax refund..... since it based on a certain formula.... and what ever I take out after the first of the year will go on next years taxes. I'll put it into useable silver to "hoard" if you want to look at it that way.  Don't trust them to not come up with another  tax of some sort .... to help distribute the wealth....


----------



## Mike CHS

Ridgetop said:


> OOPS!  Thanks MIke.  I asked DH what type we have and he explained I MUST start taking withdrawals at 72.  Not sure now when I will start.  DH will help me decide.  It is invested in a plan that we want to take withdrawals over a certain length of time in order to get the most bang for our bucks.  DH has started taking withdrawals now that he is 77.



I had my 401k and then IRA reinvest all dividends until I turned 65 and then turned them off since that actually came out to be the amount I would need for a minimum distribution (or at least close enough to estimate).

You may already have it but this link makes it easy to figure out the amount you would need to withdraw but I don't plan on doing anything other than the minimum anytime soon.





__





						Required Minimum Distribution Calculator  | Investor.gov
					

SECURE Act Raises Age for RMDs from 70½ to 72: The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act of 2019 raised the age when you must begin taking RMDs from a traditional 401(k) or IRA from 70½ to 72.




					www.investor.gov


----------



## Ridgetop

Thanks Mike - i will pull it up and show it to my husband.  He is the tax wizard in our household.

Farmerjan - you are right about taxes!  We all thought we had stabilized our property taxes in California with Proposition 13.  With our property values doubling annually for a couple of years way back, retired people were being forced to sell and move, or lose their homes to back taxes.  Proposition 13 froze  homes value at 1.25% of the value when it was purchased as long as that owner owned it.  Their property tax went up 2% annually after that which helped to keep the tax on high priced homes (which is a we have here in CA) somewhat affordable.  (Until we reached the million dollar mark for 2 BR 1 BA homes in certain areas.)  HOWEVER!  Now instead of new taxes which are illegal without a vote of the people, our officials have cut our tax paid services and replaced them with "fees" for the same services.  Where our taxes used to pay for city garbage pick up now we pay a fee for each city mandated garbage can.  When they started this the fee was per 40 gallon can.  Then without warning it changed to the same $$ for 20 gallons.  Since all our city supplied cans are 40 gallons that meant that they effectively doubled the garbage fee.  This fee comes on the utility bill and the raise was not noticed at once.  There is a sewer tax that is now applied to our water bill.  If you have a septic yu are exempt BUT you have to go down and fight with the utility company to prove that you are not on the sewer system.  Lucky for us we live on top of the ridge which places us further than the number of feet where we would be required to connect to the sewer retroactively.  Sewer connection costs the average street side home $40,000 in permits, city charges, and construction by a "city licensed" contractor.  

More taxes are added onto us annually by threatening us with closures of fire departments and police departments. Every election has a bond (tax) for our schools - removal of asbestos, AC, earthquake retro fit, etc.  These repairs and retro fits all seem to take place on the administration buildings downtown though, not on the neighborhood schools. They were voted in for about 15 years, now we vote "no" since no improvements are ever done.  Our teacher are supplying their classrooms with Kleenex, pencils, crayons, learning aids, cleaning supplies, etc. which they pay for themselves out of their own wages.  (My daughter is a teacher.)

Then we have our state income tax which seems to be allocated for high speed railways to nowhere, roadwork? which is never finished, additional welfare for illegals and now California's Governor Gruesome has  mandated that the state will pay for Medical for all illegal aliens.  Legal citizens still have a hard time getting Medical since it is based on your income but illegals are automatically placed on it.  California is broken.  

I have been looking in to the TX property tax system and while it is based each year on your assessed property value at least you are only paying for the things in your own county.  School taxes are assessed for the local school district which means your own children are being served through your taxes.  I can live with that.  I also think it gives you loyalty to your own community and pride in your own schools, fire dept., sheriff/police, etc.  County elections give you more control over local projects too (hopefully).

Sorry Mike, forgot this was your page - any more lambs?   

You mentioned color being something that governs the price of your market lambs.  Is there a difference in price or a premium for all white as opposed to spotted?  I do like the different color markings since it makes it easier to spot individuals.  Having all white sheep means I have to use binoculars to ID tag numbers.  LOL  I can identify some of my sheep by body types and size but if they are in a group, we have to run them into a catch pen.  I have started using spray livestock marking paint in fluorescent colors to ID sheep that have to move in or out of different pens.  It makes it easier to separate them from a distance.


----------



## Mike CHS

Like most on here,  I'm open to any discussion especially recently since I haven't been doing much myself.  

We are still waiting on the three ewes to get around to having their lambs.


----------



## Mike CHS

Our #21 ewe finally gave up holding out and had twins this morning.  I haven't gone out yet so this picture is out of our living room window about a half hour after lambing.  The only reason I took it is because her behavior is so different than what I'm used to,  Usually when one of our ewes starts to lamb, she will either go off by herself or the other ewes will back off to give her room.  This ewe literally had her twins right next to the round bale with the others right there.  She cleaned them off then went up for some water but other than that, she has stayed with the flock.  She is one of the ewes that was born here the first year we started and is a sweetie.


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## Senile_Texas_Aggie

_Happy New Year, Mr. @Mike CHS!_


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## Mike CHS

Another wet and dreary day but it is staying in the 40's today.  We did a bunch of busy work inside and even went through our garden seeds to see if we need to order anything.

The lambs born this morning are a pair of ram lambs.  They sensed their dam had no fear so they walked right up with her when she came up for her Animal Crackers.  

Happy New Year!


----------



## Ridgetop

So nice to have docile friendly animals.  Mine ignored the offered animal crackers.  Thought they didn't know how delicious they were so stuck one in a ewe's mouth.  She spit out the animal cracker and gave me a dirty look.  LOL  I need to find something else.  

Another sheep breeder mentioned another type of treat but I can't remember who, or what it was.  HELP?


----------



## farmerjan

Congrats on the twins.   Happy New Year to both of you.


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## Mike CHS

farmerjan said:


> Congrats on the twins.   Happy New Year to both of you.



And to you!


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## Mike CHS

I just went out for a pasture walk to see if we might expect any lambs tonight.  Princess (a bottle lamb) is showing the physical signs and is away from the main group but since she never figured out that she was a sheep, that isn't really a sign with her.  I considered moving the twins born this morning and their dam into the shelter but it is actually getting warmer over night and they seemed fine when I picked them up (and they felt warm). It is forecast to be 10 degrees warmer in the morning than it is now.   I went out with them several times during the day so her lambs are already tame enough that we won't have a hard time catching them to do ear tags.


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## Baymule

Starting out the New Year with lambs, now that's the way to go!


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## Mike CHS

Our neighbor called a bit ago and asked if they could bring a fairly large group of people riding horses through our back section and of course we said sure.  A few minutes later, Mel and Maisy started to raise hell.  The sheep usually bed down under the shelter part and there is a motion sensor light that came on as I looked out to make sure it was the horses.  Maisy was having a fit at the gate and I looked down to see the sheep heading away from where the horses were.  They have only seen horses a couple of times and always at a distance.  When I saw the sheep I was surprised to see Mel moving back and forth behind the sheep to make sure they kept moving.  Usually they run to whatever fence line seems to be in danger and this is the first time I have seen Mel pushing the sheep out.



































`


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## thistlebloom

I think it's fascinating to hear about working dogs that make decisions independent of specific training input. Good job Mel!


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## Baymule

Mel has come into his own. He is the guardian he was born to be.
 Joe would be so proud.


----------



## Finnie

Ridgetop said:


> Another sheep breeder mentioned another type of treat but I can't remember who, or what it was. HELP?


I don’t remember who it was, either, but somebody uses Fig Newtons.


----------



## Mike CHS

Finnie said:


> I don’t remember who it was, either, but somebody uses Fig Newtons.



I posted that a friend of ours does that.  He is our Extension Agent also from UT


----------



## Larsen Poultry Ranch

Ridgetop said:


> So nice to have docile friendly animals.  Mine ignored the offered animal crackers.  Thought they didn't know how delicious they were so stuck one in a ewe's mouth.  She spit out the animal cracker and gave me a dirty look.  LOL  I need to find something else.
> 
> Another sheep breeder mentioned another type of treat but I can't remember who, or what it was.  HELP?


I think there was a thread about the sheep treats? What about peanut butter cookies of some sort?


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Mel has come into his own. He is the guardian he was born to be.
> Joe would be so proud.



I'm just happy that I was looking out the window at that time or wouldn't have seen it.  I started to call Teresa to come see it but they moved out of range and the light went out.  Joe loved this boy and I wish there was some way to let his kids know how he is doing if they are interested.


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## Ridgetop

Thanks Larsen PR - I think it *was* peanut butter cookies.  I remembered that I have a jar of peanut butter filled pretzels and will go find them.

*!!!!!!!*

 The person known as "No One" has obviously found them. The entire jar is missing!!! Obviously I will be questioning all family members sternly.


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## Ridgetop

They are not responding to questioning.  Must find my electric prod!


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## Ridgetop

After intense questioning, DS2 was identified as guilty by his grin as he denied eating them.  Then he tried to blame his pregnant wife.  Her laughter identified her as a co-conspirator.

Bad DS2!     Will have to get more.  I will hide next jar in my closet.  Pregnant women are notorious for stealing snacks.  As is DS2.


----------



## Mini Horses

Mike CHS said:


> I'm just happy that I was looking out the window at that time or wouldn't have seen it.  I started to call Teresa to come see it but they moved out of range and the light went out.  Joe loved this boy and I wish there was some way to let his kids know how he is doing if they are interested.


No doubt Joe was smiling down and proud!   I still mis his posts.


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## Larsen Poultry Ranch

What about finding a dog biscuit recipe that uses peanut butter? Make a batch for the sheep?


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## Mike CHS

We have three ewes that aren't getting back onto condition so we sorted them out in the stalls and pulled fecals from them.  Plus our girl Notag was limping so we cleaned some trash out of her hoof and then she was fine.  It is nice to be able to walk up to them and have them stay in place.    Two of them are from our original ewes and should have been culled two years ago but I liked them so we will fatten them up and take them to market since I finally admitted to Teresa that they weren't keepers.  As expected by their condition they have a high parasite load so we will give them meds tomorrow.  We are at the point now that we will do random samples every few days when they come in as long as they are on the dry lot.

The last two ewes are finally bagging up but if they don't lamb in the next few days (but I said that several days ago), I'll move the dogs out with the boys and put all of the ewes together so we can get back to a rotation.


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## Baymule

Only 2 more to go! I know it gives you a twinge to let go of two of your original ewes. They may have a parasite problem, but they are what you and Teresa started with. I have to face the music this year and cull half my flock. One will be one of my original ewes. I probably should cull a couple more but I just can't-yet.


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## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Only 2 more to go! I know it gives you a twinge to let go of two of your original ewes. They may have a parasite problem, but they are what you and Teresa started with. I have to face the music this year and cull half my flock. One will be one of my original ewes. I probably should cull a couple more but I just can't-yet.



Both of these are still here "just because".  One of them was so wild that she jumped over Teresa's head to get away but since she missed anything vital, we just figured that an event.    They don't carry a load well and are always single  births so I give in to the economics.


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## Baymule

I totally understand. My mixed breed ewes have taught me and given me the experience I needed. I called them my "learner" sheep and indeed, I have learned. We will be taking them to auction when we wean their lambs. I figure what I get for them and their lambs will buy me a few good registered ewes. they should start lambing this month.


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## Ridgetop

Registered sheep taste just as good as unregistered.  LOL  I kike registered since you can sort of determine what you will get in body type, etc. by looking at other flock members.  Bloodlines are good to judge livestock performance on.


----------



## Mike CHS

We brought most of the adult sheep in our nursery paddock in this afternoon so we could pull out the ewes that needed worming and pulled another half dozen fecals.  We also had one of our senior ewes that was limping so we worked on her hooves.  We still have about a week to go before we can give all of the lambs their shots.

The two ewe hold outs are still holding out.


----------



## Baymule

Ridgetop said:


> Registered sheep taste just as good as unregistered.  LOL


Whaaaaat? And here I thought registered sheep tasted _better_ than unregistered.  I have been seriously mis-informed. I am crushed with this new found knowledge....... _sniffle, sniff  _ Next you're gonna tell me that lamb chops from registered sheep do not come with a copy of the registration certificate!


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## Bruce

I think the real difference is that it is illegal to chicken fry meat from a registered sheep


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## Baymule

Bruce said:


> I think the real difference is that it is illegal to chicken fry meat from a registered sheep


Only if the registration certificate is attached!


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## Ridgetop

Heee  Heee  Heee

Of course they taste better!      The registration certificate is presented to the diners for their approval like the sommelier presents the bottle of expensive vintage.   The head diner then savors the flavor before allowing the chops to be served to everyone.  No spitting is allowed though.  And in our house no criticism of the meat is allowed if the family want to eat here again.  Which they do.  Frequently.


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## Mike CHS

We had one of our very rare snows last night.


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## Baymule

That is pretty to look at-from inside with a hot cup of coffee! LOL We are expecting sleet, ice and possibly snow on Sunday. But it will only last a day or two because it will get above freezing and warm up. That's my kind of winter weather.


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## B&B Happy goats

Mike CHS said:


> We had one of our very rare snows last night.


Looks very pretty from here,  😍


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## B&B Happy goats

I can't  imagine  walking down to your shop on that hill with snow or ice...you have to have some mighty well developed  calf muscles  !


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## Ridgetop

I love the look of snow on the fields and trees, and to watch it come silently down is so beautiful.

I tell DH "That is what the Hallmark channel is for".      

A light snowfall once or twice a year when you put off most outside work and stay in making a pot of soup or cookies works for me.  Having to dig out of a drift, plow the driveway or drive in it is not my idea of a pleasant winter!  And the thought of having to haul buckets of water to the stock due to frozen hoses or pipes makes me cringe!

I really respect al of you who have to do all that stuff!   *BRRRRRR!      🥶*


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## Mike CHS

Our hills do get on the slick side and fortunately we don't have to deal with it often and they do offer some fairly good cardio work.


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## Ridgetop

Maybe you should invest in sports shoes with cleats for the winter!


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## rachels.haven

If ice was a frequent occurrence $16 on amazon spent on crampons can save you from a broken bone. I only had to fall five or six times before giving in and I'm glad I did. Sounds like you're probably going to be okay though.


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## Baymule

We have 2-4 inches of snow coming tomorrow.


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## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> We have 2-4 inches of snow coming tomorrow.



I didn't think you ever got snow.


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## Alasgun

Sorry you folks live in such a hostile environment!😜 A line im fond of using on our Houston based relatives.


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## Senile_Texas_Aggie

OK, Mr. @Mike CHS, you are not the only one who got snow.  We got some snow here in western Arkansas, too!  Here is a picture of the Flood mountain range(*) SE of us.  Look halfway up the mountain range, where the snow starts.  Maybe I can start a ski slope here.  What do you think?



Senile Texas Aggie

(*) Miss @thistlebloom, I know you probably laugh hysterically whenever I call the hills around us "mountains".  After all, at 2400 ft elevation above MSL, they are less than half the elevation of the *valleys* where you reside. And the mountain *peaks* there are almost 4 times that!


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## thistlebloom

I'm still trying to find your snow! 😄


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## thistlebloom

Alasgun said:


> Sorry you folks live in such a hostile environment!😜 A line im fond of using on our Houston based relatives.



Don't kid yourself Alasgun! Texas is _way _hostile!!
Oops, I mean it's lovely pleasant and fine all the time! All you folks heading here need to do a U-turn and head on down to Texas!

Hey @Baymule , I heard of a family moving out of n. Idaho and coming your way. They sold a car for moving funds and (supposedly) got paid in counterfeit money. A soft hearted and gullible acquaintance of mine is their neighbor and was out trying to raise funds to help them. It sounded very suspicious to me. Sorry, I don't wish them on Texas, maybe they should head for Massachusetts . My apologies to @rachels.haven .


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## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> I didn't think you ever got snow.


Every couple of years we get snow, it usually is pretty much gone by the 3rd day. 

February 2015, eleven days after we moved in. Trip was just a baby.


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## farmerjan

AHHHHHH  how cute.....


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## Mike CHS

We have been bringing the sheep in and doing what little needs to be done.  All of this rain has a few of their hooves that needed a bit of work but we try not to do any more than necessary.  The main bunch of lambs are growing really nice and they are from 5 to 7 weeks old.  We plan on bringing the whole bunch in soon for shots and weight checks.

This picture looks like I was holding the camera at an angle  but this slope is behind our shop and it is as steep as it looks.


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## Baymule

It's snowing!


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## Mini Horses

That storm is supposed to move  ENE and end up coming up the east coast sorta/kinda.  Well, we are feeling it will be at my house on Tue, as rain!   Hope it remembers to be only rain!!!!   So, am I saying to enjoy that snow for me?   Yep.

We had an overenthusiastic weatherman look up our local snow.  He says over 30 years we average 5.7" a year, however....most often it's an inch or two in Jan/ Feb, with a real big hit every 8-12 yrs.   Been 10 yrs since last biggie!  I'm good with none.  It's only pretty 2 days and then, I'm done with it being here!  Nothing last year and only about an inch 2018 & 2019.   That was enough 😁


----------



## Bruce

thistlebloom said:


> I'm still trying to find your snow! 😄


Me too! 

I don't think you get to say you get snow if it is miles away up on a hill/mountain STA  Bay may be sharing 0.2" of her snow with us tonight. It won't be noticed on top of the 6" we got last week. 



Mike CHS said:


> This picture looks like I was holding the camera at an angle but this slope is behind our shop and it is as steep as it looks.


That must be the cardio workout area!


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## Mike CHS

One of the remaining two ewe holdouts had lambs this morning.  You could tell from the living room window that she was lambing about 7:30 this morning so I went out to see what was happening since it was time to break the ice in the water trough anyway.  The lamb is a ram but she looked like she wasn't done yet so I stuck around.  She finished cleaning off the lamb and lay down and about 10 minutes later there was another lamb on the way out and another ewe is here.  I didn't have the camera so no pictures yet.

Edit:  Both of her lambs are rams and when I was walking around looking for the afterbirth, I found a third lamb that wasn't completely formed but showed no sign of deterioration.


----------



## Mike CHS

I forgot to post the picture that Teresa took when we were out banking up the hay inside the panel.  This ewe is one of our registered ewes and looks big but she has such a thick hair coat that you can take off 20 pounds of her weight estimate.  I can get within a couple of pounds estimating weights but this one proves me wrong every time she gets on the scale.   The smaller lamb wasn't even completely cleaned off yet in the picture.

I'm not optimistic about the future of these ram lambs but we will give them a chance to see how they grow out.


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## Baymule

Congrats on the two ram lambs. Too bad about the one that was born dead. My ewes have only had triplets once, the smallest was rejected and even with bottle feeding, she didn't make it. I think the ewe knew there was something wrong.


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## Mike CHS

This ewe had trips before but this lamb only looked like 4 months developed.


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## farmerjan

Any chance the other ewe lost the dead lamb you found?  Not often that a ewe will have full term lambs and a 4 month fetus too.... but we were just discussing the same type thing with cattle.... a cow having a full term calf and a month later having a second calf..... and another cow having a full term calf and a fetus that was very much less formed.


----------



## rachels.haven

I know goats can do it. My first kidding the doe threw two huge, full term kids (one doa) and one premie with no teeth and unfinished hooves. We lost the premie because I couldn't get it to produce a bowel movement-I didn't realize it was premie until I realized the others had teeth and their feet were different. I think having fetuses in different stages of development at birth has to due with bad attachment to the placenta and the other fetuses taking all the resources.


----------



## Mike CHS

rachels.haven said:


> I know goats can do it. My first kidding the doe threw two huge, full term kids (one doa) and one premie with no teeth and unfinished hooves. We lost the premie because I couldn't get it to produce a bowel movement-I didn't realize it was premie until I realized the others had teeth and their feet were different. I think having fetuses in different stages of development at birth has to due with bad attachment to the placenta and the other fetuses taking all the resources.



This fetus definitely came from the latest as it was found in an area that I am in several times a day.  It  very well could have died in the womb but it was actually quit a bit bigger than the smaller of the two twin rams that were born.


----------



## Mike CHS

Jan, this is the first time it's happened to us but I know of several other growers that have had it happen.


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## Mike CHS

We wimped out today.  It wasn't terribly cold but it only got up in the 30's and the wind was gusting to 35 mph.  We love our hill country but the wind in January can be painful.    We had planned on giving shots to the lambs today but decided to put it off since there was already plenty going on.  Our feed store called and said our feed load would be ready about midday so it didn't take much to change our schedule.


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## thistlebloom

I find wind unpleasant to work in, no matter the temperature. But when it's a cold wind I am suddenly creative about what all I need to get done indoors.
That's an interesting thing, having different developmental stages in a pregnant animal. Weird even.


----------



## Mike CHS

Today is colder and windier than yesterday so other than normal chores, there won't be a lot done outside today.  Teresa said she wanted to clean house and I want to mill some oak for her to practice with the scroll saw we got her for Christmas.

When I was driving down to the state line to pickup a load of feed I noticed that the Ram we got last May just went over 2000 miles so I guess that is one impact that Covid has had on us.  Almost all of the miles on that truck were going to/from the lake so it will be a long while before it becomes a high mileage vehicle.


----------



## thistlebloom

My '04 Tundra just turned 200,000. I noticed it when I was filling the tank Thursday. Hopefully it will give me another 200K.


----------



## Mike CHS

My '04 Tacoma has a little over 260K miles on it.  It is still my primary work truck and will be for awhile unless it starts having problems.


----------



## Mike CHS

We brought the adult ewes in this morning and wormed those that needed it and pulled fecals from those that we weren't sure about.  The parasite load has been high with these ewes but it seems to always be that way after lambing.  We are going to bring all of the lambs in tomorrow hopefully for their CD&T shots.  They are all pretty tame but I might try to let Lance do his thing since it has been awhile and lambs are always a good challenge.

The way we set our gates up in the holding area, we can open the two gates just a bit and I can stand near the opening.  The ewes expect feed and they will come in but since the lambs aren't as comfortable, they won't come in and Lance gets to do what he was bred for.  

This bunch of lambs are ready to be weaned so I can let the ewes out and walk them down to another paddock and stand by for a few noisy nights.


----------



## Mike CHS

We had every intention of giving shots this afternoon so I brought all of the sheep in so I could sort them out.  About that time, our friend that we buy hay from called and said he was on the way with a couple of round bales.  By the time we got the panels set around the bales and forked all of the hay that was left it was time to quit and let the sheep back out.


----------



## Bruce

I guess there is always tomorrow.


----------



## Baymule

Hay delivery takes the #1 spot!


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Hay delivery takes the #1 spot!



He still has a day job so whenever he gets time to make a run to our place, we drop whatever we are doing so he can get in and out fairly quick.

We got almost a full month from the last two bales he brought which beats the heck out of the 7-10 days for the first two.  Using cattle panels around the bales have cut the waste down to almost nothing.  Actually it's one cattle panel and the other is a goat and sheep panel with hay access holes cut into the panels.


----------



## Baymule

The round bale for the sheep has cow panels on 3 sides and half a hog panel on one side. Ringo can't poke his head through the cow panel very far, but he can reach over the hog panel. Plus I pull hay and put it in a wagon.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> The round bale for the sheep has cow panels on 3 sides and half a hog panel on one side. Ringo can't poke his head through the cow panel very far, but he can reach over the hog panel. Plus I pull hay and put it in a wagon.



That boy could not have found a better home.


----------



## Baymule

Yeah, he is spoiled.


----------



## Mike CHS

We talked to Daughter In Law this afternoon.  She said she had been getting a hard time from family before Christmas because she declined to go to a big get together.  She has a 6 month old infant, and their oldest son (10 years old) is an insulin taking diabetic so she didn't want the risk since family was coming in from all over.  Turns out that 11 members of the get together wound up with Covid so she obviously made the smart choice.


----------



## Baymule

It's a shame she caught flak from her family for putting her children first.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> It's a shame she caught flak from her family for putting her children first.



It is but she is proud of herself since in the past she had bent over to please them.


----------



## rachels.haven

People feel like it couldn't happen to them and at this point they desperately want their normal life back (and family, they want their family and friends back!). Good on your daughter in law. I'm sorry that happened to her but she's doing a good job keeping your grand babies safe.


----------



## Mike CHS

Another routine day waiting on Princess to get around to lambing.  She had not gone under the poly rope in quite awhile so I thought that problem was gone.  Teresa and I were out on the other side of the fenceline and Princess was under it like it wasn't even there. It is hot but she has figured out that she is only going to get no more than one pulse so she just sucks it up.  Another of the ewes had watched her go under and thought "I want to try that " and under she came.  Soooo, we replaced that almost 500' of poly rope with netting.  It was already on hand and we haven't used any of it in awhile.  She walked back and forth several times looking really hard trying to find a hole but she finally gave up.  She only touched it with her snout once which was enough since it has right at 8k volts going through.


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## farmerjan

Some of them just figure they can get away with doing as they want....


----------



## Baymule

Princess is smart, then she taught her baaaaad habit to a friend!


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Turns out that 11 members of the get together wound up with Covid so she obviously made the smart choice.


Yes she surely did, good for her. Doesn't matter how many times some people were told to suck it up this one year, they just HAVE to do what they want to do. My 95 Y/O FIL is in the care facility at the retirement community with Parkinson's. Due to the pandemic no one is allowed in, my MIL hasn't seen him for months. Yet a whole lot of people just can't manage to skip one Christmas, one Thanksgiving with family/friends and the infection and death rate shot up.

I keep thinking about all that people went through in WWII. The bombings in England, the devastation of France and neighboring countries. 400K US soldiers died, everyone here had rationing, people of Japanese descent losing everything when they were sent to the internment camps. And now people can't even handle wearing a mask to slow down the progress of this virus that has killed over 400K people.


----------



## Mike CHS

One day a couple of weeks ago, I was walking down to the shop and out of nowhere I could taste Tapioca pudding. I had not had Tapioca since I was a young lad that I could remember anyway but no I wanted some.   We looked in every store around us and there was no tapioca to be had.  We finally looked on Amazon and ordered some and got the taster satisfied this evening.  

A year or so ago, I really wondered if the cost of Amazon was worth it since we didn't use it all that much but now we use it so much that we get the pay back in a couple of months easily with covid going around.  I needed to replace the batteries in my car key fob a few days ago and rather than drive the 15 miles to town, I got on Amazon and ordered the batteries that arrived here the next day.


----------



## Bruce

I don't bother with Prime. Most everything we buy is free shipping anyway, just a longer wait to get it. There are other Prime "features" but we wouldn't make use of them anyway.


----------



## Mike CHS

We finally had the final set of lambs.  She literally just had the second lamb but she must have had the first before daylight since it is already cleaned off.  The lamb that is visible in the zoom picture looks to be close to 15 pounds but the angle is deceiving when they are born with a full winter coat like this one.


----------



## Baymule

That's a big lamb! Way to go Princess!


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> That's a big lamb! Way to go Princess!


I deleted the picture since I had zoned in on the ones that are a week old.    She had a spotted ewe lamb and a solid brown ram lamb at 8.2 and 8.4.


----------



## Mike CHS

Let's try pictures again now that I have the right ones.    The lambs are a ewe (white spotted) and ram (solid brown).  These can be registered depending on how they grow out.

We are having a hard time narrowing down the cull list as our yearling ewes (13 of them) have some of the best confirmation of all of the sheep that we have raised here.  Of course we culled 42 to keep this 13 ewes.  We weighed all of the lambs the other day and most of the ram lambs are in the 45 - 55 pound range and at ideal market weight and the prices are good right now.  At last weeks sale lambs this size were bringing $3.48 a pound.


----------



## Baymule

What pretty lambs! Of course I know they have to pass your scrutiny, but for now, they are cute! A solid brown ram lamb, someone will want him! 

One of the ewes I am going to cull had twins this morning, both rams. One of them is white, the other is brown, black and white, with a pink nose! Good thing it is a ram lamb, I'd be tempted to keep it if it was a ewe!


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> One of the ewes I am going to cull had twins this morning, both rams. One of them is white, the other is brown, black and white, with a pink nose! Good thing it is a ram lamb, I'd be tempted to keep it if it was a ewe!



There are several rams that I would be tempted to keep for later sale if we had about 10 more acres.    This bunch of lambs is the best that we have had and of course our yearlings were the best before that.  We are thinking about culling all of the older stock but we need to go over all of the other parameters first.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> We are having a hard time narrowing down the cull list as our yearling ewes (13 of them) have some of the best confirmation of all of the sheep that we have raised here.


Not the worst problem a sheep rancher can have!


----------



## Mike CHS

I found out a whole new way to cause an injury several days ago.  I kept the last couple of ewes and their lambs in a paddock with our yearling ewes since the lambs were so far behind the others in growth.  I was giving the two ewes feed as a supplement out of a bucket a couple of times a day.  They are tame enough that I figured I could deflect the other ewes from stopping one getting feed fairly easy but of course they proved me wrong again.  One of the ewes was eating out of the bucket and the other started pushing on the bucket so hard that it cracked and somehow wound up capturing my hand in between the crack right above my hand and on both sides of the radius then kept pushing which caused it to get tighter (I think that's what it is but it has been 50 or so years since I had a human anatomy course).  It tore he skin in several places but not severely and I never even thought about it until two days later I started getting some extreme pain in that same area.  

I can't completely close that hand but it is getting better thanks to Epsom Salts.  This one was a minor one but I never thought about a bucket putting me out of commission.


----------



## Baymule

Greed, feed and sheep can take you down...........  Throw a cracked bucket in the mix, stick your hand in it and then be surprised that it hurts.  Hahaha. I have a whole lot of sympathy............


----------



## SA Farm

Ooh ouch. Hope it gets better and stays better!


----------



## thistlebloom

I'm wondering just why you found it necessary to discover a new way to get injured? Like we all haven't already invented enough  😄
Hope it keeps improving.


----------



## Mike CHS

thistlebloom said:


> I'm wondering just why you found it necessary to discover a new way to get injured? Like we all haven't already invented enough  😄
> Hope it keeps improving.



It doesn't hurt bad but it made for what I thought would be a decent post about how we do silly things   Thinking there would be no problem feeding two 150 pound ewes along with 13 full grown yearlings out of one bucket wasn't being too smart.


----------



## SA Farm

The things we do for our animals


----------



## animalmom

@SA Farm, you forgot the word "ungrateful".

I tell my girls to line up and everyone will get raisins.  Do they listen?  Good thing we love them as much as we do.


----------



## Mike CHS

The dogs were laying by their favorite spot guarding the house and Maisy had her head laying on Mel. She must have sensed something when I moved the blinds to get a picture and then another noise made them go on full alert but they still made for a couple of good pictures.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

I still miss that boy,   ....was just about ready to ask you for a Mel fix lol, ....sooooo happy they are working well together....


----------



## Mike CHS

B&B Happy goats said:


> I still miss that boy,   ....was just about ready to ask you for a Mel fix lol, ....sooooo happy they are working well together....



When I post this kind of picture, it's with you in mind.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Awww,   ...your thoughtfulness  is greatly appreciated,  to know that boy is to love him, and from the moment he met you I knew he was finally at home  where he needed to be his best Mel self. Give him a big hug from me please


----------



## Mike CHS

We brought the sheep in this morning to worm 3 of the ewes and pull some more fecals from 3 ewes that are having a hard time getting back in condition.  We are going to take most of the ram lambs along with a couple of our senior ewes to the auction next week.  Prices are higher right now than they have been for a long time but that will change in another 4 or 5 weeks as more lambs make it to the sale.  All of the ram lambs were between 50 and 60 pounds last week when we ran them through the chute so about ideal weights now.

We went to the grocery store earlier also before the crowds showed up.  We didn't need many things other than fruit and fresh vegetables. As I walked by the meat counter I saw a bunch of hams for $.59 so I grabbed one that was 10 plus pounds for a little over $6 even though we don't need it.


----------



## Mike CHS

While we were working sheep earlier today some of our Mar-Apr 2020 yearlings seemed to be posing on the hill.  I thought it would be nice to show some of the lines these girls have.  Not the best picture in the world but these ewes are all replacements for the 2021 breeding.

We have really been trying to get our ewes to be stockier with both wide chests and hips and we have been really pleased.


----------



## farmerjan

You may not have needed it, but getting that ham was smart.  Today, JBS, the largest "processing company"  slaughter company, just announced they closed one of their plants due to a covid-19 outbreak.... over 200 off work for 2 weeks... yes with full pay and benefits.... BUT..... this is going to disrupt the supply chain again..... so you might want to pick up another one or 2 to stick back in the freezer.... Haven't seen anything on mainstream news yet....

I think that it is starting again..... all the "controlling the supply" in whatever way it can be done.  Even if it is from a  "legit" reason like an outbreak of the crud....
DS said that goat prices here are up.... over 2.00 lb and sheep are up to over 1.75 for 110 lb lambs..... I think you are smart to ship them while prices are good.....if it gets a little better, then maybe you left a little money on the table.... but if it gets more saturated and the prices drop, then you were smart.  Sometimes it makes more sense to take a good price, that might not be the best, but you also don't want to hold on and then say "IF ONLY".....
Easter is not until the 1st of April....too long to hold for the pre-Easter sales.


----------



## Mike CHS

Jan,

We started breeding a month before the "normal" time around here because the January-February markets are normally the best where we sell. 50 pound goats brought up to $4 a pound and 50 pound lambs brought upto $3.47 last week.

Most of the growers we know are just starting to lamb this month.


----------



## farmerjan

I think it is great that you learned the best market for your area and can get them bred to lamb in time to take advantage of it.  That is working SMARTER at it's best !!!!
Those prices are REALLY REALLY REALLY GOOD !!!!!!
Hope you hit a homerun with yours.


----------



## Mike CHS

farmerjan said:


> Hope you hit a home run with yours.



The only drawback to breeding in those hot months is a lower ram fertility level and we wound up with more singles than at cooler times but the singles are bigger.    One of our ewes has all of the best traits of the breed except she has had single 14 pound ewe lambs for two times in a row now. We weighed her ewe lamb last week and she weighed 62 pounds at 61 days old.  I'm curious to see how her daughter produces this next time.

I was working on a couple of ewes this morning that were limping a bit and it turned out in both cases to be something in their hooves.  That's another reason that makes having tame sheep a pleasure since I can work on them in the field and not have to bring all 50 of them in to get to one.


----------



## Mike CHS

It's cloudy and cool but we finally have a day when the wind isn't blowing 20 knots.  We had a 7 year old peach tree that is oozing from the trunk plus it was in a spot that made mowing a pain and it was too close to a fence so we got that out this afternoon.  We also took out a persimmon tree and also a Honeyberry bush that had thorns that managed to get me every time I got around it so it had to go also.  When we planted all of our fruit trees, that area was intended to be trees only but since it is one of the few areas that isn't mostly rock filled, it became garden beds also.  That area being flat means I can garden it as it is rather than having to put in raised beds so that's where the sheep manure gets placed for the next month or so.


----------



## Mike CHS

The dogs were supervising our work on the trees.  Mel was howling at a train that had just gone by.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

So Mel doesn't  hide by you like he did the first time he heard  the train ? , lol....gotta love that boy


----------



## Mike CHS

He seems to have lost all fear of them.  What's funny is that he only howls at the trains that are north bound.  Evidently it sounds different.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

I swear that boy can hear a penny drop a mile away


----------



## Mike CHS

We have experimented a bit in the garden.  We started some Broccoli and lettuce inside and gradually acclimated it to the garden and then transplanted.  We are using spun bond row covers plus plastic over that when the temps have gotten down into the 20's.


----------



## thistlebloom

I do love my winters, but that in February makes me a tiny bit envious. 😄


----------



## Mike CHS

thistlebloom said:


> I do love my winters, but that in February makes me a tiny bit envious. 😄



We had planned on building a hoop house but found the row covers work just as well in cold weather and a whole lot better in warm weather.


----------



## Bruce

thistlebloom said:


> I do love my winters, but that in February makes me a tiny bit envious. 😄


Same here.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have been in our place going on seven years and usually get no snow or it might snow once.  This is the 4th time this winter but still not a lot on the ground.  The sheep always know what time it is in regards to feeding time and they are heading toward the barn. We are going to work them again this afternoon and sort out a load of ram lambs to take to the sale tomorrow along with three of the senior ewes that are being culled.


----------



## Baymule

That is a beautiful scene. We've had snow once, may get more Thursday. 
What do cull ewes bring at auction? Is there a good market for them or does everyone want the lambs?


----------



## Mike CHS

They are usually the bottom rung of the price ladder but we haven't ever sold this early and when the market was so high.  During the peak last year when lambs were going for up to $3+ a pound, the older ewes were not much over a dollar. They are the oldest of our sheep though and price doesn't matter much at this point as it's their time.


----------



## Mike CHS

We brought the sheep in and sorted and those that are staying moved out to a different paddock and it is NOISY out there.  The ram lambs are all Prime with weights running from 54 -64 pounds with all of this group being right at two months old.


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## Baymule

All the auctions around here sell by the head. To go to an auction that sells by the pound would be quite a trip, near 5-6 hours away.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> All the auctions around here sell by the head. To go to an auction that sells by the pound would be quite a trip, near 5-6 hours away.



But don't they still have them in groups in the similar weight class?


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## Baymule

We only took lambs one time, last year. Typically we sold them as meat, but with no slaughter date available, we took them to the sale, a ram lamb and 3 ewe lambs. They ran the ram in by himself and the ewes together. I think they group them by seller.


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## farmerjan

It is standard practice to run the different sexes in separately as they have a different buyer market if they get bought by commercial type buyers.  After that sales are very different.  Most here get sold by the lb.  But if there is a "state grader" of some sort at the sale... as there are here for many of the sales, calves will get graded as to frame and condition, and then according to weight.  Sheep get graded in a couple different ways.  The top slaughter size is 95-120 and the best are called "blue -O"   the somewhat lighter ones are usually "reds"   75-90 lbs.... Often they will go to someone who will feed them out to "blue-O" grade.  With the ethnic markets, many in the 40-70 lb range are preferred to go directly to slaughter.... many are done "halal"..... If there are very many and there are "commercial buyers" there, they will usually group all the ones in similar size.  Yours got weighed going in, so you will get paid for yours directly, but if they go with a group, they will often bring more.  
If your 3 went into the ring together it could be that they were the only ones in that weight/size range.  And sometimes they will sell by "seller".  When we take in a bunch of calves, and they are similar but not "well matched" often they will group them all in one sale pen... and they will get run in and if there are say 2 or 3  that match... might be a 100 lb range in weight... but all the ones in that pen are ours.  But they try to keep the ones closer in size so that they buyers there looking for certain sizes do  not have to stay for the whole sale but just for the sex, size, weight range they are looking for.  
One of our sales has a lot of sheep and goats, and those buyers will be there, and then after say all the sheep and goats are sold, they leave because they don't buy calves.   I have seen these buyers buy all different sizes, and ages of sheep, and they pay according to the age,sex and condition.  Many of them have a "market"  for any of the grades and ages.


----------



## Mini Horses

The auction I use sells by head.  Buyers definately look and pay for condition.   If you work with the animals you can come pretty close to a good weight guess.  Some buy and keep until they have a trailer load to sell, etc.  Others for own use or herd.  It's fun and prices are usually pretty good.  Nothing is weighed at ours.    Primarily goat, sheep; some chickens, rabbits and the occasional calf, hog.


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## Mike CHS

We have our choice of four auction sites but always use the same one all of the time as their prices are on average better.  They only do sheep and goats twice a month and do cattle once a week.  They always do by the pound and have the animals in graded groups in the same weight class.


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## Mike CHS

On the way to the sale barn this morning we got to see the tail end of a high speed chase that ended with a pickup rolling over and the man still tried to run away from 5 deputies.  Fortunately we were only stuck there for about 15 minutes.

We are home but watching some of the sales on Facebook and goat prices are the highest I've ever seen them.


----------



## farmerjan

Went to the sale with DS and cattle prices are nothing to write home about.  Not horrendous but nothing special... He picked up 5 head for the guy that gets these odd ball ones.... will make 10-15 cents a lb on them.  He wants them in about 10 days, so we won't have much feed in them.  There are 2 bulls so will work them tomorrow after I get home from testing.  He was tired from working all night again and did not want to go to sleep today or he would not be able to get a good solid night's sleep tonight to go in to work tomorrow for a normal day shift. 

Hope your lambs do real good.


----------



## Mike CHS

farmerjan said:


> Hope your lambs do real good.



They were all prime and came in at $3.45 a pound which is about as good as it gets around here.  I'm not sure what the ewes brought since we didn't watch all that long but they were culls, and look it.


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## Baymule

I wish we had a sale barn by the pound around here. Those tend to be in west Texas, where there are lots of sheep and goats. East Texas is gaining on them, maybe someday.......... If we had a trailer load, it might be worthwhile to make the trip, but we don't. 

Some of the ram lambs we have this year are marked so darn pretty, I might put them on Craigslist as commercial sires. They are still babies, so I will be watching them as they grow. If their conformation matches their markings, it is something else to consider. Other people like eye candy too!


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## Mike CHS

I let the dogs into the shop to eat their meals and since the sheep are getting some feed now, Princess comes in when I call the dogs in.  She is one of the bottle lambs that used to run to the fence with the dogs when they went on alert so I don't think she ever figured out that she isn't a dog since she prefers hanging out with them. Even her lambs seem to prefer to hang out with the dogs.  Nursing is bringing her condition down so she likes the comfort of eating without having to fend off the other sheep.


----------



## Bruce

Can't be any safer than hanging with the guardians.


----------



## Baymule

That is sweet. Princess is a special girl. Just gotta love a dog-sheep.


----------



## Mike CHS

We got our settlement with the stock yard from the other day and it made us happy about moving our lambing season up a couple of months.  We netted more for the 8 ram lambs this year than we did for 16 in Mar/April last year.  The cull ewes brought more per pound this year than Prime ewes last year per pound in May.  Including the barns fees, the lambs brought more than what we can get for them selling off the farm and we don't have to mess with taking the ram lambs to the butcher.


----------



## Mike CHS

We weren't going to need any hay delivered for another couple of weeks but our friend that we buy from called and said he was going to have scheduling conflicts for the next several weeks so he brought two bales today.  One paddock was ready for a new bale so we to the panels off the almost gone bale and put it on the new bale.  The other paddock that we are using still has 10-12 days left in it so we covered the fresh bale and put panels on the outside to keep the sheep off of it.  28 degrees doesn't seem terribly cold until your fingers start getting numb so I don't envy those that have several months of it.  Our February weather is also one of the reasons we changed our lambing time and February is just about the extent of our winter.


----------



## Baymule

Wow! That is phenomenal! Pat yourself on the back for figuring that out. What month do you start breeding?


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Wow! That is phenomenal! Pat yourself on the back for figuring that out. What month do you start breeding?



Late July.  The drawback is that we are breeding in our two hottest months so fertility is affected.  We had singles this year from three ewes that had always had twins or trips but we aren't having to worry as much about the cold.  Our lambs this year have all had heavy coats this year when they were born except one.


----------



## Baymule

I don’t feel so very smart right about now. 28 degrees out there and going down. I’m gonna quit looking at the weather App. Every time I do, projected temperatures have dropped again. The real cold hasn’t got here yet. Why did I think lambing in January—February was a good idea? The weather App has got to be lying, it’s dropped to -2 for Monday night. Local weather App is still on 10 degrees, will probably be somewhere in between. At any rate, it’s cold.


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## Baymule

I put Ringo with 2 ewes in late May. One produced twins in October the other didn’t lamb until December. Probably not for lack of trying. LOL


----------



## Baymule

Time for me to feed the bottle babies, then layer on the clothing and start the boiling water pots to water the animals. This is a bunch of crap. There is a reason I live in TEXAS and this ain’t it! Hahaha


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Mike CHS said:


> We got our settlement with the stock yard from the other day and it made us happy about moving our lambing season up a couple of months.  We netted more for the 8 ram lambs this year than we did for 16 in Mar/April last year.  The cull ewes brought more per pound this year than Prime ewes last year per pound in May.  Including the barns fees, the lambs brought more than what we can get for them selling off the farm and we don't have to mess with taking the ram lambs to the butcher.


Congratulations


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> We netted more for the 8 ram lambs this year than we did for 16 in Mar/April last year.


Fabulous!!


----------



## Mike CHS

Little things make me happy.  We usually don't eat any fresh tomatoes after our garden quits producing since those tasteless things from the store are well tasteless.   When we were in Kroger yesterday they had some tomatoes that actually looked like they might have at least some taste so we picked some up.  I tried one today and literally started smiling.  There are enough in the container for us to have some BLT's tomorrow for lunch.


----------



## Baymule

We won't eat those store bought red sawdust balls either. I dehydrate tomatoes and we crumble them over our salads in the winter.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> We won't eat those store bought red sawdust balls either. I dehydrate tomatoes and we crumble them over our salads in the winter.



We dehydrate most everything except tomatoes but I never thought about that.


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> We dehydrate most everything except tomatoes but I never thought about that.


Vacuum seal them and they will store forever. They make good snacks too.


----------



## Mike CHS

Us winter  weather wimps are not enjoying February.  That wind that we love so much in summer blows year round so the chill factor is down in the teens and the actual high for the day is right about now at 27 degrees.  There is supposed to be a freezing rain tonight so I'll open up the shelter so the animals can have a larger roof area and more wind break if they want it.  I have a jump gate at the shop that Maisy used to use but I can't make it big enough for Mel and still have a fence so I closed it up.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa is in charge of our Feast of St. Valentine this year since I was out cleaning the stalls.  She is making Shrimp Scampi, Scallops, Spinach Salad and roasted Asparagus. She also did baked potatoes but I think I would need a bigger plate so we shall see.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa likes live plants over cut flowers so I got her a nice Dieffenbachia for Valentines Day and she cooked me the meal that I mentioned earlier.  It was awesome tasting.

I have the sheep in a paddock that is fairly safe for falling trees due to all the freezing rain that we have gotten.

I didn't realize the last picture was on the camera until I transferred to resize them.  Teresa took this when I was down feeding this morning and if you look real close at the gaggle of sheep in the middle, that is a bunch of yearlings begging me for Animal Crackers.


----------



## Baymule

Your Valentines feast is much better than ours! We had frito pie, chili and Fritos. It took me 3 hours this morning to bust ice, carry boiling water, feed, hay, and care for the animals. This evening it took 2 hours. It sleeted all day, even the rock driveway is slick. I think the high today was 23, it’s 19 now. Low tonight of 10, high tomorrow of 16 followed by a low of ONE??

Today is our 25th anniversary. Kinda, sorta, half way, NOT how we wanted to celebrate!

For the first ever, ALL 254 counties in Texas are under a storm warning.


----------



## Mike CHS

That isn't why most people move to Texas.   You have been here and know how steep our drive way is and it was so click this afternoon that I had to use 4 wheel drive to get up and even then it was bad enough I had to get a run at it.


----------



## Bruce

Happy anniversary Bay and BJ!


----------



## Baymule

My sweetheart heated up the chili, chopped green onion and grated cheese and kept the water pots boiling while I cared for the animals this evening.

I didn't hit post. Neighbors walked over and visited. They have 4 boys between them and are getting married next month. They wanted BJ to marry them, so I sent off for one of those ordained minister things and he is now ordained. We have corrupted the script just a little. 

It is snowing. Ground is covered. Supposed to be in the 50's next Saturday. Bring it on!


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm not sure I could add anything to make that more interesting so I won't try.  But I love the whole marriage idea


----------



## Baymule

It is a marriage that will work. She has a boy, he has 3. Two are his with different women. One is his ex wife's boy that she had when they married. As far as he is concerned, that boy is his and he is working towards adopting him. He has custody of that boy. All the boys are in sports and they both do whatever it takes to be at practice and games. We are the stand in grandparents and are a phone call away whenever they need us. BJ is honored to marry them. They are awesome parents and a great couple.


----------



## farmerjan

Congrats to the neighbors, sound like they are pretty awesome.... And I am sure that having honorary grand kids helps a bit for you guys.... 

Boy, aren't you glad that you didn't go to the grand daughters b'day.....  safe at home and a trip another weekend when it is safe to do so.


----------



## farmerjan

Are you getting any snow out of this @Mike CHS  or is it rain/ice ????? Ours is the wintry mix crap.... I honestly would rather have the snow.  You can push it, plow it, snowblow it.... the ice and crap is next to impossible... and it isn't cold enough to freeze good.   DS told me a little bit ago that he had to cut the one fence to let the cows into another field because he could NOT get the 4wd tractor up the hill to feed it was so muddy.... kept sliding down sideways... and digging ruts that went halfway to China and said it will take ALOT of work to get the field fixed this spring..... finally gave up and cut the fence to let them into a "flatter field" where he can get in and out to do the feeding.  We will put a gate back in the fenceline now so that we can open it if we have to in the future.  It is so muddy and then the ice on top....and rain on top of that making it even more slick.


----------



## Bruce

Yep supposed to be some nasty weather all across TN.


----------



## Mike CHS

@farmerjan we got about 4" of snow a couple days ago but it has been sleet/freezing rain ever since and supposed to be through most of tomorrow.  We haven't had a mud problem since the ground is frozen but it's like a sheet of ice all over including the roads.  We won't be leaving home for at least a couple days.  Last I looked it's supposed to be down around 8 degrees in the morning.


----------



## farmerjan

Sounds like we have had somewhat the same.... right after you had it.  Except our ground never got good and hard.... I think we had a little more snow and it helps to insulate the ground.  So even with some good cold days, the freezing didn't go deep and now with all this wet, it is a muddy mess. Our nights are in the upper 20's, low 30's,  so we never really get good and hard.  Day's the last several days have been in the upper 30's with the rain.  Roads are mostly clear but a couple dirt roads  have a fair amount of snow/slush.


----------



## Baymule

Mike, y’all are getting about the same thing we are. It is supposed to snow again Thursday. Sunday is supposed to be a high of 52. It can’t get here soon enough. Tonight it is supposed to be a low of 1 degree.


----------



## Mike CHS

That's similar to what we have forecast but the highest for the next week is 42 on Monday.  I'm sure glad we got extra hay early or I would be using our square bales.


----------



## Mike CHS

In spite of the weather, all is good.  I went down to check on the sheep and the dogs and they are all in the inner shelter with the wind break and happy.  They all got some treats and the lambs told me that they were glad that I bred in July so they had plenty of hair to survive these temps.  Just to make things even better, I'm turning on an episode of Hee Haw for some mindless entertainment.


----------



## Baymule

My lambs told me to open the back gate of the barn so they could go play in the snow! I said no, have some hay.


----------



## Bruce

Pickin' and Grinnin'!!!


----------



## Mike CHS

Several records have been broken for TN weather and once again I'm happy that we bred so early.  The lambs were born with winter coats and they don't seem to notice that the high today was 12 degrees.  The only issue that we have had to deal with is water for the ram and Pete since it freezes pretty fast after a refresh and they are in the farthest paddock.  There is so much ice out there now that even in 4 wheel drive, the Ranger is spinning all four tires.  

Since we can't do a lot of anything else, we put on Enemy At The Gates again as that is my favorite all time movie.


----------



## Mike CHS

I have absolutely had enough of snow and ice already but there is a lot more coming.  I would have had a major problem if we didn't have 4 wheel drive capability.  Just hauling water to Cooper the ram and Pete has been needed 5 times just today since it is freezing up so fast.  I've been using a trough heater with the main herd.

It never got above 25 today but evidently the little bit of sun caused some of the ice to thaw a bit and when the temp started dropping this afternoon, the ice got really slick.  Going up and down the hills was interesting as the Ranger wanted to start sliding side ways where the only way to stop the slide was to accelerate.  Plenty of pucker factor more than a few times today.  

The neighbors above us have literally been stranded and they weren't stocked up nearly enough for the weather conditions since the forecast was for a much shorter weather event so we will share.   Their driveway is an almost 15 degree incline so even walking can be a hazard.  I picked up their mail yesterday and when I started up their drive, decided that wasn't going to happen so I went over on to their grass area to get up to their house.


----------



## farmerjan

We are having better weather than you.  Sun yesterday and today, temps in the 30's plus, today there was alot of melting.  Down to 18 last night so ground got good and hard.  DS fed for hours today to get extra out.   But then it got slick and tonight  he couldn't get into the one place.  
Most of the snow is gone here except in shaded places... but there has been water alot of places as it is not soaking in.  Going to be a mess tomorrow.... calling for snow changing into sleet and then freezing rain because the air temps will be warmer but the ground will be colder.   We did not get all that many of you got.  I am thankful.


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## Baymule

We have seen that house above your house and that would be hard to get in or out on ice! Good of y'all to share with them. They might need to get a prepper mentality. You just never know. 

That Ranger sure has come in handy in ice and snow like this for you. 

Naturally, the battery is dead, dead, dead like road kill in our Kawasaki mule. We discovered it a few days before the bad weather hit and ordered a new battery. Yeah, just go pick it up! Not happening!! Sure would be nice just about now and the past week. Wouldn't work any how. The diesel fuel is gelled in BJ's truck and the mule is diesel too. Eh. Not like we are going anywhere anyway.......


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## farmerjan

Add 1/4 amount of kerosene to diesel fuel as a "winter formula" in your case of the worst cold.  (1 to 4 ratio)  Kerosene is a much more refined "diesel" so to speak... burns cleaner.  Get a gal or 2 for the winter and just keep it around... then in the spring you can just add it to a tank or two of fuel to use it up, then get more the following fall to keep it fresh.   
Up here there is a winter formula diesel. Would not expect you to have to worry about it too much down there, although I do believe that they still do have winter formula's for the big rigs that would be going north....


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## Bruce

Careful with the kerosene, OK in old engines but it doesn't have the lubrication of diesel. Better to stay home than ruin an engine.


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## Mike CHS

Nobody was in a hurry to get out this morning but I'm heading down to the stall to rake out the fertilizer the sheep left for me during the night.  It looks like we got another 4 or 5 inches during the night which is about double what our normal average is.


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## Baymule

Wow, y’all are slammed too. Sunday will be the last of our freezing temperatures. The Great Melt Down will begin. We got another inch or two yesterday evening. When will your melt down begin?


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## Mike CHS

It's supposed to get up to 40 on Sunday then the 50's for several days after that.  We were going to take another load of lambs to the sale on Monday but I can't maneuver the trailer down there for awhile.


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## Mike CHS

A Just Because picture that some would accuse me of cruelty to animals.


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## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> It looks like we got another 4 or 5 inches during the night


That is just amazing!



Mike CHS said:


> A Just Because picture that some would accuse me of cruelty to animals.


Yep, dogs chained to the ground in the snow, where did you find an invisible chain?? 
There are those that really do not understand that some animals, given a choice of inside in the dry or out in the snow, CHOOSE the snow! They are well equipped for it.


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## farmerjan

I was not suggesting the kerosene as a regular thing.  Something to get the vehicles going and get the fuel flowing through the system.  We do  not add  Kerosene as a rule of thumb.  But a pint to a quart in a gal of diesel in a machine that won't run from the geilling  can make the difference of starting or not.  Since 90 % of our vehicles are all old, it works and is the difference in getting some of them started or not. 
We have block heaters and oil stick heaters on nearly all the tractoirs that have to run in the cold.  Have block heaters on all the trucks and they will get plugged in at night if they are going to be needed the next morning.... or plugged in as soon as one of us gets to the barn so that in an hour or so it will start.  Also use the glow plugs on all the trucks in weather below 45-50 degrees.  Doesn't wear out the starter grinding to try to start a cold engine.
Because of the "more warm than cold" nature of living here in Va, we have fewer buildings or sheds in whiuch to park equipment than say places further north.  So you learn to work around it.

We have bought several pieces of equipment from Messick's over the years.  Good  dealer to work with.


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## farmerjan

My old Farmall MD has a small "pony engine".... starts on gas, then you flip a lever and it runs on diesel after the gas engine has gotten the engine warmed up a bit.  Neat old tractor.


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## Baymule

BJ's truck has a plug on it to pre heat the block. It sure is nice to get into an already warm truck. He wanted to plug in the truck, start it and do a bunch of stuff and for what? Can't go anywhere. I convinced him to wait for it to warm up, melt all the ice and snow, then we'll plug it in, crank it up and take it down the road.


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## Mike CHS

We can get everything started but we can't make it out of the driveway.  You may remember how our drive is sloped and it's all wrong so anything going out is going to wind up in the fence.  I take the side by side out to the road going through the neighbors pasture.


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## Baymule

A couple days ago, a neighbor said he was out of dog food and chicken feed and was going to town to get some. We both unloaded on him and told him that he'd never make it to town, come over and we'd give him dog food and chicken feed. He almost didn't make it out of his own driveway. We gave him enough to last until the snow and ice melts.


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## farmerjan

Alot better to just replace what feed  you give him than to have to replace a vehicle that winds up in a ditch......


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## Baymule

Can't always save people from their own stupidity.


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## Bruce

Baymule said:


> Can't always save people from their own stupidity.


But apparently you managed to do so this time


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## Mike CHS

We left home for the first time in eight days today.  The main roads are completely clear but the hill road going past us is still solid ice since it stays in the shade and the country doesn't do anything to clear it.  We wouldn't of had to go except I'm almost completely out of diesel and we use it to keep the shop above freezing since we keep all of our canned goods there.

When we got home we saw that our neighbor had been shoveling snow off their driveway so that hopefully, it will be thawed enough by Monday for them to be able to get down their steep hill.  That drive is a little over 500'.


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## Bruce

That is a lot of shoveling! Don't they have a machine of some sort?


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## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> That is a lot of shoveling! Don't they have a machine of some sort?



Nobody here even has a snow shovel.  It was slick enough that I couldn't use our tractor since his drive has a fairly steep crown on the outside edge and is angled directly at a deep ditch.


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## Baymule

I have never shoveled snow. Until now.

 I used a Sooper Dooper Pooper Scooper.


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## Bruce

Perfectly good for moving snow Bay!


Mike CHS said:


> It was slick enough that I couldn't use our tractor since his drive has a fairly steep crown on the outside edge and is angled directly at a deep ditch.



Yep, going to do it by hand or wait for warm weather to melt it. Don't need you and your tractor in the ditch.


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## Mike CHS

The neighbors didn't wait for the weather to do it's thing and got their car hung up on the drop off on the outside edge of the driveway. That crown that I mentioned earlier.   We saw them working around their car and took out the binoculars and saw they were side ways on their driveway.  I grabbed some come-alongs and chain and fortunately they had a tree close by to use as an anchor.  Doing some creative cranking and manual pushes and we were able to get the car straightened out and off of the crown.  The ice is melting pretty good and they got their car down the driveway.

We then brought all of the sheep in and started doing weights and the second round of shots for those that needed it.  We sorted out a mix of lambs, yearlings and the last of our original ewes going to the sale barn tomorrow morning with 13 head (assuming I can get out of the drive way).


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## Bruce

Hopefully they'll leave the car at the bottom of the hill until the driveway clears of ice!


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## Mike CHS

I didn't take but a couple of pictures today since this event isn't among my favorite things to do.  The first picture is the mixed bunch going to market and the second picture is those staying here wanting to get into the stall since that is where they are fed.   We are really happy with the keepers this year but I'm going to miss the last of our original ewes not to mention all the others that we have done our best to make their lives the best we could.


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## Baymule

Parting with those that you have cared for is a hard thing to do. I get it.

No more freezing here. Snow is almost gone.


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## Mike CHS

I thought we were going to cancel going to the sale but the Ram went over the ice like it was clear driveway.  No prediction on how well the sale will be since they have about 20% of the numbers they usually have because of the bad roads yesterday when they usually receive the majority of what they will have.

I felt guilty again since I didn't even need a buckets as when I got in the trailer so did all the sheep.


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## Beekissed

Were your older ewes not producing well any longer, Mike?  I've often thought I'd love to pic up some really good, but older, ewes but I think most people only let those go when they are no longer maintaining good production or conditioning, don't they?


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## Mike CHS

Two of them had size/confirmation issues and had always had small, slow growing lambs. The third had a deformed hoof that was needing constant maintenance to keep her from limping.  She was one of our registered ewes but we didn't see the hoof until checking out the cause for her limping.


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## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I felt guilty again since I didn't even need a buckets as when I got in the trailer so did all the sheep.


I'm sure that was pretty hard, you've had some of them for quite a while.


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## Baymule

I both dread and look forward to culling half my flock. It makes me both sad and happy. I have to cut some loose in order to replace them with registered ewes.

I understand Mike, and I’m still a couple of months from loading them up.


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## Mike CHS

We are watching some of the sale on the net and prices are silly again but I'm not griping.  The ewes are in great condition compared to most that you see and the lambs are all prime.  I'm not sure what the yearlings will bring since this is the first time we have sold any and especially not this early in the season,  The lambs are all in the 50-55 pound range and the yearling ewes are all right at 85-90 pounds.


----------



## Beekissed

Mike CHS said:


> Two of them had size/confirmation issues and had always had small, slow growing lambs. The third had a deformed hoof that was needing constant maintenance to keep her from limping.  She was one of our registered ewes but we didn't see the hoof until checking out the cause for her limping.


Has she passed that along to any of her offspring at all or do you think it was due to an early injury to the hoof?  

I know how you feel as I will eventually have to cull my three favorite ewes....the rest I don't have much of a bond with yet.  I'm not looking forward to getting rid of those older gals, but not being able to keep any of their offspring slows down the growth of my flock.  

As I look at my flock with a critical eye, I'd cull every single one of them but Eli says I can't do that yet.     We are definitely culling the ram and will not likely keep most or any of the ewe lambs produced this season.  I want to invest the money from the sale of the lambs in a better ram and a few better ewes if we can find them.  Got a line on two breeders in my state now that have better looking stock than ours, so will be haunting them for news of lamb or older ewes and ram sales.  

I guess it's natural to want to hurry up and get into better stock, but we are operating on less than a shoestring here, so we have to go slow and build slow...but I wanna run!


----------



## Mike CHS

Beekissed said:


> Has she passed that along to any of her offspring at all or do you think it was due to an early injury to the hoof?
> 
> I guess it's natural to want to hurry up and get into better stock, but we are operating on less than a shoestring here, so we have to go slow and build slow...but I wanna run!



She hasn't passed it on so I'm pretty sure something happened to her as a yearling.  We know the breeder well so we are pretty sure they didn't know about her.  Most of the sheep born on the farm here have looked nice but we didn't cut corners when it comes to rams.  I drove as far as @Baymule drove to get Ringo to get the ram we replaced him with.  This year we just swapped with another registered ram in our county.


----------



## Beekissed

Mike CHS said:


> She hasn't passed it on so I'm pretty sure something happened to her as a yearling.  We know the breeder well so we are pretty sure they didn't know about her.  Most of the sheep born on the farm here have looked nice but we didn't cut corners when it comes to rams.  I drove as far as @Baymule drove to get Ringo to get the ram we replaced him with.  This year we just swapped with another registered ram in our county.


Our drives will likely only be 6-8 hr round trips, which we've done for all the other stock, and I'm hoping to find better rams there....then, when I sell HIS offspring, maybe upgrade to an even BETTER ram, for which I'd have to travel quite a bit more distance, I imagine.  It's all in steps, isn't it?


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## Mike CHS

Tennessee and Alabamahas a ton of sheep farms but if you look at the papers, they all come from similar (almost identical) lines.  I had to venture to northern Missouri to find a ram that wasn't a close relative of our sheep.


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## Mike CHS

The hard part of this lambing season is pretty much over.  They are all up to date on shots and we have ran enough fecals to have a good idea how the parasite load is.  The load taken to the sale this morning is the last sales for this time unless the ram lambs don't develop good enough to warrant registering.

We had planned on having lambs for the auction this time of year for 3 years but "things" kept happening that delayed breeding so as a result, we were selling sheep at the same time as everyone else.  Teresa went through the last couple of years receipts and the sheep that we sold this month brought in 50% more than our last three years.  I still would not be a happy sheep producer (and probably hungry) if I didn't have other income but at least this year, they paid for all the years sheep expenses (I still work for just the enjoyment of these marvelous creatures) with enough left over to pay for next winters hay and feed and maybe some M&M's if I'm a good boy.


----------



## Beekissed

Mike CHS said:


> The hard part of this lambing season is pretty much over.  They are all up to date on shots and we have ran enough fecals to have a good idea how the parasite load is.  The load taken to the sale this morning is the last sales for this time unless the ram lambs don't develop good enough to warrant registering.
> 
> We had planned on having lambs for the auction this time of year for 3 years but "things" kept happening that delayed breeding so as a result, we were selling sheep at the same time as everyone else.  Teresa went through the last couple of years receipts and the sheep that we sold this month brought in 50% more than our last three years.  I still would not be a happy sheep producer (and probably hungry) if I didn't have other income but at least this year, they paid for all the years sheep expenses (I still work for just the enjoyment of these marvelous creatures) with enough left over to pay for next winters hay and feed and maybe some M&M's if I'm a good boy.



I was reading that earlier and it impressed me greatly.   How does the breeding go in the warmer months?  Any problems associated with that?  What lambing date do you shoot for to hit this increase in market prices?


----------



## Mike CHS

Beekissed said:


> I was reading that earlier and it impressed me greatly.   How does the breeding go in the warmer months?  Any problems associated with that?  What lambing date do you shoot for to hit this increase in market prices?



We were shooting for a mid November lambing start but for who knows what reason there was a 5 week gap at the end for the last three ewes.  We knew that starting breeding in July would have lower fertility for the ram (we only use one) and less egg drops for the ewes.  That proved true as we had a whole lot more singles this time but for the prices that they sold at, it was all moot.  We did a cost breakdown and we will never breed for spring lambs again until everybody else figures it out and by then I will be old enough to call it quits.


----------



## Beekissed

Mike CHS said:


> We were shooting for a mid November lambing start but for who knows what reason there was a 5 week gap at the end for the last three ewes.  We knew that starting breeding in July would have lower fertility for the ram (we only use one) and less egg drops for the ewes.  That proved true as we had a whole lot more singles this time but for the prices that they sold at, it was all moot.  We did a cost breakdown and we will never breed for spring lambs again until everybody else figures it out and by then I will be old enough to call it quits.


We are lambing in March and it could be we'll have lambs weaned and sold by the time we would need to breed for a Nov/Dec. lambing.  Any sheep that had a single this season, we'd like to breed them again if possible so they can have another lamb in the fall.  We never did that before and may not do it often or even again but we'd like to try it once.


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> I drove as far as @Baymule drove to get Ringo to get the ram we replaced him with.


Funny that you mention this. Today I gave Ringo hugs and reminded him of the long trip we made to get him and I told I'd go twice as far for him. He just stood there enjoying the attention. Love that boy!


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Funny that you mention this. Today I gave Ringo hugs and reminded him of the long trip we made to get him and I tolI'd go twice as far for him. He just stood there enjoying the attention. Love that boy!



He has some traits that I haven't seen before or after him. 


























l


----------



## Mike CHS

The Almanac says today is ideal for starting garden seeds so that is actually what I did.  I'm just starting several kinds of tomatoes and our bell peppers.


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## Mike CHS

What a difference a week makes.  It got up to 70 today so we took advantage of it and gave Sassy and Lance a bath.  Lance has typical Border Collie fine hair and is fairly easy to get him done and blow dried but Sassy has a really thick undercoat that seems to hold every bit of any dead or shed hair.  We spend the better part of a half hour with her and one of us running the blow dryer while the other does the brushing.

When we uncovered the garden beds yesterday, we fully expected to find a bunch of dead plants but everything survived the temps down in the teens and the Broccoli is started to get heads.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

All your dogs are awesome  Mike, well mannered  and well trained   ....but you know who is my favorite  give the big guy a hug for me please...


----------



## Mike CHS

He gets lots of hugs every day


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Mike CHS said:


> He gets lots of hugs every day


I have no doubt about that ....hard not to love the big guy


----------



## Baymule

Sounds like a productive and happy day.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> but everything survived the temps down in the teens and the Broccoli is started to get heads.


I hope they do well. 

I put my broccoli in at the usual time last spring, then we had colder weather than normal. One plant really stunted but eventually did grow, never flowered. The other 5 didn't seem to be affected at all and were far from flower forming time. None of them ever made a central flower head. They all put out the spindly stuff that usually doesn't happen until the central flower head is cut.


----------



## Mike CHS

Maisy has a fit the few times that the fence has been visited by dogs but one of our neighbors dogs has won her over.  My neighbors used to freak out if any of their dogs went down the hill since the previous owner warned them that I shot any dogs that got to my fences.  They have 5 Pit Bull rescues that are all as sweet as they can be and they are farm animal friendly.


----------



## Baymule

That is a good picture. It’s good that their pit bulls are friendly, especially to the animals.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> That is a good picture. It’s good that their pit bulls are friendly, especially to the animals.



I never know whether I can get a clear picture zooming that far - A little over 800'.  That dogs name is Frog (h e makes croaking sounds) and he is a big baby.


----------



## Mike CHS

I took a few pictures when I was down feeding this afternoon.  Princess was the last have have her lambs so she is slower getting back into condition.  It's easy to give her an extra ration since she comes in with the dogs still.  We are planning a little earlier than last time so hopefully have it done before the hottest weather hits here.  The replacement lambs that we are keeping will be separated from the rest since they won't be bred until next year.  We are also keeping 3 of the ram lambs that have the best confirmation to see how they mature.


----------



## Beekissed

Mike CHS said:


> I took a few pictures when I was down feeding this afternoon.  Princess was the last have have her lambs so she is slower getting back into condition.  It's easy to give her an extra ration since she comes in with the dogs still.  We are planning a little earlier than last time so hopefully have it done before the hottest weather hits here.  The replacement lambs that we are keeping will be separated from the rest since they won't be bred until next year.  We are also keeping 3 of the ram lambs that have the best confirmation to see how they mature.


I love all the light and air in your barn, Mike!  The sheep and dogs look great...very sleek and conditioned well.  I'd love to have a flock that looks like yours!   Wish you lived closer....I'd buy one of your rams, be it a lamb or an older stud you are selling.


----------



## Baymule

Beekissed said:


> I love all the light and air in your barn, Mike!  The sheep and dogs look great...very sleek and conditioned well.  I'd love to have a flock that looks like yours!   Wish you lived closer....I'd buy one of your rams, be it a lamb or an older stud you are selling.


It’s worth the drive! LOL LOL


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I never know whether I can get a clear picture zooming that far - A little over 800'.


800'? That is an excellent picture at that distance. 
Mel, 5 gallon bucket. Looks like you could slide it right under him and not touch a hair.



Baymule said:


> It’s worth the drive! LOL LOL


Probably about 2 hours closer than you are Bay );


----------



## Mike CHS

Beekissed said:


> I love all the light and air in your barn, Mike!  The sheep and dogs look great...very sleek and conditioned well.  I'd love to have a flock that looks like yours!   Wish you lived closer....I'd buy one of your rams, be it a lamb or an older stud you are selling.



Thank you.  We are happy but culled a whole lot of sheep to get here.  We still have a ways to go but I guess that goes for everyone.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> 800'? That is an excellent picture at that distance.
> Mel, 5 gallon bucket. Looks like you could slide it right under him and not touch a hair.
> 
> 
> Probably about 2 hours closer than you are Bay );



That bucket on Mel's left is where they make me sit while they eat.  I couldn't leave them alone to eat when Mel first got here so I sat to make sure Maisy wouldn't attack him.  Of course, that was one of those things that didn't work out like I wanted and now that they don't fight anymore, I can't go out and do water or anything else because if I get up and walk out, they stop eating and follow me.


----------



## Baymule

Sentry and Sheba quit eating. It was because of the extreme cold weather we had-not because of the cold, but because it took me so long to care for the animals, that I didn't take time for them.  They were sad. So I brought Sheba to the house for BJ to feed and make over while I sat with Sentry and praised him profusely. They went back to eating. I sit with them just like you sit with Mel and Maisy.


----------



## Mike CHS

They work so hard doing their job that they deserve all they can get.  A couple of weeks ago, I left the dogs brush laying on the floor beside where I sit and Maisy picked it up and brought it to me.  She gets brushed twice a day every day to keep her clear of mats.  She doesn't like it but she likes the attention in spite of that.    I started leaving that brush in the same spot so now she brings the brush every time and she is tail waging the whole time.  Mel will stand there as long as I want as long as it isn't over ten minutes.


----------



## Baymule

Awww...... that is so sweet! Maisy has you well trained.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Awww...... that is so sweet! Maisy has you well trained.



She has had my heart from the day we brought her home in spite of her being an escape artist.


----------



## Baymule

Paris is an escape artist too. All my gates sit on the ground because she can squeeze under them like a weasel. Beats anything I've ever seen. Dragging gates gets old. LOL We had to raise the front gate with 2' of chicken wire because Trip jumped it and took off. Great Pyrenees are real good at that. Great Pyrenees own what is under their feet and as far as they can see. They will do anything they can to get as far as they can see. Lots of GP's get lost this way. They get out and just keep going. Trip comes back, but we are phobic over our dogs getting out and do all we can to keep them IN!


----------



## Beekissed

That's the main reason I moved away from GP and GP mixes....just couldn't do the whole recovering the dog at 3 am in the pouring rain after worrying all night any longer.   I'm finding that Anatolians aren't quite as prone to wandering off the land.  Sure hope they stay that way!


----------



## Mike CHS

We have a few $ tied up in hot wire to keep critters IN.    I'm not sure what Maisy might do now since she doesn't show any inclination to go wandering when I let her out.  She did the wandering thing when she first got here with us and she didn't have the bond that she does now.


----------



## Baymule

Trip and Paris never bonded with the sheep. Paris was maybe 4 or 5 years old and Trip was over a year old when we got sheep. All they wanted to do was play with or just flat out attack the sheep. They had never even seen a sheep. We had quite a learning curve to overcome. They have both made good guard dogs, but in more of a general farm type. Both are trustworthy with the sheep. but just not in love with them.

Sheba and Sentry both came from goat/sheep guarding parents and we got them as puppies. They both live for the sheep. I can open the gate to the yard, they will roam all over the yard, come to the house, come in, hang out, maybe take a nap. But ultimately, they WANT to go back to work. I've seen the other dogs running around playing, and Sheba laying by the sheep gate, even in the rain. Sheba ADORES the lambs, a little too much to be in with them when they are lambing. Sentry is awesome beyond words with lambing ewes and it's his duty to be in the barn with them at night. Sheba just turned a year old and is coming along to make a fantastic guard dog. 

Starting puppies is a MUCH better way to start LGDs, but I have a history of jumping in the deep end, then figuring out how to swim. It keeps life interesting. LOL LOL Poor BJ never knows which way I'll jump.


----------



## Beekissed

Mike CHS said:


> We have a few $ tied up in hot wire to keep critters IN.    I'm not sure what Maisy might do now since she doesn't show any inclination to go wandering when I let her out.  She did the wandering thing when she first got here with us and she didn't have the bond that she does now.


Just did that too, Mike.....$700 in fencing to contain two dogs worth $450.    It will be another $150 for each additional collar we buy, so it will likely get quickly up to $1K as our flock and pack grows.  Didn't have to get a collar for Pinky Pie yet as she just will not leave her sheep, so as long as Blue has a collar, we should be good unless/until she grows away from her sheep bond.  

Blue doesn't really have a true bond with the sheep, as he wasn't started out as a little pup with them, but Pinky Pie is more loyal to her sheep than she is to Blue, even.  If we have any pups here, they will all be born in the pasture with the sheep and be raised right alongside them for bonding purposes...sure does help a dog to stay in fences if the fences keep the sheep in and the dog doesn't want to leave the sheep.


----------



## Beekissed

Mike, you were right....prices make it WELL worth it to be selling at this time of year.  Got $924 after the auction took their cut, on 3 wethers and a ram lamb.  To my eye, none of them looked sleek and fat, just well muscled...except one bony looking wether that has never done well~he brought $2 on the hoof than the others because he weighed less!  

Definitely be breeding for a fall/winter lambing if we can.


----------



## farmerjan

This is one of the things that I have "preached" over the years with my son.  You have to work the markets and what is wanted when.  I don't like having all these feeders at the barn.... we will not make back more than the feed that they are eating.... total dollars received is not worth the less amount per pound for a bigger animal.... and having the right size for a certain time of year is just smart.  I am not so set on having all these cows calving this early in the year as the calves are worth more as feeders in the early spring and they want them in the 375 to 500 wts.  
If you can sell yours direct then you can breed differently.  But, with the backups now at the butchers, it isn't like you can just call up and say you have 3 to kill in 2 months.  So you have to be able to sell at the sale barns/auctions and that means having them at the best size.  
I am glad that you got real good prices for the ones you took.  I am hoping that it will be good for us to take steers the end of this week if we can get in and out of the pasture where they have been.  I am pushing to calve later in the spring/early summer so that the calves are more in the 450-550 wt range in January or Feb.  They will get the advantage of the grass for grazing, with not trying to get calves born in Feb in this really CRAZY weather we get, and losing calves or sick calves.  Then they will wean off easier as they will be eating hay real good.  I don't know, I am trying to figure out ways to make our operation pay better too without all the work.  I did a chart up years ago and cannot find it so will be making another.... with a weight on one side, and a price per lb on the other side and see where they  cross for the same money .... and then you have to figure out the added feed. 
 Also to figure in is how much less the ewes eat with the lambs off sooner, and the less compaction on the soil and things that you just don't see.  

Just made some more appts for beef.... July Aug and Sept 2022....


----------



## Baymule

Beekissed said:


> Mike, you were right....prices make it WELL worth it to be selling at this time of year.  Got $924 after the auction took their cut, on 3 wethers and a ram lamb.  To my eye, none of them looked sleek and fat, just well muscled...except one bony looking wether that has never done well~he brought $2 on the hoof than the others because he weighed less!
> 
> Definitely be breeding for a fall/winter lambing if we can.


Wow! That is great Bee! How old were these lambs? Congratulations on good prices!


----------



## Beekissed

Baymule said:


> Wow! That is great Bee! How old were these lambs? Congratulations on good prices!


They were around 9 mo. old.  We had planned on butchering them here at home but the year got away from us and the weather turned warm, not optimal for butchering at home, so we decided to go ahead and sell....and it was a GREAT decision.  I'm thanking God for it all today!


----------



## Mike CHS

Today was a non-event except I had to break out my thermals again. Temp got up to the low 40's but the wind made it feel like 30.  We did get a call to go in and sign our taxes so they could be filed and of course they called about ten minutes after we got back from Kroger and they are about three blocks past that so we went into town again.


----------



## Bruce

Isn't that always how it goes!


----------



## Mike CHS

It is so pretty outside that I worked on my seemingly never ending tree line for a couple of hours but it is almost completely cleared out where I want to install fence on the property and outside the access lane.  While I had the chainsaw out, I spent another hour or so making 1" slices in a peach tree we took down several weeks ago plus it took as long to pick up all of the pieces as it did to cut them.  I like to add a couple of chunks to charcoal when I'm grilling poultry or pork.  If you haven't tried it the peach wood adds an excellent taste.


----------



## Mike CHS

We got a couple of the beds tilled and got a bunch of onions transplanted plus the row cover has been over the lettuce until a few days ago.  We have been able to get a half dozen heads every ten days or so with little effort just by transplanting and thinning.  We have a bunch of cool weather plants starting in flats that will get transplanted soon.


----------



## Mike CHS

We had a fairly early supper using meatloaf that we made a few weeks ago and froze one of them.  We usually make two meals whenever we use the oven and freeze one of them.  I have my favorite meatloaf recipes but came across one that I wanted to check out.  New to me was one of the steps that called for putting the loaf under the broiler for several minutes,  take it out and add a light layer of the glaze and back under the broiler again for several minutes then bake at 350 for the rest of the time.

I had always just baked in the past but this extra step made the loaf hold together perfectly and even had a texture a little more like steak than ground beef.


----------



## Baymule

I haven’t made meatloaf in forever. It is a good idea to make 2 meals at once and freeze one!


----------



## farmerjan

When I cook for just one, which I hate doing.... I usually make enough for several meals and then freeze some for later.  Makes it nice when I am testing and don't have time or the inclination to cook when I get home... so can take something out of the freezer before I go to work and stick in the fridge and then cook that night... or even for the next night.  Besides, may as well make use of the oven/stove when it is on....


----------



## Bruce

My mother made meatloaf on occasion, it was never one of my favorites and I've never made it myself.


----------



## farmerjan

I'm with @Bruce  on that, I am not a meatloaf fan either.  We had it on occasion, it was a good way to make something other than hamburgers with ground beef and could be "extended " with bread crumbs and such and given a different flavor than burgers.  But I just never was a fan and seldom ever made it once I moved down here.  I would gladly eat just a "hamburger steak"  broiled or pan fried than a piece of meatloaf.   Oh well, there are people that love it... bless their hearts.  I like stuffed peppers, but the pepper part doesn't seem to like me.... love the flavor so I make them and freeze them and have them to pull out occasionally and eat most of it and leave some of the pepper.  Raw peppers like with a dip or in a salad are fine... crazy quirks.


----------



## Mike CHS

We made another hay enclosure using cattle panels this afternoon.  One of the two that we made originally works fine but the other one that I made didn't have the access holes large enough.  They like the new one better and it has holes big enough that all of the sheep can get to the round bale.  Using the panels has cut our hay waste down to about a third of what it was this year.  We already had brought in 4 bales before we added the panels and have only bought 6 more total since then and 1 of those we just opened up today and the other still has a half bale left. At the most, we may have to get two more but that will only be to give the paddocks a chance to recover before turning the sheep out on them.

Last year we used 32 bales total but we had the cows then and over 50 adult sheep and 12 lambs on the hay.  Right now we have 44 so my math didn't survive the cutting our numbers thing by very much.


----------



## Baymule

Sheep math. I’m selling 6 cull ewes and keeping 7 ewe lambs. I never was good at math. I totally get it on numbers of sheep.


----------



## Mike CHS

Spatchcocked chicken, it's what's for an early dinner.


----------



## Baymule

We are having spaghetti. Granddaughter #2 wants fried eggs. LOL They asked for chicken and I showed them the meat chicks on the porch. LOL I’m ready for some chicken, It’ll be awhile....


----------



## Larsen Poultry Ranch

Baymule said:


> We are having spaghetti. Granddaughter #2 wants fried eggs. LOL They asked for chicken and I showed them the meat chicks on the porch. LOL I’m ready for some chicken, It’ll be awhile....


I bet they are just chicken nugget size now lol.


----------



## Mike CHS

It was help clean up property today but not ours.  The friend that used to have the kennel that Teresa worked for bought another property (25 acres) after she sold the kennel and the previous long time owner had been a pack rat.  The house on the property is solid although in need of a lot of work so she is going to basically gut it and turn it into a barn.  There is another smaller building that she is going to tear down and there is a new barn and several acres that are fenced that she will use for goats and sheep.  She wants to buy 3 or 4 bred ewes later this year and in the mean time, we are going to run our ram lambs on her place to keep the grass down until she is ready for the ewes and we will have a better idea if the rams will be worthy of registsration.

The Black Vultures are getting brave again so when I thought about it, my kill Permit expires at the end of this month and I had forgotten to submit the permit application for 2021 so I got that done also.


----------



## Baymule

Y’all were busy today! Pasture for the ram lambs is a good thing.


----------



## Bruce

Dang those vultures!


----------



## farmerjan

Saw a bunch of the vultures out at the one pasture where there are some small calves. Thought we had lost one but they were just sitting around on the round bale.... they will attack a small calf though.... the cows were pretty unhappy and when one landed on the ground the cow charged it and it took off.  Going to get the .410 shotgun out and ......


----------



## Mike CHS

The dogs keep them away when they are with the sheep but unfortunately, they aren't in with them when they are lambing.  A friend of ours lost so many lambs a couple of years ago that he sold out.  A neighbor caught them going after a calf as it was being born and the cow was having a fit.  Farm Bureau handles the Federal permits and issues sub permits to take up to three at a time and you can get additional permits but normally taking one vulture makes the rest go away.


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## Bruce

3 at a time, then you reload and get 3 more if they come back ;0


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> 3 at a time, then you reload and get 3 more if they come back ;0



So far I have only needed to kill one as the rest fly away not to come back for months.  Then it seems like they forget.


----------



## Baymule

What do you do with them after you shoot one?
My Daddy battled crows in his garden. Crows are real smart, but when he was able to shoot one, he tied it to a pole in his garden. NO crow would come near his garden!


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> What do you do with them after you shoot one?
> My Daddy battled crows in his garden. Crows are real smart, but when he was able to shoot one, he tied it to a pole in his garden. NO crow would come near his garden!



Tie a sting around a leg and hang them from a tree.  The rest of the bunch won't come around again.  I have shot two that fell in the railroad tunnel so I couldn't get them but they still left the area.


----------



## Mini Horses

We have buzzards, black, not thinking kind you have.  They usually only go after dead or road kill.   I have noticed a couple skunks on the roadside of late, an area I travel frequently, And also that the buzzards haven't touched them!   Not that I blame them   But, seems it's not something they care for   The deer kill and that possum I provided, they cleaned up fast.....skunks just lay there, stink, and dry up.  

Just an observation.


----------



## farmerjan

The true "buzzard" is the "turkey buzzard"..... naked necks..... very slow moving and awkward.
The killing ones are black, with some white under the wings... known as the Mexican black buzzard.  They are killers,  not just scavangers.  They will go after and kill calves, lambs, even attack a cow while calving.... I had them go after and attack a couple of baby calves that had gotten scours.... had them in the shed attached to the big barn at one place.... big enough shed to back a hay wagon in ,   they were inside under it and the black bstds were in there picking at the rear ends and eating the buttholes... got one calf's eyes...... I got 3 of the sorry SOB's.... all the black ones. Had to kill the calves too.....
 Had about 15 after a heifer that had just calved at a pasture..... the owners daughter was there and she took the 4 wheeler down in the pasture and stayed there until I got there.... I was on my way home from work when she called me.... once the calf got up and nursed a little, I "walked" the heifer and her calf down into the trees/brush where the sorry sob's  don't like to go because they can't fly in and out easily.   They are no good pieces of SH!T...... 
You can google them and find hundreds of stories about how bad they are getting.


----------



## Mini Horses

I must have the turkey kind?   They don't hang except at a scavange site.  Thankfully!!


----------



## NEWCOMER

norseofcourse said:


> Nice to see you working on a dream!  I'll be watching the progress


Me too!


----------



## Baymule

The red headed turkey buzzards used to be plentiful but are being crowded out by the black headed Mexican vultures. Not an improvement!


----------



## farmerjan

We are also losing many of our red headed turkey buzzards here.  The black Mexican buzzards will gang up on the turkey buzzards at a kill.  They will also destroy the eggs in a turkey buzzards nest if they can find them and they are more agile than the turkey buzzards in general.  HATE THEM (black ones) with a real passion.


----------



## Bruce

farmerjan said:


> They are no good pieces of SH!T......


So how do you REALLY feel about black vultures Jan? 



Mini Horses said:


> I must have the turkey kind?   They don't hang except at a savage site.  Thankfully!!I


I guess that is what we have as well. I see them soaring occasionally. Only saw 2 on the ground one time, just inside the woods by the west field. I guess they were snacking on a dead woodchuck that somehow ended up there.


----------



## Mike CHS

We got the raised garden beds that have been idle tilled today before the rain got here.  I had piled on leaves from the fall and then sheep manure that I had been taking out of the stall and it had composted pretty good.  I could go into the earth worm business from the thousands of them that were there.

I wanted something different for supper tonight and made pork chops with a Honey Garlic Sauce that was really good.


----------



## Baymule

Honey garlic sauce recipe please?


----------



## Mike CHS

Here you go - I reserved the sauce since and used some over the chops when they were served.         
Easy Honey Garlic Pork Chops Recipe​
Easy Honey Garlic Pork Chops made simple, with the most amazing and addictive 4-ingredient honey garlic sauce that is so good you’ll want it on everything! Quick and easy to make, your new family favourite pork recipe is here!


Ingredients

4 pork chops bone in or out  
Salt and pepper, to season
1 teaspoon garlic powder   
2 tablespoons olive oil   
1 tablespoon unsalted butter   
6 cloves garlic, minced   
1/4 cup honey   
1/4 cup water (or chicken broth)   *I used broth*
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar, or    any white vinegar)
Instructions

    Preheat oven broiler (or grill) on medium-high heat. Season chops with salt, pepper and garlic powder just before cooking.  
    Heat oil in a pan or skillet over medium high heat until hot. Sear    chops on both sides until golden and cooked through (about 4-5    minutes each side). Transfer to a plate; set aside.  
    Reduce heat to medium. Melt butter in the same pan, scraping up any  browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Sauté garlic until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add the honey, water and vinegar.    Increase heat to medium-high and continue to cook until the sauce reduces down and thickens slightly, while    stirring occasionally.
    Add pork back into the pan, baste generously with the sauce and broil/grill for 1-2 minutes, or until edges are slightly charred. *  I dipped the chops in the sauce then transferred to another pan to go under the broiler.*
Garnish with parsley and serve over vegetables, rice, pasta or with    a salad.


----------



## Mike CHS

I just saw on Facebook that the High School in the town I went to school in won the Missouri state championship for their basketball class.  I am still in good contact with most of my friends from High School and many of the kids on the current team have the same last names of the teams that I played on so it's pretty cool.  Campbell has a population of around 1900 which is about the same as when I lived there.  I played tackle on the basketball team that I played on so that probably wouldn't work now.


----------



## Bruce

Um, tackle? What basketball position is that? I only know of Center, forward and guard. 

Or is this one of those "I went to a basketball game and a football game broke out" things? 

Congratulations to your friends' kids!


----------



## Mini Horses

Recipe sounds really tasty.  Have to try that. 

Now, tackle in basketball. 🤔. Isn't that a foul?   😁


----------



## Mike CHS

Mini Horses said:


> Recipe sounds really tasty.  Have to try that.
> 
> Now, tackle in basketball. 🤔. Isn't that a foul? 😁



We had a different kind of league.  I wouldn't condone it now but my only job on our team was to take out the other teams best player.  In three years of playing, I never played more than three minutes before I fouled out,


----------



## Bruce

I take it you weren't the best dribbler, shooter or defender on the team 

That strategy was explained to me by my friend when I went to the one and only ice hockey game I've seen. How do you get ahead? Pick a big fight with the opposing team's best player, both get thrown out, no loss to your team.


----------



## Mike CHS

That pretty much covers it Bruce.  Our coach was about as dirty as they get.


----------



## Baymule

That recipe sounds delicious! I’ll have to try that.


----------



## Mike CHS

Today was about as beautiful as it gets.  We were dealing with snow and ice a couple of weeks ago and today the lawn needed mowing.


----------



## Mike CHS

Today was dogs to the Vets for shots day   Teresa got a couple of shots of Mel on the back seat of our Tacoma.  There is more room in the Ram but Mel is in full blown shed mode right now and his hair is a bear to get off of the seats.  It was bit on the cool side but he enjoys having his head out of the window like most dogs.


----------



## Baymule

Aw heck, just give Mel the keys and he can drive himself to the vet!


----------



## Bruce

Did you need a shoehorn to get him in there?


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Did you need a shoehorn to get him in there?



There is actually more room than it looks like in the pictures but I'm just glad that Joe or Barb (or both) used the "UP" command with him because I sure wasn't going to be able to pick him up.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Mike CHS said:


> There is actually more room than it looks like in the pictures but I'm just glad that Joe or Barb (or both) used the "UP" command with him because I sure wasn't going to be able to pick him up.


Joe had to of done that lol..he knew the word ,  thankfully  lol..their was a lot of up and down on the drive back from Texas....and his hotel / motel manners were great    too !


----------



## Mike CHS

I don't get many pictures of Maisy but she is one of five reasons we keep sheets on the furniture.    She is so low key and patient which is a great thing this time of year.  If she didn't get groomed every day, she would be one big mat.  She rarely wears a collar these days since the hair just wants to get tangled under it.  Fortunately she has become a stay at home so even when I let her out, she doesn't go anywhere.

This is one of those days when the thunder is rumbling constantly and none of the critters seem to be in a hurry to get out in the weather.


----------



## rachels.haven

Pretty girrrl!


----------



## Baymule

A rainy day here, especially with thunder, means that Trip will jump fences and gates to run to the porch. He peers in the window, looking pitiful until we let him in. LOL 

Maisy is so fluffy and pretty.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa came up with a winner this afternoon at the dinner table.  I'm posting the link to the recipe as it is that good and made enough that we froze enough for three meals and still had enough for a leftover meal tomorrow since it tastes so rich..

Crescent Beef Stroganoff Bake









						Crescent Beef Stroganoff Bake
					

Crescent rolls make up the crust for this delicious cheese-topped beef stroganoff. The simple sour cream and ground beef filling is savory and delicious.




					www.thespruceeats.com


----------



## Baymule

That sounds yummy! Looks good too!


----------



## Mike CHS

I needed a new pair of mud boots so we went into town and stopped at our feed store to pick up a pair.  They carry a good quality boot at a very good price and while there we went over to Kroger to pick up a few things.  As usual for the last few months they didn't have my favorite cut of pork which is pork steak cooked on the BBQ grill.  What they did have though was pork butt for 99 cents a pound which I had them slice up a couple so now I have plenty of pork steaks.


----------



## Baymule

That’s using your head. Way to go.


----------



## Mike CHS

When I opened the pork packages, the first thing I thought was that that pig must have been related to Wilbur.


----------



## Baymule

Haha, that looks so good!


----------



## Mike CHS

We eat our Gyros on low carb tortillas rather than Pita bread to keep the carbs down a bit.  I was making some Tzatziki sauce and saw we were out of cucumbers so I made the sauce without them since I wasn't going back to town just for that.  As it was, I really couldn't tell the difference without the cucumber.

I put the sheep on fresh grass this morning and they were enjoying it so much they didn't come when I called them in for feed.


----------



## Mike CHS

We brought the sheep in and gave the last shots and pulled fecal samples on several.  We had a buyer out to look at the ram lambs and he is buying two of the three that we have left to be herd sires this fall.  We still need to get a blood sample and send off for codon typing so they can be registered.


----------



## Mike CHS

We had a bird visit a couple of days ago that neither of us had ever seen before.  According to what we read they do live in Tennessee but we haven't seen any.  I had never even heard of a Norther Flicker but here she is.


----------



## Baymule

What a pretty bird. Do y'all have a bird feeder or did she just show up and hang out in the yard? We enjoy watching the birds that come to our feeder. BJ's favorite is a woodpecker that comes for the sunflower seeds.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> What a pretty bird. Do y'all have a bird feeder or did she just show up and hang out in the yard? We enjoy watching the birds that come to our feeder. BJ's favorite is a woodpecker that comes for the sunflower seeds.



She just showed up so we are guessing she was just passing through as we haven't seen her since.


----------



## Finnie

Mike CHS said:


> She just showed up so we are guessing she was just passing through as we haven't seen her since.


That’s usually the case when we see Northern Flickers here. It’s fun to see something larger and more colorful than usual.


----------



## Mike CHS

We brought the sheep in to give them garlic drench and get blood from the two ram lambs that are leaving Friday.  One of our yearling ewes decided she didn't want to be messed with and fought like hell to make sure she didn't step on the scale.  I got behind her to push her on it and she literally jumped out of the chute from a flat footed stance and then started jumping out in the work area.  We finally got her done but she is one of those that reminds you how dangerous these critters can be.  Of course it started raining as soon as we got started which made us really appreciate the roof that we added over the handling area.


----------



## Baymule

Does this put the wildcat ewe on the cull list or does she get another chance? LOL I have one that is hard to work and it just so happens she is on the goodbye list.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Does this put the wildcat ewe on the cull list or does she get another chance? LOL I have one that is hard to work and it just so happens she is on the goodbye list.



She has everything going for her so I will forgive a female hormone moment.  She has been really calm until today so who knows what is going on,


----------



## Baymule

All of up have a bad day once in awhile. LOL 

A couple with 2 kids came out yesterday for the kids to feed the bottle lambs. They had a blast and they all fell in love with the sheep. They bought 16 acres a few miles from us and are going to build a house. They want sheep to keep the ag exemption but have never been around sheep. They were enchanted. The lambs and ewes wanted lots of petting and scratches, nudging their hands when they stopped. I gave them whole corn to hand feed and they laughed at the sheep tickling lips on their hands. I thought the Dad was going to kidnap Tiny the bottle lamb. She followed him wanting more scratches. It was a great introduction to sheep.


----------



## Mike CHS

When Teresa was locking the chickens up last night she saw a skunk heading toward the door on the coop.  It then ran off but we will put traps out this evening to see if we can't catch it and get rid of it.

We had a tree come down during the wind the other night and fortunately it fell parallel with the fence on that side with no damage to it.  I got it cut up today but had to be careful getting since part of the branches was leaning of a Locust tree full of thorns.  I loaded them up last to make sure they stayed separate.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> When I opened the pork packages, the first thing I thought was that that pig must have been related to Wilbur.


They do look sort of huge. 



Mike CHS said:


> According to what we read they do live in Tennessee but we haven't seen any.


The first time I saw one up here was about 35 years ago. It was on a tree trunk with that bright red patch really obvious. Had a HECK of a time finding out what it was because the picture in the bird book barely shows the smallest bit of the red patch. Given how distinctive it is you would think they could do better. I've only seen a few since then so I'm not surprised you've not seen them, they appear to be somewhat prone to staying any from people I guess.


----------



## Mike CHS

We went down to Alabama to our feed store to get a load of feed.  While we were there we stopped by a Taco Truck to get a bite to eat.  This was the first time we had gotten anything there but every time we picked up feed there was always a line there.  A plus to recommend the place was that it seemed most of the people we saw in line was mostly Hispanic so we assumed it would be authentic food.  It was about as good as it gets in restaurants we had been in.

We had a buyer come by to look at our last ram lamb.  He liked the ram will be picking him up in a couple of weeks.


----------



## Mike CHS

This isn't the best picture but Teresa snapped a picture of the ram lambs just before they loaded them up to take them home.  These folks have had sheep for 9 years so I wasn't too surprised when they showed up in a car to load the lambs in the back seat.  

We took the picture more for our records since we had not taken a picture of them since they were born.


----------



## Mike CHS

The sheep think they can hang out outside our living room window bawling and they might get more feed.  Maisy has been staying with them while Mel stays on a higher spot in an adjacent field but since he was barking at the storm for most of last night, he has probably crashed over there.  They have become a pretty good team and compliment each others style.


----------



## farmerjan

Yeah, the cows think every time they see the truck they are supposed to get fed.... even going down the road, they will come to the fence if they hear it.... funny how they know our trucks from the other farmers around....


----------



## Baymule

It’s so funny that the sheep have figured out what room you are in. When you look out the window, are they staring back at you? LOL

@farmerjan we have slowed down before to admire a pasture full of real nice cows before, and they all run to the fence. A local rancher has a siren on his truck. We always know when he is feeding his cows.


----------



## Bruce

Did you manage to miss a good amount of the 7" of rain Nashville got? Surely you are close enough to have gotten a LOT of rain.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Did you manage to miss a good amount of the 7" of rain Nashville got? Surely you are close enough to have gotten a LOT of rain.



We got a little over 4" as the most intense parts moved along I-65 heading northeast. For most of the day we could see the storm line just a couple miles west of us.


----------



## Bruce

4" is still more than plenty! Glad you missed some of it.


----------



## Mike CHS

While I was out feeding Mel and Maisy, the sheep all came up for some back scratches and they stand there while I pull out loose clumps of their winter hair.  Teresa came out and took some pictures of them.  The first one is a ewe lamb that is still nursing and believe it or not, her mom is behind her in the picture.

The second ewe is one of the replacement lambs.  She won't be in with the breeders this time as she is only 4 months old but looks much older.

The third is a January lamb but she is some nice eye candy.

The 4th is a big boned girl that makes just as big boned lambs.  She is a two year old and has been recorded this year.

Last is one of our yearlings that will be bred for the first time this spring.  We are planning on lambing in October/November this time hoping to beat some of the hottest temps while breeding.


----------



## Baymule

Those are some lovely girls. You and Teresa have done outstanding on your sheep. The lambs grow fast! I am excited to be taking half my flock to auction, even more excited by the ewe lambs I am keeping and can't wait to find the perfect registered ladies for Ringo.  Is this going to be the first breeding for Cooper, the new ram?


----------



## Mike CHS

This will be the first time for Cooper.  I'm glad he is pretty laid back since he spends a lot of time in the paddock next to the girls several times a day.


----------



## Mike CHS

I finally got to get a view of Mel's digging ability this morning.  I opened the gate to our south paddock to let the sheep on fresh grass and Mel made a beeline for the levy on our catch basin for a storm drain.  A groundhog has a burrow in the side of that levy and Mel spent about 20 minutes trying to relocate the levy but finally figured out that the critter wasn't there.


----------



## Baymule

Do you still have any shred of the levy left? LOL LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

That thing is big enough it would take awhile to make a dent in it but he gave it a good effort.


----------



## Bruce

Mel is a big boy, probably wouldn't take him too long. Good thing he is smart enough to figure out his quarry had left via the back door.


----------



## Baymule

Mel and Paris would make real good digging buddies. Our back yard is moon cratered. Paris has her moon craters at the back of the sheep barn too.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa likes to make a big Easter dinner even though we don't have family here this year.  I think it reminds her of the family time we used to have when we lived  in Charleston.  Of course all but one no longer lives there either but we enjoyed the meal.

She made a standing rib roast, twice baked potato, asparagus, jello fruit salad and home made rolls.


----------



## caprines.n.me

That looks delicious.


----------



## farmerjan

I could be a long lost second cousin twice removed, come to visit, for a meal like that!!!!!


----------



## Baymule

That looks good! I know Teresa is a good cook, but that looks like she outdid herself!


----------



## Mike CHS

farmerjan said:


> I could be a long lost second cousin twice removed, come to visit, for a meal like that!!!!!



You would be welcome anytime


----------



## farmerjan

Thank you very much @Mike CHS .  I looked at that mouth watering meal and thought... they like their meat like I do... NOT like shoe leather!!!!!.... Since you didn't have any family coming, I couldn't help the convoluted "shirt tail " relative thing!!!!

If I get a chance to do a little traveling after I get established and knees fixed, I want to make a "loop" and visit some of the members I have gotten to know on here.... and I will trade off some nice fat broilers for a nice meal like that!!!!


----------



## Mike CHS

I was being serious when I said you would be welcome anytime.


----------



## farmerjan

Mike CHS said:


> I was being serious when I said you would be welcome anytime.


Thank you again.  And I did believe that you were serious with the welcome and that means alot.  I was sorta kidding when I commented because it looked like a wonderful meal.... I guess sometimes I am so serious and straight forward that my attempts at humor are a little dry.  I will make it a point of making your place a priority on my list when I try to do some visiting after I get the knees working and settled in.  Life is short and I do want to try to meet and visit some on here that I consider "close friends".... 
EXCEPT that if all the BS keeps up, I will be doing  ALOT of driving.... NOT getting the shot in order to get a "COVID PASSPORT"......


----------



## Mike CHS

Jan, we have a similar sense of humor as do most of us on here as I observe.    FWIW,  I'm not getting that shot either.


----------



## farmerjan

@Mike CHS , I remember reading in your thread that your primary care physician or whoever it was at the clinic, said that no one in the clinic was getting the shot.  I was very impressed with that.  The PCP here is more conventional, pushing the flu shot, pneumonia, shingles... all that stuff.  I had to have a PCP when I had the ankle replacement last year... My naturopathinc  "woman's doctor" is not a PCP.... I asked when I went to her and was comtemplating the ankle replacement.... I need to find one that is less "conventional medicine" and more into "getting healthy medicine"...

I heard on the radio today that now they think that people will need a "booster" of the covid shot in 6 months.... and regularly after that,  as there are more strains that are found from the mutations....

It is driving me nuts.... There is nothing from the any of the experts on the immunity that people who have HAD it , how it makes them more likely to have more complete protection from any type of "re-infection".....


----------



## Mike CHS

I was never in a hurry to get a shot where the data for the development is maintained and managed by the pharma companies.  I prefer to believe those 55,000 medical folks who have signed on to alternative treatments for the virus rather than do a bunch of things that have never been tried before and without much proof other than that provided by a narcissistic "doctor" who has been an administrator for the last several decades.

On top of that you see reports where more people have died from the covid vaccine in a couple of months than from flu vaccines given for the last 30 years colors me a lot more skeptical.


----------



## farmerjan

Not happening here @Mike CHS .... I'm with you on the alternative treatments, and we have Ivermectin for the cattle and it often gets spilled as we treat topically..... There are too many reports AGAINST the "covid shot" and side or after effects...


----------



## Baymule

Thinning down the herd......


----------



## Bruce

550K so far. I'm sure quite a number of those reduced government SS and medicare payouts.


----------



## farmerjan

Yeah, reduced SS and medicare payouts so that they can give it to illegal  entrants into our country and who will vote for them,  instead of hard headed independently thinking  old geezers.....and who will continue to add to the rolls of those that get continued govt "assistance" for the rest of forever....


----------



## farmerjan

Yeah, reduced SS and medicare payouts so that they can give it to illegal  entrants into our country and who will vote for them,  instead of hard headed independently thinking  old geezers.....and who will continue to add to the rolls of those that get continued govt "assistance" for the rest of forever....


----------



## Mike CHS

The weather is beautiful again today.  We got all of our garden starts transferred to six packs since they were all in flats until today.  I sprayed fence lines today while Teresa worked a couple of the raised garden beds and transplanted some of the summer vegetables.  We still aren't out of the danger zone for frost but we have enough row covers to protect things if needed.

The sheep are enjoying the new growth grass and we will pull the lambs off of them in the next week or so.  I took one picture from the living room window of them grazing this afternoon just to have something to post.


----------



## Baymule

Lovely picture. Ringo is in the back yard/side pasture that goes up to the back of the sheep barn, along with 7 weaned ram lambs. He is in Paris's domain. He gravitates towards her, probably missing Maisy. She was laying down a few days ago and he pawed her. She was up in a flash, snarling at him. He nudged her a day or so later and she growled. But she lays down near him. Neither one has ever showed interest in being friends, maybe they are talking about it now........ Paris, my old, cranky, crazy, psycho dog. LOL If they work out some sort of friendship, it would be nice for both of them. 

It seems every time I look out the bathroom window, there is Ringo, looking at me. he walks up and down, baas at me when I go outside, for me to come brush him. The grass in the side pasture is lush and green now, he is enjoying it.  What a spoiled brat. At least he hasn't figured out the steps that lead to the back door....... LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

We have getting Asparagus before the last cold spell but last night they must have decided to really sprout up.  We have another cold spell coming so that will slow them down again.  This was a little over a pound.

Today was a marathon grass mowing day since I need to get my mower worked on so it might be a bit before I get it back.  The area on the frame where the seat attaches has developed a pretty good size crack that my neighbor is going to try and weld some support to. I'm hoping he can make it work or if not I'll be getting a new mower because the seat is falling off this one.  It takes me a bit over 5 hours a week to keep the grass cut but I usually spread that out by an hour or so a couple of times a week.


----------



## Mike CHS

The road we live on is only 3 miles long and used to be a dead end as there was a railroad bridge that was closed as unsafe 10 years ago.  There is a big farm at the far end of the road plus he owns a lot of land on the other side of the bridge that in order to get to was about 20 miles away although he can see his land 1/2 mile away.  Three years ago he made a deal with the county to donate a right-away so they could build a through roadway that gave him direct access to both of his properties.

There still wasn't that much traffic since there is only 5 families but one of the families sub divided their 185 acre farm and put it up for sale.  It looks like one of the parcels that is a little over 60 acres was bought by a builder with plans to build 65 houses on it that is right in line with our beautiful view to the west.  We are less than an hour drive to Franklin that has been in a commercial business boom for the last several years so our quiet little road is going to change a bit.  We didn't think it would sell that fast since they were asking $12,000 and acre and we paid $2,000 per acre six years ago.


----------



## Baymule

That is terrible news. Progress and all that stuff, but why can’t that be somewhere else? 65 houses is going to clog up your quiet little road. What a bummer.


----------



## farmerjan

The best thing to do is to look into trees or some sort of a living hedge now and get them planted along the fenceline/roadway ; to cut down on some of the dust and noise,  and then the nosiness of neighbors in a subdivision.  
It's going to continue like that.  And when it starts to happen, make sure your liability insurance on the farm covers stupid people that might get across the fence/trespass  on the property.... with the guardian dogs and all.  Mel might not be a problem since he is so people loving.... but you don't need to deal with any aggravations and such. 

Sorry for the loss of the view.... but the only way to stop that is to have bought the property for yourself which you don't need for your operation.   Yeah, progress sucks....


----------



## Mike CHS

We have been wondering when that might start happening.  Nashville and Franklin have been in a boom since before we bought here and an hour commute isn't a big deal with I65 being two miles away.  The only access to our place is our driveway that has only one way in and our west boundary is a CSX railroad tunnel that runs the length of our property line.

The new housing is going to be on the clearing on the left side of the picture and our house is quite a bit higher elevation than the spot this picture was taken.  We have plenty of insurance since we are toured by several school organizations plus Katahdin Association activities.


----------



## Bruce

It sure won't improve the view at all   
I bet those $12K/acre lots will probably be sold for at least double that if not triple when they put in the roads for the houses.


----------



## Baymule

Our place was a HUD repo. Doublewide and 8 acres, we won the bid for $65,655. At the time, almost 7 years ago, land here was $8,000 per acre on the HIGH side. Now land is $20,000 to $30,000 per acre. Our place now could easily bring $250,000 to $300,000 Total insanity. Factor in galloping inflation and the sky is the limit. 

We went yesterday with our neighbor Robert to pick up a sawmill that he bought. It is now on our flatbed on the back of his 2 acres, which backs up to our place. We already have a 12' gate in the fence, we'll add a 16' gate for easier access. Plans are rolling around in my head....... poor BJ. I want to build a post and beam with cordwood masonry infill, house. Not necessarily here...... But he and I discussed building a small one bedroom cottage up front as a practice run, then renting it out on Air B&B. He liked that idea. BWA-HA-HA-HA!


----------



## Mike CHS

I got my riding mower back from our neighbor.  Turned out the mower is mostly aluminum so he couldn't weld it.   He wound up putting a good size piece of 1/8" iron plate on the top and underside and used bolts  to attach everything.


----------



## Bruce

Might not be pretty but it will cut the grass.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Might not be pretty but it will cut the grass.


It actually looks very professional  He molded the plate around the curve of the body and made it sturdy enough that the seat no longer needs the cheesy braces that it used to have.  Just for grins I'll take a picture or two before I prime and paint it.


----------



## Baymule

Ringo is in the side pasture that goes from the backyard to the back of the sheep barn. This means that he has opportunity to follow me and BAA at me as I come and go. I walk outside, he is there at the fence, staring holes in me, BAA BAA BAA. I go to feed the horses, Ringo is at the fence, BAA BAA BAA. 

When I finish up chores, I get the horse curry comb and a brush and go see Ringo. He RUNS to me when I call. If I am brushing in the wrong place, he will move up or down to encourage me to hit the right spot. 

Yesterday I was brushing him and up comes one of his sons, Star. Whatever Daddy was getting, Star wanted some too. So I brushed them both. Then up came Snip, whatever Daddy and bratty brother were getting, Snip wanted some too. So I brushed all 3.  The 2 boys stood transfixed. This of course cut down on the lavish attention Ringo was getting, so he swung his head at the 2 upstarts that were mooching in on his attention, pushing them away. Ringo does not like to share.


----------



## Bruce

Priceless!!!


----------



## Baymule

Bruce said:


> Priceless!!!


Yep, a real American Express moment.


----------



## HomeOnTheRange

Mike CHS said:


> We didn't think it would sell that fast since they were asking $12,000 and acre and we paid $2,000 per acre six years ago.


Sold! Land here is $90,000 per acre and is selling in less than a few days when it does come on the market.

Like the Crescent Beef Stoganoff Bake!  I tried it with Pepper Jack cheese and it had a nice taste to it.  Thanks for sharing.


----------



## Bruce

$90K/acre?


----------



## Baymule

@HomeOnTheRange  Where is this $90 thousand an acre land in New Mexico? What makes it so desirable? The whole state or just where you are? Wow, I thought land here was stupid priced.


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## farmerjan

Land here is 5-6,000 an acre in larger tracts.... 75acres and bigger.... 10-20,000 an acre for smaller parcels in some places.  2 acre minimum for any kind of building lots unless already grandfathered in.  I had to have 2 acres with the house that they had to subdivide off the bigger place.  Would have liked 5 but the Christmas tree farm is next door and they did not want to give up more.  3 would have been nicer than the 2.  Oh well....
Price on the big farm that we rent is 600,000 for about 105 acres,  barn,  sheds.....no house, it is across the road..... 60 or so in cropable ground but no well ( it is on the house side),  and needs some TLC because owners would not put any time, money, or effort into it since the husband died.  Fences are needing replacing in several places, new culverts in the creek to be able to access lots on the other side as they are washed out quite bad....Barn needs some beam work....


----------



## Mike CHS

It is no wonder how the small family farms died but it is going to be costly..


----------



## Mike CHS

I haven't posted any lamb pictures for awhile but this picture is the last ram lamb left on our place.  He is 10 weeks old and will be going to his new home soon so we left him on his dam.  She is good condition and we still have time to flush before we start breeding for the next season.


----------



## Baymule

That’s a big boy!


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## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> That’s a big boy!



He has perfect lines and will be a big ram.  He is going to be a herd sire too so we are more than happy with this years ram lambs.


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## Mike CHS

We will be removing the last of the poly rope and replace it with electric netting so we can do better rotating the sheep and keep them where I put them now that they learned how easy it is to go through the rope.

The sheep are at the stage with their shedding that they are looking either slick or shaggy with hair hanging loose.  They all have it figured out that if they stand close enough to me they will get it pulled or combed out.  Cooper was looking like an alien until I was able to get most of the clumps of hair pulled off of him.  He loves being brushed so I got him cleaned up.  He loves being combed and will stand there with his eyes closed.  I still don't trust him but I stay aware of where his head is pointing.  It has been a couple of months now that he tried to butt me but I'm hoping the top of my boot landing on his nose is still in his memory.


----------



## Baymule

Nothing says love like a brush.


----------



## Mike CHS

I was out feeding the dogs this afternoon and of course the ewes came up to see if there was any treats and if no treats, they would take some help getting rid of the loose hair.  I was working on one that Maisy is really bonded to and I guess she thought I was hurting her because she kept taking her snout and moving my hand away from the ewe.  I was curious and pulled some of the clumps from another ewe and she didn't react.  I went back to working on the hair with the other (Ginger) and she went back to wanting me to stop it.   I quit messing with the ewe and Maisy was back to normal.  I quit trying to figure their thinking but do normally respond to what they want me to do/or not do


----------



## Bruce

Baymule said:


> Nothing says love like a brush.


And a boot up the nose.


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm making a batch of Vietnamese Beef Pho for supper this afternoon.  That soup has been my favorite for years and since the nearest Vietnamese restaurant is in Nashville, we learned how to make it the way it's supposed to taste.  We had a nice little place south of us on the state line but they didn't make it.  We made it a point to stop in every time we went by but evidently not enough people did that also.


----------



## Baymule

Awww that’s too bad, I know y’all enjoyed going to that place. How did you find the recipe?


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Awww that’s too bad, I know y’all enjoyed going to that place. How did you find the recipe?



Pho recipes are pretty popular and easy to find.  Most are similar and are either curry based beef broth or coconut milk is added for more like a pad thai dish.  We often couldn't tell for sure if a dish is That or Vietnamese since they often use similar ingredients.


----------



## HomeOnTheRange

Baymule said:


> @HomeOnTheRange  Where is this $90 thousand an acre land in New Mexico? What makes it so desirable? The whole state or just where you are? Wow, I thought land here was stupid priced.


It is close to the river where you can get water.  If you are in a place where you can not get water from the "river", then it is cheap.  We only get 10" of rain per year and it gets hot here, so you get water from the river or pump it (if you are lucky and can hit water).


----------



## Mike CHS

Some random pictures.  Mel and Maisy are sitting in their favorite spot.  The pictures are from the house so I zoomed in a bit with the second picture.

It's supposed to get down in frost range tomorrow morning so we put the row covers back over the garden beds that are already planted.  We have been getting right at a pound and a half of Asparagus for a couple of weeks.  We just about have some kind of salad every day so a lot of it gets used in salads.  We have cucumbers coming up under low garden tunnels plus we put the garden blankets back over them.  A couple of rows of snow peas popped up a couple of days ago.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Mike, they still talk about Mel when I go to the vets...that boy is loved everywhere


----------



## Mike CHS

B&B Happy goats said:


> Mike, they still talk about Mel when I go to the vets...that boy is loved everywhere



They love him at our vets place.  Mel has put on almost 20 pounds since you brought him here but it's all muscle.  I couldn't guess how many miles a day those two put on since there is a road that runs adjacent to our pasture so the dogs run from one end to the other dozens of times a day.

We took him into TSC one day and the manager (who is fairly short) had to get a picture of him sitting on the floor under Mel's head and Mel got him with a juicy lick.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Joe has to be smiling looking  down at how wonderful  Mel is doing .........

Sure hope you didn't  laugh too hard at the guy at TSC,...Mel's juicy links can clean  a face in one second or less, 🤗


----------



## Baymule

Mike your house is perfectly situated to look out over the property, what a lovely view. Mel is in the right place and Maisy is loving having a buddy. Win-win for both of them.


----------



## Mike CHS

We started giving our sheep a Purina brand mineral that our CO-OP just started having available.  This is one of the nice things about being in a small town and the vendors know how you operate.  We went in to pick up some sheep mineral a couple of weeks ago and they told us about a new product put out by Purina that has a growth inhibitor for fly control.  They had a good bit of info to pass on to us so we went ahead and picked some up. I did notice when I was out picking up manure this afternoon that I didn't have the usual swarms of flies that we had been having.


----------



## farmerjan

What is the fly inhibitor in it?  Clarifly?  Dairies use it in the milk bottles for the baby calves to stop the flies in the hutches.... there are some other IGR products.... insect growth regulators....


----------



## Mike CHS

farmerjan said:


> What is the fly inhibitor in it?  Clarifly?  Dairies use it in the milk bottles for the baby calves to stop the flies in the hutches.... there are some other IGR products.... insect growth regulators....



It is Clarifly.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa has some kind of bug that has pretty much knocked her out of any activity.  This came on all of a sudden but we shall see how it progresses.  I refuse to treat what could be a cold as something else until given a reason.


----------



## Baymule

I hope she gets better soon. I hate anything that slows me down, much being knocked out of my daily routine. She is so active, this has to really get on her nerves. I know you’ll take good care of her.


----------



## farmerjan

Sorry she's feeling icky.  I had a stomach/intestinal thing last year that knocked me for a loop for about 3 days....Never got far from the bathroom..... just tell her to rest and forget everything else... at least you are there... it's harder when you are the only one and know that things need to be done....Sleep as much as she can.... it's the best medicine to let your body fight it off...


----------



## Mike CHS

This bug doesn't seem too severe and she is already feeling better.


----------



## Baymule

That makes me happy! Yay! So glad that she is already feeling better.


----------



## Mike CHS

I have that bug now but it didn't hit me as hard as it did Teresa.  She is about over it now and even went out with me to work some garden beds.  We have all of our warm weather veggies ready to plant but we will wait for this hopefully last cold snap to go through.

We have somewhere around 30 tomato plants and about the same number of bell peppers as well as cucumbers, melons and a variety of things ready to plant.  Sugar Snap Peas are starting to put on and we have been getting plenty of green onions, lettuce and radishes.  I looked in the freezer this afternoon to see how much Asparagus we had in there and there was right at 16 pounds plus we have been eating it just about every day in some fashion.  I really like it broke up in a salad.


----------



## farmerjan

Funny, well not really "funny",  but I was just going to post to ask how she was feeling.... sorry you got it but this time of year something like that usually doesn't last... and you are feeling better faster just because it is nicer outside.... more positive... hope yours goes by quick too.


----------



## Baymule

No fun being sick. Hope you rebound fast. Take it easy all you can and get some rest. I’m glad Teresa is feeling better now.


----------



## Mike CHS

The two back tires on our golf cart broke seal so we took them off and took them to the CO-OP to check out.  Including the trip to town and back it wound up taking a couple of hours to get it done.  We used my ATV jack to work the tires on and off.  ATV jacks are a little different critter to use and we made an error when we set the jack up directly behind the concrete pad the the cart was on,  When using these jacks they have a tendency to move whatever you are lifting toward the jack when lifting and the jack will go forward which keeps the jack level under the lift.

By placing the jack next to the concrete pad, the movement of the jack wasn't able to happen which meant by the time we got the cart "almost" high enough to put the wheel on, the cart had moved backed 4-5" and the jack was stationary.  Long story shortened, after using a lot of scrap wood to block the cart up, we wound up using a farm jack to left it high enough which was high enough that the jack wanted to tip forward but I was able to hold it in place while Teresa got the wheels put back on.

We are going to separate the lambs off the ewes this week so we can let Cooper in with the ewes in a couple of weeks.  We will take the only ram that is left to his new home at that time.


----------



## Baymule

That was a lot of work on those tires. But y’all got it done, teamwork!


----------



## Mike CHS

We were headed to town yesterday and we saw that a neighbors Walker Hound was hung up in some electric netting around another neighbors pond to let their sheep graze the area.  The netting was pretty much destroyed from the dog fighting to get loose and nobody was home.  There was an open gate so we went back and turned off the power to the netting and closed the gate that opened out into the area.  We called and let the owner that has the sheep to let them know their netting was destroyed (and how).  He is about as layed back as you can get and we were pretty sure he wouldn't call the dogs owner so we called the dogs owner to let him know to check out his dog and told him his dog had destroyed the netting.  Everyone here is pretty responsible so I'm betting everything gets worked out.


----------



## Baymule

Y’all are pretty good neighbors yourselves. Many people would have driven past and not have done what y’all did.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Y’all are pretty good neighbors yourselves. Many people would have driven past and not have done what y’all did.



What is nice about where we live is that I am pretty sure our neighbors would have done the same.


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm getting ready to go to bed so I'll put up one of my pictures that have no meaning but tasted good.  

Beef from our steer from last year, Asparagus from this year and corn from Kroger.


----------



## Baymule

That looks yummy!


----------



## Mike CHS

We worked the sheep today and went ahead and pulled the lambs.  We pulled fecals from 5 that aren't quite back to where they should be.  The yearlings that will be bred this cycle are right at 120 pounds and their confirmation is great.  All of the adults are in the 135-150 pound weight range.


----------



## Mike CHS

It always happens for a few days but the lambs are so stressed out that they act like they have never seen a human.    I went down to the stall and tied the gate open and put some feed out so they can make up for some of the grazing they did not do this afternoon. Surprisingly they came when I called so it shouldn't take but a couple of days to get them back to normal.  I'll put Pete (the wether) in with them in a couple of days and he will lead them around.


----------



## Mike CHS

We are finally past our last frost date so we worked out biggest raised. I've been putting manure in another big bed about the same size that isn't framed in yet but it is one of the few spots in our garden area that doesn't have ledge rock.  It has been warm enough the last couple of weeks that we have been able to put our vegetable starts outside.  We get fried chicken take out from the grocery fairly often so that's what we use to start the plants and then transfer to celled trays.  The Almanac shows tomorrow as being good for transplanting so that is what we will do.


----------



## Baymule

Those are some healthy plants. Fried chicken must be good fertilizer.


----------



## Mike CHS

I just posted this picture on Facebook but it belongs here more. When Sassy has to go out and she figures nobody is paying attention to her she will sit in front of the TV and give that Aussie stare.    She isn't always the perfect dog but she is about as good as they get.


----------



## Beekissed

Mike CHS said:


> I just posted this picture on Facebook but it belongs here more. When Sassy has to go out and she figures nobody is paying attention to her she will sit in front of the TV and give that Aussie stare.    She isn't always the perfect dog but she is about as good as they get.


She's beautiful!!!!  Gotta love a dog with a quirky personality....they add to life's richness.


----------



## Baymule

Sassy WILL get your attention! She is beautiful.


----------



## Mike CHS

We potted up a few of the plants that aren't quite read to go into the garden.  We did get all of the tomatoes in except for the cherry tomatoes that go in another bed.  We put in 30 tomato plants in the one bed and they are quite a variety of 7 different types.

Teresa took cuttings from some of our house plants to give as gifts for Mother's Day to friends.


----------



## Bruce

Baymule said:


> Those are some healthy plants. Fried chicken must be good fertilizer.


Probably almost as good as chicken fried steak


----------



## Mike CHS

We put away all of the row covers last week but the temperature for the next couple of days is lower than what was forecast a few days ago so we broke them back out and covered all of the warm weather plants in the garden beds.  When we put in our garden beds we had planned on building a hoop house for the biggest bed but using low plastic tunnels and garden blankets have let us grow what we wanted just about all fall and winter.  We have had a green house and in the hottest months they are about useless so the portable covers work for us.

The first picture is where we have cucumbers planted.  They are only a few inches high so a blanket works for them.  The tomatoes are in the next bed and we are using low plastic tunnels covered by a garden blanket. Next is a bed with onions and radishes while next to that is a bed of lettuce that needs to be thinned out.  The Sugar Snap pears are starting to flower.  

The last bed is Asparagus and we have been getting right at a pound every day and a half.   The crowns on these plants are a little over 10 years old and we  brought them with us from our garden in South Carolina.  If we get a frost it will slow them down but they bounce back pretty fast.


----------



## Baymule

Y’all got it together, what a nice garden!


----------



## Mike CHS

Dinner will be ready around 5:00 this afternoon.  A couple of racks of Baby Backs and a bunch of Country Style Ribs.


----------



## farmerjan

Notice we get a dinner announcement when no one is within driving distance  to be there on time ????? Darn ......


----------



## Mike CHS

Everything turned out great.  We did call the neighbors and they came down to try it out.  The Baby Back Ribs were among the best that we have done with a real nice smoke ring from cherry wood.


----------



## Baymule

That looks so good! I know y’all will wrap some up for later.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> That looks so good! I know y’all will wrap some up for later.



We always have some ready.    We got 15 meals out of this batch not counting the sausages and hot dogs.  

We were glad we ate early since we had a strong storm cell come through and the power was off until about 10 minutes ago.


----------



## Mike CHS

When that storm front hit us yesterday there was a brief period of high winds that only lasted about 20 minutes.  One of the neighbors about 1/2 mile away lost an equipment barn and also had one of his semi truck and trailer turned over.  That was evidently the reason for the power loss yesterday since there were several power company trucks there replacing some poles and transformers this morning.  No idea if it was straight line winds or possibly a tornado since there was a couple of twisted trees not far from their place.


----------



## farmerjan

OMG.... no one was hurt I'm assuming?  We had that derechio  here about 10 years ago....it did alot of damage.  So glad you did not have any significant problems.  Hope he was insured well...


----------



## Mike CHS

farmerjan said:


> OMG.... no one was hurt I'm assuming?  We had that derechio  here about 10 years ago....it did alot of damage.  So glad you did not have any significant problems.  Hope he was insured well...



 I would think they are insured as they are one of the biggest farmers in the county.  Hopefully everything works outl


----------



## Mike CHS

We went to what they called a Graveside Service for our friend and neighbor this afternoon.  He was diagnosed with cancer 4 years ago and it was untreatable but he stayed his horneryt but happy self up until recently as he started going downhill three months ago.  His daughter insisted that he move in with her at that time and she was able to make sure he was cared for and able to get what medical help he needed.  His younger brother died of pneumonia/covid two months ago so the family has had their share of gried recently.  He had just turned 90 a couple of months ago.  He had a nice informal service with an Honor Guard doing a great job.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa was out closing up the chickens just before dark and she came back in to tell me there was a big possum in the pen.  It turned out to be a big male that won't bother anything again.


----------



## Baymule

90 years is a full life. I’m glad your neighbor was able to live life, even with cancer, on his terms until a few months before he died. We should all be so blessed.

Paris, our aging female GP, would make short work of that possum. She killed a big male one night, the same night a ewe gave birth to twins. I’m sure the possum wasn’t interested in the lambs, but he was dumb enough to enter Paris’s world and that was the end of him. She was so proud, she kept running to the possum, then to the ewe and lambs, to show me what she did. LOL LOL


----------



## misfitmorgan

Hey Mike I remember a while back you were looking into doing the sericea lespedeza seeding and had ordered some. Have you noticed any improvement from it? Looking at possibly adding it to our worm management after having high loads last year. Already we have 2 lambs this year that look like they are thin at only 3 months old.


----------



## Mike CHS

misfitmorgan said:


> Hey Mike I remember a while back you were looking into doing the sericea lespedeza seeding and had ordered some. Have you noticed any improvement from it? Looking at possibly adding it to our worm management after having high loads last year. Already we have 2 lambs this year that look like they are thin at only 3 months old.



We were having a long dry spell when I broadcast that so the growth was barely visible and non-existent now.  It might have gone better if I had a drill but I don't have enough need to get one.  A friend of ours has a bunch of it and he hasn't seen a large change in the fields he has it in and he pays attention to detail.


----------



## misfitmorgan

Mike CHS said:


> We were having a long dry spell when I broadcast that so the growth was barely visible and non-existent now.  It might have gone better if I had a drill but I don't have enough need to get one.  A friend of ours has a bunch of it and he hasn't seen a large change in the fields he has it in and he pays attention to detail.


Thank you very much for the info Mike! I will have to look into it more, it does not exist here so far as I can tell. Really no one has ever heard of it locally. I also can't find any info for planting zones for it as of yet, I do know it is invasive in the southern states supposedly.


----------



## Bruce

Good reason not to plant it then.


----------



## misfitmorgan

M


Bruce said:


> Good reason not to plant it then.


Many invasive things in southern states are not a problem here because winter kills them lol. So yeah have to look into it more but invasive isnt a deal breaker depending on several factors. I am imagining there is a reason no one here has heard of it though.

Well that was quick...grows in zones 5-11...so not for us


----------



## Mike CHS

We brought the ewe lambs in for weights and check out this morning and then brought the adult ewes in for the same.  We pulled fecals on a couple of the girls so we know how they stand before letting Cooper in with them probably on Monday.  The ewe lambs are still skittish but finally taming down quite a bit which should get even better when I let Pete the wether in with them.  That boy has found a way to make sure he has a long life but it works out very well.  The last group of lambs we put him with were as tame as the adults in just a few days.


----------



## misfitmorgan

Mike CHS said:


> We brought the ewe lambs in for weights and check out this morning and then brought the adult ewes in for the same.  We pulled fecals on a couple of the girls so we know how they stand before letting Cooper in with them probably on Monday.  The ewe lambs are still skittish but finally taming down quite a bit which should get even better when I let Pete the wether in with them.  That boy has found a way to make sure he has a long life but it works out very well.  The last group of lambs we put him with were as tame as the adults in just a few days.


It's always great when another sheep does half of the taming work for you. Really why I like a few bottle goats or bottle lambs, its helps a ton.


----------



## Mike CHS

We will be getting the last ram lamb out of here on Tuesday.  He is a triplet and was the smallest of the three lambs and isn't filling out like I would like to see for a potential herd sire.  When I talked to the buyer, I told her that if I was looking for a ram I would not consider this one and offered to give her the money back.  We talked a bit and she then asked if she could take him to see how he grows out and we could talk about us taking him back and off to the butcher.  This is the same place we were going to send him and the other two so it kind of puts us back to the original plan.  His confirmation is great but just not growing as fast as the others.  We have a couple of our (now) best built ewes that we had considered culling last year due to size and they are now right in line with our best ewes.


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## Mike CHS

This is probably one of the safest lots of lambs in the county.  I was looking out the bedroom window when everyone came up to pose for a picture.


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## Baymule

Don't you love a view like that! Beautiful!


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## Mike CHS

We quit working on the sheep hooves on a regular basis but we had two that needed to be trimmed so we brought them in to get that done and then called them into the paddock next to the ram.  I had already moved Pete in with the ewe lambs so Cooper was out there bawling because he couldn't get to his buddy.  I opened the gate to let Cooper in with the ewes and he went from his bawling for Pete to going around making a grunting sound that I would have bet was "OH BOY! OH BOY! OH BOY!"


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## Baymule

Lambs in 5 months!


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## misfitmorgan

Hopefully he gets the job done for you in short order!


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## Mike CHS

The garden is doing well considering we were getting frost just three weeks ago but we finally got the row covers put up for this season.

The tomatoes have been in the ground for three weeks but they would not have survived if we didn't use row covers for the last cold snaps.  The rest of the beds all have cool weather items and we finally lost our lettuce as it bolted with this sudden heat change.


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## Baymule

Nice looking garden. Nothing like fresh food.


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## misfitmorgan

Mike CHS said:


> The garden is doing well considering we were getting frost just three weeks ago but we finally got the row covers put up for this season.
> 
> The tomatoes have been in the ground for three weeks but they would not have survived if we didn't use row covers for the last cold snaps.  The rest of the beds all have cool weather items and we finally lost our lettuce as it bolted with this sudden heat change.


It looks very good!! We should be starting to plant our garden next weekend but we might sneak onion sets, potato sets, leaf lettuce and daikon radish in this weekend as temps are suppose to stay up and the last two days have been 80+ which is crazy.


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## Bruce

My lettuce hasn't sprouted yet. I do have a couple of radishes and peas poking through.


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## Mike CHS

We got the garden beds weeded today and planted one of them with bush green bean seed.


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## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> We got the garden beds weeded today and planted one of them with bush green bean seed.


I’ve got 3 different varieties of purple podded pole green beans coming up. I raised pole green beans last year and it took so LONG to find and pick them. I’m on a bean thread on TEG and asked for purple podded green beans and hot 3 different varieties. Going to eat them fresh, freeze some and can some of each variety to see what we like best.


----------



## Mike CHS

In the week that Pete (the wether) has been in with the ewe lambs, they are completely transformed to calm, confident sheep.  I needed to get them off of the paddock they have been on so I can spray it so I went to the adjacent paddock where I already had a couple of feed troughs and opened the gates.  I called Pete and he trotted down and through the gate with the lambs about 10 feet behind him.  I had Lance in the Ranger just in case but this was another time he didn't get to work.


----------



## Bruce

Baymule said:


> for purple podded green beans


They are definitely easier to find and pick. They turn green when cooked.



Mike CHS said:


> I had Lance in the Ranger just in case but this was another time he didn't get to work.


Poor guy, you need less compliant sheep.


----------



## farmerjan

@Bruce, what's  your weather doing?  Garden?  No big projects like making the pond better?  Any fish or polliwogs?  You've been very quiet..... _Inquiring minds want to know????_


----------



## Bruce

As you know I mostly post on interesting threads 😉
Many tiny fish in the pond, I've seen no adults but there must be some or there wouldn't be babies.

I need to mow the boys' pasture, they like the new grass best so of course they ignore the taller stuff and the plants they don't like. Something wrong with having to mow a pasture that has animals on it! But the neighbors have 3 horses and 2 alpacas in a similar size area and they just mowed recently so I guess it isn't terribly unusual.

Some peas, radishes and lettuce are up, need to plant the 2 tomatoes and the basil since it shouldn't go below freezing until fall. I have 2 artichokes to plant, need to replace the 2 I managed to kill. Plus plant bean, cuke and squash seeds.

I've been working on a poor man's logging winch. I don't do enough to justify an expensive 3 point PTO version. I bought a 4,500 pound ATV winch with wireless remote and am attaching it to a steel plate that will sit on the pallet forks. The plate will be tethered back to the tractor frame so there won't be any stress on the loader. The winch only has 35' of cable so there will be multiple pulls and resets but that is still better than getting on and off the tractor for each pull and moving the tractor some distance forward then back while not running over the rope.

I also bought a skidding cone so the logs should not dig in and get stuck while coming out of the woods. You can probably just power them out with a 12,000 pound PTO winch.

ETA this should get moved to my journal so I'm not cluttering up Mike's.


----------



## Mike CHS

We had a contractor for the power company come out this afternoon to trim a couple of areas under the power lines.  I don't what you would call their equipment it was jointed in the middle so it was really maneuverable and had a boom that was probably 50 or more feet long with a large saw blade at the end.  He was cutting 4-6 inch trucks with just a touch of that blade and cut more trees at the property line in 20 minutes than I did all winter with my clearing effort.  Of course I need to make another burn pile to get my lane cleared since it is completely blocked with the trimmings.


----------



## farmerjan

If I recall correctly, the piece of equipment was probably an articulated tree trimmer.... they have different "bases" or  vehicles all according to what kind of ground they are going to be used on...And the booms are often articulated also with having a moveable joint in it to make it more maneuverable.  They are something to watch if a good operator is maneuvering them.   Really neat.  Costs mega bucks but as you can see, the time they save is immeasurable.


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## Baymule

They didn’t have a chipper truck and left you the mess? That ain’t right!


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## Mike CHS

They trimmed quite a bit around our house also so it's a fair trade.


----------



## Baymule

Then they saved you a lot of work. A burn pile is a fair trade. LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

We have a feral female cat living on the fringes of our house area and after seeing her with 5 kittens this morning, it's a safe assumption that there is a feral male out there somewhere.  The kittens are gorgeous and surprisingly not very afraid of us so we will see if we can't get them tame and take them in to get fixed.


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## Baymule

Congratulations on the future Mouser’s.


----------



## Mike CHS

The chipper truck showed up today but they were afraid they would get stuck after all of the rain we got yesterday so they will come back later.  Of course I had already cut up and piled about half of what of the trees.  I took the crew lead out to show him where what is left but also to show them there is no way to turn around at the area the brush is still on.  I don't speak Spanish and the crew boss is about as good at English so I'm just guessing what the follow on plan is.


----------



## Mike CHS

We harvested the last of our lettuce this morning and had a good day tilling and transplanting veggies that we had started.  We did a better job of planning our starts this year since normally we wind up buying quite a few things but this year we won't be planting anything that we didn't start plus we have quite a few plants to give the neighbors.  We still have some squash to plant but the majority of our summer garden is in.

About half of the okra that I started was old seed and didn't germinate so I had to start more of them.  I will start the seed in a wet paper towel then plant the sprouted seed in about three days so it is usually ready to transplant in the time it would usually take just to sprout in potting soil.

Our cucumber plants are starting to show fruit so Teresa's experiment with row covers gained a month of good growing time with them.  Same with the tomatoes as they are already showing blooms.  We are seeing more Bees this year than ever before and I can only guess that the surrounding farm not being planted this year has something to do with that.  There is a 200 plus acre farm that is all around us and they have always had a crop duster spray herbicide before they plant but it is fallow this year since it is up for sale.

We bought ourselves a small Honda tiller as a gift to ourselves for Christmas and it is an awesome little machine.  It is a wee bit bigger than a Mantis but it does a great job.  We have a rear tine Husqvarna but it is awkward to use in the raised beds and it is way too heavy for Teresa to use but she loves the Honda.


----------



## Mike CHS

Here are a couple of pictures of the kittens.  It's a little hard getting decent pictures of them since they are so wild and we have to look at them through a window in an adjacent building.


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## Bruce

Very cute!


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## Mike CHS

We shall see how this turns out.  She moved them from where we first saw them and then we didn't see them for a full day.  Then today, Teresa heard them in the hay barn next to our garden shed but the mom was nowhere to be found.  They have food and water in there so assuming she comes back she is small enough to get in under the door but Puddy doesn't fit under it.  We heard a cat fight the other night so presumably it was those two.


----------



## Mike CHS

Our garden beds are doing great and the soil is also in great condition.  I had composted literally a ton of leaves along with about that much sheep manure so the beds are fertile and easy to work compared to the rock and clay we first started with.


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## Baymule

That’s great on the cucumbers and tomatoes, YAY for Teresa and her row covers! Your raised beds are doing great too. You have rock, we have white sand. Amazing what sheep manure can do!

We really need to clean out the sheep barn. During our crazy snow/ice, MINUS degree cold weather we had, I threw down lots of hay for the newborn lambs to snuggle in. Then came the rains, we need some dry weather so we can clean it out!


----------



## Mike CHS

I unintentionally almost caused a food fight between Mel and Maisy this morning.  I normally stay with them until they quit eating but they were almost done and I wanted to move a water trough and move the breeder herd to another paddock.  I got that done and as I headed out saw that the lambs and the dogs had followed me to the other end of the paddock so I went around the lane to pick up the dogs bowls which still had quite a bit of food in both.  About the time I was ready to pull away, here comes the dogs.  I put the bowls back in for them and they started eating away.  As Maisy finished up she noticed Mel was still eating and you could tell she was getting ready to go after him since he was eating out of one of her bowls.  He wasn't but our routine is I put Mel's dog bowl in a bucket so he doesn't have to lean over so far to eat and Maisy likes to lay down by her bowl.  

What happened when I got the food and put it back down for them, I didn't put Mel's bowl in a bucket which Maisy never reacts to since she knows from our habit that a bowl in a bucket belongs to Mel and a bowl on the ground belongs to her which is why she was going to attack Mel.


----------



## Mike CHS

We haven't seen any sign of the kittens Mom since she parked them in the hay barn so we put a security camera out there and finally saw her this afternoon.  I don't know how cat's think but I guess she figured they were getting plenty of food so she just came in to let them nurse once then jumped out of the barn.


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## Mike CHS

It turns out that the skunk encounter Maisy had awhile back was more than just a passing thing.  I was out trimming along the interior fence and came across a skunk carcass so evidently she made it pay.


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## Baymule

Dont mess with eating order! Food is a serious thing. Sentry is food aggressive. For the longest, he’d eat all his, then want Sheba’s. I sit with them like you do Mel and Maoist. Recently Sheba has started defending her food after Sentry eats then comes to me for petting. Then she extended that snarling face to “That’s MY Mommy!”
LOL LOL 

Dog drama


----------



## Mike CHS

The Momma cat moved her kittens some time during the day and I saw her where we first saw the kittens when I was going out to feed this evening. About two hours later Teresa got an alert from one of the cameras in the barn and the kittens are all back in there again along with the Mom.  I guess we will see where they wind up when they are grown up.


----------



## Ridgetop

Apparently mama didn't approve of your choice of a new home!  lol


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## Mike CHS

We have gotten a little over 6" of rain in the last week but it was dry enough today to let me get caught up on grass cutting.  I put the adult sheep in a paddock that doesn't have a shelter and when I moved them on to fresh grass, they had all lost the majority of loose hair and they are back to looking white again.

We started picking snow peas a couple of days ago and we should be getting our first big batch of cucumbers in 3-4 days.


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## Baymule

Your garden is sure doing good!


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## Ridgetop

How nice to have grass to cut.  And graze sheep in.  We have dirt and dust.


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## farmerjan

Mine needs cutting again....can't wait to get this place fenced to not be cutting all this grass.... DS is going to "hay" about 2/3 of it when he gets this way.... I am not mowing 2 acres....when something can be eating it....


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## Ridgetop

And you can be eating it/them!   LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa was talking to the folks that bought the two rams this morning.  He said he named one of them Hatfield and the other McCoy.   For those that don't know, McCoy is our last name.


----------



## Baymule

Haha, I hope he keeps the shotguns put up and out of reach of Hatfield and McCoy’s hooves!


----------



## Ridgetop

Great Names.  I call each of my rams by the breeder's name.  4 rams from 4 breeders - makes it easy for me to identify them and their bloodlines.  However, DH and DS1 don't know them by name and I have to add other descriptions:

Lewis is "The old ram"      Moyboy is "The one that butted daddy"      Axtell is "The one with the scur"      and Smalley is "The new ram".  LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

We are finding a few things changing by the farm around us being fallow for over a year now.  I mentioned before that we are seeing more bees and since the prevailing wind at our place is across that farm, we have a bumper crop of Giant Ragweed in the paddocks joining that farm.  I was going to spray Nitrogen today anyway and since this was the first time in months that we had little wind, I went ahead and added 2-4-D to the nitrogen in the tank.


----------



## farmerjan

Mike CHS said:


> Teresa was talking to the folks that bought the two rams this morning.  He said he named one of them Hatfield and the other McCoy.   For those that don't know, McCoy is our last name.


Love that they named the rams and didn't know that your last name was McCoy.... makes it extra neat.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Teresa was talking to the folks that bought the two rams this morning.  He said he named one of them Hatfield and the other McCoy.   For those that don't know, McCoy is our last name.


Is their last name Hatfield?


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Is their last name Hatfield?


They aren't but our county environmental engineer is related to the West Virginia Hatfields that were part of the feud and my distant cousins are the Kentucky McCoy's


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## Bruce

Clearly they didn't manage to totally annihilate each other


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## Baymule

Bruce said:


> Clearly they didn't manage to totally annihilate each other


Some got smart and moved away.


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## Bruce

Ran away, the cowards!


----------



## Mike CHS

We brought the adult sheep in this morning since 4 of the ewes needed wormer.  They were in the farthest corner away from the handling area that they could be and this was the first time Cooper got to do the long walk with the girls.  I went around and opened all of three of the gates we would be going through and took the Ranger around to the interior gate the sheep were behind.  I called to them and Princess who had been a bottle lamb was the first to come running and the rest followed.
When we were finished I went out and called them to take them back but being as smart as they are, they noticed I didn't have a bucket and they were not going back out without one so I went and got some feed to finish up.


----------



## Baymule

You forgot the bucket! LOL LOL


----------



## Ridgetop

Add to list of necessary equipment to always keep in the Ranger - bucket.  If you forget the  grain just toss in some pebbles and shake them - sounds like grain.  LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

We have had a light rain non-stop since early this morning so we ran into Kroger for some grocery shopping and to get what we need to have shish kabobs on the grill for supper.

Teresa has been trying to finalize a visit with #1 son and family later this week in South Carolina while the son is still on Paternity Leave.  It has been 6 months since the kids visited here so she can't wait.  Then toward the end of the month she will be heading to Missouri to visit with her siblings since everyone will be in the area.


----------



## Mike CHS

We added another new to us farm to our reserve list for our next bunch of lambs making four farms as of now.  We won't be adding any more since we only have 16 breeders with the ram right now and with 12 ewe lambs on reserve it will be our luck to have a bumper crop of ram lambs this time.

In between rain today we brought Pete and the ewe lambs up so we can check weights and pull a few fecals tomorrow.  This bunch of 9 lambs are all fairly close to 5 months old and have not been wormed up to this point and based on appearance and condition, they hopefully won't need any but we'll confirm that.


----------



## Mike CHS

I wanted to add to the last post.  Two of the reserve buyers are folks who were impressed with Percy that is a Ringo Ram.


----------



## Baymule

I have spoken to Howard Covington in Livington,Tx about buying a couple of registered ewe lambs from him. We haven’t been able to get a date when both of us are not busy, so far. Last week we had our granddaughters, the next couple of days are bad weather followed by a couple of days that a neighbor boy is going to be working with us. Hopefully we can go Friday or Saturday. Ringo has registered young ladies on the way soon.


----------



## Ridgetop

YAY!  Starting your registered flock!  Did you find out if the Katahdin registry allows for registration of "percentages" or "gardes" out of registered rams?  

I asked the judge at the Reno show his opinion on Katahdins.  He is from central Texas.  He said if someone could blend the Katahdins and Dorpers you would have the best meat breed around!  Parasite resistance of Katahdins (Barber Pole) and meat from Dorpers, with the excellent mothering, milking, and productivity of both breeds - it would be a Super Sheep!

Once we are in Texas, I am considering adding a couple Katahdin ewes to the flock to play around with the cross breeding potential.  Just considering at this point.  Not sure if I want to cross breed.  Really like my meaty little White Dorpers.  Calmer than the black headed Dorpers too.


----------



## farmerjan

Many people in this area that have goats use Boers on whatever goats they have to increase the meat/muscling of the kids.  I imagine it would be the same in the sheep using a Dorper over Katahdin ewes, or a few dorper ewes with a good Katahdin male.  Sometimes one cross will do better than crossing the other way.  Might be interesting to see if you using a Dorper over Katahdin, and @Baymule  using a Katahdin over a couple of Dorpers....... HMMMM Joint venture experiments....


----------



## Ridgetop

Talked to a Howard Covington (KHSI director) about this idea and he said that White Dorpers (what I have) make better crosses  for some reason on Katahdins than the black headed Dorpers.    He also said that Barber Pole is a huge killer and worm resistance was a huge priority for Katahdin breeders.    He referred me to Dan Turner of KHSI who is doing substantial work up in Pennsylvania on parasite resistance and also NSIP work with emphasis on parasite resistance.  My experience with Dorpers in the NSIP program is that they focus more on meat and carcass aspects along with production scores than parasite resistance.  Maybe because Dorpers are traditionally located in drier areas with less Barber Pole.  Another person he referred me to doing work on this subject and on genomes is Nathan Kruger.  I have a call in to him as well.  

If we are going to Texas (home of the feared Barber Pole)  I need to start now on parasite resistance and finding ut about these programs.  I a also going to check in the Dorper Society and see what parasite resistance programs they may have going.   

I haven't wormed this flock since last year but it has been very dry and they are not on pasture - there is NO pasture this year.  If I worm at all, I worm right after they lamb.  One dose.  Probably don't need that.  

Will be interested to hear what these 2 gentlemen have to tell me about these programs.


----------



## Mike CHS

KHSI does let you record percentages.  Our first sheep were a Katahdin/Dorper cross but they are all gone now.  Our Katahdins are heavier than the average Katahdin but that's one of the main "keeper" criteria for us.  That and parasite resistance is at the top.  Each of the rams that we have used (including Ringo) came out of the Lamb Ram Test Program ran by Virginia Tech.  Only the top performers are sold and it has worked for us.


----------



## Baymule

I have a ram from Ringo that I’m pretty taken with. He is the biggest of all the lambs, calm, comes to me for scratches, with a wide build. I just couldn’t take him to auction. He is black and white, his name is Snip. I have a couple of ewes I may breed to him just because.

Ringo does pass on his personality.

I’m keeping 7 ewe lambs from him as replacements.

@Ridgetop parasite resistance will be of paramount importance in east Texas.


----------



## Ridgetop

Received a call back from Nathan Kruger in Centerville, TX.  He told me about a program in Pennsylvania? or another state that is doing more research into parasite resistance in the Katahdins. 

Since we have little or no parasite problems here on our property (no grass pasture = no worms  LOL)  I wanted to talk to him about parasite resistance and whether I should consider cross breeding.  However I hate the thought of cross breeding because I really love my registered White Dorpers and their fast gain and meaty carcasses.  Although Mike and Teresa have heavier Katahdins, most of the ones I have seen here are very light and not meaty at all.  Those might not have been good specimens since some of the Dorpers I have seen have not been very good either.  Even at the West Coast Dorper show in reno there were some pretty weedy specimens.   

His suggestion was wait and see how resistant my Dorpers are.  The climate really influences the worm population. He said that the west Texas Dorper flocks have less parasite problems simply because it is so hot and dry there.  Also pasture rotation (which I have always planned on doing since reading "The Grass is Greener" about pasture health and rotation years ago) is key.  According to Mr. Kruger, rotating pastures to have 60 days fallow between regrazing cuts off the worm life cycles, resulting in lower parasite loads.  Also as Mike, Teresa, and Baymule have discussed, *heavy culling* is also the main key in establishing parasite resistant flocks. 

But I am still thinking about bringing in a couple good Katahdin ewes just for fun .  Trying cross breeding would be enjoyable even though the lambs could not be registered except as percentages.


----------



## Baymule

Sheep are fun. I enjoy the heck out of my sheep. When I feed Sentry and Sheba, I always sit in their pasture while they eat and give them some special attention. The 2 ram lambs I'm keeping just for the heck of it are in that pasture and they both come to me for their share of scratches. 

@Ridgetop get a couple of Katahdin ewes and play with cross breeding them. Why? Just because, and it's enjoyable to play with our sheep.


----------



## Ridgetop

It _is_ very enjoyable and I love the study of genetics in livestock.  I discussed what I fund out yesterday about the parasite studies.  Not only is Tennessee University (name?) conducting parasite studies but the University of Arkansas is doing so as well as another institution in Pennsylvania.


----------



## Mike CHS

Today was just in the low 80's but the air was thick enough to cut.  We just had a rain shower with wind go through but it looks like that might be it for today.  We are getting more than enough rain but I'm not going to gripe since we are never far from a drought in the spring here.

Teresa and I got the garden beds weeded and weaved twine around most of the tomatoes.  We are steady getting cucumbers and from the looks of all of the pickling cucumbers, we should be able to start canning some pretty soon.

We only planted one small bed of squash this year since it seems we wind up throwing more away than we eat.  We like squash but you can only eat so much and I don't care for it canned.


----------



## Baymule

Canned or frozen, squash just comes out squished.


----------



## farmerjan

For yellow squash, I freeze alot and when I cook it, I mash it like mashed potatoes.  Add a little butter, s & p and it is good. 
I also will slice and egg and bread it, cook it, and then it gets frozen.  It will come out decent in the oven when thawed, and cooked like ff on a sheet pan.  
Have never canned it.  I can few vegs but that is probably because my mom didn't can vegs much.  Can nearly all the fruits and jellies etc..


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## Bruce

Definitely not a fan of cooked squash unless it is winter squash made into soup. At MOST a quick saute of summer squash, better raw in a salad.


----------



## farmerjan

I really like cooked yellow squash.... lightly boiled with cut up onions... but my favorite is just cooked til tender with s&p and butter.... and I like it mashed like mashed potatoes... I guess technically it is whipped since I use the electric mixer... and fried batter dipped squash is a southern staple in this area....never ate it up north.  My family didn't like yellow squash but a friend's mom cooked it one time I was there for supper as a kid, so got my mom to make it as I really liked it.  The nice thing about the mashed is that you neither skin or scoop out seeds unless it is real big and tough... 

I don't particularly care for it raw... and zucchini is good in stuff like zuc bread....


----------



## Baymule

I shred both yellow and zucchini, mix with cornmeal, egg and boiling hot water to make fritters. I fry the patties.


----------



## Ridgetop

I used to make a wonderful Bread and Butter pickle with yellow crookneck, zucchinis, and red bell peppers.  Real tasty and colorful,  so pretty on a holiday table.


----------



## Baymule

Ridgetop said:


> I used to make a wonderful Bread and Butter pickle with yellow crookneck, zucchinis, and red bell peppers.  Real tasty and colorful,  so pretty on a holiday table.


Recipe?


----------



## Mike CHS

Last fall we had a bed that had been fallow all season so we planted a row of garlic (from store bought garlic) and a row of onions from an old packet of seed that we had.  We dug everything up today and we wound up with almost a gallon zip lock bag of garlic and close to 20 pounds on onions that we chopped up and froze.  Neither of those things are expensive but it still made use of an idle bed and took zero labor other than planting and harvesting.

The bed didn't need any weeding since I mulched the bed with fall leaves once everything was up.

We are starting to get enough cucumbers to start canning them.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa put up 5 quarts of pickles this evening so the least I could do is post a picture.


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## Baymule

The best food is what you raise yourself and preserve to eat later.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> The best food is what you raise yourself and preserve to eat later.



Our pickles are a fast process that isn't USDA approved but we can process fairly small amounts at a time but this year there should be plenty.


----------



## Mike CHS

This is one of those Facebook Memory posts that come up but I really like it and had forgotten all about it.  This is Mel and I a year ago.  That boy will sit there and stare into your soul as long as you are willing to stand there.


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## Baymule

Give that boy a hug from me!


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## HomeOnTheRange

Baymule said:


> Give that boy a hug from me!


X2


----------



## Mike CHS

The feral cat and her kittens have evidently decided that regular food was worth hanging around for.  I have been putting food down on the porch of my shop which has woods right across the drive so they have a safe place to run to.  A couple of days ago they didn't touch any of the food so I thought the cat may have moved on with her kittens and then I later saw her in the next field over  which is a mistake because that is where Maisy is.

I went ahead and kept food out and the next day saw that they had eaten their fill and were staying under shelves. I keep the tractor and the mower under the roof there so there is a fair amount of activity that they seem to be getting used to. They will still run when I go down there to get something but they don't go far and not for long so hopefully I can catch them to take them in to get fixed.


----------



## Bruce

At least you have pussy cats and not wood pussies!!! I saw one of them between the barns this morning chomping on a dead bird. I hope they don't get the idea that my chickens are future dinners for them.


----------



## HomeOnTheRange

Great pictures of the cats @Mike CHS.  My feral cat became a house cat (out during the day and inside when I was home at night).  She lived to be about 21 years old.  I never had a mouse problem during that time and did not know I had so many lizards until she was gone.


----------



## Mike CHS

It looks like we may get the bulk of our canning finished fairly early this season.  The small pickling cucumbers are producing fruit about as fast as we can pick it.  We have a dozen quarts of sliced pickles and spears and we have enough small cucumbers to probably do 8 or 9 quarts of whole dills.

The tomato crop is one of the best we have had and we should be picking ripe tomatoes in the next couple of weeks.  Something got a few of the okra plants but we had replacements left over from when we first planted and they should be bearing soon also.  We go through several gallon vacuum seal bags every year and we already down to 3 bags full so we can start replacing them pretty soon also.


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## Ridgetop

*Recipe for Summer Pickles *
These are a bread and butter type pickle made with zucchini and yellow crookneck squash, red bell peppers and onions.

2 medium onions sliced thin
2 sweet red bell peppers sliced thin strips
1 quart zucchini squash sliced about 1/4" thick
1 quart crookneck squash sliced about 1/4" thick

Toss vegetables all together in large bowl, sprinkle with 1/4 cup pickling salt, cover with ice water for 2 hours.  Drain well - do not rinse.

Syrup
2 1/2 cups cider vinegar
4 cups white sugar
1 tsp. turmeric
2 tsps. celery seed
1 1/2 tsp. mustard seed
2 tsps. powdered alum
1 cinnamon stick, broken

In a large kettle, bring syrup ingredients to a boil, then simmer 10 minutes.  Add drained squash, onions, and peppers.  Bring pickles to a full boil and IMMEDIATELY remove from heat.   Put in clean hot jars leaving 1/2" headspace.

Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

This recipe will make 4 pints.  I usually put it in the taller 12 ounce jars which will make 7 of these jars.  I like them in the taller jars so you can see the colors.  This is a pretty pickle for gifts too.


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## Mike CHS

I'll have to give that one a try.


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## Baymule

@Ridgetop you are on a roll! This is the 3rd posting of that recipe I have come across! These have GOT to be good! Hahaha!


----------



## Mike CHS

We got the last of our vegetable plants in the ground today but still had enough left for a neighbor to start their garden.   We are getting enough pickling cucumbers out of the garden that we may pull out the pickling cucumber plants soon.  We  only need a couple more jars of canned sliced pickles and we will be good for this season.  Even though there are only two of us we always plan on putting up two for each month and we use the majority of them.

We do a little weeding often so we never have to spend large amounts of time so this might be a good time to put a plug in of the manufactures of the hoes we use.  They are called Hook 'n Crook and are  not on the cheap side but we have been using the two we have for almost 10 years.   I think the name of the company is Holdredge Enterprises.

Teresa rarely goes out with me to check on the sheep's water when they are far away but she went with me this morning.  She was telling me that she often forgets the reason I am always smiling but the sheep and dogs reminded her.


----------



## Ridgetop

Baymule said:


> @Ridgetop you are on a roll! This is the 3rd posting of that recipe I have come across! These have GOT to be good! Hahaha!


Posted it everywhere because I am never sure where I am or where it will end up.  LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa put up another 4 quarts of pickles this morning.  She has a routine now that she can do a batch like that in about 45 minutes all together.


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## Baymule

Haha Teresa is a Pickling Professional!


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## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Haha Teresa is a Pickling Professional!



Yes but what we do isn't USDA approved.  )


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## Baymule

Our chicken butchering outside under a shady oak tree, processing, cutting and vacuum sealing in the kitchen isn’t exactly USDA approved either. LOL


----------



## Ridgetop

Home butchering and canning is Family Approved when they eat it!  Just can't sell it anymore - no more homemade stuff available at fairs or boutiques.   

I haven't made pickles in a long time.  Or canned much in a long time other than jam and jelly.  Not enough family to eat it much.  Pickles used to be eaten in winter to prevent scurvy.  The vinegar has acetic acid in it similar to the vitamin C in citrus fruit.  That is why Dutch merchant ships used to carry big barrels of Sauerkraut on long voyages - it kept the sailors from developing scurvy.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa is heading to Missouri in the morning to spend a couple of days with her siblings who are all coming in for a get together.  We had a pretty full day getting things caught up so I don't start out behind tomorrow and I love it that we share all the work.  We had been doing a string weave on our biggest tomato bed and after looking at it this afternoon, we were pretty close to having a total mess so we went through and re-did all of the ties.  From the way the plants look, we should be getting a banner harvest in a week or so and we will pull our camp stove out and set it up to process everything outside.  We have somewhere around 40 plants and they are all going to be getting ripe around the same time.  We planted a half dozen plants later in another bed so we will still have plenty of fresh tomatoes after the main bunch is through.


----------



## Baymule

Hope Teresa has a great time on her trip. I know she will have lots of fun. Yes, have to get everything prepared for her not being there. Lots to do!

I plant my tomatoes between a cow panel trellis. I leave the trellis up and never take it down. It’s much easier than string. I’ll take a picture this morning and post it for you.


----------



## Ridgetop

I use the concrete wire cylinders my daddy made me 40 years ago.  I tried to get more wire to make more but the new wire is not as tall as the old stuff daddy used.  The original cages were 6' tall but after 40 years I have had to trim some of the rusty broken ends off and they are about 5' now.  The new ones are only 4' tall and lighter gauge wire.  But better than those flimsy cone shaped things at the garden store!

One of my tomato bushes actually has about 2-3 tomatoes on it!!!


----------



## Mike CHS

I have been doing a weave for a lot of years and will probably continue to do so.  We have 30 tomato plants in the one bed and it only took about 20 minutes to weave the string on the 3 20 foot rows.


----------



## Baymule

I didn’t make it to the garden today. We worked the ewes and Ringo. Ringo didn’t need working, but can’t hurt his feelings by leaving him out. I ordered hand shears for the 3 lousy shedders I have. They are clean now!


----------



## Mike CHS

Ringo always got included no matter what and he never seemed to mind.    He still ruined me as a Ram aware handler.  I was out cleaning the water trough in the breeders paddock this evening and was all bent over and not thinking about Cooper until I felt breathing on my leg and looked up to see Cooper trying to figure out where the crackers were.  He doesn't react at all when I'm in the paddocks for a long time and doesn't show any aggressive behavior. I don't know if he will ever be as trustworty as Ringo but he is well on his way to being predictable.


----------



## Baymule

Ringo is one in a million. He is one special boy. We just got 2 registered ewes from Howard Covington. They are 3 1/2 months old. Howard said he breeds at 7 months old. I may wait an extra month.


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## Baymule

Our new girls





__





						Registered Ewes for Ringo!
					

We got home a little while ago with two 3 1/2 month old registered ewes. We bought them from Howard and Susian Covington in Livingston. I was so excited I couldn’t sleep last night.  Dessa



					www.backyardherds.com


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## Baymule

Here are pictures of my tomato trellis. I put up 3 cow panels, 18-20 inches apart, about a foot off the ground. After the first frost, I give them a little time to dry out, then we pull off the vines. We spread compost or sheep barn clean out for the next spring. Tomatoes do great in this spot, year after year. Black Eyed Susan’s like to grow there too. When we put down cardboard or paper feed sacks, I always go around the Black Eyed Susan’s. They are so bright and cheerful.

Feel free to ignore the gone to seed mustard to the left


----------



## Mike CHS

If you have an abundance of cucumbers, don't hesitate to use them for breakfast. I had sauteed cucumbers and scrambled eggs for breakfast and it is very tasty.  A little lemon grass, ginger, sesame seed oil and soy sauce adds the taste to a very enjoyable meal.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa is back from her visit to Missouri and happy to be home.  Evidently it rained about the whole time she was there and getting around the flooded highways turned out to be a chore.

I had been keeping cucumbers picked and even canned several and I thought I had done a decent job of picking them.  She went out to check the bed while I was out watering and moving the sheep and when I can back in there was a kitchen counter overloaded with soon to be pickles which will finish us for the year.  Two of our neighbors want to can some so they will be taking care of that bed.  Bell peppers are loaded as are the main bed of tomatoes.  The squash should about be ready in the next few days and there are softball size watermelons.

We quit wasting time and space growing sweet corn since we can get that from the Amish.  For the last few years they have been selling it by the bag full advertised as 60 ears (but usually hold 70 or more) more for $10.


----------



## Beekissed

Mike CHS said:


> Teresa is back from her visit to Missouri and happy to be home.  Evidently it rained about the whole time she was there and getting around the flooded highways turned out to be a chore.
> 
> I had been keeping cucumbers picked and even canned several and I thought I had done a decent job of picking them.  She went out to check the bed while I was out watering and moving the sheep and when I can back in there was a kitchen counter overloaded with soon to be pickles which will finish us for the year.  Two of our neighbors want to can some so they will be taking care of that bed.  Bell peppers are loaded as are the main bed of tomatoes.  The squash should about be ready in the next few days and there are softball size watermelons.
> 
> We quit wasting time and space growing sweet corn since we can get that from the Amish.  For the last few years they have been selling it by the bag full advertised as 60 ears (but usually hold 70 or more) more for $10.


That's a GREAT price!!!!  I'm paying almost 3 x that much for the same amount.  We too stopped growing sweet corn here due to lack of space and success, so have been buying it from one particular farm for the past several years.  Wish we were closer to the Amish now....


----------



## farmerjan

I am with you 3x.... growing sweet corn is great if you have lots of extra unused space.  But it is cheaper to buy it here also.... I haven't bought any in a couple of years to can/freeze but paid about $20 for a big bag of 60+ ears too.  I could get the "rejects " from friends that used to grow it and sell it, for less than $10.... some ears were short, or no fully filled out... couldn't sell it at the stand but fine for me to shuck and use....
Plus, buying it like that means that you can get it when you have the time to do it up... not when it is ready to pick and you are not ready to process.


----------



## farmerjan

Glad she had a good visit even if it rained alot.  And got home safe and sound.

Wonderful that you can share with the neighbors, even maybe make back some seed money possibly.  I used to "give"  stuff away, and the recipients would always give me something for it..._ never asked for anything when I shared, and for reasons of pride and such accepted anything someone would give me_; paid for my seed and stuff. I want to do a bigger garden next year once the knees are done, and make a little at it as well as put up all that I want.... have some to maybe barter for other things too.... we'll see how this fall goes and the knee replacements...


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## Baymule

Eat all you can, fill jars and freezer, then share with neighbors and friends. Way to go. Glad Teresa had a good time and is back home safe.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> 60 ears (but usually hold 70 or more) more for $10


Heck of a deal!


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## Mike CHS

We always have decent gardens but piling the leaves on last fall and then adding all the sheep manure that came from around the stall made for one of the best yet.  We kept the pregnant sheep in the paddock where our shop is and they always hung out around the stall gate hoping I was going to give them something besides hay.  As a result I was taking out 2 twenty gallon trash cans of manure.  I just added that to the foot or so of leaves on each bed and mixed them together so they were all pretty much composted by planting time.

On a different note,  I often wear a radio headset when I'm mowing or just going to be out with the dogs.  My old set had yellow ear pieces and I just got a new set that has black ear muffs.  I had the new ones on when I went out to feed Mel and Maisy this afternoon and the dogs got to about 100' of me and stopped and lay down.  They just lay there looking like they weren't going anywhere when it finally dawned on me that the change had them uncomfortable so when I called their names, the voice let them know for sure everything was ok and they came on in to eat.


----------



## farmerjan

Amazing how they noticed that change.... I wear the ones with the "ear muffs" type too.  Hate to put the little spongy things in my ears, but they were better than nothing.  DS got these for me after I said I would like them for my birthday ( or maybe it was Christmas ) 2 or 3 years ago.  Half the time I don't even turn on the radio part... just like the noise reduction.  I am not wanting to have to wear hearing aids because I have gone deaf from noisy equipment.


----------



## Mike CHS

farmerjan said:


> Amazing how they noticed that change.... I wear the ones with the "ear muffs" type too.  Hate to put the little spongy things in my ears, but they were better than nothing.  DS got these for me after I said I would like them for my birthday ( or maybe it was Christmas ) 2 or 3 years ago.  Half the time I don't even turn on the radio part... just like the noise reduction.  I am not wanting to have to wear hearing aids because I have gone deaf from noisy equipment.



I try to take care of my hearing.  From my time in the Navy, I have some hearing loss from wearing a radio headset with multiple frequencies for 30 plus years so I do try to be careful.  The set I just got is lighter weight and still gives decent obstruction to equipment noise plus the reception is much better than what I had.  A plus was they were only around $22.


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm not sure if I mentioned before but we put a camera out there a week or so ago and during the night we had a big Tom Cat show up to eat and not much later was a Skunk and not much later was a Coon.  I may have already posted about that but I couldn't tell you what I had for breakfast so that's no new thing.  The feral cat is keeping her kittens in our little hay barn but they come out early in the morning and head down to the shop looking for their food. They are funny as they are so skittish they will run away from the shop and right past me heading down to put out feed, to their safe space but stop short of going in to the barn.  I go on down and fill up their bowl, shake it a bit as I put it down and then head back up the hill.  These "wild" critters will sit there as I walk by and as soon as I'm out of the way, they all run back down for breakfast.


----------



## Margali

Mike CHS said:


> The set I just got is lighter weight and still gives decent obstruction to equipment noise plus the reception is much better than what I had.  A plus was they were only around $22.


Could you share brand and model? The couple I've tried so far suck.


----------



## Mike CHS

Margali said:


> Could you share brand and model? The couple I've tried so far suck.



I spoke too soon.  I still prefer them because they are light weight but that light weight also makes them inadequate as a noise canceling headset when I was running the mower a little while ago.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have one Game Hen among our mongrel flock that decided she wanted babies a few weeks ago and started sitting.  She had several eggs of her own and managed to steal another 5 or 6 and they started hatching yesterday.  We are leaving her along for now so we have no idea how many she will manage to have. Over half of the hens in our flock were hatched and raised by her so she is a winner.


----------



## Baymule

When I had rabbits, I kept game chickens in the rabbit barn. They are dropped feed, fly larvae and kept the poop turned. They laid small eggs, but lots of them!
Does your game hen have a name?


----------



## Mike CHS

None of the chickens have names.  We weren't sure she was full blood or mix but she has stayed on the small side and so far has hatched 6 chicks.  She was off the nest when we went out so she may settle for the 6 that are hatched.


----------



## farmerjan

Well, the eggs won't get chilled if she should go back to sit on it later.....


----------



## Ridgetop

Always nice to have at least one hen that likes to hatch eggs for you.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa ran in to her Chiropractor and I decided I wanted some comfort food and cooked up some chicken cutlets.  When she gets home we will cook up some mashed potatoes and milk gravy and throw in some green beans to round it off.


----------



## Baymule

What a nice surprise to come home to!


----------



## Mike CHS

The hen decided she will settle for the six chicks.  There are a couple of the chicks that are running all over the place in the coop so we think the hen abandoned the eggs to stay with the chicks.  She is the smallest hen out there so she does get picked on a little.

Teresa decided to do another half dozen quarts of baby dills which will give us 30 quarts in two weeks and the plants are putting on as fast as we can pick them.  We should have tomatoes before long and should be able to process what we need fairly quick also.  We have 30 plants getting ready to give us fruit and another 10 that we planted for a late summer harvest.  The picture is of one of the Mortgage Lifter tomato plants that don't bear as heavy as some of the others but they are sure one of the tastiest.


----------



## Baymule

Mortgage Lifters make big beautiful tomatoes with that perfect sandwich slice!


----------



## farmerjan

Are the "running around " chicks the same size?  Can you sneak them under her at night so she will raise howevr many there are?  
Tomatoes, and in fact, all the garden pictures look real nice.  

Next year for me having a garden again,  I  hope.


----------



## Mike CHS

The kittens are still skittish but when I go down the drive they may run out of the covered area but they only go to the side of the drive and sit down to watch what the two legged critters are doing.


----------



## Bruce

Careful starting that tractor up!


----------



## Mike CHS

I pop the hood whenever I plan to use it.



Bruce said:


> Careful starting that tractor


----------



## Baymule

Those kittens are keeping mice from chewing wires. Kitty Patrol!!


----------



## Mike CHS

The hen is bringing her chicks outside the house now but as expected, she is keeping them away from the others.

The female cat will still trot away as I approach but she is only going into the treeline then laying down.  The kittens will just stay where they are if all I'm doing is driving by in the Ranger and when I put feed out for them this morning, two of them were already coming across the driveway before I even got off the concrete.

I would love to get a picture of one of my favorite events but it's not likely.  That would be the reaction a lamb gets when they finally get tame enough to realize that hand moving across their back actually feels good and then they don't want to walk away.  

We have a lot to do outside today so I made a big pot of Gumbo for lunch.  I prefer mine more traditional and thicker but Teresa prefers it with more broth soooooooo more broth it is.


----------



## Beekissed

Mike CHS said:


> I would love to get a picture of one of my favorite events but it's not likely. That would be the reaction a lamb gets when they finally get tame enough to realize that hand moving across their back actually feels good and then they don't want to walk away.


JUST experienced this recently with one of our first years....she had been shy and we could never get a hand on her, until not long ago when she finally got a peanut butter dog biscuit, snatched out of the mob.  It was like a light went on in her head!   She started getting more friendly, letting me touch her face now and again, then when we sorted sheep, she let us shear some of her excess wool without a bit of a fight!   Now she lets us scratch her back for her now and again, closing her eyes and standing still.   All that time, a stranger, and now she's one of my favorite sheep....a very sweet, docile girl.  

I wish I could get to know all of them that way, but some take the biscuits and only get close when they think you have one.  _She_ decided we weren't so bad after all.  She and Old Rose are the only ones we can give back rubs to out of the whole flock.


----------



## Mike CHS

Beekissed said:


> JUST experienced this recently with one of our first years....she had been shy and we could never get a hand on her, until not long ago when she finally got a peanut butter dog biscuit, snatched out of the mob.  It was like a light went on in her head!   She started getting more friendly, letting me touch her face now and again, then when we sorted sheep, she let us shear some of her excess wool without a bit of a fight!   Now she lets us scratch her back for her now and again, closing her eyes and standing still.   All that time, a stranger, and now she's one of my favorite sheep....a very sweet, docile girl.
> 
> I wish I could get to know all of them that way, but some take the biscuits and only get close when they think you have one.  _She_ decided we weren't so bad after all.  She and Old Rose are the only ones we can give back rubs to out of the whole flock.



I'm still working on two of the lambs (8 total) but even those two get curious.  Of the 17 adults, two will come for a cracker but don't like to be touched and I never push it.  The rest are literally too tame so when we work them in the handling area, Teresa has to run them into the chute since they just look at me when I try to move them.  If I am working them by myself I have to use one of the dogs to run them in.


----------



## Beekissed

Mike CHS said:


> I'm still working on two of the lambs (8 total) but even those two get curious.  Of the 17 adults, two will come for a cracker but don't like to be touched and I never push it.  The rest are literally too tame so when we work them in the handling area, Teresa has to run them into the chute since they just look at me when I try to move them.  If I am working them by myself I have to use one of the dogs to run them in.


I wish mine were like that!


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> I would love to get a picture of one of my favorite events but it's not likely.  That would be the reaction a lamb gets when they finally get tame enough to realize that hand moving across their back actually feels good and then they don't want to walk away.


Our granddaughters were here for spring break. We had all those lambs and the girls were enjoying them. This little guy walked up to say hello and got showered with scratches. He couldn’t get enough of it, they named him Star. I don’t know which one of them looks the happiest. 






He got so comfortable with all that attention, that he laid down.


----------



## Mike CHS

You can tell that all three of them were loving it.  

That boy has some nice lines!


----------



## Baymule

I have kept him for insurance until I get registered sons from Ringo. I also kept a black and white ram, named him Snip. He also came up for scratches and attention. Star looked much better, but now Snip has passed him up. I put Snip with a young ewe 2 days ago and he got right down to business. Interesting to note, Snip’s balls are twice the size of Star’s. After observing that, I half expected to hear Star Baa-baaing in a squeaky voice!

I’ll have to get a good picture of both of them so you can see what I see. Snip is bigger, looks heavier and is one put together boy!


----------



## Mike CHS

Some pictures from this morning.  The lamb in the first picture could easily be a pet.  We don't give our lambs a lot of hands on time until after they are weaned since the majority of them will be going to the market but this ewe lamb was completely tame from the day she was born.  In the picture she is in her "I'm ready for my treat" pose.

Next is a picture of the Game Hen that hatched a half dozen chicks three days ago. And last is the ewe lambs and Pete the wether along with Mel waiting for breakfast.


----------



## Beekissed

Baymule said:


> I have kept him for insurance until I get registered sons from Ringo. I also kept a black and white ram, named him Snip. He also came up for scratches and attention. Star looked much better, but now Snip has passed him up. I put Snip with a young ewe 2 days ago and he got right down to business. Interesting to note, Snip’s balls are twice the size of Star’s. After observing that, I half expected to hear Star Baa-baaing in a squeaky voice!
> 
> I’ll have to get a good picture of both of them so you can see what I see. Snip is bigger, looks heavier and is one put together boy!


Bay, that Ringo is throwing some NICE lambs!!!  That's what I want my lambs to be like....long, balanced and sweet.


----------



## Beekissed

Mike CHS said:


> Some pictures from this morning.  The lamb in the first picture could easily be a pet.  We don't give our lambs a lot of hands on time until after they are weaned since the majority of them will be going to the market but this ewe lamb was completely tame from the day she was born.  In the picture she is in her "I'm ready for my treat" pose.
> 
> Next is a picture of the Game Hen that hatched a half dozen chicks three days ago. And last is the ewe lambs and Pete the wether along with Mel waiting for breakfast.


Mike, your sheep all look so sleek and lovely!!!  I can't wait until my flock all looks like that....all close in shape, size and confirmation, consistently putting out lambs of the same each year.


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## Baymule

Your pet ewe is a pretty girl. That little hen is a keeper! Mel and Pete? Which one is Pete?

Since I bottle fed 2 lambs, we now have our own resident wether, Panda. I’ll follow your lead and give Panda assignments to do. LOL


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## Mike CHS

The ewe lambs in the last picture were the best of our last lambing of 24 ewe lambs but one of this bunch has a couple more months to show me something or she will be sold.  She isn't up to what we like but she is still above average. We have someone that wants to buy so we can breed her in a few more months and then let her go.


----------



## Mike CHS

The temps today were ideal for spending time outside.  I had a couple of hours of mowing and weed eating to do but other than that I spent some time with the adults as they grazed fresh grass and moved the lambs and dogs back on to the shop paddock so we can check them out tomorrow.  They are all between 5 and 6 months old and so far have not needed worming.  They are all from ewes that have a history of great parasite resistance so we shall see how it keeps going.  These girls that we kept lambs from are all 4th generation born on our little farm from parents that had proven resistance and all except one have not needed worming except a preventative after lambing.  Their paternal side has Maxwell and Ringo in their genes and both of those rams came out of lamb parasite resistance programs.

It's obvious that Cooper has been hard at work and just from a visual check and hands on they all look bred except for two that I'm not sure of.  Of course, Murphy's Law says that those are the only two that I have to have in a stall to handle.  Cooper may prove me wrong some day but for quite awhile now he is as easy to handle as the ewes and doesn't show the least bit of aggression even when I'm walking among the ewes that he is sniffing out.  He has lost a bit of weight in the last month but he needed to do that anyway.


----------



## farmerjan

Gotta get back that trim "manly " shape to keep the girls interested.... Fighting weight!!!!! Only no fighting allowed.....


----------



## Mike CHS

I ran across a moth that I had never seen before while I was running the weed eater around a power pole.  Looked it up and it turns out to be a Giant Leopard Moth.


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## Baymule

That’s pretty!


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## farmerjan

It is interesting.... what does come from?  Type of worm/ whatever.... 

There were 2 huge Luna Moth's at my parents house after the funeral... on 2 separate posts on the porch.... They stayed there for the better part of the day....


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## farmerjan

I looked it up... a giant "wooly bear" that is basically all black with little bits of orange seen when they roll into a little ball.  I will have to take note of the black wooly bears this fall.... Neat....


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## Mike CHS

farmerjan said:


> I looked it up... a giant "wooly bear" that is basically all black with little bits of orange seen when they roll into a little ball.  I will have to take note of the black wooly bears this fall.... Neat....



I did a bit of reading when I was trying to see what they were and they are interesting.


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## Mike CHS

We pulled fecals from half of the lambs and two of those will be wormed tomorrow.  The others all look great but we will pull fecals on them when we bring them in again.  So far that is 6 of the 8 lambs that have not needed worming and they are in the paddock that has given us the most problem.  I did spray nitrogen in that field which may have made a difference so my unscientific approach may have an affect.  One of the two lambs are from a line of registered sheep that we haven't had a lot of luck with.  We took two of them to auction and cut off their original farm tag.  They make beautiful lambs and their parasite resistance is better with the rams added genes so they still have some time plus I like them.  That puts things in their favor.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> And last is the ewe lambs and Pete the wether along with Mel waiting for breakfast.


Say ... has anyone ever noticed that Mel is one BIG boy?


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Say ... has anyone ever noticed that Mel is one BIG boy?



Most everyone knows Mel's personality but folks don't assume that he is a big teddy bear since he is so vocal with strangers anymore.  There was a contractor crew from the power company that came on to our place awhile back to trim trees close to the power lines.  All of the power lines on our place are in my outside lane so they never had to go into the paddocks.   Only the boss spoke English and not very well at that but when I was taking him out to show how to get to the lines, I pointed to Mel and said "Make sure none of your workers get near that big dog"  He then asked does he jump the fence and I pointed to the hot and ground wire above the fence and told him that was why we had the hot wire was to keep him in since he could be so dangerous.  Mel and Maisy both sat by the fence and stared at them the whole time they were out there but I never saw anyone go near the fence.  I may have already posted about this.


----------



## Mike CHS

farmerjan said:


> It is interesting.... what does come from?  Type of worm/ whatever....
> 
> There were 2 huge Luna Moth's at my parents house after the funeral... on 2 separate posts on the porch.... They stayed there for the better part of the day....



It starts life as a caterpillar that can get up to two inches long.


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## Mike CHS

I don't think I mentioned but when we were working the ewe lambs the other day we went ahead and put Pete the wether on the weight scale and he was 197 pounds.  It's a good thing he has a job since he would have some big chops.


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## Baymule

Mel is so dangerous!


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## farmerjan

Thing of it is, he might be with strangers if they went into HIS paddock with HIS sheep..... I agree with @Mike CHS caution.... I thik he would be a big ole teddy bear too... but I would not go on the property without an introduction from @Mike CHS  first.....


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## Mike CHS

Mel is by no means dangerous but he's not the same dog he was not long ago.  The lambs follow the dogs around all the time and if they are heading away, the dogs will follow.  They have both gotten quite possessive of the ewe lambs so much more than the adults.

While I'm posting, here is a picture of three of my favorite ewe lambs out of this bunch.  I must have asked Teresa a dozen times if she's sure we didn't get the ear tags sequence messed up.  The two ewes with the brown and black have almost identical marking and they are not twins but they are always together.  They were born on the same day so that may have some bearing on them being together all the time.

A chick picture just for grins.


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## Bruce

farmerjan said:


> Thing of it is, he might be with strangers if they went into HIS paddock with HIS sheep..... I agree with @Mike CHS caution.... I thik he would be a big ole teddy bear too... but I would not go on the property without an introduction from @Mike CHS  first.....


He IS a big old teddy bear  

But I agree, ANY dog should get an introduction and a guardian dog could get very protective no matter how gentle it is with its people and their friends.


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## Baymule

Mel is doing what he was born to do.


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## Mike CHS

Saw and heard something new to us today.  One of the hens was making such a loud cackling in a distress type of noise that we thought something was in the chicken yard.  Went in and saw that the hen with the chicks was not in sight (she was in the coop with three of the chicks) and the other three were outside and couldn't figure out how to get past a block that was outside the entrance which is also where the noisy hen was I guess trying to get the attention of the game hen.  Went in and moved the block and the chicks went inside and the noisy hen immediately quieted down and walked off.


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## Baymule

And people say chickens are stupid….. NOT! 
That is a sweet story.


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## Bruce

Well they aren't always real smart  

When I had the chicken wire fence separating the brooder door side of the alley from the rest I would open it at night so when the older chickens could have full access to the run before I came down to open things up. "Opening" the fence meant curling the part that touched the stall coop back on itself. Many times the "intelligent" hens would get caught in the curl instead of just coming back through the opening.


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## Baymule

I got some pictures of the two ram lambs I’m holding onto for now. Star, the white ram looked the biggest and best, but got passed up by Snip, the black and white ram. It’s hard to get a good picture of Star because he walks to me to get petted. LOL He is a little wooly, his twin sister has a nice hair coat. 





Snip grew off bigger and I think better conformation. His white hair is slick, the black hair has a little fuzz.





Both boys have Ringo’s personality.


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## Bruce

Meaning they always have their noses in your pocket looking for treats?
Nice looking sheepies.


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## Mike CHS

They do look good.  Most of the ewes that we now have as breeders came from Ringo.  The ewes that we kept from Maxwell are also half Ringo's and they are as good as you could ask for.


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## Baymule

I’m keeping these two until I get a registered ram from Ringo.
They are in a pasture with Sentry and Sheba. Every evening I sit in a lawn chair to pet the dogs and give them special attention. Both rams come up to get their share of scratches too. @Bruce Snip is so named because of the white snip on his nose.


----------



## Margali

Can 2 unrelated rams stay friendly pasture mates long term? Or do you need a weather as companion for each ram?


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## Mike CHS

Margali said:


> Can 2 unrelated rams stay friendly pasture mates long term? Or do you need a weather as companion for each ram?


 
We never have more than one ram but we know several sheep farms that literally run all of their rams and wethers together but you shouldn't run mature rams together with ram lambs.  They may have issues establishing a pecking order but that applies to almost any animal.


----------



## Ridgetop

We have 4 rams. 3 rams are in with each other all the time as one ram is cycled in and out of the breeding pen.  They do some mild fighting when they are reintroduced to the ram pen but more like shoving each other around to establish their order again.  One ram is almost 6, two are almost 3, and the 4th is a yearling.  He is in the breeding pen for the next 2 breeding groups.    I don't put lambs in with the larger rams though since they are too small to defend themselves.  While the yearling ram is not as large as the other rams, he will be large to defend himself by the time he goes into the ram pen.  Also the larger the pen or field, the less they fight.



Mike CHS said:


> The hen decided she will settle for the six chicks. There are a couple of the chicks that are running all over the place in the coop so we think the hen abandoned the eggs to stay with the chicks.


Once most of the clutch has hatched the hen will often abandon the nest.  One reason it is harder to get hens to hatch duck eggs (aside from the higher moisture needed for duck eggs to incubate) is that they take several days longer to hatch and the hen's inner clock will often tell her to abandon the nest several days before the duck eggs are ready to hatch.


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## farmerjan

Likewise with turkey eggs..... have to have a "set til they die" type of hen to hatch them out so that they don't quit the nest too soon.   And then, they don't speak the same language... so sometimes funny to watch the hen trying to communicate with the poults......it is even funnier to see a hen with pheasants or guineas..... trying to communicate sometimes....


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## Mike CHS

A little update on the feral kittens.  They do sometime disappear for long periods but the food is always eaten so they have figured out our routine.  For the last three days, they have stayed in the same spot across from our shop which is where they get their food. I can go down and sit in a chair and do a "meow" and the little tabby will immediately come out.  The other three kittens will come about half way across the drive but they aren't brave as the tabby to come the whole way.

When I was down at the shop this evening to remove the food bowl I sat down in a lawn chair and meowed a few times and the tabby came trotting across the drive.  I didn't make any move toward the kitten and she lay on her back a few times but eventually came up and brushed my leg as she walked by.  They are getting there.


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## Baymule

Sheep teach patience, calmness, slow movements and quiet. It is useful with other animals. It may take awhile, but your heart will wrap around the kittens and make them feel safe.


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## Bruce

Baymule said:


> Sheep teach patience, calmness, slow movements and quiet.


So you are saying that the sheep taught Mike to be calm?


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## Baymule

Sheep teach all of us to be calm, gentler people—at least with sheep! LOL


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## Ridgetop

We must remain calm around our sheep which is why shepherds wait until they are out of the flock to scream in pain and curse them after being trampled or . . . .   🤫


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## Baymule

Sheep calm my 4 year old live wire granddaughter, momentarily.


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## Ridgetop

The key word being   "MOMENTARILY"!  LOL  

That momentary pause when the little ones catch sight of the lambs and say "AAAW"  before rushing to the pen to try to pet them?


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## Baymule

She found out they will come to her if she is quiet. Ewenique comes up for hugs and paws with a dainty hoof for it to continue.


----------



## Ridgetop




----------



## Mike CHS

I have been needing to spray herbicide on the driveway but rain has been threatening for the last four days without actually dropping any moisture.  I looked at the weather radar early this afternoon and didn't see any activity so I decided to at least spot spray with the portable sprayer around the house and shop.  About two minutes after I finished that up it came pouring down.  I went ahead and put the big sprayer on the tractor and hopefully I can spray tomorrow morning.

The A/C on our old Tacoma hasn't been blowing cold air plus it was due for an oil change so we dropped that off at the CO-OP this morning.  It hasn't been driven very much recently and I'm willing to do without a lot of things but A/C isn't one of them.


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## farmerjan

If we mowed hay then we would get a downpour too.... the hay I raked,  DS baled that night.... and the rain/showers went around of course....It is so dry and hot that it is drying overnight... plus it is overmature, so the tops are headed out and drying out naturally anyway.


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## Ridgetop

Going back to Rusk from Tyler yesterday it got very dark and started to see lightning in the distance.  About 15 minutes out of Tyler it started to rain hard, lightning and thunder.  By the time we reached Jacksonville the rain was coming down so hard we could hardly see and the lightning was right overhead.  When we got to our campsite in Rusk, the rain stopped long enough for us to get into the trailer, then it started again.  Lightning and thunder right overhead and heavy rain all night long.  This morning it had stopped and the next campsite (empty) was a lake view! LOL

Wish it had rained like that in CA.  Actually did storm like that for several years when we had a series of tropical storms come up from Mexico.  DD1 was riding  her bike home from school and got caught in a flood and washed into the intersection.  A man jumped out of his car and pulled her and her bike out of the flood!  Our streets always flooded over the curbs and into stores.  The city put in storm drains and not so much flooding.  Good time!  LOL


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## Margali

Glad DD1 was saved! 
Everyone near us was baling hay last week, it started pouring yesterday morning. Most fields are done but several near work just have hay piled in rows not baled yet. I guess that's ruined.


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## Ridgetop

If they can rake it and tedd it out to dry they may still save it.  Farmerjan will know.


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## farmerjan

It will have to be tedded out to dry.  All depends on your weather... if no more rain on it, it will not be very good quality, but if dried out good, will still be edible and usable in the winter.  ANY HAY beats snowballs as we say here.  If it gets wet and then dried the protein content will be lower... will be acceptable for dry cows, and can be fed to anything as a "filler" to keep their rumen working good... most will supplement poorer quality hay like that with some sort of grain/cubes/something.  
If it gets and stays wet for too many days, then it can get mouldy and slimy...  most here will go through and bush hog it to chop it up and let it go back on the field.  You can't leave it in the windrows or it will smother the new growth trying to come up.  It just all depends....


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## Margali

Another newbie question- what is it called when the machine fills about a 10ft diameter tube of plastic with hay instead of making square or round bales? Never seen it before but field on way to work was harvested that way.


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## farmerjan

If it is chopped and put directly into the tube, the "product" ,  chopped hay, will be called HAYLAGE as opposed to chopped corn stalks and all being called corn silage.  Sometimes it is called wheat/rye/barley/sorghum/  whatever the kind of crop..... silage..... Alfalfa is called alfalfa haylage... rye is sometimes called ryelage  etc....
Most alfalfa here is chopped for first cutting since the stems are thicker/stalkier..... you also do not lose as much of the leaves as you do for hay... loss of leaves when the alfalfa gets dry enough to bale as hay is called "shattering"..... 2nd or later cuttings of alfalfa the stems/stalks are thinner and will dry faster so make less stemmy hay.....
Many dairies will chop first cuttings of different crops as it makes a better feed when fermented.... and often it is done when the weather is IFFY.... not enough time to get it dry enough to make good hay.... so the quality of the plant is better if it is chopped and made into some type of silage.... if hay is made at a high moisture and then wrapped, it is called baleage.... we often do our sorghum/sudan hybrid grass as baleage.... it takes longer to dry because the stems are thicker...looks like corn somewhat but is planted  close like any grass type crop.   It ferments in the tube, in the bales....but is easier to transport since we can do it with the truck with the "bale bed" on the back....rather than have to load the silage into a cart or something to take it to feed...


----------



## Mike CHS

The weather forecast was decent enough to give me at least most of the day for the herbicide to do its thing.  Got the tank filled up and set the herbicide next to the tank then decided to check out the sprayer before I finished up.  Since it was obvious from several other unfinished things this morning this fell right in place and since I had trouble a couple of times earlier this summer, I decided the pump needed replacing.  That was not  a big deal since I had been making the old pump work (usually) but the fasteners and clamps were all broken and the pump was held down by a bungy cord.  The nearest place to get a pump was up around Nashville so it was going to take better than a couple of hours to and from.   Before I took everything off the tank, I plugged in the new pump and it didn't work either.  I cleaned all of the connections and checked connectors for fit and still nothing.  The electrical wires for the pump consist of a harness that goes to the tractor battery and an extension (both of which had on/off switches). I narrowed the problem down to the switch on the extension so I took it off and spliced the wires since that switch was redundant anyway and the pump worked.

Hopefully tomorrows forecast will be good also.


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## Baymule

That’s one of those situations where just getting prepared to do something takes longer than actually doing the job. LOL


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## Bruce

Happens all the time here Bay!!!


----------



## Mike CHS

It looks like the weather is going to cooperate and I should have at least 6 hours before any chance of rain so I can at least get the fences done and worry about the driveway another time.

I record a show called Nature on PBS and they had one about "Super Hummingbirds" that kept Teresa and I glued to the scrre with the amazing detail we had never seen before.  If you get a chance to see it, you will enjoy it.


----------



## Mike CHS

I wound up getting the perimeter fences sprayed today but won't get the interiors for several days looking at the forecast.


Teresa was in the mood for some Mexican food so it was Chicken Enchiladas for lunch.  She made a big enough batch that we were able to freeze a half dozen meals.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa thought the first batches of pickles were TOO sour so she went ahead and put up enough to replace them if they get more sour later.   She wound up with 44 quarts of various pickles.  The tomatoes and peppers are really producing and we have started to put them up in the freezer.  We have quite a bit of room so we will freeze quite a few and then start canning tomatoes in a few weeks.  The peppers we chop up and vacuum freeze most of them but we will cook quite a few to dehydrate.


----------



## Mike CHS

We wanted to make Lasagna today so we checked to see if we had everything yesterday since we were going to Kroger anyway.   We obviously haven't made Lasagna in quite awhile since the pasta that we had expired in 2015.  They might have been OK but I wasn't going to chance blowing a whole lot of ingredients for a fairly cheap box of pasta.


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## farmerjan

No bugs in it, meal moths etc it was probably fine but I agree.... pasta is still relatively cheap so better to spend a couple dollars on fresh stuff with all the time and GOOD homegrown ingredients that you put into it.... You can put extra pasta in vacuum bags to keep it fresher....


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## Baymule

Expiration date in 2015! LOL  I’ve pulled stuff like that out of the pantry before! So how was the lasagna?


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Expiration date in 2015! LOL  I’ve pulled stuff like that out of the pantry before! So how was the lasagna?



The Lasagna was excellent and Teresa outdid herself with her home made sauce.  

Our cucumbers will probably give several neighbors enough to can some.  The picture is about what we have been getting every 2-2 1/2 days.  We made enough for 6 meals but I guess the reason we don't make it often is because it isn't a quick meal.  We definitely work together on something like this.


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## Beekissed

Oh, man, does that look GOOD!!!!    I'd weigh twice what I do now with your wife as my cook!!!


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## Mike CHS

We rarely cook that kind of meal and we usually try to keep it less size expanding.


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## Baymule

Ever use zucchini for the pasta? That cuts down on the carbs. I also have a recipe for making the pasta out of eggs, mozzarella and cauliflower rice.


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## Mike CHS

We do use squash of all kinds more than pasta but when I want real comfort food like Lasagna, I want all of the bad stuff.


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## Baymule

I gathered an arm load of zucchini yesterday. Had the granddaughters for almost 2 weeks, ignored the garden. The zucchini went from just starting to bloom to zucchini logs in record time! I’m thinking maybe I can grate zucchini in place of cauliflower rice to make imitation lasagna noodles. I can make a few batches and freeze them. I’ll let you know how it turns out.


----------



## Beekissed

Mike CHS said:


> We do use squash of all kinds more than pasta but when I want real comfort food like Lasagna, I want all of the bad stuff.


ME TOO!  Pasta is definitely one of my comfort foods.


----------



## Larsen Poultry Ranch

Baymule said:


> I gathered an arm load of zucchini yesterday. Had the granddaughters for almost 2 weeks, ignored the garden. The zucchini went from just starting to bloom to zucchini logs in record time! I’m thinking maybe I can grate zucchini in place of cauliflower rice to make imitation lasagna noodles. I can make a few batches and freeze them. I’ll let you know how it turns out.


We got a spiralizer as a wedding present, supposed to cut the zucchini (or other veggies) into noodles to use in place of regular noodles. Haven't used it yet but lasagna sounds tasty.


----------



## Baymule

Larsen Poultry Ranch said:


> We got a spiralizer as a wedding present, supposed to cut the zucchini (or other veggies) into noodles to use in place of regular noodles. Haven't used it yet but lasagna sounds tasty.


Zucchini spaghetti!


----------



## Ridgetop

Occasionally we miss a zucchini in the garden and end up with "war clubs".  I split them lengthwise, remove al the seeds and pith, leaving only the flesh.  This makes a trough in the center of the long zucchini.  I put them in a pan, and pour spaghetti sauce over them.  cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes to 1 hour - till the zucchini is tender.  Cut the zucchini into serving sie portions and spoon additional sauce from the pan over the top.   Really good and no pasta calories.  

You can also grate those huge zucchinis (less the inner seeds and pith)  then measure for use in zucchini cake, bread, etc. and freeze in those increments with note on bag as to measurement.  When using them frozen I drain some of the liquid off before putting them into the batter.  I also use zucchini instead of spaghetti occasionally with just putting the sauce directly on them if I don't have "war clubs"  or time to prep.

As to pasta, if it is not egg pasta, it will store dry indefinitely.  Kind of like dry rice and beans as long as bugs don't get into it.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> She made a big enough batch that we were able to freeze a half dozen meals.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have just about used up the allotted space in the freezer for tomatoes so we canned a bunch of pints today.  I just finished filling up gallon zip lock bags of sliced okra and chopped bell peppers.  The okra can go straight into one of the freezers but the bell peppers we chop and freeze them on flats and then add them to a bag to keep from having an icy block of peppers.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa and I have watched a few episodes of Clarkson's Farm on Amazon that gave us a bunch of laughs.  The new farm guy made a whole bunch of errors in starting and it didn't get a whole lot better after that.  We had a lot of laughs since we made a whole bunch of the same mistakes.


----------



## Ridgetop

Is that the show where the English fellow loses his farm manager and decides that it looks easy so he will just manage his farm himself with no experience?  I have it marked to watch on Brit Box when I get back to CA.  I wasn't sure it was funny so didn't start watching it yet.  I enjoy British comedies.


----------



## misfitmorgan

Lucky neighbors you have for more then one reason!!


----------



## Mike CHS

Ridgetop said:


> Is that the show where the English fellow loses his farm manager and decides that it looks easy so he will just manage his farm himself with no experience?  I have it marked to watch on Brit Box when I get back to CA.  I wasn't sure it was funny so didn't start watching it yet.  I enjoy British comedies.



That is the one.  We fast forwarded through the first few minutes of the first episode so we didn't know how he wound up in that situation nor did we think we would enjoy it.  I'm not sure anyone that didn't have some exposure to learning about farming would appreciate it as much but we are enjoying it.


----------



## Ridgetop

I will certainly look for it and start watching.  We have gone through quite a few amusing British series now and keep looking for new ones.


----------



## Mike CHS

We went into Pulaski this morning to pick up a prescription and figured we had plenty of time to feed Mel and Maisy on their normal time.  We were about half way home and the car just shut down but we were lucky enough to be on one of the few spots on this road that had a place to pull off the highway.  I tried several times to crank the engine but it has an obvious fuel problem so it might be a fuel pump and we called a tow.  We called a friend for an assist and they came and got Teresa and the tow truck showed up about 20 minutes later.  We dropped the car off at the CO-OP shop and Teresa came to pick me up and the dogs didn't seem too upset that I was late with their feed.

Mel and I have been working on our contact permissions and he is doing good.  Right after Barb dropped him off here I was walking toward him and did a little shuffle back and forth like I wanted to play wrestle.  I don't know if Barb or Joe did that with him but when you do it, he literally looks like a puppy bouncing around (although a giant puppy).  He has done that a couple of times when I wasn't expecting it and since he is bigger than I am, that can be problematic.    We have been working on toning it down and he is doing good.

An update on Cooper.  Most of the ewes look bred and in the process of going through the breeding season Cooper has become about as calm as Ringo always was.  I have been the same way with all of the rams we have had and I spend a lot of time in the paddocks with the sheep watching how they are grazing to see when to move them again and in the process, Cooper has decided that I'm not going anywhere so he doesn't react to me being there.  Since he has an awesome love for having his ears scratched at the base, that is about all he wants now.  The only issue I have with him now is that he will come up and lean against me while I run a brush down his back and since he weighs more than I do we still have to work on that.  The farm that Maxwell went to has told us they are amazed at how calm he is.  Matt lets his young daughters in the field with him and he said he never did that before.


----------



## farmerjan

Glad that you were able to get the car situation worked out without a big problem.  Hope it turns out to be something not too difficult or expensive to fix.  

Great testament to your methods of handling the rams.  Granted they have come from places where they were treated right... but still, to have them continue to be this way; and to have Cooper settle down more is really something to be proud of  because of the way you have garnered their trust. 

Yep... Mel is a little on the large size to be bouncing like a giant puppy ball !!!!


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Lol Mel must of played  with Joe like that as he did that with me also...Joe was sturdy enough to play with him like that... I wasn't , but the puppy look was adorable,  gotta. Love that dog !


----------



## Baymule

Car trouble. 

Mike you are the ram whisperer. 
Ringo loves attention, will come straight to me when I have a brush in my hand and adores having the sides of his face gently stroked. His 2 sons are the same way. The 2 boys have been in a pasture next to the barn and lot. They can poke their heads through the cow panel to flirt with the ewes. Ringo has suddenly decided they are rivals. He knocked the callus off that bump on his head and it was bloody. So I moved them where they can’t cause problems.

The 2 boys are just like Ringo. They come to me for attention. Calm, gentle and attention hogs. Im keeping them until I get registered sons. Im going to breed the young ewes in late September to Ringo, including the 2 registered ewe we bought. When I get registered sons or a son from Ringo, I’ll sell these two boys. They will make good commercial sires.

My granddaughters or any kid can go in with Ringo. When people are here with their kids. I put a lawn chair or two in the lot, give them whole corn to feed the ewes and Ringo.

I put Ringo in with the ewes in April. Only the past week has he been romancing the girls. So much for having weaned lambs ready for auction in January. I’ve always lambed in February-March, so if I can move them back a couple of months I guess I’ll have to be happy with that.

We are meeting @Ridgetop and her husband at the livestock auction this morning in Emory to watch the sheep and goat auction. We’ll have breakfast at the cafe. Fun!


----------



## Mike CHS

Ringo had lost that callus loose the day we picked him up.  The ram that was always with him was a big black named Mustafa and they rammed heads just for something to do but they did it so much that both of them had that.


----------



## Mike CHS

We brought the lambs in this morning to give the follow-up wormer to those that were due and pulled fecals on the ewes we didn't pull the last time.

I figured I would post a produce picture before everything slows down due to the heat.  I have lost track of how many jars of tomatoes have been put up but there has been plenty.  The picture is the tomatoes we brought in today which is about what we have been picking every three days.


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## Baymule

Those are some bodacious tomatoes!


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## Mike CHS

We canned another 13 jars of tomatoes this afternoon.  We changed our plans on processing outside.  We have the camp stove set up to keep from heating the house by doing it inside but we both chickened out as the temperature climbed to 95.  That should give us around 30 jars or so with the goal being 50.


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## Baymule

Yep, just go pet your AC unit and tell it GOOD JOB! Then get back inside and can those tomatoes! Hahaha!


----------



## Mike CHS

We brought in another 5 gallon bucket of tomatoes this afternoon so it will be canning again tomorrow.  We have resorted to watering a few of the raised beds since it has been dry and hot.  The temp today got up to 97 and it looks like it's going to be that way for several days.  The fecals on the lambs turned out with low counts so they will get moved out tomorrow and we will bring the seniors in over the next few days.  I'll walk with them tomorrow to see what they are actually grazing on as they aren't keeping up.  I will move them to a smaller paddock that is closer to where I need them to be so we can bring them in to check them over but it is the only one that still has a lot of clover growing well in spite of the heat.  It gets a lot of afternoon shade and holds the growth for a lot longer.


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## farmerjan

That is great on the fecals..... 

Have you not been getting any rain lately?  I know it gets sucked back up out of the soil in a hurry with 90+ degree heat.... W@e finally got 1.3 inches today which was a GOD SEND.... not enough but a big help right now... it looks like every drop soaked in everywhere....


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## Mike CHS

We haven't had any rain for just about two weeks.  It is just about a sure bet to have drought conditions in our area this time of year so you have to plan for it.  The first couple years here I had not figured that out and had cut the paddocks assuming I was planning for follow on growth.   I only cut two of our 10 paddocks now and there is enough tall growth to make the growth that the sheep want plentifully available.  That minimal cutting lets me give them the max stock piled for most of the year.  We only had to buy 10 round bales last winter vs 32 the winter before but we did have the cows then.


----------



## Mike CHS

The heat is officially here and it looks like some records will be set.  I did a little over 3 hours of mowing and weed whacking until about noon.  I was hot enough that I decided to take a cool shower to cool off and out of curiosity I stepped on the scale to find that I had sweat almost 5 pounds of liquid since I stepped on the scale this morning.


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## Baymule

Quick diet! It’s hot here too.


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## Bruce

I hope you then downed a gallon of water ... over time of course.


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## Mike CHS

We are going to move both the lamb ewes and the senior herd today.  I have one small paddock that I was wanting to graze for a couple of days but it doesn't have any shade other than a fairly small tree so that plan got changed.  100 degree temps kind of take away some flexibility. We are going to pull Cooper toward the end of this week whether all of the ewes are bred or not.  It got hot so fast this year that I'm really not sure how many of the ewes are bred.  Most of the ewes are obviously carrying lambs but several are questionable and we don't want lambs being born past mid December.


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## Mike CHS

Temperatures right at 100 degrees is making it hard for our AC to keep up and processing canned goods in the house was making it ever worse so we broke out some camp gear and did tomatoes outside.  It's still hot but we have a nice breeze most of the time.


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## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Temperatures right at 100 degrees


That is too dang hot!!
We've hit a cold spell, high today should be about 62°F, 50°F overnight. Makes the stupid pool quite useless.


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## Mike CHS

We have some heavy thunderstorms forecast for later tonight so we broke down the canopy and canning equipment just in case.  Our old canopy was about wore out and it was a pain to put up and take down so we replaced it with a commercial grade canopy.  It took us every bit of two minutes to take it down and put it away so we are happy we spent the little bit more dollars for it.


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## Mike CHS

We did get a little over an inch of rain in that front that came in from the northwest and it dropped the temps down to a comfortable low 80's at least for the next few days.  We set up the canopy and canning stuff since we have about two bushels of tomatoes to process.


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## Baymule

That’s great on the rain, hurry and can the tomatoes before the heat comes back! We got 1 3/4” since 3 AM and it’s nice and cool right now. But when the sun comes out it’s going to be a steam bath.


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## Mike CHS

We canned another dozen jars of tomatoes this afternoon.  Our cucumber plants are at the end of their cycle so we pulled them up and planted a few seeds to give us another batch to just have available for the table.  The sweet peppers and okra are doing great and I have already put 4 one gallon bags of chopped peppers in the freezer and 3 one gallon bags of sliced okra.  The okra loves the heat and has reached the growth stage where each plant will yield 4 or 5 pods about every other day.  I only planted 20 plants in this bed but it will give us fore than what we need but two of the neighbors also like okra so it will get used.  We canned 6 pint jars of stewed tomatoes and okra yesterday morning.

The only thing that hasn't done well is our squash.  We normally planted way to many so this year we just planted one small bed but all of the plants in that bed have only male flowers so far so obviously we don't have any squash yet.


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## Baymule

Your garden is doing good!


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## Mike CHS

We brought all of the sheep in this morning to check them out and to pull a couple of fecals then separated the boys so we can keep all of the adult ewes together with the lambs and the dogs.  While we were out there we found an armadillo carcass so that would explain why a meal or two got ignored by Maisy.

We have a couple of the ewes that aren't up to the size we like but we will give them a bit more time before we decide to sell or not.  Both of them were triplets so we will see if they fill out a bit more.  They are both 110 pounds but we prefer a minimum of 120 so they may get there.  We weighed the adults as we ran them through the chute and they are all range between 140 and 175.  Cooper the ram weighed in at 234 and this is actually the first time we have weighed him.


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## Mike CHS

I took Lance out this afternoon to give him a little low pressure time on the ewes since he hasn't been allowed to do much more than hold the sheep off of me while I'm feeding. For anyone that may not know, Lance is our Border Collie herding dog.  I put Maisy in the adjoining paddock before we started and called Mel so I could put him out also.  Mel and I have spent a lot of time working obedience but when I called him, he turned away and walked toward the sheep.  I wasn't sure what Mel was thinking so I sent Lance on a slow walk toward the sheep and Mel started to trot toward the sheep and of course they moved away.  I wasn't sure how he would react if I kept Lance going so I decided to leave well enough alone and call off my 50 pound Border Collie before I caused 169 pound Mel to do something I would regret.  I often think of bad ideas trying to keep my herding dogs that don't get a lot of herding time happy.


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## Bruce

Probably a wise choice, just in case. It would be interesting to know if Mel would figure out that Lance is doing your bidding, not attempting to harm the sheep, and just keep watch.


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## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Probably a wise choice, just in case. It would be interesting to know if Mel would figure out that Lance is doing your bidding, not attempting to harm the sheep, and just keep watch.



I used to be able to work Lance with Maisy in a stay but she finally decided I didn't have that much authority.    Mel very well might not have done anything but the hair was up on his neck and even though he is still mostly the Mel everyone knows,  he is not the dog he was not long ago.


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## Baymule

Under your care and tuition Mel has blossomed into the dog he was meant to be. Mel was already grown up, but he has grown and come into his own. Good boy Mel.


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## farmerjan

He has gone from being more of a pet/companion to humans, to being a real full time LGD with human companionship being second in his life now with you.... Doesn't take away from him being the loveable great big old Mel.... just means he has come into his own as a "full card carrying member" of the LGD  union!!!!!


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## Bruce

Yes, Mell is no longer a (multiple) lap(s) dog


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## Mike CHS

The lap top I use most of the time is getting slower by the day so I broke out the one I used at work before I retired.  It is quite a bit faster but I noticed it still had windows 7 on it and when I checked out the upgrade, the price was more than I wanted to put into a seven year old computer.  So it's time to get a new one instead.


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## Bruce

Or just use Windows 7! What do you need to do that you can't on it?


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## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Or just use Windows 7! What do you need to do that you can't on it?



They quit updating 7 last year and I wouldn't use it on the internet.


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## Bruce

I know they stopped updating security on it but are the hackers going to keep trying to attack old systems when there are many more new ones where they can make a bigger splash? Better safe than sorry I guess.


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## Mike CHS

The cucumber plants had succumbed to the heat so we pulled them out last week and I went out and tilled that bed this morning before the heat got up there.  Our tomatoes are starting to slow down so I went out and picked a half dozen suckers and potted them up this morning also.  Based on our normal frost date we should be able to harvest a good number of green tomatoes to take us well into winter.  Every time we have done that we have had tomatoes going into December or even later.


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## Baymule

Smart idea on the tomatoes. And there is always fried green tomatoes!


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## Mike CHS

We pulled out the watermelon vines so we can plant green beans but I'm going to miss the melons that we had been getting.

We have been thinking about getting another 10x10 dog kennel to replace the one that got taken out by straight line winds last year.  We don't really need it but it sure came in handy for bottle lambs.  The price on those have literally double in the last two years.  We paid under $200 when we bought the one we had and that included a cover and frame for the cover.  They are $450 right now so for that I'll make a shelter under the shop shelter.


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## Baymule

Imported from China? Or just inflation? Lots of things are going up. The sky is the limit. It’s going to put the hurt on everyone.


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## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Imported from China? Or just inflation? Lots of things are going up. The sky is the limit. It’s going to put the hurt on everyone.


I'm not sure but Biden pretty much stopped most of the tariffs that Trump had in affect.


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## Baymule

Between tarrif, , shortages and inflation, things are sideways right now. At least lumber is going down, but is still not down to where it was.


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## Mike CHS

There were several of the tomato plants that were obviously threw so we pulled them today and worked the soil.  We will plant the suckers that we just started in their place.

Maisy takes a daily grooming to keep her mats in check.  About thirty seconds after I finish combing her, she is finding something to roll in and get more mats.  I made the mistake a couple of weeks ago of using the comb on my #5 ewe who is also the herd queen.  Now whenever I try to comb out mats from Maisy, 5 will put herself right in the way to make sure she gets her share.


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## Baymule

I have several sheep that love to be brushed. Ringo manages to get between me and whoever is receiving attention. He is such and attention hog! Then here comes Sheba and Sentry, I need octopus arms! I have one ewe that lifts a dainty hoof and paws me for more, she is so spoiled. 

Aren't they fun? Sheep are so sweet, so trusting and they make me smile.


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## Mike CHS

The temperature made for excellent work conditions outside so we got rid of a lot of small jobs and painted one of the shelter tarps that is showing some light fraying.  We also did some Tennessee engineering to take care of a wash out area on one of our fences.  It was about 5" deep but off to the side of the fence so we took an old cattle panel and attached to the fence and down in the wash area. The area was almost exactly the length of the panel so it worked well.  I used a little concrete mix to elevate the area where it started so it will divert the water at that point.

Our squash isn't putting on very much fruit but early last spring I took what was left of last summers squash and threw them in a ditch area down by the railroad tunnel.  The plants are huge and covered with Spaghetti Squash and Hubbard.


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## Baymule

Volunteer squash!


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## Mike CHS

We are going to swap paddocks with the boys and the ewes in the morning to bring the ewes in to check out a few of them plus a couple of the lamb ewes are ready for another dose of wormer.  We finished all of the fecals several days ago and the results made us smile.  I still don't understand the physiology that explains parasite load but our 7 oldest (3 years old) ewes had zero eggs and the only time they were wormed was right at weaning.  Five of our replacement ewe lambs had a negligible load and 3 had zero.  The young ones had been on our worst paddock for parasite load but I have sprayed it twice with nitrogen before moving them in so there appears to be some weight in favor of what I had read about nitrogen killing parasites.

We have been seeing some good prices on property in the last couple of years that makes it look good for us if we ever want to truly retire (I can't see me doing that unless I have to).  We bought our little farm for just under $2,000 an acre seven years ago and parcels from 10-50 acres in our area are going for just under $15K an acre and most them are converting to developments.   We are only 50 miles from Franklin which is the new tech city for Tennessee so I guess that explains the popularity  Most of my working life I commuted from 45-90 miles so I can see the reasoning.


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## Baymule

I don’t know why you would totally retire either. After all, they make electric wheelchairs LOL. Just put in an order for balloon tires so you don’t sink in the mud.


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## Bruce

Baymule said:


> Volunteer squash!


I have one as well. It has taken over the 4'x5' compost bay we are currently using and spreading to the one to the left. Just starting to flower.


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## Mike CHS

We got green beans planting in two of the raised beds and another bed tilled and seeded with radishes and beats.  These beds are big enough that it should give us all of the green beans that we can use for winter.  We have been chopping bell peppers and freezing first then putting in gallon zip lock bags.  I broke out the 4 bags we have frozen and vacuum sealed one pound each in quart bags.  We were using our last couple of pound bags this season just about the time we started harvesting peppers so we will freeze a bit more this year to make sure we have enough.  I can't think of too many dishes that I don't use at least some bell pepper but we cook a lot of Cajun foods that call for it.

The okra is going gang busters and we have already sliced and frozen probably a little over 20 pounds so we don't need much more for ourselves but the neighbors are coming down and getting some about every few days for their freezer.

We are getting a good rain shower now and it's supposed to storm quite a bit tonight and forecast to for the rest of the week.  Teresa is working the sheep fecal samples now from what we pulled the other day so we will treat any that's needed and rotate them to fresh grass tomorrow.

The kittens and their momma have settled in and seem to feel at home.  They all four come running out when I'm going down to the shop.  I don't think their momma will ever be tame but she will come out and sit about 10' from me to watch whatever I'm doing.  The first few weeks they were here the momma would move them around quite a bit and often we wouldn't see them at all during the day but you could tell they were coming in for feed.  They now stay across from the shop or all four sleep in a lawn chair down there.


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## Baymule

I think I'll yank my squash vines out and plant some more zuchinni, maybe it will make before first frost.


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## Ridgetop

Sadly my huge (8') tall tomato bushes still have not produced any tomatoes  I see tiny green ones, but somehow the ground squirrels or rats are getting them when they are green.  Yesterday 2 of the dogs were in the tomato bed and Bubba was prowling around the outside.  When DS1 nd I checked the rat trap had a live rat and 2 carcasses.  I climbed up on the wall and fished the cage out with a hook then handed it over the fence to DS1 who dealt with the live rat and then cleaned our the carcasses.  I think there is a large ground squirrel colony under the tomato bed.  The tomato bed is lined in wire mesh, but those pests can climb everything.  

We need a barn full of cats - dog proof cats!

An easy way to cook down tomato sauce and catsup is to put it in a low oven and just stir it every few hours.  Works on applesauce too.  No scorching.  Instead of canning all my tomatoes during the summer (when I had tomatoes) was to put them all in a big plastic garbage bag and freeze them.  In the wider I would put them in cold water and the skins would slough off.  Then chop them up, add onions, celery, and seasonings, and cook them down in the oven for tomato sauce.  When they thickened up I would put them in the jars and into the pressure canner or water bath.  Much easier than dealing with them in the middle of summer with all the other veggies.


----------



## Mike CHS

After checking the fecal samples that we pulled, I'll give the sheep another day in the shop paddock and then start a rotation since the grass is getting so tall.  Two of the ewes had zero eggs and another had a real light load that we don't worm for.

A side story that I found out about this morning and has nothing to do with farming.  Before I retired part of my job was managing the ATC contract wherever the  Air Force used civilian contract controllers.  They are still in Kabul and those guys were told to stay on the job to provide ATC service for the evacuation.  The only problem was that power had been cut to their maintenance shelter which meant they had no radar or radios and no way to communicate with anyone.  One of the controllers used the military version of social media and sent a message to a bunch of controllers at other bases and they wound up talking to one in Japan. The only stateside communication he could establish stateside was with Kingpin which is an outfit in South Carolina.  They have satellite radios and between the man in Japan, the controllers in Kabul along with the controllers at Kingpin, they worked out how to link up with the C-17's inbound to Kabul and relayed landing instructions from Kabul to the aircraft.  Not very efficient but it worked.


----------



## Baymule

That’s the long way around, but they are getting it done. God Bless them.

What a debacle that is. I hope all OUR people get out of there. And that’s all I’m gonna say about that.


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## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Not very efficient but it worked.


That is scary!


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> That is scary!



The aircraft are told what is going on and they are also in visual conditions.  We worked air traffic enroute to Antarctica from Charleston, SC.


----------



## Ridgetop

The entire evacuation debacle could have been avoided with proper planning and doing things in the correct order.  Not even going to mention the billions of dollars of equipment left for the Taliban.  Why not blow it all up when they left?


----------



## Bruce

I think they were expecting the Afghan security forces to use it while protecting the country from the Taliban.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have had a light but steady rain for the last couple of days and I have been able to keep my mowing caught up in the occasional dry spot.  The okra in the garden liked it and I cut a little over 8 quarts of sliced okra and another 7 pints of okra and tomatoes.  I already had about enough okra but one of our neighbors had planned on freezing around ten pounds but she got covid awhile back and now has that RSV so I gave her enough of our vacuum sealed bags of okra for her needs.  I never even heard of RSV until this year.


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## farmerjan

RSV is very common in cattle... it comes often from stress from some other infection or situation...... it is similar to many other respiratory problems.... and in people it seems to be even more difficult to stop than in animals.... and if I am not mistaken it happens mostly in babies/infants/very young children.  Can be treated fairly easily with antibiotics... but like everything else, it needs to be treated and aggressively early on.  A healthy immune system is again your best course of action.... will wear you down because anything that creates difficulty in breathing makes you tired and weaker...
Sorry for the neighbor having continued problems... and you are to be commended  for helping them out.


----------



## Mike CHS

All those that have RSV are getting treatment.  It started with one of more of the young children living there then would up getting passed on to the Grandparents and then to the friend mentioned above who is the Great Grandma (all in the same family but living in two homes).


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> We have had a light but steady rain for the last couple of days


I'm glad you aren't in the nasty flood area!


----------



## Mike CHS

Us too Bruce.  There has been over 20 deaths and over 60 missing.  All of that was up towards Kentucky.


----------



## Mike CHS

Something got in one of our chicken houses last night.  The only thing we could figure out is that it pulled the wire down from the top on the back side but it wasn't a very big opening.  Five of the chicks were killed as well as two hens.  Whatever it was ate the breast of one of the hens but everything else seemed to be killed just to kill.  The sixth chick was nowhere to be found so the prowler must have taken that one with it.


----------



## farmerjan

Hate to say it but I strongly suspect Raccoons.  They will pull the wire off if they can, and they will eat the good meat... possums seldom go so far as to pull wire off like that.  Could be a weasel but doesn't fit the MO .....
I HATE raccoons worse than most any other kind of wildlife because they are so destructive... they kill for fun and will only eat a little then kill another.


----------



## Bruce

If it was a coon it doesn't fit the usual MO of just eating the head and crop. But I suspect you are right. I guess it is time for some increase predator proofing. Really sorry for your losses Mike and Teresa, heartbreaking to lose animals, especially the young ones.


----------



## Mike CHS

Mel and Maisy don't do well in the temps like we had today so when I went down to feed this afternoon, I didn't see either one of them.  I walked out to a side paddock that stays more comfortable because of a stand of bamboo and called them in.  Maisy came but Mel just looked at me with one of those "I'm not coming looks" so I let Maisy in to eat.  She got het petting and lay down over her feed bowl but couldn't quit looking out the door to see where Mel was.  I asked her if she wanted out and she ran toward the gate and when I let her out she went running to the paddock where Mel was still laying down.  I guess he gave her the same look since she lay down beside him and called it a day.  I give them more feed in the morning feeding since neither one of them want much when it's in the mid 90's.


----------



## farmerjan

I have seldom seen coons eating the heads and crops here... they tear the body and eat... tear wings and legs off and leave the cripples in the enjoyment of just destroying stuff.


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## Baymule

The heat affects our dogs too. BJ feeds Paris, Carson and Trip. They eat then come see what I’m doing. I feed Sentry and Sheba in their pasture. We feed later than usual because it’s so hot.


----------



## Bruce

farmerjan said:


> I have seldom seen coons eating the heads and crops here... they tear the body and eat... tear wings and legs off and leave the cripples in the enjoyment of just destroying stuff.


Maybe southern coons have a different palate than northeast coons


----------



## farmerjan

Could be @Bruce ... except the worst case of coons mangling chickens was done to a pen of over 25 half grown purebred Old English game "chicks"... they tore a corner off the mesh wire on the run, AND managed to open a hook and eye of another pen on the back door, and killed the breeding pair in there;    and strew half dead chicks and parts all over the woods... in CONN. where I used to live.  There were chicks with wings torn off, a few missing legs, many dead, and the dead ones had chunks out of their scrawney  breasts... only 1 was missing a head.  I caught 3 of the 4 coons the next night as they came back...  These were half grown "teenager awkward stage"  chicks..... and I have had coons go into the runs before locking up at dark after some of my purebred leghorns and my langshans also.... I shot 4 of the 5 coming out the trap door of the  "big" coop... and the big male coon nearly ran me over coming out.... got that sorry s.o.b 2 nights later and didn't bat an eye when I shot him in the trap.   We had some fox trouble and got one that had the worst case of mange I have ever seen.... in the middle of the day while we were out in the yard tilling the garden and I had let the chickens out while we were right out there... at least the fox had the decency to take one and run.... not kill indiscriminantly.

We have trouble with coons here, and the occasional fox and coyotes.... mostly coons and some possums.  And of course that da#@ed eagle that got all the free range layers that we finally got rid of the rest since I didn't dare shoot the sorry bas#@rd.... an occasional hawk that got into the meat birds last year.  But even when they get a bird... they do not go around and just kill and leave lay.....the eagle carried one off most everyday when they were out... the hawk was getting the ones that did not stay in the "greenhouse", kill it and sit and eat it right there;  a fox will carry it off... but we get rid of the ones that get into them.  They chip too many of the eagles, but the hawks either get discouraged or they just leave I guess.....
Maybe Vermont coons are different...


----------



## Ridgetop

Indiscriminate killing is terrible.  I always think when people talk about how "cute" racoons are  that if they could see what they do they might not feel that they should not be killed.  Walt Disney did not think it through when he made all his cartoon animals so cute and sweet.  Not to mention talkative.  Anthropomorphism at its worst.  

Death to predators!  

Don't Mel and Maisy have access to the coop?


----------



## Bruce

farmerjan said:


> Maybe Vermont coons are different...


Probably not, my personal experience was with one coon. People think they are nocturnal only but this one came back well before sundown the day after it beheaded the only chicken it could get to the night before. It was entering the coop where I had a hen in the broody buster recovering from an unknown malady. All the other girls were out ranging around the house. The only other one I've seen went in the Havahart I had set to catch groundhogs.


----------



## farmerjan

Well....... did you set traps after fixing the coop????? Any luck catching it????? Wondering if it could be a bobcat... have had next to no experience with them as a predator so can't advise, but am sure they would not turn down an opportunity if they were hungry.....


----------



## Mike CHS

I have been putting the traps out but they aren't taking.  I need to put the cameras out but I have no idea where Teresa put them and she can't remember when I talked to her (she is at the kids in SC until Sunday)


----------



## Ridgetop

Cats usually grab, kill, and run with the carcass.  They usually like to eat in private.


----------



## farmerjan

Ridgetop said:


> Cats usually grab, kill, and run with the carcass.  They usually like to eat in private.


Kinda what I thought.... but anything is possible....grasping at straws here....


----------



## Mike CHS

There have been a lot of rude and snide comments about Ivermectin in regards to Covid.  For those that say there has not been any testing the link is below:
Also Japan just had a press conference today that said the medical association chairman said they are recommending all doctors start treating Covid with Ivermectin.






Ivermectin for COVID-19: real-time analysis of all 113 studies​Ivermectin for COVID-19: real-time analysis of all 113 studies





 c19ivermectin.com


----------



## farmerjan

WOW..... thank you for the info.....


----------



## Baymule

*YES!!!!! *


----------



## Baymule

I guess we aren’t so stupid after all with our, and I quote, “misinformation”.


----------



## farmerjan

Next I dearly would like to see some studies of people's immune system... after having had the covid virus... and how the actual natural immunity holds up and all that... something like this that has LOTS of different observations/trials/studies to disect and analyze......people that might be willing to be exposed specifically to say the delta variant... or one of the other ones they are having hysterics over....and see what sort of immune response is triggered in naturally obtained immunity from having had it as opposed to some that had the shot... then the second shot... now are saying a third shot....I heard a comment on a "regular" news channel that it might be that people will have to have several boosters a year because of the constantly mutating variants....


----------



## Baymule

@Mike CHS i forwarded that link to a nurse friend of mine who works the Covid units at both hospitals in Tyler. She refuses to get the shot. I had already given her information on ivermectin and what she could do to protect herself and her family. She was excited to get the link and said she was going to study it. She is in a position where she might be able to make a difference.
Thanks for finding that and posting it.


----------



## Mike CHS

I have some major yard work to do tomorrow so I made a casserole that I can throw in the oven when Teresa calls when she is about an hour out on her way home from South Carolina.  I think this dish might well be the ultimate comfort food.

It's a layered pasta dish using egg noodles, cream cheese and sour cream as the base then the sauce is added which is ground beef, diced tomatoes, rotel tomatoes, tomato paste and Italian seasoning.

Over that is shredded cheddar, shredded parmesan and finally shredded mozarella.


----------



## Baymule

What do you reckon that she'll be the happiest to see when she gets home? You or that yummy casserole?


----------



## farmerjan

Mike CHS said:


> I have some major yard work to do tomorrow so I made a casserole that I can throw in the oven when Teresa calls when she is about an hour out on her way home from South Carolina.  I think this dish might well be the ultimate comfort food.
> 
> It's a layered pasta dish using egg noodles, cream cheese and sour cream as the base then the sauce is added which is ground beef, diced tomatoes, rotel tomatoes, tomato paste and Italian seasoning.
> 
> Over that is shredded cheddar, shredded parmesan and finally shredded mozarella.


YUM YUM....


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> What do you reckon that she'll be the happiest to see when she gets home? You or that yummy casserole?



Me of course.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Ivermectin for COVID-19: real-time analysis of all 113 studies


"Analysis of the efficacy of early treatments for COVID-19. _Treatments do not replace vaccines and other measures. All practical, effective, and safe means should be used. Elimination of COVID-19 is a race against viral evolution. No treatment, vaccine, or intervention is 100% available and effective for all current and future variants. Denying the efficacy of any method increases the risk of COVID-19 becoming endemic; and increases mortality, morbidity, and collateral damage."_

I guess I'm the outlier here but I'd rather keep the barn doors closed (vaccine) during a storm than go out and hunt for the animals that bolted hoping my flashlight (treatment) works.

Covid cases, hospitalizations and deaths are spiking with Delta, the vast majority being unvaccinated people. Should I happen to get a "breakthrough" case while practicing whatever safety precautions I can, I think I'd rather not self medicate with ivermectin given there doesn't seem to be any information as to dosage, frequency, etc. If it is an effective treatment, as the linked studies say it is, the medical community should be coming out with recommendations for those details and your local doctor could then treat per those recommendations. 

But the overburdened medical community doesn't need any more unnecessary cases to deal with. And the cost of same is way up there. How's your medical insurance?

"“The average hospital stay for COVID-19 has cost Delta $50,000 per person,” Bastian said in an employee memo."

Delta Airlines - cost of a Covid hospitalization


----------



## farmerjan

If the cases got treated right off the bat with things like ivermectin and hydroxy.... half or MORE of those cases would not ever need to go to the  hospital...
I have also been looking at some other info that I am sure some would say is "misinformation" and they are not reporting all the variant cases that are winding up in the hospitals that are vaccinated.... and the wording is "interesting"... "vaccinated people" is being limited to anyone who has had both shots, and have to be 2 weeks post vaccinated with the 2nd shot to be considered a "vaccinated person".... they consider anyone who had 1 shot and did not receive the 2nd shot due to reaction to the first shot... as unvaccinated.... anyone less than a minimum 2 weeks after "vaccination" that gets sick... is listed as "unvaccinated"....

If you want to get vaccinated... GO FOR IT..... if you have ALREADY had the virus and have natural immunity... then if this was a decent UNBIASED situation and studies were being done like they should... then there would be some serious  studies on the natural immunity of these people.  Back when they were coming out with things like the measles and other vaccines.....they were studying the ones that had had measles.... and the way they were immune to new exposures...
Smallpox vaccines were developed BECAUSE of milk maids not catching it because of their exposure to cow pox....

Why are the RED CROSS blood donation places looking for people that have had the virus and have recovered.... that Have NOT had the vaccine??????

But there is nothing fair and right about this.... because it is not about unbiased reporting or studies.  There has not been any fairness of reporting from all sides... to let people read and make INTELLIGENT choices and decisions....
There are WAY TOO MANY doctors that have been trying to present other opinions.... that have been squelched, threatened, called names .... and yes.... there are doctors that are irresponsible... but to totally REFUSE to look at other studies is the height of STUPIDITY and BIAS....

There are HUNDREDS of doctors with protocols for treatments.... amounts,  frequency,  antibiotics that will work synergistically... You cannot sit there and say that there are no information for that.  The da*@#d  group around Faucci have done EVERYTHING to stop good decent doctors from doing "off label treatment"  with the DOCTORS making the decisions of who, what, when, where,  and why.....So don't start with the "self medicate" nonsense  @Bruce .....when the doctors were PROHIBITED from prescribing  hydroxy and other things back when the former president said it was a possible breakthrough drug.... NO, this is not acceptable and cannot be used.... PERIOD. 

You need to go back to pull up the video of Dr Pierre Kory's  presentation to the Senate committee... he BEGGED them to at least look at the studies.... and they said they would... and it was BURIED......

@Bruce .....I hope that you do not get any bad effects from exposure to the variants, the vaccine or anything else.  But it is being shown daily that the vaccinated ones are spreading more of the virus than those that have not had it or are naturally immune.... but I am done with this.  You did not really read the statement you quoted...


----------



## Bruce

farmerjan said:


> Why are the RED CROSS blood donation places looking for people that have had the virus and have recovered.... that Have NOT had the vaccine??????


Citation please? This from the Red Cross says you can donate if you have been vaccinated



farmerjan said:


> But it is being shown daily that the vaccinated ones are spreading more of the virus than those that have not had it or are naturally immune....


Pretty basic concept isn't it? If you don't have it, you can't spread it. No vaccine is 100% effective, though the mRNA ones are 90+% which is FAR better than any flu vaccine. Thus people who have been vaccinated can still get a case, though it should be substantially less severe or even non symptomatic than someone who was not vaccinated.  Those that have not been vaccinated and get Covid spread it at a much higher rate than "breakthrough" cases if for no other reason than there are magnitudes more of them. 

Approximately 0.04% of fully vaccinated people in the U.S. have reported breakthrough cases, according to researchers



farmerjan said:


> You did not really read the statement you quoted...


https://www.redcross.org/about-us/n...out-covid-19-vaccines-and-blood-donation.html
I did, what is your point? Did you read it, the second sentence in particular?: _Treatments do not replace vaccines and other measures. _

If, after taking all precautions, one still gets a case of Covid, yes treatments are the next step. If ivermectin is the best one, great.


And yes the "fully vaccinated" definition is a bit wonky. One shot of J&J is considered fully vaccinated even though it is < 70% effective against getting a moderate to severe case (which I GUESS is just shy of the hospital?? I've never seen a definition). The mRNA vaccines are over 90% effective against getting it at all or getting only a non symptomatic case. Presumably the J&J is also > 90% effective against hospitalization or death, same as the mRNA vaccines. BUT to get to the 90%+ levels with the mRNA vaccines you don't hit peak protection, and therefore "fully vaccinated" until 2 weeks after the second shot. Without the second shot they are about as effective as a single J&J.  If 1 J&J is "fully vaccinated" why isn't an equally effective 1 shot of mRNA the same? Personally, though the J&J is in line or better than the annual flu vaccine, I consider it a "C" grade given 2 shots of the mRNAs are so much more effective. If you are grading on a curve, the J&J doesn't cut it.


----------



## farmerjan

"Denying the efficacy of ANY method......." That  is what they have been doing for over a year. 
 And more and more studies are showing that the mRNA "vaccines" are less than 46%  effective..... A vaccine PREVENTS you from getting the disease....not make the results less severe.......  why in the world would we be giving our cattle vaccinations for things like BVD,  IBR , BRSV..... and it is seldom advised for them to get it more than once a year.... after the initial 1 or 2 dose innoculation.... because it protects them 99.9% of the time.... and they are in contact with each other in much closer quarters.... they sure aren't wearing masks, and wipe their noses on each other and such.....

Forget it, I will not continue to argue with you.


----------



## Bruce

farmerjan said:


> And more and more studies are showing that the mRNA "vaccines" are less than 46% effective.


Citation please


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Citation please



Since you seem to insist that you have the last word, take it to your own thread.


----------



## farmerjan

@Mike CHS ,  I apologize for the controversy on your thread.  I did not mean to cause a hullabaloo and respectfully will not make anymore comments in that train of thought.


----------



## farmerjan

Hey.... are you guys doing okay with the effects of Hurricane Ida????? It looks to have pretty much covered all of Tenn, so was worried that you might be having problems.....


----------



## Baymule

Yeah, y’all are definitely getting rain!


----------



## Mike CHS

We got almost 5" of rain but have had very little wind which is a good thing since the ground is so saturated there would be trees coming down.  The has been a lot of flooding north of us but if we ever get flooded at our elevation, the whole state would be under water.  We have a drainage ditch that turns into a river but it's the reason I made all of the paddocks with multiple ways in.


----------



## Ridgetop

Bruce said:


> Citation please? This from the Red Cross says you can donate if you have been vaccinated


Actually, Red Cross wants all blood donations but are* asking* if you have been vaccinated.  

I would like to point out that at the start of Covid, and *BEFORE ANY VACCINE WAS DEVELOPED*, requests were being made for blood donations from people that had *recovered from* Covid.  They were researching their blood to see what antibodies had enabled these people to survive the earliest cases which were usually deadly.  

Very ittle information has been released about research that was done on the virus.  I don't think it is anti vax to request more information on the vaccines and the virus which has already mutated.  
I *have* been vaccinated but no longer trust the government about the virus.  When the government still supports Faucci *who was complicit in devloping this virus*, and the CDC puts out mask rules based on the teachers' unions' demands, and the *government allows hundreds of thousands of untested and unvaccinated persons to pour into our country, then busses and flies them into other states unvaccinated,* the government no longer deserves our belief in their so called medical truth.  Or that they honestly want to protect us from Covid or its variants.  This leads many citizens to believe it has become a control issue.

The decision to vaccinate or not vaccinate is subjective.  If unvaccinated persons get Covid and die, that is their choice.  If vaccinations are forced on people, and vaccinated persons continue to get Covid or its variants, or spread it, then what has changed?  In addition, it becomes the governments responsibility when persons (whose doctors forbid them from getting the vaccine due to underlying conditions) die from vaccine side effects which has also happened.

Turning this into a nasty political argument is pointless.  People in America were always allowed their own opinions and choices, it seems that is no longer the case.  Which is a real shame.


----------



## rachels.haven

I think the logic is that it stops being a personal choice and starts being a public health issue when someone has a high chance of making somebody else gravely ill or dead contrary to that somebody's else's choice. Contagiousness starts even before symptoms of varying intensity so even if everyone was responsible and stayed home when sick (lol) that would still be the case. Children, people who can't get vaccinated, and people who would have breakthrough cases can be better protected from infection and have a lower chance of getting it and have more of the resources for treatment if they do get it. Employers requiring vaccination, on the other hand, is probably just selfish corporate greed, just like the way they do health insurance. If they take "good care" of you you don't get sick they don't have to get a sub or replacement for you and all the people you had contact with and you all keep working. Gotta protect those human resources. Although just like with health insurance, sometimes corporate and our interests can overlap because dead or gravely ill people aren't very happy OR good workers. Although it could additionally partially be a public relations issue.
But that's just one cynical person's view.


----------



## Mike CHS

I think all that rain we had was 50% nitrogen since the grass I cut three days ago looked like it had not been cut in a week or more.  We are going to bring the ewes in tomorrow to pull a few fecals and do a check on one that had a high parasite load.  We did not worm her since she came from a ewe line that had not needed worming ever.   This line historically would pick up a fairly large parasite load after lambing but they had always seemed to fight it off so we shall see.  If she proves to be good tomorrow that will be the 4th generation with a great immune system.  We have several of our breeders now that have Maxwell's genes but the majority are still Ringo's.

I spend time trying to tame the kittens a couple of times a day and if nothing else I get a lot of time to smile.  Two of the kittens are still real skittish and the other two really show that they want to be companions.  If I sit in a chair down where I feed them, they will all come up and do the rolling on their back thing and leaning up against my hand as long as I don't move it much it at all.  The little tabby is still the bravest and also the most friendly and loves to be petted.  He keeps laying on his back at my feet with his paws up in the air (inviting a belly scratch) but I am not falling for that one.  

Three of them will come up to take a treat out of my hand but that only started in the last couple of weeks.  I still think that the momma cat was tame at some point in her life since she no longer runs when I walk down and will even move closer to where she knows I will go.  When I put the food out in the morning she will come up to about 5 feet from my chair and lay down to watch what I do with her kittens.  Small things make me smile and have a lot of small things to show me.  

The tabby in the third picture I named Mystie and is the bravest and tamest of the bunch and the MommaCat is the last picture.  The rest haven't given me a name yet.


----------



## Finnie

You have a nice bunch there. I love reading your kitten stories. Reminds me of when we used to have mama cats with litters.

2 from our last litter made it to 10 and 11 years old. My husband does not want them replaced, so I keep hoping we will have a mouse problem without them and he will change his mind. It’s been a year, and the mouse population has not increased like I prophesied it would. So I’m thinking that the elderly cats must not have really been making much of a difference anyway.


----------



## Baymule

Cute kitties!


----------



## Bruce

Cute kitties! Mystie is especially lovely.



Mike CHS said:


> laying on his back at my feet with his paws up in the air (inviting a belly scratch) but I am not falling for that one.


Some cats actually do like that!


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Cute kitties! Mystie is especially lovely.
> 
> 
> Some cats actually do like that!



Two weeks ago this kitten would hiss and swipe at me if I even walked toward it.


----------



## Margali

Mike CHS said:


> He keeps laying on his back at my feet with his paws up in the air (inviting a belly scratch) but I am not falling for that one.


That's what a long handled shower brush is for. The cat at Y camp loved his brush scritches.


----------



## Ridgetop

Has anyone heard from The Old Ram lately?  I cant find his thread?


----------



## Mike CHS

Here is the latest analysis on the unmentionable medicine:









						Review of the Emerging Evidence Demonstrating the Efficacy... : American Journal of Therapeutics
					

ed within clinical trials. Areas of Uncertainty:  The majority of trialed agents have failed to provide reproducible, definitive proof of efficacy in reducing the mortality of COVID-19 with the exception of corticosteroids in moderate to severe disease. Recently, evidence has emerged that the...




					journals.lww.com


----------



## Bruce

"As of February 21, 2020, the number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 in the United States reached 510,248 with more than 9.3 million active cases, the highest number to date."

I ASSUME they meant 2021?? That number is now up to 648K.

This is why I think people should wait until the "medical community" comes up with usage/dosage guidelines for Ivermectin

Assuming it is eventually approved for prophylactic use and/or treatment, people should be taking the human version of the drug, prescribed by a doctor, rather than shopping at TSC and guessing at dosage, frequency, etc.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce - there already is a human version of the drug.  You just keep on believing our government that only tells the truth about everything. NOT!


----------



## farmerjan

Thank you for that @Mike CHS .  I have read it twice now, and still there is so much technical  language to wade through.  But this is what Dr Pierre Kory was trying to get through to the Senate committee back when he testified and they basically blew him off.   The problem now is getting some of these brain washed drs to accept the facts, and look at all these studies,  stop listening to the "experts" that keep saying that there is basically nothing to do for the mildly infected....  and prescribe the "human form "  of ivermectin which is in a pill form most often. The turn around time is 3 days for those with symptoms to feeling better ...... that's better than the common cold or the miserable flu... which this says is effective for also.


----------



## Mike CHS

I quit believing anything the government said when I realized they were trying to beat a pandemic with the only methods being a vaccine (that isn't a vaccine) and social distancing which was never even a term until a year ago.  Treatments were never mentioned as a factor but the pharma companies have become profitable for the first time in years so I guess I'm part of the misinformation cycle now.  I won't even start to get into how we did so well planning the exit from Afghanistan.

BYH can suggest we take this to private message and I will just go away as I have decided I am tired of playing this game.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Right there with you Mike


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Bruce - there already is a human version of the drug.


I realize that, I guess it wasn't obvious in my comment. That would be the one I think people should be taking, under doctor's supervision, rather than self medicating, guessing at dosage and frequency, with what they get at TSC.


----------



## Mike CHS

Mystie became Whiskey (due to his color) this afternoon.  I thought it was a girl but he let me pick him up and I could see it is a male.


----------



## farmerjan

OOPS.....


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> being a vaccine (that isn't a vaccine)


I'm curious what you consider a vaccine and why you don't think that the J&J (traditional), Moderna and Pfizer (new technology) are not vaccines?

You don't think Whiskey liked his name?


----------



## Larsen Poultry Ranch

A vaccine provides immunity to the disease it is designed to prevent. If you got the polio vaccine, you would not get polio. If you got the pertussis vaccine you would not get whooping cough.






The Covid "vaccine" does not provide immunity. It lessens the symptoms, supposedly. But I know at least three people personally, who got BOTH shots, and were considered "fully vaccinated", as in at least two weeks had passed after the second shot, who still came down with Covid.


----------



## Bruce

How serious were the symptoms in these 3 people? Did any of them end up in the hospital? Need O2?

None of the vaccines in use claim to give "immunity" in 100% of the people who get them. At 90+% both the mRNA vaccines are far more efficacious than the annual flu vaccine.

I just looked for info on the pneumonia vaccine since I'm now 65 and it is suggested for people with my advanced level of "experience" 
Although the pneumonia shots will not prevent a person from ever getting pneumonia, they may help in reducing cases of invasive pneumococcal diseases.

So I guess the question is what exactly is the definition of a "vaccine"? It doesn't seem to be "it will block the virus from entering your body" because if that is the case, there are probably no, or very few, vaccines in existence and we need a new name.

In the definition you quoted they use the flu vaccine as an example and we all know it is way less than 100% effective yet it is called a vaccine. You can still get the flu if you've had the vaccine but presumably, like the Covid vaccine, the symptoms would be less if than if you didn't get the flu vaccine. Your immune system has been "warned" has set up some defenses and is at least somewhat able to fend off the intruder. I don't see the difference between the flu and Covid vaccines in that regard.  

Presumably if the vaccine works 100% in an individual the virus is kept from replicating. If it mostly works, it keeps it from replicating at the same level it would without the vaccine. Then there are those not in the "90%+ effective" group. Unfortunately there is no physical marking that tells if it did or did not work in an individual.


----------



## Mike CHS

We picked and processed a bunch of Bell Peppers today for the freezer.   We use a lot of these things and we are close to having enough to last until next season.  As always we freeze them overnight then pack in vacuum bags.


----------



## Bruce

Your peppers did way better than mine! Of the 6 I planted, only 1 is more than barely alive and has only 1 pepper. Did much better last year.


----------



## Mike CHS

We put in 20 plants originally and added a couple more later and they all did great.  We do use a lot but we also give one of the neighbors enough of several things to take them through winter and it helps their budget a bit.


----------



## Baymule

Bruce said:


> I realize that, I guess it wasn't obvious in my comment. That would be the one I think people should be taking, under doctor's supervision, rather than self medicating, guessing at dosage and frequency, with what they get at TSC.


 I agree with this statement, but because doctors will not prescribe it, people turn to the animal ivermectin. It is criminal that this country will not use this drug to save lives. I will not go into a rant on our corrupt government in the pocket of big pharma. Can't make money on a cheap drug.


----------



## Larsen Poultry Ranch

Bruce said:


> How serious were the symptoms in these 3 people? Did any of them end up in the hospital? Need O2?
> 
> None of the vaccines in use claim to give "immunity" in 100% of the people who get them. At 90+% both the mRNA vaccines are far more efficacious than the annual flu vaccine.
> 
> I just looked for info on the pneumonia vaccine since I'm now 65 and it is suggested for people with my advanced level of "experience"
> Although the pneumonia shots will not prevent a person from ever getting pneumonia, they may help in reducing cases of invasive pneumococcal diseases.
> 
> So I guess the question is what exactly is the definition of a "vaccine"? It doesn't seem to be "it will block the virus from entering your body" because if that is the case, there are probably no, or very few, vaccines in existence and we need a new name.
> 
> In the definition you quoted they use the flu vaccine as an example and we all know it is way less than 100% effective yet it is called a vaccine. You can still get the flu if you've had the vaccine but presumably, like the Covid vaccine, the symptoms would be less if than if you didn't get the flu vaccine. Your immune system has been "warned" has set up some defenses and is at least somewhat able to fend off the intruder. I don't see the difference between the flu and Covid vaccines in that regard.
> 
> Presumably if the vaccine works 100% in an individual the virus is kept from replicating. If it mostly works, it keeps it from replicating at the same level it would without the vaccine. Then there are those not in the "90%+ effective" group. Unfortunately there is no physical marking that tells if it did or did not work in an individual.


I'm not interested in continuing this debate, on this thread when Mike already said it was not welcome. I posted the definition because you asked for one, and to provide my knowledge of three people's experience. Redefining terms to mean something new has been happening more and more in politics and I disagree with the practice. The flu vaccine only protects against the specific strains it was designed for, again supposedly. If you get the flu, after receiving a flu shot, does the doctor take a sample and tell you which strain you contracted? No, they tell you to go home, rest, and intake fluids. I guess my trust level is lower than yours, but I'm tired of being tricked, lied to, and gas lighted regarding my health and health decisions.


----------



## Mike CHS

I cut the grass in the gate areas and along all of the fences both interior and perimeter.  I have one section about 300' long that I must have skipped the last time I cut as it was really high.  I thought I was going to get the bush hog out but the mower got it done.  We are due for shots for the bred ewes so we will do that tomorrow along with checking them out then move them into one of the lambing paddocks.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa just reminded me she has a phone appointment with the Social Security office in the morning so we won't be getting started until that is done.  They still aren't doing in-office visits so you make your initial call to set up an appointment to apply and they give you a date that they will call so you can do the application.


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> Teresa just reminded me she has a phone appointment with the Social Security office in the morning so we won't be getting started until that is done.  They still aren't doing in-office visits so you make your initial call to set up an appointment to apply and they give you a date that they will call so you can so the application.


That's so messed up. This is not the new normal. There is nothing normal about this. I'm happy for Teresa that she can now start drawing Social Security.


----------



## Finnie

Mike CHS said:


> BYH can suggest we take this to private message and I will just go away as I have decided I am tired of playing this game.


I hope you won’t go away. I really appreciate those of you who take the time to journal about your farms. I don’t watch much TV or movies, or follow celebrities. I read. And one of my favorite things to read is BYH. You guys are my celebrities!


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> They still aren't doing in-office visits so you make your initial call to set up an appointment to apply and they give you a date that they will call so you can do the application.


Not as easy as applying for Medicare I guess? That really wasn't too hard.


----------



## Mike CHS

It still only took about a half hour once she got on the phone and it turned out we know the person that was helping her apply.  They run sheep in the next county over.


----------



## Mike CHS

Finnie said:


> I hope you won’t go away. I really appreciate those of you who take the time to journal about your farms. I don’t watch much TV or movies, or follow celebrities. I read. And one of my favorite things to read is BYH. You guys are my celebrities!



I'm not going anywhere as long as things don't get more petty.


----------



## Mike CHS

I was out picking okra and took a couple of pictures just to take a couple of pictures.    We could probably quit picking okra since I am pretty sure we have more than enough for all of the gumbo we could possibly eat but it puts on so fast this time of year that I can't help myself.  It's probably not good practice but we have planted our okra in the same rocky bed for four years now and it provides us and a couple of neighbors so evidently okra likes the spot.  That bed is shaded by an apple tree until mid morning and I probably pick a 5 gallon bucket full of rocks or more every year but it works.  The first picture is what I picked this morning and we get that much or more about every three days and considering I only put in 15 plants I couldn't ask for more.  All together we have eleven raised beds in this area and the other two pictures show the bell peppers with the asparagus behind it and the recently sprouted cucumber plants.  We are only four or five weeks from our first frost date so we won't get much but should get some.


----------



## Mike CHS

We finally got the sheep brought in and checked out, shots for the ewes that will be lambing starting next month and also gave them all some power punch and garlic.  We did pull fecals on the two that needed worming the last time in.  We ran them all over the weight scale and most of the young lambs are at breeding weight of 115-130 for the next breeding.   One of the girls is smaller than we like for them to be but she is a triplet and last born so she still has some time to get there.  All of our three year olds range from 145-193 and the one that is 193 looks to be carrying trips again.


----------



## Baymule

Triplets! 3 times the cute!


----------



## Mike CHS

This may or not work but this video made for some smiles on an otherwise somber day:









						Hang Gliding with a flock of geese… Incredible Video
					

Antidote to politics.  Getting away from it all with a flock of geese.




					citizenfreepress.com


----------



## farmerjan

Oh Thank you so much @Mike CHS .   I went down through the comments and there was another link to a longer video and it had footnotes about who this man  is and what he does and that he takes some tourists up to experience it and it helps to support his efforts of raising orphans and teaching them to migrate.  

It does take you away for a few minutes....


----------



## Mike CHS

We spent a lot of time going over our fecal results for the last two years and was actually surprised at one paddock.  We haven't had a lot of problems with Barber Pole in most of our paddocks but the one directly behind our shop and handling area has historically been the most problem until this year.  We have only found their eggs in three sheep and all of those were lambs.  The fecals we have pulled all of this summer for this paddock have resulted in a low overall parasite count except for one ewe and even that one is showing a much reduced load this week with no treatment.   None of our senior ewes have needed worming since they were weaned three years ago.  

This paddock has been sprayed with Nitrogen twice this summer and I have not cut it at all this summer so it is taller than it has been since we started using it.  This paddock gets a lot of use since it is the feeder for most of the other paddocks so sheep are always coming or going but they are never there for very long.

There is really nothing scientific about the parasite findings but we are happy to see less of a parasite problem while doing considerably less "grooming" of the graze.  Other than the Nitrogen and some mowing around the handling area, this paddock has been hands off this year.


----------



## farmerjan

One thing that we have found is that sheep will have a higher worm load on short grass as opposed to tall grass.  The worm eggs/larvae will mostly be found in the lower 2-4 inches of the grass... so taller grass, not clipped or mowed short, seems to keep the sheep from eating down close.  Don't have any idea if the nitrogen would be a factor.  From what we have learned over the years,,,, is to either keep them in higher grass, or to dry lot them... the short pastures are the worst.  Don't know if that is true... and we have never done fecals... just eye balling and worming when we think necessary... so much less scientific and not recorded like you do.  But it is interesting that your records have shown this to you....


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm not sure I can call the kittens and their mom feral anymore but they are entertaining.  Three of the four kittens will come running up the hill when we walk down to the shop and they will walk around brushing up against our legs when we sit and talk to them.  Momma will come up to about five feet away and lay down and just watch but she will be there every time.  I know it is all food driven but they will come over for their petting even after I put the food bowl out.  I stay amazed that wild born kittens seem to enjoy human contact even before they get their feed.


----------



## Mike CHS

We had a good friend come out and visit this afternoon to let us know that he has had an offer on their house and they are moving to Alabama.  Matt runs the County Extension Office for UT and has has arranged to take a similar position for Auburn's Extension program.

I had planned on doing some spraying in two of our paddock but Matt has been a great resource in our sheep program and the plus is that we have a great friendship along the way.  Matt is the farm that we traded Maxwell for Cooper.  He is starting to lamb now and Maxwell has produced some really nice lambs.

I have some Perilla Mint thriving in two paddocks where we never had it before but I need to take it out before letting the sheep on those fields.


----------



## Mike CHS

I picked and processed another batch of bell peppers for the freezer.  We have a couple of plants in another bed that we will use for fresh eating but we told the neighbors they can help themselves to the main bed.  We had already told another of the neighbors but they never came to get any.  When we lived in South Carolina we told one of the neighbors that we had all of the green beans we needed and they could have access for the rest of the season.  Her response was that she gets home around 5:00 if I wanted to bring them over.  Needless to say that they never got any of the beans.

The garden work is winding down since the main things growing in bulk are the okra and peppers but we did plant another few hills of cucumber and zucchini for fresh eating and they have fruit on that will be ready to eat in a few days.  We have just about given up trying to grow zucchini in the spring because of squash vine borers but we never get them with fall plants.

We have all of the saved seeds dried and put up until it's time for next spring.  I did do some germination tests on a few things to make sure they were mature enough.


----------



## Mike CHS

This is one of those that I don't know if it work or not:





__





						Goat And Rooster Save The Day When Their Friend Is Attacked By A Hawk
					





					www.msn.com


----------



## Bruce

Good goat and rooster! Not sure if the rooster could have saved the hen on his own but that goat took right into the hawk.


----------



## farmerjan

That was really neat.  I have never seen a goat do something like that.... had a couple of cows that came thundering in when there were buzzards around a cow that was calving.... the calving cow was bellering at the buzzards threatening a brand new wet just born calf... and several other cows went running across the field and the buzzards decided that they were outnumbered and out weighed.... but they can harass a cow by its self.... But to actually go and butt that hawk like it did is really something.  I have had roosters attack something that was after it's hens... once had a rooster run at a fox that was trying to catch and run off with a hen...  Who needs a guardian dog when you have a guardian Goat?????


----------



## Mike CHS

We went to the vet last week to get the meds and everything else for the dogs and cats (sticker shock) and were talking to them about ways to get a wormer into feral cats.  Come to find out they now have an oral wormer that can be added to cat food over a three day period.  We did the first of the three this morning and it seemed to be a hit.  That works for the house cat also since the stuff we had been putting on her skin seemed to cause her to get sick and lose hair.


----------



## Mini Horses

Mike CHS said:


> Her response was that she gets home around 5:00 if I wanted to bring them over. Needless to say that they never got any of the beans.


Sadly, this type response is far to common now.   I'd be there before you hung up the phone!   😁   Ive tried to give away eggs and some look at you with suspicion.  BUT those who know me jump at the offers. 👍

Last yr during all the Covid crap, empty shelves and all...spring and hens in overdrive...I was able to supply several who were grateful!  Even milk to some families.  Goats were in full mode, too.  😁


----------



## Mike CHS

I have been wanting to do some spraying for almost the last week but rain has been in the area every day.  Even though the rain was all around us we never got any so this morning I said the heck with it and went and started spraying since nothing was showing on radar.  As I got about 1/2 done I could see some showers starting about 5 miles away so I knocked off and cleaned my sprayer.  Before I got done with that it was pouring down but since we needed the rain, I'll just spray again the next day no rain is forecast since it seems spraying trips the rain trigger if there is even a slight chance of it.


----------



## Mike CHS

I haven't posted any food pictures recently but Teresa made a dish tonight that demanded pictures.  She made Shrimp and Cod in a Creole Cream Sauce that tasted as good as any New Orleans restaurant serves.


----------



## Mike CHS

I had smoked a half dozen chicken thighs a couple of days ago and we had only eaten two so I decided to turn them into chicken and vegetable soup.  The smokey taste went really good in the soup.


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## Bruce

There would be far fewer left if I had access to those thighs


----------



## Mike CHS

We have gotten more than 6" of rain in the last week but it looks like I have zero chance of rain for the next several days that will finally let me spot spray the two paddocks that need it.

I have quit calling the kittens feral and they are officially barn cats now. Whisky is tame enough to sit in a lawn chair with me just purring away. Another of the kittens is where Whisky was a month ago and as long as I don't reach for him he will just rub away on my legs or shoes.  Whisky has this thing for cutting in front of me when I'm walking down or up the hill to the shop trying to get my attention.  The other two are still skittish but they will come out and go down the hill with me just about every time if they are around the hay barn.

I haven't seen momma cat around for over a week so I'm guessing she has decided they are old enough for her to go on her way.  I was hoping to catch her and get her fixed but I missed that chance.


----------



## Bruce

That is a lot of rain!

Maybe mama cat decided she needs to make you some more kittens since you treat this batch so well.


----------



## Mike CHS

Sassy and I were horsing around a couple of days ago and Teresa grabbed a shot of our sweet gentle Aussie.


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## Bruce

Cujo!!!!!!


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## Baymule

Sweet and gentle? Yeah, looks like she'd take your arm off! LOL LOL


----------



## Ridgetop

Is Mike holding her back from his throat?


----------



## Mike CHS

What is really cool about Sassy is that when we play like that I don't hold her back at all.  In the picture, I just have my hands on her loosely and she will jump around like she is in full attack mode but never close her mouth on me.


----------



## Mike CHS

We are going to get cucumbers in a couple of days from our replacement plants.  We have plant cover that we will use since we are within a couple of weeks from our first possible frost date.

I have been moving the sheep fairly quick through the paddocks and we should have enough stockpiled grass to take us well into December. I have spot sprayed some toxic weeds but other than that I have been pretty hands off.  Last winter we only had to buy 10 large round bales and I expect less than that this winter since we have our numbers down.

The no longer feral kittens are giving me a lot of smiles and they keep leaving me dead mice at the lawn chair that I sit in when I'm down with them.   Whiskey is literally tame and will sit on my lap and purr all of the time he is there.  He may not be as content when we take him in to get him fixed.  The dark tabby finally decided he was tired of body rubbing everything this afternoon without getting touched and made her move.  I was hands on with Whisky and the dark tabby was doing her thing body rubbing on everything and she finally decided that her route to contact was to rub Whisky and then as she got close to my hand she went for it and put herself under my hand.  It was nonstop contact after that until it started to get dark.   The other two still come down but they don't appear to want any contact.


----------



## Baymule

I didn't grow cucumbers this year. Hope I have enough pickles to last me until next year!

Those feral kitties just didn't realize that Mom had a plan....... drop 'em off at Mike's place!   

It is so dry here that the sand is a foot deep, dusty and dry. Thunder was rumbling in the distance. Trip was clawing at the window, telling me that he was scared. It stopped now. The rain probably went somewhere else. Maybe I'll get a nice surprise and get some rain overnight.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> I didn't grow cucumbers this year. Hope I have enough pickles to last me until next year!
> 
> Those feral kitties just didn't realize that Mom had a plan....... drop 'em off at Mike's place!
> 
> It is so dry here that the sand is a foot deep, dusty and dry. Thunder was rumbling in the distance. Trip was clawing at the window, telling me that he was scared. It stopped now. The rain probably went somewhere else. Maybe I'll get a nice surprise and get some rain overnight.



I had your kind of soil when lived in Florida for half of my adult life but I was fortunate enough to have a neighbor who provided me with an unlimited amount of composted horse manure so we did well.  We have had our share of thunder and when that happens I don't bother taking out food since the dogs won't eat.  They do tolerate a whole lot of grooming then though.


----------



## Baymule

We have put a lot of sheep barn clean out and chicken manure in the garden. It's got black rich soil a foot deep now. But the rest of the place......dusty!


----------



## Mike CHS

I got a few pictures of the kittens this evening while I was going down to pick up their food bowl.  I was a little later than usual so they were already down the hill waiting on me.  I was petting the dark tabby at the same time I was petting Whisky and he nipped at me when he got around close to where I had my hand on the other kitten.  One of the white ones has started doing the body rub but she is still not ready for close contact.  She will come down the hill when I'm down there but she will lay down and just watch.


----------



## Ridgetop

I wish we had barn cats again.  Found a dead baby rat in a water bucket in the barn.  Also the ground squirrels are back.  Saw one of them climbing the dead tomato plants.  We stopped watering them when we had no tomatoes due to the squirrels.    

Rich soil doesn't matter when the creatures come for the produce.  I am going to give in to the inevitable and research plants that ground squirrels won't eat!  Just plant that type of shrubbery and be done with it!  Or install more artificial grass and artificial shrubs too.


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## Mike CHS

We had a huge squirrel population that centered on a lot of Walnut Trees but I got rid of them.


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## Baymule

When we had a furniture store years ago, a lady came in and purchased fake silk ficus trees. She "planted" them in her front flower beds. We drove by her house, they looked pretty good and we had a good laugh. The next year, they were faded, so she spray painted them and they looked good again.


----------



## Mike CHS

The feral momma cat showed back up today so we're wondering if she is planning on dropping another litter of kittens on us.  If she does, we will make a point of catching all of them before she takes off again.


----------



## Bruce

Including her!!!


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## Mike CHS

All of the garden beds are idle now except for one with bell peppers and our second round of cucumbers are close to being ready for the table.  We have plenty of peppers already processed but have been sharing with others so we will pull the plants after one more picking next week.  The cucumbers will be covered and unless it gets unseasonably cold we should have cucumbers well into December like last season.

The leaves are starting to fall so I'll put the bags back on the riding mower and put a good layer on all of the beds.  Once the sheep get moved to the nursery paddock, they will leave me a couple of 20 gallon trash cans of their good fertilizer that will go on top of the leaves.  They compost pretty well even in winter so they will be ready to till and plant in come spring.


----------



## Baymule

Wow! What beautiful bell peppers!


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## Mike CHS

I was in the mood for some egg rolls to have with soup for dinner.  We never have eaten much fried food but I do love me some Kentucky Fried Chicken.    Since we got our Air Fryer we haven't fried anything but I had not made egg rolls since then.  I was pleased with the way they turned out and they were nice and crunchy without the grease.


----------



## farmerjan

Look real good.  I like egg rolls on occasion and will stop  and get egg rolls and egg drop soup and some other stuff occasionally and then have enough to eat for several days.  The idea of some without the grease sounds even better.... maybe after I get back on my feet, I can get your recipe since I have never made any.  Sure not going to get done before the middle or end of Nov at the earliest at this point.  
Wish you guys lived nearby... I'd gladly trade off home raised chicken and beef for some ready to cook meals like that.  I hate cooking for one some days....


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## Baymule

Those do look good. I love egg rolls.


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## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Those do look good. I love egg rolls.



I had one a little while ago out of the fridge and became more impressed with the air fryer version.    We froze the rest and I'm curious how they will thaw out.


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## Mike CHS

Teresa told me earlier that I can sometime carry being frugal a bit too far.   She made a broccoli salad earlier today that used quite a few green onions.  I keep the bottom root portion that got cut off because I have a spot that I plant them.  You can sometimes do that several times before they will bolt.  I always get at least one regrowth and usually do it at least twice.


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## Baymule

Tell Teresa that I like that idea! LOL


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## Bruce

I don't think that is too frugal! It isn't costing you much time and you get plenty of "free" onions. I bet they also grow faster than if you buy teeny tiny starts. Plus when you buy them that way you get a LOT and (at least I) end up with many getting WAY HUGE.


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## Mike CHS

The onions she used today are from some I re-planted about a month ago.  We have a perennial planting bed right across from the house so it's convenient.


----------



## Finnie

Mike CHS said:


> Teresa told me earlier that I can sometime carry being frugal a bit too far.   She made a broccoli salad earlier today that used quite a few green onions.  I keep the bottom root portion that got cut off because I have a spot that I plant them.  You can sometimes do that several times before they will bolt.  I always get at least one regrowth and usually do it at least twice.


I do the same thing with my green onions, in a spot right outside my door. But it never occurred to me to pull up the whole onion when I use it and replant the bulb end again. I go out with scissors when I need any, and just snip off what I need. They keep growing and growing until winter kills them off. If it even does kill them off. I often get some coming back to life in the spring and during winter thaws.

I think pulling the whole plants and storing them in my fridge before winter is a good tip. I might get more use out of some of them.


----------



## Mike CHS

This morning was taking care of small things to get the paddock the we use for lambing ready for lambs.  I had one section of fence that is at a point in the middle of the line where rain water flows downhill from both directions and it has a tendency for erosion if I don't keep an eye on it. I hauled in fairly large rocks from around our place to fill it in and cover a gap in the middle.  I used a piece of sheep and goat panel to bring that section down and mixed concrete to cover the rocks I put down and made it flush with the outside soil..

I put some Pork Butts on the smoker when I first got started working and they should be ready in a couple of hours.  I just checked the temp and they just passed 165 so still a ways to go to burn off more of the fat. One of them is for a church lunch tomorrow but the rest will get pulled and vacuum sealed for meals down the road.


----------



## farmerjan

Mike CHS said:


> This morning was taking care of small things to get the paddock the we use for lambing ready for lambs.  I had one section of fence that is at a point in the middle of the line where rain water flows downhill from both directions and it has a tendency for erosion if I don't keep an eye on it. I hauled in fairly large rocks from around our place to fill it in and cover a gap in the middle.  I used a piece of sheep and goat panel to bring that section down and mixed concrete to cover the rocks I put down and made it flush with the outside soil..
> 
> I put some Pork Butts on the smoker when I first got started working and they should be ready in a couple of hours.  I just checked the temp and they just passed 165 so still a ways to go to burn off more of the fat. One of them is for a church lunch tomorrow but the rest will get pulled and vacuum sealed for meals down the road.


We need an emoji for DROOLING over a post !!!!


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## Mike CHS

A good bit of that pulled pork went for a lunch at the church.  Tennessee is not known for liking a mustard BBQ sauce but I made up some of my recipe and like always all of those people that did not like that kind of sauce made it all get used up and it pretty much happens every time I make it.


----------



## farmerjan

Amazing how people "don't like that kind" will scarf it down in a heartbeat.    Glad that it went over well, except you will have to make up more just for your own use at home now....

I stuffed a chicken from the freezer and put it in the oven today.  Extra stuffing in a pkg next to it.  Then I went through some of the potatoes the neighbor brought as he said there were some of the Yukon Golds that had some bad places... I cut an awful lot of potatoes to make a big pot of mashed ones.  The skins almost looked like they had frozen... they were discolored so I just made sure I peeled them down.  Plus there were places in them that looked like they had been poked with a sharp tine from like a pitchfork, then healed around it.  Never seen anything like that before.  I'm not complaining but just odd.  I've grown alot of potatoes over the years and it was just weird.   Then I worked the bag of green beans they also gave me yesterday, and put a couple handfuls in to cook.  The rest of the green beans I will blanche and put in the freezer... there will be a couple of meals.  Alot of them had "rust" on them and I did pick around it.  Does anyone know if the rust on beans, which is usually from picking when the plants are wet, tastes funny?  I know mom always tossed them into the compost. 

I'll trade you some chickens for some of that smoked pork


----------



## Mini Horses

If you grow, then you know that either there was waste or chemicals to make the perfect examples to sell.  Home growers cut out the bad spots to use what's good. Reduce waste, preserve our hard work, increase the harvest.

When I was a FL snowbird, I found the commercial farms donated a lot to food banks.  Many opened their fields once the main harvest was over, allowing the public to glean the fields for smaller, less ripe product.  Potatoes, tomatoes, strawberries, etc.


----------



## Bruce

I was at the grocery store and thought of you Mike. A guy with his son spotted the on sale pork butts. He was over the moon, especially about the price; it is going in the smoker for dinner later.


----------



## Mike CHS

We usually buy 4 or 5 at a time and do the same with ribs.  My smoker is a pellet grill and it doesn't take many more pellets to cook a grate full of meat as it takes to cook a single.  

Completely different topic.   We bought some sheets and towels from Mypillow a couple of months ago and got more a few weeks ago since we like the quality so much.  Mypillow got hit by the cancel culture so he started advertising on most of the major blog sites and selling his products at what used to be the wholesale prices to the big box stores.


----------



## Mike CHS

We wound up with enough habanero peppers to make some hot sauce. while we still have the camp stove set up outside.


----------



## Mike CHS

A couple of the ewes are showing signs of lambing soon.  Today was the earliest possible date so it could be anytime now.


----------



## Mike CHS

I stripped the pepper and okra plants yesterday since the weather forecast indicated it was going to be cold enough for a frost and we did get a heavy one.  We wound up with another gallon of peppers and about the same with the okra.  We actually have more than we will use between now and the next season but I'll dehydrate some of the peppers anyway.  Teresa counted the peppers last week and said there was 26 bags with a little more than a quart of chopped peppers each and I've added another 5 quarts since then.  We usually use from 22-24 bags each winter so we aren't too far over but we have given away all the neighbors wanted and I was starting to feel about the peppers the way people do in the spring when trying to get rid of excess squash.  So gardening season is officially finished for the year except for adding compost and chopped up leaves.  This is the first year in quite a few that we haven't used row covers to extend the season but the freezers are full and the canned goods storage is also about out of room.


----------



## Baymule

That is a nice problem to have. Now the garden will be done until y'all wake it up next spring. 

I have several piles of wood chip mulch, I'm giving it to my good neighbor Robert. We are going to clean out the sheep barn and he gets that too.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> That is a nice problem to have. Now the garden will be done until y'all wake it up next spring.
> 
> I have several piles of wood chip mulch, I'm giving it to my good neighbor Robert. We are going to clean out the sheep barn and he gets that too.



Robert will make good use of it and that couldn't be going to a better place.


----------



## Bruce

I think you should take Robert with you, he's such a good neighbor!!


----------



## Baymule

He sure is! I'm going to miss my neighbors and friends I've made here.


----------



## Mike CHS

Looking at the Kroger shelves says the hoarding is already starting.  I just finished an article that said the cost of shipping a container to the U.S. (California) went from $3800 in 2020 to over $17,000 now.  The cost to our east coast is over $20,000 according to the article (posted on Breitbart).


----------



## Baymule

It has gotten crazy. Wonder when real estate will crash? I read an article that said prices will continue to go up through 2022. I want to sell my farm for stupid money price.


----------



## farmerjan

Haven't seen too much evidence of shortages in our local Kroger's... but definitely in Walmart.  I have been quietly adding some extra to the cart every time I go in there....
What is everyone else trying to "stock up on"  ??? 
Besides the TP and some extra paper towels,  which I don't use many because I use more cloth towels for many things... I have picked up an extra 10 lb bag of sugar every time.  The 10 lb bag has been cheaper by the lb over the 50 lb bag.. You have to watch the price per lb on the "larger sizes"....  I have picked up some extra flour, lots of pudding mix that is cook and serve, not instant.... it has been on sale a couple of times... Picked up more rice.  some extra cleaning supplies. Of course I watch for some canning stuff and finally found fruit fresh.... but canning lids are hit and miss.  Our Ace hardware has gotten them, as well as jars but Walmart is a real iffy deal.  I have quite a few that I bought earlier in bulk online... and I will keep plenty on hand....I have found Hershey's syrup in large containers, on the bulk food aisle, and have gotten several.  Cooking oil, olive oil and I like avocado oil.... and some extra "Crisco" type shortening when it was on sale. 

Sorry Mike, I just realized this was your journal, not the coffee shop.  But since you mentioned it, I just jumped in and went with it.  So, anyone want to chime in?  We can start a separate thread if wanted.


----------



## Bruce

Baymule said:


> I want to sell my farm for stupid money price.


Good plan!


----------



## Mike CHS

Jan - my thread is always open.  Today it seemed paper products and canned goods were really picked over.  Having spent most of my life in hurricane country I have always been able to go a couple of months or more before "needing" to get something.  We have been canning more chicken than normal but that's more because we got out of the habit and that does come in handy.


----------



## Baymule

I have a freezer full of meat, another freezer full of vegetables. My pantry is packed, I canned so much last summer that this summer's garden fail doesn't matter. Now it's just me. I will be moving. Do I get more, eat less and then move more or just let it ride until I move and know how much less room I'm gonna have. We downsized to move here. I don't know what the square footage is for my son's house and I don't think I want to know. This is going to be interesting. 

Maybe I should get more toilet paper.......ok some rice...... sugar..... dang I'm off and running again!


----------



## farmerjan

Get it and take it to your new house to store for now....


----------



## Mike CHS

We really have to make a serious effort to catch the female feral cat.  She showed back up yesterday and put out 5 new born kittens.  I guess she figured we were easy last time so she would try it again.


----------



## Bruce

Yep, sounds like that little one thinks you are the end all and be all of orphanages!


----------



## Baymule

You better get her fixed. She will gift you kitties until you are Mike the cat hoarder! LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

I just came back in from taking out water for the boys and checking out the ewes.  We are now 10 days past the earliest due date for lambs so lambs will arrive when they arrive.

I spend some time giving the boys a little feed every couple of days and give Cooper his neck and back scratches.  He has gotten so gentle that I keep waiting for him to revert to the head butt king but it seems that not having ewes with him has made him more stable.  I lean over him while rubbing his neck and he will nibble on my chin so either he thinks there is a cracker somewhere near or that's his version of ram kisses.


----------



## Mike CHS

Mel and Maisy are still doing their job even though they are separated from the sheep.  The ewes are in a south paddock and the rams are in a north paddock while the dogs are in the middle paddock.  They spend their day getting as close to the ewes as they can and then will meander to the other end where they can watch the rams.  They repeat that pretty much all day and even at night I rarely see them under the roof at the shop where they are staying.


----------



## Baymule

They are trying to do both! LOL. Watching them has to make you smile.


----------



## Mike CHS

I missed a good picture but I'll post this one anyway.  When I looked out the window, the dogs had just laid down and Maisy had her head resting on Mel's shoulder.  I waited for a bit but she seemed content to just keep an eye out while Mel rested.


----------



## Mike CHS

I asked Teresa to cut my hair this afternoon and when I went down to feed Mel and Maisy, she started barking at me like she usually barks at strangers.  I don't even remember the last time I got my hair cut but I'm sure it was over a year ago and my hair was down to my shoulders.


----------



## Bruce

Did she let up one you talked to her and she recognized your voice?


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Did she let up one you talked to her and she recognized your voice?



She did as soon as I said her name.


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> I missed a good picture but I'll post this one anyway.  When I looked out the window, the dogs had just laid down and Maisy had her head resting on Mel's shoulder.  I waited for a bit but she seemed content to just keep an eye out while Mel rested.


That is still a good picture. Mel is sprawled out, belly up, completely at ease, knowing his partner has it under control.   



Mike CHS said:


> I asked Teresa to cut my hair this afternoon and when I went down to feed Mel and Maisy, she started barking at me like she usually barks at strangers.  I don't even remember the last time I got my hair cut but I'm sure it was over a year ago and my hair was down to my shoulders.


I guess you need to visit Teresa's Beauty Shop a little more often.


----------



## Bruce

Baymule said:


> I guess you need to visit Teresa's Beauty Shop a little more often.


Clearly!  Was it closed due to the Covid lockdowns?


----------



## Mike CHS

Getting hair cuts hasn't been very high on the priority list since we retired.


----------



## Mike CHS

our 54 ewe finally decided she was ready and gave us a set of twins.  There is another half dozen that look really close which I expected since the weather had been nice and mild until today.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Getting hair cuts hasn't been very high on the priority list since we retired.


So how long in Teresa's hair?


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa has fairly short hair but one of our neighbors used to be a beautician and cuts her when she wants it done.


----------



## Baymule

Don’t feel bad Mike, I haven’t had a haircut in a LONG time!


----------



## Mike CHS

After a lifetime (literally) in or around the military it took me several years to get used to hair touching my ears but once I got used to it not bothering me, it no longer had any impact.


----------



## Mike CHS

We moved the sheep on to fresh grass this afternoon but the new Momma had to be coerced by us carrying her lambs.  She had a ram and a ewe but both are smaller than we are used to. One was a little over 5 pounds and the other was 6. The dam was 9 1/2 pounds when she was born as a twin to one of our favorite ewes.  We were going to bring them in to the shelter since they weren't very active early on but they are nursing well and have gained strength through the day so we left them with the flock.  I'll move all of them again tomorrow since from the way Cooper is acting, some of the ewe lambs are cycling.


----------



## Mike CHS

I went out early this morning and found one of the lambs already gone and the other so feeble that I went ahead and brought him into the house.  You could tell they were both severely dehydrated so we spent a considerable amount of time getting him hydrated. The ewe is passing milk so it looks like she wasn't letting them nurse.  I wouldn't have bet a penny this morning that he would make it and although he still isn't out of danger, he is acting the way a two day old is expected to act.  He is already spoiled and has imprinted with both Teresa and myself.  We put up a big dog cage in the living room and he seems to have adjusted very well.


----------



## Mike CHS

The lamb isn't out of the woods yet but 12 hours makes a world of difference.  He wasn't able to stand for the first couple of times that we fed and gave a drench.  He REALLY doesn't like the drench so we figured out to give him his milk first.

The last couple of feeding have been more like nature meant for it to be.

The picture is his latest feeding.


----------



## Baymule

Awww..... that's too bad about the other lamb. But I know this little guy will thrive under Teresa's care. They are so darn cute, who can resist a bottle lamb? We have only ever had the two we had in February 2021, this year. It seems like a lifetime ago, but Tiny is with Ringo and her triplet sisters now. I let Ringo stay with the ewes until close to lambing time. It keeps him happy. 

We sure had fun with those bottle babies. I've seen newborns at auction sell for $50 and up. Ridiculous. I sure wouldn't buy a newborn at auction. But I sure dumped a lot of money in milk and formula in those two. Can't just let them die. 

What will you do with the ewe? Is she a first freshener?


----------



## Mike CHS

It definitely isn't cost effective.  We have given several orphan lambs to a Mennonite family that has a daughter that loves raising lambs but this one wasn't going to last long without immediate care.  He still isn't out of the woods but he let us know twice during the night that he was hungry.  Sassy and Lance aren't sure what's going on but they settled right down and leave him alone.  We have several ewes that are due so we might try to graft him on one of them.


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm getting more optimistic about the lamb.  He finally had a bowel movement and is nursing on his own.  We just call him "Little Bit" for now.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> What will you do with the ewe? Is she a first freshener?



She is a first timer and I would normally let her go but she has a whole lot of good things on her side.  Plus she is the only daughter of one of our original ewes


----------



## Mini Horses

You'll just know to pen her next time to help her learn to be a mom!   The lamb looks to be speckled brown with maybe blackish legs?       They're always so cute.


----------



## Mike CHS

That is his coloring and it's new to us.


----------



## Larsen Poultry Ranch

Is he going to be wethered? Looks like a very cute little lamb.


----------



## Mike CHS

Larsen Poultry Ranch said:


> Is he going to be wethered? Looks like a very cute little lamb.



Yes he will be.  We plan on using him with Pete our other wether.  Pete was a bottle lamb also and we use him to train skittish lambs and the occasional skittish ewe but we haven't had one of those in a long time.

36 hours makes a world of difference.  This first picture is out of focus because the lamb was chasing our Aussie.  He doesn't have a mom around to tell him he's not supposed to be herding the herding dog.


----------



## Bruce

You sure he isn't asking "Are you my mother?"


----------



## Mike CHS

This lamb is the first one that we have had that throws a temper tantrum.   I had him outside with the dogs to get him to pee then put him in his kennel when we came back in.  He started pacing side to side and pushed on the kennel door and when that didn't work for him, he backed up and reared up on his hind legs and slammed his front legs down on the floor.   Pretty amazing change for a lamb that I thought wouldn't make it through the first day inside.


----------



## Baymule

After all, he IS a ram! What a little stinker!


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> This lamb is the first one that we have had that throws a temper tantrum.   I had him outside with the dogs to get him to pee then put him in his kennel when we came back in.  He started pacing side to side and pushed on the kennel door and when that didn't work for him, he backed up and reared up on his hind legs and slammed his front legs down on the floor.   Pretty amazing change for a lamb that I thought wouldn't make it through the first day inside.


I guess you don't need to worry if he'll make it or not anymore  I hope he isn't too much of a pain. 

Most of my hens that go broody don't like the buster cage but deal with it. Nuit hated it and damaged her comb trying to fight her way out.


----------



## Mini Horses

Sounds like his attitude makes a good candidate to wether!🤗


----------



## Mike CHS

Mini Horses said:


> Sounds like his attitude makes a good candidate to wether!🤗



That is the plan.


----------



## Mike CHS

We tried something today that may or not work longer term but we shall see.  We had the ram lamb in with a couple of ewes that had just had their lambs to see if we couldn't interest one of the ewes into adopting him without having to try a forced graft first.  The original plan was to get the afterbirth from the next ewe that lambed but the ewes must have eaten it because there was none to be found.

Anyway, the lambs dam was at a gate not far from where we were and as I was going through she made a beeline through the gap and reclaimed her baby.  The lamb immediately started to nurse but we won't know if he is getting any milk.  She is letting him nurse but we have taken a bottle out a couple of times to make sure he is getting enough.  We will continue to do that 3-4 times a day until we know for sure he is getting enough.  The ewe was confused as we fed her baby and you could tell she doesn't understand why her baby wouldn't go with her as she walked away from us.  She is also confused as to why her baby has the nerve to go up to those mean dogs and rub noses.    The creep feeder will go out before too long and he is starting to nibble on grass so maybe we can turn him back into a sheep.


----------



## Baymule

His momma decided she wants to feed him, that’s good news!


----------



## Mike CHS

He appears to be getting milk from her as he only took two ounces from the bottle when we went out just before dark.  He was drinking 4-5 ounces at a feeding before so he wasn't hungry.  She has tried to get to him before but we weren't sure if she had let milk down.   MA MA MA MA MA MA at 3:00 AM so we decided to try it.


----------



## Mini Horses

GOOD NEWS!!!  I'm loving it....know you two are!


----------



## Mike CHS

Mini Horses said:


> GOOD NEWS!!!  I'm loving it....know you two are!



We have had a few bottle lambs but this boy was unique. From the minute that we picked him up and brought him in and doing the little bit of work we did with him, he totally accepted us, he was house trained, won over our dogs and reunited with his Momma all in three days.  What is nice is that when we went out to take a bottle he comes when we call Little Bit and his mom stands there and watches with no idea what has gone on.


----------



## Baymule

He is unique, you might want to hold off on making him a wether. If he hits all the check points for a flock sire, his personality might put him over the top. Because of his no fear and acceptance of people, he could be aggressive, but maybe not. It might be worth a look see.


----------



## Mike CHS

Little Bit doesn't seem to be getting a lot of milk out of his dam but he still comes when he is called and that is working.  I put the four ewes and their lambs in the stall so we will go ahead and do ear tags after they settle down some and one of them needs her hooves checked since she is limping a bit.

We have an invasion of Asian Lady Bugs and they are everywhere.  They look mostly like regular Lady Bugs but these things bite.


----------



## Baymule

The Asian lady bugs are swarming here today. It’s warm and sunny, they are looking for somewhere to spend the winter. 

Is Little Bit staying with his mom now?


----------



## Mike CHS

Little Bit is staying with her but it doesn't seem to be getting much if any milk from her but he comes to us for a bottle so it's working.


----------



## Mini Horses

I had to bottle feed one of triplets when mom fed only 2 of them...she did all else in caring for all 3, not allowing this one to nurse.  I'd go with bottle, she'd come to a call, nurse and then join others.  Worked for me as she learned to be a goat.  Still have her.


----------



## Baymule

That’s a pretty good arrangement. Teresa doesn’t have a  lamb peeing and pooping in the dog crate for her to clean up after. I used extra large potty pads for our two bottle lambs in February. Overnight they must have peed a couple of gallons each and pooped  a pile. Clean up dog crate before I even had morning coffee! 

I’m glad he is doing so well.


----------



## Mike CHS

We also use the large pads in the crate but he rarely made a mess in it.  When he would wake up from a nap he would stand there yelling and we would take him out in the yard.


----------



## Baymule

That is one smart lamb!


----------



## Bruce

Maybe he's a dog in sheep's clothing?


Mike CHS said:


> We have an invasion of Asian Lady Bugs and they are everywhere.  They look mostly like regular Lady Bugs but these things bite.


We get those too but they don't bite. Look like a ladybug with white cheeks. Some years we have them in the house in the winter.


----------



## Mike CHS

This seems to be the season for singles.  We have 4 single lambs and one set of twins.  The latest to lamb is a ewe that has had trips two times in a row but she had a 10.5 lb ram lamb so I'm glad she had a single.

The co-parenting with Little Bit is working for us as he will immediately leave his dam as soon as he hears our voices.  He is still getting the milk he needs and we don't have any mess to clean up in the house.  His momma isn't crazy about the situation since anytime we are out there he follows us and leaves his momma.  As he gets bigger, Little Bit will have a name change to "Billy" since he acts more like a billy goat when he gets frustrated in not getting what he wants, when he wants it.


----------



## Mike CHS

Some may remember the colorful ram lamb (Percy) that we sold a couple of years ago as a lamb.  We don't normally sell lambs as herd sire but this boy looked good enough at 4 months old that there was a couple of farms that wanted him.  He was already at 125 pounds and on grass when he went.  He was our tamest lamb up until the day we hauled him to his next home and he turned his back on me after we unloaded him.    He is a Ringo son and has the calm manner of his sire.  The farm that he went to posted a current picture and I thought to share.


----------



## Finnie

What a beautiful ram!


----------



## Baymule

Percy is outstanding! What a pretty boy!


----------



## Mini Horses

Wow!!  That should make you proud of your breeding program.  What a looker!


----------



## Bruce

Well done!


----------



## Mike CHS

We had to take one of my favorite senior ewes to the vet this morning.  I thought she was going into labor Saturday evening just about sundown but upon going out Sunday morning, she still hasn't dilated.  There is no vet available Sunday so had no choice but to wait and see what happened overnight.  She still had not dilated this morning but she would not take any food or water so we got the trailer and loaded her up.  I wasn't feeling any lamb movement and the vet wasn't wanting to do an ultrasound to find out the status.  He said he could give her a shot to induce labor or do a C section.  We told him to do whichever he thought was best for the ewe so we shall see.  I briefly thought about putting her down at home but couldn't make myself do it.


----------



## Baymule

I hope she is ok but it doesn’t sound good. I wouldn’t be able to put one of mine down either.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa called the feed store that we have been using for years only to find out they quit doing the custom feed blend that we have been buying.  They have completely shut down milling any feed and had to switch over to buying it from another outfit since they don't have any available labor.


----------



## farmerjan

Hope that the vet can get her situation figured out.  C-section to me would be the best if she was not dilating..... inducing without dilation is not a good outcome.  No matter the outcome, you will have a vet bill that hopefully they can save the ewe and you can get some salvage value back.  It is a tough call to put one down.  BTDT.


----------



## Mike CHS

Doc just called and we can pick the ewe up with her twins around 7:00.  He said she was definitely getting ready to abort so he did a C section.  We have a stall all set up so she can do some recovery in peace.


----------



## farmerjan

WOW..... saved her and her TWINS...... bless the vet for pulling that one off.  Just one of those weird things... she may have eaten something that you would never have worried about... could have been who knows what reason.... Hope she recovers and that she can raise them.  Then,  favorite or not, time to go and hopefully you have some of her daughters etc to keep.  Being a sr ewe, you make those hard decisions... but it says alot of how in tune to your sheep you are that you were able to catch it and save her even with the delay over the weekend.


----------



## Baymule

Wow, thanks to your observation, you knew something was wrong with her. Then the vet saved her and the lambs too. I hope she can raise them and that you don't have to.


----------



## Mike CHS

We just got back home with the ewe and her lambs.  She was still pretty much out of it when we got to the vets barn so we don't know if the lambs have nursed or not so we will take some colostrum down to them.  They are all set up with heat lamps for her and the lambs since there is a large area on her side that they had to shave to get at the lambs.  I never thought about it before but I had no idea they did the C section on the side of the ewe.

Thankful for good neighbors that followed us there to help load.  We literally had to almost carry her to the trailer but fortunately she was more back to herself by the time we got home so she followed us and her lambs into the stall.  She is eating good but we will give her some nutra drench to help her along.  She has imprinted on the lambs already so if need be we will do the same with her as Little Bit


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Some vets don't like to do mid-line incisions because of the chance that the incision line will herniate with the pressure of another pregnancy.  They don't do right side incisions because it's hard to hold a lot of intestines inside when you make the incision.  It's much easier to hold a big ol' rumen in place while you get those babies out. 

Unfortunately, I've had too much experience with c-sections when I first started raising pygmy goats.   However, I've had does go on to have a natural birth after a C-section also. 

I hope she and the babies do well for you!


----------



## Mike CHS

The babies took to the bottle like pros and they figured out where the warm spot is under the heat lamps.


----------



## Baymule

Awww...... I'm so glad the vet was able to save them. Are the lambs ewes/rams or ewe/ram? And pictures? You KNOW we want pictures!


----------



## Mike CHS

No pictures yet but there is a ewe and ram.   From the way they are getting around I think they are a little bit preemie on birthing but they are taking to the bottle good


----------



## farmerjan

It is wonderful to read that they are doing good with all the challenges.  It may take the ewe a few days to come into her milk too since it seems they are a little premie.  Oxytocin will help a little to get her lactating.  And who knows, maybe this is just one of those fluke things and she can go on and raise more.  Something to worry about down the road.  Making sure the little ones get enough to eat is important, but make sure they are going to her to try for milk so that they stimulate her to come into production.  Co-feeding with the ewe is alot better than having bottle babies and will help to get her to come into production....Best of luck to you.... and again congrats on being so in tune to your animals to be able to help save this ewe.


----------



## Shellymay

Mike, did your ewes graze red clover pastures or eat hay with red clover in it during breeding season? Red clover causes infertility/lambing issues in sheep, just thought I would mention it...


----------



## Mike CHS

Shellymay said:


> Mike, did your ewes graze red clover pastures or eat hay with red clover in it during breeding season? Red clover causes infertility/lambing issues in sheep, just thought I would mention it...



Thanks.  What little clover that we had this year was white clover and it was long gone by the time we put the ram in.


----------



## Mike CHS

Our #26 ewe is really doing well and doesn't seem to mind being in the stall and after all of this she really needs a name instead of a number.  She is as tame as they get and even if we decide she is no longer a breeder, she isn't going anywhere since she is now the most expensive sheep on our little farm.    She is healing well but definitely favors one of the lambs (the biggest).  We will need to take her back to the vet in two weeks to have the stitches removed but that is easily done with her.  The first picture doesn't show the surgery area so if you have a week stomach don't scroll down.  The last picture is the ewe lamb that gets most of the milk that we take down.  The ewe stands for her but she still hasn't figured out how to latch on to that milk valve.  We won't do it but if we wanted a flock of super tame sheep, we would make it a point to give every lamb born here a bottle on the day they are born.  After one bottle, they come every time you go down and they aren't the least bit skittish.


----------



## Baymule

I'm glad that the ewe is healing up nicely. What are y'all going to name her? I get it on the "she isn't going anywhere". I have Ewenique, original ewe, that loves attention. Complete strangers are welcomed to pet and scratch her. If you stop, she lifts up a dainty hoof and paws you for more. The grandkids can hug and love all over her, she adores the attention. She is 7 years old, still breeding, but if she is not able to be bred for whatever reason, she will become a yard pet. And there's Miranda, not as friendly, but has had so many really nice lambs over the 7 years, that she will never go anywhere either. She is the ringleader on the attacks on the bird feeder and leads the charge to the front porch.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa said last night that she is now Babs.


----------



## Baymule

I like it!


----------



## Mini Horses

The imprinting of newborns does work!   My minis always got that.  Most were handled a lot anyway until sold   but makes training and handling so much easier.   Strange that the impact is so great at the stage of entry to the world.  It is.  Those handled at once, left by humans, then worked even a few months later show far less resistance and settle to handling faster.  Like you, I prefer dam raised but, I do pen my does and kids a couple days at birth...they bond and I handle them.  Of course I have dairy goats and want a lot more hands on!  🙂. But even that couple days gives me their trust.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> don't scroll down.


That may work on a phone but on my computer all 3 pictures were in a line. Good thing I don't have a weak stomach 

Glad the 3 of them are doing well.


----------



## Mike CHS

This lambing cycle is spread out more than ever before for some reason.  Our #8 ewe had twins this afternoon and we moved her in with the other 9 that had lambed.  There are three ewes that look like they should lamb literally tonight and then there will be 7 more to go.  #54 has an udder that looks like a goat and her lambs are visibly moving.  We had cut way back on the number of breeders planning on a short cycle but it isn't working that way.  Our ewes name tags are based on when they were born so number 8 was among our first lambing season.  It's nice to be able to walk out and pick up one of her lambs and she will follow bringing the other.  She was at the most distant point from where I wanted to take her but she acted like it was no big deal.  This next season will add the 11 yearlings or maybe less depending on who winds up on the cull list.

It is getting to be a pain getting in and out of gates at the barn since all of the tame lambs want to follow wherever I go.  Little Bit is taking 16 ounces at a feeding and his Momma is watching his every move although she has no milk. Our 26 ewe that had the C Section is doing great and is enjoying fresh cut grass being brought to her plus she has feed available.  She isn't making a lot of milk so we are augmenting by feeding her twins.


----------



## Larsen Poultry Ranch

Congrats on the new twins! Do we get to see pics?


----------



## Mini Horses

Any new lambs last night??  🙂


----------



## farmerjan

Larsen Poultry Ranch said:


> Congrats on the new twins! Do we get to see pics?


Wed post #9516 has pics.


----------



## Mike CHS

No new lambs yet but one ewe looks like her lambs are running a race inside her.  Teresa took some pictures this morning while we were feeding that I'll post shortly.


----------



## Baymule

The joys of shepherding, there is nothing that can beat new born lambs!


----------



## farmerjan

Yeah, gates are fun with the whole Pied Piper's group following alongNot.  

Funny how when we want to shorten up the calving season, something just doesn't work... and when I put the bull in and he gets left in there for 3 months because we get too busy with other stuff to get him out, it seems they all calve in less than 30 days.   The weather seems to really affect our breeding more lately though.  The springs have been short or non-existent and it gets hot quick so the cows either get bred right away when the bull goes in if they are at least 30 days fresh... but more often they don't get bred til we get a little cool off like in July.... so the spring calvings the next year get strung out all over the place.  Fall calvings seem to be more uniform for us with the bulls normally going in around 3rd week of Nov.... and calving by early Sept.... we have carried over some cows lately to the "next calving" season and then they normally calve early in that season because their calves are over 90 days old so their repro system is well back to cycling normally.  
Different with the sheep and getting them to cycle "off season" , so you get lambs now for spring sales is harder to do.. nature says they are supposed to lamb in the spring.....cattle also tend to calve more often in the spring if left to PURELY natural cycling/breeding.... but not as much.  Then there are all the hormones and such that you can really manipulate them... it does help to get a tighter calving window though if they are synchronized to come in heat at the same time and then bred AI and then use a clean up bull.  Sometimes with synching them, they will recycle in 14 days if not bred and then will usually catch....


----------



## Mike CHS

We plan on having the ram with them for 4 cycles and it has worked well since we started.  So far they have all gotten bred but we have less twins/trips.  The trade off still works as we are selling lambs when most are just starting to lamb.  I'm not sure how long that will continue since I know of several other sheep farms that have started breeding when we do.

I actually have enjoyed having fewer multiple births since the singles grow out faster and they have brought a selling price that was still higher than the multiples.

The first picture are the ram lamb on the left and the brown faced ewe lamb.  On the bottle is Babs on the bottle and Toby waiting his turn.  Little Bit gets his bottles through the fence since he stays with his Mom.


----------



## Mike CHS

I took this picture as I was coming down the drive way.  It's a pretty view when everything is greened up.  Seven of these girls still need to lamb and all of those further out in the paddock are yearlings that are not bred.


----------



## Baymule

Love the brown faced ewe lamb! I love lambing, it never gets old. You never know what you're going to get, white or spotted.


----------



## Mike CHS

Our #54 ewe started delivery about 20 minutes ago and so far she is working on cleaning off a black lamb and it looks like another is coming.  She has had triplets the last two times and was big enough to definitely be a possibility this time.  So far they have all had their lambs during the day.

The ewe that had the C Section has started producing milk again and the ram lamb is only drinking a couple of ounces from the bottle but the ewe is getting closer to 8 ounces.  I have to start working on Little Bit since he likes his back scratches way too much and will paw you till he gets some.


----------



## farmerjan

Glad to hear the c-section ewe is coming into her milk.   That will be a big help and if they keep working on her, hopefully you will be able to stop bottle feeding her lambs.   
Nice they are lambing during the day.  Makes it easier if you need to help or intervene.  Hope 54 has healthy lambs whether twins or trips.


----------



## Bruce

farmerjan said:


> Nice they are lambing during the day.


I think Mike's girls are breaking the "ewe code"!


----------



## Mike CHS

We got 54 and her ram and ewe lambs moved.  These lambs are both a little over 9 lbs and acted like they were 3 or 4 days old instead of hours.  One of the yearlings had a set of twins while we were out moving 54.


----------



## Baymule

What pretty lambs. love the colors!


----------



## Mike CHS

We weren't sure what Cooper would bring as far as color until the lambs started coming.  

We had to leave the yearling and her lambs in the field until morning.  She had not finished cleaning them and she was too skittish this close to dark.  I REALLY  don't like this getting dark at 4:30


----------



## Mike CHS

We moved the #83 ewe and her twins that were born yesterday afternoon. Ginger had a ewe lamb and a ram lamb a couple of hours ago.  She will follow me anywhere so we also moved her and her lambs to the nursery paddock.


----------



## Baymule

Cooper got busy didn’t he?


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Cooper got busy didn’t he?



We were starting to wonder when they started lambing three weeks later than expected.


----------



## farmerjan

You are getting a nice even mix of ram and ewe lambs too.  If they are more or less equal in size, then Cooper did a good job.  The ewes might not have had good heats/cycles, and then him being in there got them better synched and they settled on good heats.  Having twins right along like that is also a good sign.  He was getting them bred when in good heats, and they were cycling and releasing more than one egg which is also a plus.  You will have a good number now that will be at good size to sell for the Easter and ethnic trade in the spring.


----------



## Mike CHS

We just finished the last bottle for the day and almost ready for bed.  The ewe that had the surgery doesn't seem to be stressed by her confinement but she has a 12 x 32 foot stall and plenty of fresh grass and feed.  Her stitches seem to be tight but that big spot with no hair makes me want to leave her in where the heat lamps are with temps going down in the 20's.  We take her back in next Monday to have the stitches removed.   She has always been a sweety but this close confinement has taken her to another level.  The ewe lamb is scarfing down 10 ounces but the ram slowly drinks a couple of ounces so it appears he is getting most of what he needs from his dam.


----------



## Mike CHS

It looks like Pepper has a single just born.  She has had singles but they are always huge and grow fast and trouble free.  Her parasite resistance is at the top of our sheep and her daughters have been the same.  Looking at last seasons data, she had a single ewe that was a bit over 13 pounds and this one looks close to that if not more.


----------



## Mini Horses

Sure popping them out now!  😁


----------



## Mike CHS

We only have four more ewes to lamb.   We got ear tags caught up this afternoon and since I have been roaming around the lambs a lot they weren't tempted to try and run so we tagged them in the field rather than bringing them in the stall.


----------



## Baymule

Do Pepper’s daughters single too or do they have twins? That’s outstanding on the parasite resistance!


----------



## Mike CHS

I had to go look at the records and I had Pepper mixed up with her sibling Myah (both came from a farm in Athens Georgia.   She had twin rams the first time and she had a single the next time with Ginger who had twins this time.  Ginger is one of our heaviest ewes and was 13.4 lbs at birth so Pepper wouldn't have had any more room in there.


----------



## Baymule

13.4 pounds is a BIG baby!


----------



## Mike CHS

Our no longer "feral" cat likes to walk with us when we go down to the barn and back but he has started going around to the back where our bottle lambs and their dam are staying when we feed them.  He comes just inside the fence and the ewe will go over and put her head down to check out the smell.  Whisky will playfully extend his front leg to touch her and the ewe doesn't react at all other than to stare at him some more.  The lambs will jump around him so evidently has been in there before.


----------



## Mike CHS

We watched this show on PBS the other day about a guy that hatched and raised a bunch of turkey chicks.  I'm not a big PBS fan but that show is decent and we could really relate to it since we have raised a wild turkey.  We really liked it since he talked about things that the chicks taught him about what they already knew.  If you get a chance to watch it the program is Nature and the episode was "My life as a turkey"


----------



## Baymule

It’s said we have wild turkeys in east Texas, but I’ve only seen one, that was years ago.


----------



## farmerjan

Have flocks of wild turkeys here.  See groups of 3-20, and in the spring will see several hens with bunches of young poults running behind them.


----------



## Bruce

Baymule said:


> It’s said we have wild turkeys in east Texas, but I’ve only seen one, that was years ago.


How did it taste?


----------



## Baymule

Bruce said:


> How did it taste?


Taste? That thing was flying away in a straight shot like a bullet. LOL


----------



## Mini Horses

I'm like @farmerjan, LOTS of turkey!!!   Big ones.  Lotta food if you hunt.


----------



## Mike CHS

It seems the ewes took a break getting into a cycle since no lambs for several days now.  I'm going to move the ewes out in the field into a new paddock tomorrow since it has a lot of good grass.  It is also the easiest to get lambs and dams to where I want them.  We will have to start bringing in round bales in the next couple of weeks but it is later than it has been for a couple of years.

I need to get some new pictures of the lambs.  Those in the field are growing great and the bottle lambs are doing even better.  Little Bit loves getting body scratches and is an absolutely terrible candidate for an intact ram.  

We have the trailer set up to load our #26 ewe in to get her C Section stitches removed tomorrow.   She has always been an easy keeper and is enjoying the good life entirely too much but she has so much exposed skin that she is going to be stuck in the stall with the heat lamps for a while or as long as we are having these freezing temps.


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## farmerjan

Keeping her in might not be a bad idea, but if she is healed, cut out the heat lamps and she will grow wool quicker.  Really, her skin and body will react to the cold and it really will grow better.  I have seen chicks grow feathers much faster when it is cold out... had some born at the wrong time of year to a hen that would steal away to a nest, and they got feathers in record time.


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## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> Little Bit loves getting body scratches and is an absolutely terrible candidate for an intact ram.
> 
> .


   Spoiled brat, is he?


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## Mike CHS

We took the ewe in first thing this morning to get the stitches removed from the incision.  That is one of those things we probably could have done but as much as she has been through, I wasn't going to chance it.


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## farmerjan

Assuming that the vet was satisfied with the ewe and how she is doing?   Again, so glad that the vet saved her and the lambs.... Kudo's to the vet.


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## Mike CHS

He said I was over feeding her but I already knew that and he was pleased with her.  Both the vet and the vet techs were amazed at how calm she was without having a halter on.


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## farmerjan

Mike CHS said:


> He said I was over feeding her but I already knew that and he was pleased with her.  Both the vet and the vet techs were amazed at how calm she was without having a halter on.


Exceptional animal husbandry by the owner!!!!!!!!


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## Mike CHS

farmerjan said:


> Exceptional animal husbandry by the owner!!!!!!!!



We had the advantage since we took her lambs in with us.  They won't leave us and she won't leave them so it's sort of cheating.


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## Baymule

When she “weans” her lambs, she can retire to being a pet. That comes with extra treats, so look out Weight Watchers!


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## Mike CHS

It sure looks like Cooper was on an easy schedule since we still have 4 ewes to lamb.  I moved the sheep that had lambed to a middle paddock since we were getting our first round bale delivered early this morning.  They still have grass so they aren't interested in the round bale so far.  I still have the other 10 sheep on stockpiled grass so they are still happy.  The price for hay looks like it's going to be silly next year.  Our friend said he got a price on fertilizer for his farm and it is literally 3 times higher than what it was last year.  We are the only people he sells to so we are good although at a higher price.


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## farmerjan

@Mike CHS ... the hay guy is not kidding.  We don't use alot of "chemical" fertilizers but still use some.  Nitrogen was .67 last year... it is already up to 1.32 last week.   I am not sure if that is by the lb... but regardless, that is double last year's price.  DS said we will not be putting on the fertilizer amounts that we did last year.  We cannot afford it.  I am pushing him to see if he can't get more poultry litter, although it has also gone up too. 
 We will probably be putting in as much corn again, and it HAS to be fertilized good or it makes it too costly if we do not get a good crop.  And that is all dependent on the rain.  We were very fortunate that we put our corn in later last year as we got timely rains later in the season.  Many that put corn in early did not get much because they needed the rain and it didn't come. So there was no height and then next to no ears on the stalks.  But it cost about 500/acre last year for us to put the corn in.... seed and fertilizer and planting... NOT counting harvesting costs.  It is estimated already that it will cost over 750/acre this year to put it in.....most of the increased cost being fertilizer....

We also have to weigh the cost of fertilizing with the yield.  If there is not much growth to cut, then it makes it expensive to run the equipment over the acres.  Say it costs $200 per acre to make hay...fertilizer, cutting, tedding, raking, baling.  THIS does NOT take into account our time as a farmer doing the labor.   If you get 20 sq bales it costs $10/bale.  If you get 100 sq bales it costs $2/bale.  So naturally you want as big a quantity as possible so the cost gets spread out over the numbers.  You have to make judgements of amount of cost for the return.... and AGAIN we are also dependent on nature and the rain.  We do not have irrigation equipment to "guarantee" that it gets the amount of moisture when it needs it. 

Regardless if it is round baled or sq baled, there is a break even cost.  We figure it costs us around $35 per round bale to make it on average... that is the equivalent of about 22 sq bales on average.  We try to get 3-4 round bales per acre , to justify the cost of making it.   So at say 65 sq bales per acre, it is costing us 3-3.50 per sq bale, not counting our time to stack and handle it.   Also, you get less hay in 2nd and 3rd cutting per acre but the hay is finer and usually  a little higher quality in protein.  

This coming year is going to be a test of our abilities as farmers.... juggling costs and hoped for yields....


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## Mike CHS

We will get an estimate on his costs after they start cutting hay next spring.  Right now we are paying $40 for a round bale which is hard to beat especially considering he brings it to us.


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## Mike CHS

Mel appears to be starting something that may be a coincidence, but it has happened four days in a row now so who knows.  The sheep like to graze in a paddock that is away from the area we go to feed the lambs and the dogs like to lay on a rise so they can watch in both directions.   Little Bit is always off with his dam when we are heading down with the bottles and Mel will let out one big bark when we are almost at the barn and the sheep come running.  I'll make it a point to see how often (if anymore) he does that but he has never barked when we head down the drive until recently and it is only when we are carrying bottles.

It appears that Mel has claimed guardianship over Little Bit and almost always, Mel is watching him as he moves around.  It could easily be Mikey's over-active imagination also.


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## Baymule

Not your over active imagination. Mel is just that smart. Not to mention the sheep are no dummies-they come running when Mel barks!


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## Bruce

Mel: Sheepies, Mike has FOOD for you!
Sheep: We're coming!!!!!!


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## Mike CHS

It has been a couple of days and it does appear that Mel has it figured out.  When we go down with bottles and the lambs are at the shelter Mel doesn't react at all.  I made it a point to go down when the sheep weren't around the shelter and Mel barked as soon as I got down there.   He is making it a pain to feed since I try to go down and put feed out so I don't get mobbed but he makes it sure that I do get mobbed.


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## Ridgetop

You could wear hunter camo and try to sneak to the shelter to feed before he sees you. And don't hunters scent themselves with doe smell so the deer don't smell them and run away?  Although you don't know what that smell will do with Cooper!  And if the dogs don't want deer round . . . . 

You were in the military so you should know how to do that belly crawl through the brush to reach your objective before Mel gives the alert.  I can just imagine you crawling to the shelter to feed before Mel sights you with one of your neighbors watching and telling his wife "Well Mike has finally lost it for sure".  Or sending an ambulance because he thinks you are injured and crawling for help.


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## Baymule

Hahaha! Camo! Belly crawling to sneak past Mel! Hahaha! Please get that on video!


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## Finnie

Mike CHS said:


> It appears that Mel has claimed guardianship over Little Bit and almost always, Mel is watching him as he moves around.


You’ve already figured it out, but I was going to say that if Mel is watching Little Bit that closely, then he has for sure made the connection.


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## Mike CHS

Thanks for all of the ideas but it is a whole lot simpler to make sure the sheep see that I'm carrying a water hose along with the bucket of feed when I go out.


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## Mike CHS

I have enjoyed the mild weather the last couple of days, even with the rain.  I tried to start the tractor earlier today and it looks like the battery is shot but the battery is original and we have had the tractor for six years now.  I thought it might be something else at first since it seemed to be taking a charge normally.  Once it showed a full charge, there was nothing showing on the dash and it wouldn't crank.  I checked all of the safety switches and they were working properly so to make sure, I jump started the tractor and it started right up.


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## Baymule

Six years for the battery ain’t too bad.


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## Mini Horses

Yeah, just bought one for mine this summer....5 1/2 yrs.   It's time.


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## Bruce

I think that means I'm good on the tractor battery for another 2 years. I bet those big boys are expensive!



Mike CHS said:


> He is making it a pain to feed since I try to go down and put feed out so I don't get mobbed but he makes it sure that I do get mobbed.


Hmmm, need to distract Mel somehow.


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## Mike CHS

I really need to get some pictures in the next couple of days.  The co-parenting is working really well and the dams have decided they kind of like this arrangement also.  Little Bit's mom is giving him plenty of milk but he still hogs down his bottles.  We are cutting back on him and will probably cut him off in the next 10 days or so.  Missy (who had the C-Section is loving being spoiled but that is nothing new for her.  I have been letting them out to be with the herd during the day and feeding her lambs outside the stall and then going down just before dark to bring them back in.  Her hair is growing pretty quick but I sure would not want to spend the night in the open without a coat in temps down in the 20's.  They seem to be good with the routine as all we have to do is open the gate and she walks right in (and out) with her lambs.  The little rams confirmation is about the best that we have seen so it's a shame to wether him but if we don't he has to go to auction in another month.  There actually isn't much of a discussion since I couldn't send him to the butcher but I can send him to the sale.


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## Baymule

They are living in the lap of luxury! Got attached to the ram lamb........you'd choke on every bite. LOL LOL 
If he looks that good, auction might give him a home where he could pass that good confirmation on. 

I'm glad Missy is recovering so well. I sure doesn't take them very long to get spoiled and learn the routine.


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## Ridgetop

Is this Cooper's first set of lambs?


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## Mike CHS

Ridgetop said:


> Is this Cooper's first set of lambs?



This is and I am impressed with them.


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## Ridgetop

Wonderful that you are getting such great structure on the lambs.  Too bad that you don't have a ram buyer for that little lamb with the great conformation.  On the other hand, I knw where you are coming from and keeping ram lambs to maturity on the off chance that you will have a buyer for one is not in our game plan either.  I console myself with the thought that if you could produce one that good, you will produce several that good before the season is over!  Not to mention next year.  Take a picture and post him on your website as an example of Cooper's get.


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## Mike CHS

We moved #109 ewe and the lamb she had yesterday into the nursery paddock.  This is her first time and she had a ram lamb that is 10.3.  She is skittish as normal for first timers but her lamb is surprisingly docile.  I walked right up to him and he didn't react at all as I walked them where I wanted them to be.

We have decided that Little Bit's dam will get another shot at breeding next cycle since we still haven't established what is "normal" for summer breeding..  I think I already posted that Missy is letting down milk now and feeding Toby but it doesn't look like Babs is even trying to nurse so she gets all of the bottles. 

I put the creep feeder out yesterday so the lamb growth will accelerate now although some of the two month olds look closer to three months old.  One of the ram lambs is big enough that he ripped his ear tag out on the feeder.


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## Baymule

Miranda had twins September 10, none of the other ewes have lambed yet, although there are 2 that look ready to explode, 2 more that are looking like fat girls. She cycled and was bred immediately, I don't know what happened with the others. Did they not cycle? Was Ringo not interested or was he shooting blanks due to heat? It seemed that none of them were very interested. But the fatties I have now were obviously bred in August. I witnessed Ringo breeding Ewenique 7-22-21, she should have already lambed,  is looking close, but not there yet. 7-30-21 I have him down as romancing Lucy, didn't witness breeding, I have her down for lambing 12-23-21 and she looks ready to explode. 

A major buyer at the auction told us to have lambs ready to go in January. I set Ringo and the girls up for success, but they obviously did not read the memo. 

I can tell you that December also seems to be a good month to take sheep to auction. A 3 month old ram lamb brought $180 last Saturday. That's $70 more than I got for lambs in May. The last batch we took in May had a solid black except for a white tip on his tail, ram lamb and he brought $150, color does matter. LOL 

There were not as many sheep or goats at last Saturday's sale. So maybe if it is the same in your part of the country, you could get an earlier start and have weaned lambs ready in December. 

The young ewes Ringo is with now amuse me. They run from him. It's like they are saying "EEEEEWWWWW that DIRTY OLD MAN is after me again! I've witnessed a few breedings, so he is catching some of them. LOL LOL


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## Mike CHS

We are supposed to have some heavy storms come through tonight so we have everything put away outside.   The ewes and their lambs are all in the paddock that has the shop shelter area on the back.  There are two areas there, both 12x32 under the roof with Missy and her two lambs inside the gate and the rest have the shelter area outside but under roof.  I had been putting some feed out for the sheep outside the gate but after almost getting knocked over this afternoon, I moved all of the troughs inside the gate so that I can put the feed out and then let them in to eat.  They have zero fear of me to the point that they will come in between my legs to get to the feed and since most of them weigh more than I do, I decided it was probably a wise move to get me out of harms way.


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## Baymule

Not getting trampled by sheep is a good idea. I will be giving that some serious thought in the near future. 

My sheep barn poles are oil field drill stem pipe. I went in the barn to feed sheep one evening and got mobbed. One ewe reared up, stuck her head in the bucket, spilled feed and they all got in on the act. All the ewes were trying to get the bucket, which I clutched like my life depended on it. Why I didn't just let 'em have the stupid bucket, I don't know. 

With the other arm and hand, I clutched the pipe barn pole for dear life. The sheep swept my feet out from under me. To keep from going down, hung on to that pole like my arm was glued to it. I was sitting on a ewe's back, still clutching the bucket like a dummy. I finally let them have the bucket and grabbed the pole with both hands to pull myself up. I was thinking, Pole dancing with sheep! Where's the video camera when you need it?


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## farmerjan

Try getting mobbed by 10 - 20 full grown head of cattle.... they can even get my son pushed around...6-6 240lbs... that is why I prefer to put feed in troughs then open gates for them.  With the knees working better it won't be so bad but I am not going to get myself in where I can get shoved over and hurt.


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## Baymule

When I find my HOME, I will set things up with an alley for me to walk through and not get beat up.


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## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> When I find my HOME, I will set things up with an alley for me to walk through and not get beat up.



@farmerjan there is a reason it didn't take long to get cows out of my system.  

That is the reason we put in so many gates.  We have more than one way in and out in every one of our paddocks.

We had some high winds last night and tornadoes on both sides of us but they went by without incident.  The Kentucky border area (80 miles north of us) got beat up big time.


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## Bruce

farmerjan said:


> Try getting mobbed by 10 - 20 full grown head of cattle


Fortunately I only get mobbed by 25 chickens.


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## Mike CHS

It is COLD out there tonight.  We both broke out the thermal pants to go down for the last bottle for the lambs just now.  We are cutting back a bit on both of the ram lambs since they are getting some milk from their moms and also eating feed and hay.  Babs is still getting a full ration and she is looking stout but I haven't seen her nurse on her Momma at all.  In fact, if either Teresa or I are down by the sheep, Babs will leave the ewe and come to be with us.  She is literally half the size of her sibling but healthy looking.  We have to stop her sucking on the bottle several times during feeding since she sucks so hard.  Missy is quickly growing back her hair after the surgery but it's still going to be a couple of weeks before I'll put her out in the weather.  She seems to have the routine down as we go down just before sundown and she and her lambs will come running up the hill to get in the shelter.  The rest of the sheep have figured out they don't get anything at that time so they stay down on the hay bale.


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## farmerjan

We got the cold later after you sent it our way.  29 this morning, sun coming out,only supposed to be in the 40's after the upper 60's yesterday.  Really crazy. 
Sheep aren't as dumb as some people think.


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## Baymule

Pretty smart sheep. Babs might be small now, but it’s very likely that she will catch up on growth. My itty bitty tiny triplet ewe is now as big as her two sisters.


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## Mike CHS

I went down to the feed store in Alabama this morning and spent some time talking to the manager there about price increases.  He said he is trying to not pass on all of the price increases but obviously has no choice to increase to stay in business.  We buy our sheep feed at bulk price which last year worked out to $6.70 per 50 pounds if you bought 1/2 ton at a time.  This morning it worked out to $10 per 50 pound.  That still works out for us as we only creep feed lambs and the ewes get enough to get them back in condition by the time the lambs are weaned but that is a hefty percentage change for those that have a slim budget to start with and that includes most of the small holders that we know.

I'm curious what the market is going to be like in another 4-6 weeks as I can see some of the producers cutting their numbers way back if not completely out of it.


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## Mini Horses

Yep, steady increase.  And like $1-2 per bag!   It's killer.   No feed mills anywhere near me anymore.   I understand when a farmer making hay goes up but, these big companies really hit hard!!  I see no end in sight.  🙁  The senior feed I use for my minis has gone up $8 a bag, this yr.


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## Mike CHS

Looking out the bedroom shows several of the sheep and all three of the bottle lambs catching some sun.  The first one is Little Bit that wasn't given a name for a day or so since we were sure he was not going to make it.
Next is Missy who had the C-Section.  Her hair is filling in fast and her lambs Babs and Toby are using her to stay warm.  We still call her into the big stall at night (with heat lamps) since it has been getting cold at night.
The last picture is just because she is so cute.


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## farmerjan

Wow, that is quite a big change in the costs.  So far, we are seeing about a 3.00 per 100 increase here.... but again, we also buy in bulk and but get it by the ton delivered, with a 2 ton minimum.... I haven't asked DS what he paid for the last load of feed... I think he got the bin filled before I had the replacements...7 weeks ago today.....but I honestly haven't talked to him about it lately.  And we save by not having it bagged which adds at least $.40 a bag..... $16.00 to $20.00 a ton.  
Feeder calf prices are up a little, and it looks like the spring will be even higher.  Many cattlemen weaned and sold smaller calves in the more drought stricken areas, and cow numbers have been cut as they cull heavier,  to try to stretch their hay supplies to last longer.  With hay supplies very limited in those drought areas, and costs for trucking any hay in to their areas prohibitive, they are trimming their numbers.  We have had some good late hay but still overall hay production was down 10-20% overall.  Fuel prices are up, as are things like the twine that we used to tie bales....and now with fertilizer prices going through the roof for next year, yields will probably be down too.  I look for many to cut their numbers even though it looks like they will be able to get more for their animals, it is going to cost more to just keep what they have and to raise young animals up.  And with increased costs, no one is going to want to take a  CHANCE that they will be getting more down the road....because there is no guarantee that future prices will be higher.  It is going to be a bad year, as continued inflation will just cause us to actually be worse off than we were making less and paying out less.  With higher wages, we ought to be better off but the costs are going up more than our wages are percentage wise....


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## Mike CHS

The place we buy feed from sold the feed bagged for the same price as bulk loose but since they don't have any labor they aren't bagging any at all.  The feed they are selling bagged now comes from Tucker Milling (also in Alabama).


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## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> but that is a hefty percentage change for those that have a slim budget to start with


Sure is, that is a 50% increase!


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## Mike CHS

I missed another good picture.  When I was coming back up from feeding the dogs, this whole group of lambs were inside the doghouse but I didn't get the camera fast enough.  I really need to get a video of Mel coming out of the doghouse as the door was made with Maisy in mind so Mel almost has to crawl out of it.  He doesn't go in when it's cold but he uses it when the Sun is beating down.


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## Mike CHS

Kroger had a good sale on boneless chicken breasts today so we got several packs and now have the canner going with 8 quarts of chicken.


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## Baymule

That’s too cute, lambs packed in the doghouse! Haha! 

I got to looking for the sheep one day, they were grazing the yard and just disappeared! I went looking for them and called them, they were under the trailers in the holes the dogs dug!  It was a hot day. LOL


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## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I missed another good picture.


We need to install the bionic eye camera in you!



Mike CHS said:


> He doesn't go in when it's cold but he uses it when the Sun is beating down.


Built like a chicken, wearing the warm coat year round. Have to hide from the sun. The alpacas are the same. They'll spend most of the day in the barn in the summer but in the winter they'll come in for "snacks" (maintenance pellets and sweet feed) with ice or snow on them.


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## Mike CHS

We are going out to set up the electric netting from the handling area to the gate up the hill so we can bring the sheep in tomorrow.  Several of the ram lambs are getting close to market weight plus we have a couple of the ewes that will be culled and we want to pull some fecals.  There is a good chance of rain but having the chute under the roof makes it where it doesn't matter since it's going to be fairly warm (rain or no rain).

Posting a picture I took a little while ago just because she is a cutey.  Tally is the little no longer wild female is looking in the living room window.  Whiskey is beside her but not in the frame.


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## Ridgetop

I used to buy in bulk by the pickup load for cattle grain for the goat milkers.  I wonder if the mill is still there.  It 1 1/2 house away but only half hour past the auction.  I used to do a complete run with dropping off auction animals and picking up feed, dairy items at the dairy supply store, etc.  A full 6 hours round trip with no stopping.  Had to do the run between school drop off and school pickup.  

Mike, you and Teresa should have lamb early in January when prices will be good.  What weight do you aim for to take to auction for best prices?


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## Baymule

Tally says Where’s my dinner and when are you coming out to pet me?


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## Mike CHS

We are going to bring them in tomorrow and do weights and pull fecals.  Weights are going to be all over the place but most will be in the 40-70 range with a few of the first born as high as 80+


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## Mike CHS

Teresa was coming back from an errand this afternoon and the yearling flock were all lined up to see what was happening.  Three of this bunch is supposedly pregnant but they only have two weeks to show some results.  This is the most prolonged lambing we have ever had.


The other picture one of those that needs to be posted.  The skittish little Tally wants loving so much that she can't stand it.  She starts rubbing on our legs but then just can't stand it and grabs on for all it's worth.  

I don't remember if I posted or not but the third feral kitten has gotten tame enough that she is now called Grace.  The 4th is still coming around so we are still working on that.


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## Baymule

The sheep all lined up to see what's going on is so cute. Nosy and curious, they just have to SEE! LOL

I want a cat. Paris was a cat killer. Heck, she was an anything killer. I will miss her snake killer abilities. But maybe someday I can start with a kitten and teach the dogs that it is mine, I like it and for them not to eat it. I won't try that as long as I'm in the rent house, it is right on a 2 lane state highway. It would be a smushed kitty. I'll wait until I find home.


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## Mike CHS

We use 4 concrete blocks to hold our portable canopy in place but there have been so much wind recently that we put it away temporarily.  We left the blocks on the pad in front of the house and they have turned into toys for the cats.  They play kill those dangerous ropes and will play fight with each other in the holes of the blocks.  The white and dark cat is Grace.  She had been so flighty that she wasn't around much to get pictures of until recently.


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## Mike CHS

We used to buy sour dough loughs of bread (no yeast) in a specialty store in Savannah, but we haven't been able to find a vendor since we moved here.  She was browsing the other day and found the maker of the bread we used to get but they only sell wholesale which we can do but the case arrived today with 16 loaves.  It freezes well so she can keep some and send some to the daughter (who also cannot have yeast).


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## Baymule

Score!!! Score on the bread, that is great. All the bread substitutes in the world still don’t match up to bread. Glad Teresa found real sourdough bread! 

Kittens are so amusing and cute. All the cat videos online are a testament to that. I know those kitties are making you smile!


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## Mike CHS

The bottle lambs are being cut back on the number of bottles and the amount since they are getting way to fat.  Little Bit is old enough to wean but we will do it slowly along with the other two but they are all getting creep feed.  Missy the ewe has become the most vocal of all of our sheep since she got feed several times a day after her surgery but only once a day since we started letting her out in the morning.


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## farmerjan

Amazing how quickly they get spoiled..... our cows are the same way.....They get right put out when they don't think they are getting what is their "due".... makes you just laugh.....


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## Mike CHS

I'm really starting to wonder if the last three ewes are actually pregnant.  If they get past the 30th, the weren't bred but we shall see.

The bottle lambs are doing well and Little Bit is just about weaned.  Toby seems to be self weaned as he doesn't come in when we go  down with the bottles.  He is a pig on the creep feeder so that is normal.  He is close to around 50 pounds now so he is a prime candidate for the sale.  We will probably take a bunch to the sale in the next couple of weeks.


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## Mike CHS

Little Bit is down to two ounces twice a day with a little less at each feeding. Babs is still a little piglet but we are also cutting her down some. Toby at five weeks old has decided that he would prefer being left to hang out with his buddies and is self weaned.  He figured out pretty fast that if he came for his bottle he would have to go in the stall.  I have tried seeing if he wanted the bottle outside but he wasn't taking any chances.  He is already getting fat on the creep feed.


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## Baymule

Sounds like a very good lambing!


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## Mike CHS

We usually share the cooking but Teresa is on a roll so I'm staying out of the way.  She is doing a couple of vegetable dishes, baked potatoes and a standing rib roast.  She cooks enough food on Christmas Day to feed the whole family even though they aren't here.  We did do a Zoom family get together and that is always a good thing.


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## Baymule

That sounds like a feast!


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## Mike CHS

I think Myah (one of our hold-out ewes) may be getting ready to lamb.  We are going to work the main herd either tomorrow or Tuesday to update weights.  The 60 day old ram lambs look to be in the 60 pound range but we will put out the scale to see.  The sale barn has a sale tomorrow but I want a couple more weeks and they have goat/sheep sales on the 2nd and last Monday of each month.


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## farmerjan

Hope she lambs even though they were strung out this year, as it is better than not bred.... We are having the same thing with the cows.... strung out calvings.... at least your time frame is alot shorter for pregnancy...
I don't blame you for holding off a little... although some of the better prices here especially for slaughter stuff, cull cows, is right after the holidays as the plants are needing stuff to start up on the kill floor after being shut down for a week or 2.....So you are saying the 10th or the 31st of Jan?  
I think we are going to go through and recheck the cows that have not calved and if there are any in there that may have slipped a calf after the last check, they will go... This is getting ridiculous with some of them.....


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## Mike CHS

Ram lambs here bring the best prices in January through mid March.  Most quality ewes at this barn go to breeders.


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## Baymule

I'm learning this game. Breed for lambs ready to go, December through March. Somehow, the ewes didn't get that memo. LOL But I'll have a talk with Ringo and tell him to step it up. LOL LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

We had a bit of excitement tonight but it makes us feel good about our little neighborhood.  There was a bunch of automatic gunfire that sounded like it came from behind our neighbor to the southeast.  We had not heard it but our neighbor to the northeast did and called to see if it was us.  I went up and checked to make sure the neighbors were OK and also to check on the neighbors just beyond them and nothing was going on.  The neighbor that first called us also called the only other neighbor on our valley and nothing going on there.  We heard another round of automatic gunfire not long after the first set so we have no idea what all of that was about or who did it.

This just shows that we only have the four families in our little part of heaven but they all look out for each other and respond no matter what time of day.


----------



## Mini Horses

Baymule said:


> But I'll have a talk with Ringo and tell him to step it up.



Better talk to the girls!!  It's rare that a guy isn't ready...🤣🤣.


----------



## Baymule

Mini Horses said:


> Better talk to the girls!!  It's rare that a guy isn't ready...🤣🤣.


He just needs to sweet talk them.


----------



## Mini Horses

Put him in with them 4-6 wks earlier.  Often the mere presence of the male will bring them into cycling.   Does with goats sometimes and sure does with a stallion....just walking the barn!   Worth a try.


----------



## Mike CHS

We got Lance and Sassy groomed a couple of weeks ago.  The look on Lances face is classic Border Collie and would equate to something like "ENOUGH ALREADY"


----------



## Bruce

Lance is a working dog, not a show dog! Did he go out and roll in something as soon as you got home so he would smell right again?


----------



## Baymule

At least he is a good sport about it. Tell him his Aunt Baymule says he looks mighty dapper wearing that bandanna!


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Lance is a working dog, not a show dog! Did he go out and roll in something as soon as you got home so he would smell right again?



This groomer does mostly working dogs so she doesn't use all of that smelly stuff or he would find something to roll in.  The bandana was only for a picture.


----------



## Baymule

I wouldn't blame him one bit if he did roll in something to get the smelly off. I can't stand that stuff either. Think I'd rather roll in the sheep barn than get spritzed by perfume. Me and Lance are together on that!


----------



## Mike CHS

We did finally work the main herd this morning.  We did shots for the lambs and got weights on all that are in the paddock as well as pulled fecals on 6 of the ewes.  The lambs are putting on an average of 10 pounds a week but they are on creep feed plus they are all still nursing.

We didn't take a lot of pictures but we were more into getting it done rather than looking.  The ram lamb in the second picture was born Nov 23 so he is under 6 weeks old but he was huge when he lambed.  The #150 lamb in the last picture is 56 pounds today and he was born 9 Nov. 150 and 160 are the biggest lambs in with a bunch of ewe lambs.  The third picture is Teresa walking among the lambs to see which lamb has the mixed up ear tags.


----------



## Baymule

Wow! Super nice lambs! That’s what y’all have been working towards. I’d call that a huge success. 

Wanna hear something funny? That last registered ewe I bought is kinda small. My half Ringo, half Miranda commercial young ewes look better than that registered ewe does. Granddaughters named her April. She looks like an April. Ringo thinks so too. LOL We’ll see what she produces.


----------



## Mike CHS

Too many people register every lamb that is born.  Ringo has quite a few daughters here that have never needed worming and that is something that you can't put a value on.  Not to mention they are about as nice looking as you could ask for.


----------



## Mike CHS

We let the sheep back into the handling area and wormed the few that needed it and pulled fecals from those we didn't get yesterday.  I need to figure out a way to do a quick video on how the sheep help us work them.  We leave the gates open leading to the chute and also leave the sliding gate at the chute open.  We run a couple of sheep in and have the trusty bucket in sight so the ewes will come in and stand at the exit gate where we do whatever needs to be done.  Of course the lambs come in with them and it only took us an hour to run 40 plus sheep through and we managed not to forget to change the ear tag on the one we mixed up the numbers the other day.

Handling them at fairly close intervals lets us get it done and nobody gets stressed out.  It also lets us get some good hands on the ewes to see how their condition is under their thick winter coats so we can build our cull list.


----------



## farmerjan

People think we are crazy to work our cattle through the barn as much as we do, and to get them to come into the catch pens for grain and all...and to trailer them to and from other pastures.  But like you, in a bigger "way" we have them so that they can be worked without alot of upset and stress.  They don't see us as the bad guys so much because of giving grain for "good behavior" and coming to us when we call them.  They also are pretty good about getting on the trailer to go somewhere.  And we don't do it just when we want them, but also when we are just going in the fields so they don't think of us as always the "big bad experience"...
 You make good time with working them through your system.  And hands on keeps you up on things before they become a problem.
Did the other ones.... maybe 3?..... ever lamb?  Will that be grounds for culling since they did not breed or will they get another chance?


----------



## Mike CHS

There are still three that haven't lambed but they still have a few more days.  They all have good histories and won't be culled.  This is the first time we have had any that didn't get breed but it isn't uncommon with summer breeders and we know of several.  We still haven't decided on which of the yearlings will be replacements yet.


----------



## Mike CHS

Another "Just Because" picture.  I have referred to this cat as feral but I guess he was born tame even though he was born in the wild.  The day we first saw the litter of kittens in our storm ditch, he started walking up to us to see what we were.  He stopped short of coming all the way up but over the next couple of days, he would come up the hill all by himself to get some contact.  It only took a couple of days for him to accept touch and then spent a lot of effort trying to trip me as I walked up or down the hill to where the kittens were prone to staying.

The three cats are outside critters but they will come into the porch for treats and pets and have absolutely zero fear of Sassy or Lance so there is no drama there.


----------



## Mike CHS

I seem to be taking as many cat pictures as lambs but I am really enjoying interacting with these guys.  Teresa had some rugs laying on the bench that is by our porch door and Whiskey and Tally decided that would be a good place to rest up for the storm that is on the way.  They are so comfortable that when I let Sassy and Lance out to go potty, they both will come in the door for some leg rubbing.  Of course, the dogs can't decide if they want to come back to the porch when the cats are just standing there as they want to come in.


----------



## Baymule

Cats have their way of winding around your heart. These kitties have it made and they know it!


----------



## Mike CHS

We gave the three bottle lambs what was supposed to be their last bottle last night but we had to go to plan B.  The ewe lamb Babs interacts very little with the other sheep and spends a lot of time in the lane going to the house waiting for her people.  Babs comes in with the dogs when I go down to feed so we will give her a little bit of milk at that time to keep her from getting stressed.  This is one of those cases where the milk doesn't matter but the contact does more.


----------



## Bruce

I guess you need some sheep diapers so she can come in the house with the rest of the pets


----------



## Mike CHS

Missy (C-section girl) still hasn't filled in her hair good enough to please me so I let her into the stall tonight where the heat lambs are but when I just looked out, she was laying by the fence close to the other sheep.  I have been leaving her out at night but the low has been in the 50's for the last week or so and she rarely lay under the heat lamps even when it was colder.  I guess that short hair insulates more than I thought.


----------



## farmerjan

She just doesn't want to be a "special case" anymore... and they do manage to take care of themselves.... But you are an old softy to want to make it nicer for her


----------



## Baymule

Bruce said:


> I guess you need some sheep diapers so she can come in the house with the rest of the pets


I had two bottle lambs last February born a week before we got Snowmeggdon and -6 degrees. They stayed in the house and I put baby diapers on them. Cut hole for tail and blue painters tape to keep the diapers from sliding off. They were so cute and we enjoyed them so much. We put them in a large dog crate and let them out to gallop around the house in the evening. 

@Margali has Panda, the wether and he is still spoiled rotten. I kept Tiny the ewe, she is a big pet and loves to untie tennis shoes and unzip zippers.


----------



## Bruce

Baymule said:


> and unzip zippers


She's a bit fresh!!!!!


----------



## Baymule

Bruce said:


> She's a bit fresh!!!!!


Yes she is. She will chew on clothing too.


----------



## Bruce

Better than chewing on your ear!


----------



## Mike CHS

We are going to combine the two herds this week so we can sort out the lambs for the next sale.  The way it looks now, we will be taking 7 of the ram lambs and a few ewe culls.  There were only 134 sheep at the market last week and the prices were good.


----------



## Baymule

Hope you do well at the sale!


----------



## Mike CHS

The cats have been fun to watch get comfortable.  I'm not sure why but none of the four have any fear of Lance or Sassy.  When the dogs come back from the yard, the cats will run out to the edge of the concrete and wait for them to come by.  Whisky will run at them like he wants to play but the dogs don't know how to do that.  I got a laugh this afternoon when the dogs were coming back to the house but I wasn't close so they had to wait for me to open it.  Whisky was doing his body rub on my legs as I was walking to the door and when I got to the dogs, Whisky switched his body rub to Sassy.  The way she jumped up and away was another of those "I wish I had a camera" moments.


----------



## Mike CHS

We had planned on running into town and dropping Sassy off to get her teeth cleaned and then doing some shopping.  The freezing rain started about an hour ago and our drive is a hazard to try and walk on so this is going to be a stay at home day.


----------



## Mini Horses

Excellent decision!   🤗.   Why tempt fate if you don't have to.


----------



## Ridgetop

I register all ewe lambs except those with obvious flaws - large color spots, extra teats, etc. Then I cull again at 6 months, and again before breeding the yearlings.  Then I cull any ewes that I don't like after the first year or so depending on shed, etc.  Registration is only $10 if you register before 6 months so I find it easier to just register everyone after every lambing period.  Since I have fewer ewes breeding, and breed all year round, it works for me.


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> We had planned on running into town and dropping Sassy off to get her teeth cleaned and then doing some shopping.  The freezing rain started about an hour ago and our drive is a hazard to try and walk on so this is going to be a stay at home day.


Good day to stay home!


----------



## Mike CHS

It is nasty outside.  I went down and opened the stall and turned on the heat lamps.  The sheep can handle the cold but it's 8 degrees and the wind is blowing so they at least have the choice to get out of the wind and have a little bit of warmth.

Only the lambs are under the heat lamps now plus Mel is taking advantage of the lamps and the ewes are on the fringe.  They always like being in the stall since that's where they get their feed in the mornings and if they were like the current crop of humans, that would be considered their safe space.


----------



## Baymule

It’s nice for them to have a snug warm place to get out of the wind. 8 degrees is cold, even if you are wearing a leather and wool coat. I can just visualize Mel soaking up the warmth from the heat lamps. 

My sheep barn is a lean to off the side of a portable building. It’s open on 3 sides, the emphasis placed on being cool in the scorching summer. Last winter’s storm and -6F degrees had me out there putting up cardboard to block the wind.


----------



## Bruce

I'm surprised Mel is "tanning" with that double coat. Must be he spent too much time as a pampered house dog


----------



## Mike CHS

He will lay out in the freezing rain so I think he was probably under the heat because that was where the lambs were congregating.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa got me a new winter coat that is similar in design to what we wore when I was stationed at McMurdo Station Antartica.  I actually had to shed a layer while I was cleaning up the stall this morning with the temperature at 12 degrees.  It looks like the high today is going to be in the low 20's.


----------



## Bruce

I would think anything adequate for Antarctica would be too warm for most of the Continental US. And obviously Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, Mariana Islands, American Samoa, USVI 

But I bet there were a lot of people stuck on I95 in VA that would have loved to have a coat like that.


----------



## Mike CHS

We only work there in their summer and the temps rarely got much under freezing but the wind could reach some painful speeds.


----------



## Ridgetop

Wind chill can be worse than ambient temps.  

Our barn was first built for rabbits.  We had over 100 "holes" (cages).  Rabbits can take cold but not wind and rain.  We sit on top of a ridge with the barn open to the steep gully behind.  The wind would whistle up the side of the gully into the barn.  Rain would blow in and get the nest boxes wet.  After spending a day changing out shavings and straw every couple hours to save litters, I bought some heavy tarps.  I took 1" x 2" lumber and stapled the tarps to them top and bottom.  Then I screwed the top wood strips to the outside fascia of the barn above the openings.  I draped hay ropes over the tarps when I screwed them up.  During bad wind and rainstorms, I dropped the tarps and tied the bottoms down to keep rain out.  During the summer I rolled the bottom of the tarps up and used the hanging hay ropes to tie the roll to the top to provide air circulation.   Also during the summer, we had misters mounted around the edge of the barn which helped keep the temp down.

When we were still doing dairy goats, we had no siding on the barn.  The wind would blow through the barn and drop the temp.  Since the goats were in the bottom half of the barn (unlike the rabbits in their hanging cages) the wind and rain got the babies wet through the bottom of the barn openings.  We stacked straw bales 2 high (120 lb. bales) as a wind block and hung heat lamps for the new kids.  We had plenty of straw bales since we bedded the kids on straw and used it for the rabbit boxes.  It worked well.  

10 years we put siding on the driveway sides of the barn.  During the past super hot summers the "widows" that open into the driveway get heavy sun during the afternoon. 2 summers ago, we had to put fans in the barn because the new lambs were panting and getting too hot from sun directly into their jugs.  I used shade cloth and mounted it over those openings on the driveway.  We left the lower edge open so we could open the shades for air circulation.  The shade cloth is plastic (or polyethylene?) and also helps keep rain out of the jugs.

Not sure what we will do in Texas to control heat - possibly misters on the outside of the jugs.  The new misters available put out so little water the mist dries before hitting the ground.


----------



## Mike CHS

We brought all of the sheep in and checked weights and condition while we sorted lambs for the sale Monday.  We also have a couple of yearling ewes that will be going then also.  They have a history of being hard to work so after having to fight with them in the chute this time (again), they won't be given another chance.  We raise big sheep for Katahdins and I prefer not to have to fight with a ewe that weighs as much or more than I do.  They get handled a lot so if they are still that skittish at that age they don't fit with our system.  We don't keep a lot of notes on our sheep other than the basics but their performance while being handled is tracked and isn't tolerated once they are old enough to have been in several times.  All the ewes got a dose of Power Punch and garlic and two were given wormer based on the fecals we pulled last week.


----------



## farmerjan

Don't blame you a bit @Mike CHS .  We do the same with the heifers and they weigh about 3 times what we  weigh.  If they want to be stupid after being handled several times, they can go.  Ones that don't like to come in aren't tolerated much either.  
Hope your sales are good there on Monday.  Too cold and wet here for selling this week....hoping by next weekend things will look better and we can get some of them out of the barn area, and then we can bring home the next group of heifers to put together a group for sale.


----------



## Mike CHS

A few of the ram lambs looked like they were posing so of course, Teresa took advantage of it.   The two in back were 64 and 67 pounds.  Little Bit in the middle didn't get on the scale to be  weighed but he is mid 50's and all at two months old.


----------



## Ridgetop

Great weights!  Should do well at the sale.  Let us know how you do.  These are all Cooper sired lambs, right?  Many of them out of Ringo dams?  Do you register any of your sheep?

I agree about sending off the ones that are hard to work with.  No pleasure in difficult nasty tempered animals.  There is enough work with the sweet ones!  LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

The dams that lambed this time were a mix of Ringo and Maxwells daughters and of course all of the lambs are Coopers.  I think the wild side comes in the genes as the two ewes that we are culling for handling issues are from two of our originals that were ultimately culled for the same reason.  Five of this crop of lambs are out of registered stock and ironically two of the ewes that didn't get bred are some of our registered ewes.


----------



## Mike CHS

We fed the sheep a good bunch of feed before loading them to take to the sale.  I always have a bit of a sad feeling as they will come running to me as soon as they open the gate on the trailer.


----------



## Baymule

Makes you feel like a Judas goat doesn’t it.


----------



## Mike CHS

We don't let our herding dogs work sheep nearly as much as they would like but we try to keep them stimulated any way we can.  Lance and Sassy love cashews so cashews make a good training aid.  You may have to look close but there is a cashew laying just in front of them and they are waiting on the "OK" to pick them up.


----------



## Baymule

Look at those intense stares! Say the word! Say the word!


----------



## Ridgetop

I am looking forward to hearing more about your lambs.  You've got the parasite resistance under control and are really doing great on weight gain.  Are you happy with the conformation of your current lamb crop?  Still want to do a road trip to the National Show with you guys and Baymule!


----------



## Mike CHS

So far I'm happy with this bunch of lambs but we will see in a few months. Our yearlings that are Maxwell daughters got the increased height that we were working toward and this years lambs seem to have added length that we wanted.


----------



## Ridgetop

Excellent when a plan comes together!!!  

Are you getting increased size of rear leg and thickness of loin as well?


----------



## Mike CHS

Ridgetop said:


> Excellent when a plan comes together!!!
> 
> Are you getting increased size of rear leg and thickness of loin as well?



The size for most of the two and three year olds are really good now.  This is another of those hindsight things that if we had known what our goal would be in the long run, we would have started with Dorpers or Australian Whites and saved a few years.  

We got the check from the sale Monday and we hit it at the right time.  Our cull ewes were graded as "fat" but brought $2.40 a pound and the ram lambs were graded prime and brought $4.50.


----------



## farmerjan

NICE prices on the sheep and lambs.  That is great !!!!!!
Our cull cows did good Wed eve and we brought home a couple of breds .... posting it in my journal.


----------



## Mike CHS

It is cold damp and dreary today and we have possible sleet and snow through tonight.  Babs is th only lamb still getting a bottle but she could already be weaned but I enjoy giving her small amounts.

We had a breakthrough with the third feral cat finally being comfortable enough to come up and get food while I'm at the bowl.  I rubbed her back some and she didn't even look up but started purring.  She has been coming down the drive with the others and she would sit a couple of feet away.  You could tell she wanted to get some of that petting but just now got up the nerve.  It has taken almost nine months to reach that confidence level with her.  I have been making sure to get her some special treats at feeding time and she finally gave in.


----------



## Mini Horses

Bribery has its place.  😁


----------



## farmerjan

Mini Horses said:


> Bribery has its place.  😁


And obviously,  it's rewards!!!!!


----------



## Baymule

haha, Mike the Cat Whisperer! 

I would like a cat when i finally find my new farm. Got any ideas on how to keep the dogs from eating it?


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I have been making sure to get her some special treats at feeding time and she finally gave in.


Everyone has their price


----------



## Mike CHS

The weather has been so damp that the herd has spent most of the last two days inside the barn shelter.  I have shoveled about 100 pounds of manure since they are staying in place.    I can't blame them and I have been giving them an extra ration of feed.


----------



## Baymule

They want their comforts too! Cold icky wet weather 
I know you don't mind the super dooper pooper scooper duties, so they can take shelter.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> and I have been giving them an extra ration of feed.


Hmmm, seems like that would increase your poop scooping workload!


----------



## Mike CHS

I still haven't figured out the interaction of our used to be feral cats to Lance and Sassy.  All four of them are spending most of the time around the house and still use the hay barn when it's cold.  None of the cats have any fear of the dogs and will go out to the edge of the yard when the dogs go out and try to play with them when they come back in.  Whisky will come in the door to the porch whenever he gets the chance and I need to figure out how to get a picture of Sassy's reaction when Whiskey does the body rub on her legs.


----------



## Bruce

How long before the "used to be" feral cats start living in the house?


----------



## Mike CHS

We don't plan on them living in the house but three of the four will come into the porch where the dogs stay when they aren't in the house.  The 4th cat just recently started to come out when I'm outside.

I don't quite understand the dynamic between the cats and Lance and Sassy.  Sassy expects them to run when she runs back to the house but the cats don't react at all other than walk or run toward the dogs like they want to play.  Whisky is the only one that has zero fear and it's funny watching Sassy react when Whisky does his body rub on Sassy's legs.


----------



## Bruce

That is odd. Both species are predators but you would think the smaller one would have a healthy respect and wariness for the larger. I guess the dogs just haven't decided the cats are a threat. Besides, cats think they rule the world .... so they do.


----------



## Mike CHS

We are getting soft in my old age.    We were going to work and separate the sheep tomorrow and take a load to the sale on Monday but I messed my shoulder up and we will make the next sale which is two weeks from Monday.  The fact that the chill factor was in the single digits all day today and tomorrow had a bit to do with that decision.

I'm due for a checkup anyway so I'll start talking to the Doc about options for the shoulder.  This is the same shoulder that was operated on several years ago but it's due again if it's possible.  Driving T-posts are looking like a thing of the past.


----------



## farmerjan

Sorry about the shoulder flair up.... I understand the pain factor and loss of mobility/use too well.  Hoping that these new knees give me back what I want in ability to get around again.  And that you can find a way to get some relief....


----------



## Baymule

Mike, it's time to suck it up and face reality. Go for shoulder replacement and the following therapy. Don't go for home health therapy, go to a full fledged therapy facility where the therapist can work you hard. You NEED the therapy to get you back in good working condition.

BJ's shoulder was so bad, that it popped out of what was left of the socket several times a day. I popped it back in, he was in constant pain and had very limited use of that arm. The surgery fixed it, the therapy did what surgery couldn't do. The surgeon was disappointed in the range of movement immediately after surgery, while BJ was still knocked out. He couldn't raise BJ's arm past level with his shoulder. Told BJ that he would never be able to throw a ball. 
after therapy, on a check up, when the surgeon opened the door to the examination room, BJ threw a tennis ball at the doctor and hit him with it. Get your therapy! 

This is causing you pain, inability to do the things you need and want to do. It's time Mike. Stop being a stubborn donkey and git 'er done. Why keep putting up with this crap when you can get it fixed, do your therapy and get back to living your life? Duh.

And yes, my stubborn donkey drove T-posts once again.


----------



## Bruce

I think Bay read you the riot act! Get the shoulder fixed and buy a power driver


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> I think Bay read you the riot act! Get the shoulder fixed and buy a power driver



Friends can do that.


----------



## Bruce

And we KNOW Bay isn't going to pull any punches where her friends' health is concerned.


----------



## Ridgetop

Possibly the frigid temps might have kept buyers away from the sale anyway.  

I agree get the shoulder fixed.  (Says the woman putting off the knee replacement!    )


----------



## farmerjan

And to chime in from the "peanut gallery"..... YES, get it fixed.  Mine were planned out and I did them as soon as it was practical... and considering the stupid complications of shut downs and restrictions from the covid crap.... with the crazy year, if I could have put the knees off a couple months and done them now, I could have finished out our late hay season and maybe the cattle would have gotten moved around in a more timely manner... but I was not going to take the chance of having to wait another 6-8 months..... normally we are 95% done with hay by the first of November....

It is no picnic to be laid up and out of commission.... but once I made the decision, I scheduled it and didn't change it... first the ankle, then the knees.....
At least you do not make your own hay so that is not a consideration.... and your sheep all get moved around your own property so don't need to be setting up catch pens and hauling animals like we do..... they shut down elective surgeries here again for several weeks with the latest increase with covid cases.... but I think they are back to allowing it....
And getting around with a shoulder surgery is not nearly as restrictive as not being able to walk safely like with knees and hips.... 
DO IT.....


----------



## Ridgetop

Since you breed for annual lambing, you will be better able to schedule the surgery.  You want to be off doing surgery and PT while the ewes are breeding, or after you have taken your lambs to auction.  That will give you at least 5 months to recover before lambing season starts up again.

Like Farmerjan planned around haying season, you can plan around lambing season.  It might put a crimp in your garden, but buying vegetables or growing less is easier than putting off a whole lamb crop.

Shoulder surgeries are extremely painful.  A surgical nurse friend explained after my first shoulder surgery that it was because the closer to the spinal column and its collection of pain nerves, the more painful any surgery is.  I know that my 2 shoulder surgeries and one lower back surgery were much more painful than my 2 wrist surgeries and 2 breast cancer surgeries.  

She told me that the trick to faster healing is to try to avoid pain.  Her trick was to take aspirin (not Tylenol) halfway between taking the pain pills.  It keeps the pain edge low as the pain pills wear off.  If you allow pain to take over, your body fights the pain and diverts your energy to that instead of to healing.  It works.  Most pain pills have acetaminophen in them so you can't take Tylenol, you need to use aspirin or ibuprofen.


----------



## Mike CHS

Planning things are pretty simple and I'll probably do like I did the last time they operated on my shoulder.  I didn't take any meds after the surgery since the pain was so much less than before I got operated on but they did not do a rebuild.


----------



## Mike CHS

Babs the bottle lamb is weaned now but she still hangs out with Maisy and comes into the shop when I'm down there feeding the dogs.  Babs is like a lamb we had a few years ago that doesn't seem to know if she is a sheep or a dog and she will run with the dogs when they alert on something coming down the driveway.


----------



## Bruce

As far as any predators are concerned Babs increases your LGD pack by 50%


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> Babs the bottle lamb is weaned now but she still hangs out with Maisy and comes into the shop when I'm down there feeding the dogs.  Babs is like a lamb we had a few years ago that doesn't seem to know if she is a sheep or a dog and she will run with the dogs when they alert on something coming down the driveway.


Just make sure she can't get out on the road and chase cars!


----------



## Bruce

That would be a funny sight Bay!


----------



## Baymule

I had a Tom turkey that was a screwball. He chased cars. A truck ram over him.


----------



## Ridgetop

Turkey patties anyone?


----------



## Baymule

Or frisbee turkey?


----------



## Mike CHS

It was in the teen's this morning but got up into the low 40's and clear with no wind for a change.  Teresa spent most of the day getting things together so we can drop them off to the bookkeeper tomorrow for our taxes.


----------



## Bruce

Tax stuff is dribbling in


----------



## Baymule

I’ve got to get my tax stuff together one day next week, BEFORE I move! Or else all will be jumbled up, misplaced and lost until I move again.


----------



## Mike CHS

I wouldn't try to do that while in the middle of a move.    Teresa keeps our ledgers which the CPA loves since all they have to do is transpose the numbers from her books to the computer forms and since they maintain all of the write-offs and depreciation, we usually just drop off the paperwork and settle a few days later.


----------



## Baymule

I Total up everything and take it to the CPA. I won't have to go work on the Groveton house next week, so can get taxes ready, pack, pack some more and work on redoing the floors.


----------



## Mike CHS

I did some of my garden seed order this morning from Park Seed.  Up until last year we ordered a "seed collection" which gave us most of what we grow and the price has historically been a lot less than individual seed packets.  The only problem last year was everyone was panic buying and most vendors were sold out by the time we were ready to order.  Park Seed shipping price is silly but if you buy $50 or more (their Collection is $79.95) there is usually a coupon code on their order page that brings the shipping down to $2.99.  Gurney Seed is another that we buy from and they usually have sales where you can get 50% off.


----------



## Ridgetop

Looking forward to moving to Texas and planting a garden again.  At the old house I had a large garden and fruit trees.  I canned everything for winter.  The only vegetables we bought were salad items.

If you drop all your tax docs and receipts off at the tax preparers, you will know where it is during the move in at the Groveton house!  Then pick them up after you know where you will keep it in your new office.  That is one thing I am not looking forward to moving - 3 tall 4 drawer file cabinets, and one long 6 drawer console style file cabinet.  Not to mention the closet and cupboards of office supplies.  

How do Cooper's lambs look now that they have some growth in them?  Are you still pleased with their conformation?


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm very pleased with the lambs.  The only lambs lacking much are from the ewes that have been on our tentative cull list.  So far there are quite a few that are making us re-think our keeper list.


----------



## Ridgetop

Sounds good.  Constant reassessment of your stock is the mark of a good breeder who aspires to produce the best.  Even the best champion brought into the flock that you think is going to produce more champions doesn't always nick with what you have.  

A winning Dorper breeder decided to retire.  They sold all their stock and equipment, then decided to come back into breeding Dorpers.  They have plenty of money so have invested in high priced champions from several different bloodlines.  It will be interesting to see whether they do as well as they did before.  Simply buying champions and breeding them together doesn't always produce better quality animals.

When DH was breeding rabbits, he had a barn full of champions and was breeding winning rabbits.  Another breeder known for producing great stuff had passed away and his wife was selling up.  DH bought 6 junior does and bucks from their best stuff.  He showed them and finished all 6 to their championships.  They were perfect animals.  Bred with his champions they should have produced superlative animals, right?  Wrong!  He bred them to his champions and got freezer bunnies!  The 2 bloodlines did not mesh together at all. He continued to breed the 2 lines separately for a while and got more champions but ended up selling the other bloodline and continuing with his winning bloodline that he preferred.

Knowing when to cull stock that doesn't work out in a breeding program is key to continued production of excellence.  You know what you are breeding for and have established a flock with superior parasite resistance and improved conformation.  Now you are concentrating on other things you want to improve.  You know what you are doing and what to select for.  It is showing in your continued flock improvement.


----------



## Mike CHS

We brought all of the sheep in for weights and some follow up fecal samples plus the last round of shots for the lambs that we are keeping.   It is supposed to be rainy for the next couple of days so we worked the hay bales inside the panels.  We keep one bale worked down and leave the other alone to force them to concentrate on the one bale. They don't waste as much when it isn't all pulled down and nice and loose for them.  

The country was doing some long overdue maintenance on the ditches that are on steep slopes this morning and I guess they didn't bother getting with the water company to see where the water lines were located.  We use well water for the animals but we have country water hooked up to the house so hopefully they will get it fixed soon.  We didn't have water connected to the house for over two years when we were renovating so we had to be creative in how we bathed.  We still have the horse trough we used and the portable heater that goes in it.


----------



## Mike CHS

The yard light on our power pole went out a couple of days ago and we called to put in a trouble ticket yesterday.  They came out to replace the bulb a little while ago and they had sent out three trucks with two men per truck to change that light bulb.  We didn't even know they were here until we saw them leaving so I'm not sure why so many people.


----------



## farmerjan

Sounds like the jokes about the state workers... takes 6 to dig a hole.... everyone has to lean on their shovel and take one scoop each.... Maybe they were training all the guys how to use the bucket truck????  OMG....

Did the dogs get upset?  Well, I guess not if you didn't know they were there until they were leaving. 

Did you get much "weather" out of this latest system that was heading northeast across the country?


----------



## Mike CHS

We got a lot of rain with a bit of freezing rain this morning with the high of 30 degrees today.  There may be a bit more tonight but we shall see.


----------



## Ridgetop

Might have been a large trouble crew that were in the area and just dropped in to do the light since they were in the area on other larger jobs.


----------



## Bruce

Are they using LEDs in those fixtures now?


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## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Are they using LEDs in those fixtures now?



Yes, they went from a 175 watt bulb to a 50 watt LED


----------



## farmerjan

I get the savings in the electricity with the LED bulbs and all.  But I read somewhere that using those bulbs to replace the regular bulbs in stop lights and street lights was causing some problems because they didn't get "warm enough" to melt snow and ice off fixtures like the old style bulbs.... The stop lights were a concern in some northern city a couple years back.... so I guess there are some trade offs.  Not saying one is better, just some noted differences...


----------



## Mike CHS

This bulb is brighter than the old one close to the pole but it doesn't light up the yard as much.  Either way I didn't realize how dark the nights are here until the light went off.


----------



## Bruce

We've got LED traffic lights all over up here, doesn't seem to be a problem with snow.


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## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Either way I didn't realize how dark the nights are here until the light went off.


Did you take advantage of the dark to admire the star filled sky?


----------



## Mike CHS

The sheep were feasting on a fresh bale of hay just before sundown while Mel was keeping an eye on things.


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## Bruce

They look like they are really enjoying the new bale.


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## Baymule

How do you have your round bale set up? I have cow panels around mine. But they can only stick their heads in so far, then I have to pull the hay closer to the sides of the cow panels so they can reach it. Ringo's big head wont fit through a cow panel hole, so I always pull hay through the holes for his dining pleasure. They don't eat the stemmy pieces either. It can look like they have a lot of hay, but they have eaten all  that they can reach. They eat tunnels in it. LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

Ours do the tunnel thing also but the hay we get doesn't get much better and they love it.  We have cow and sheep/goat panels around ours also but I cut out enough of the slats enough that they can reach in pretty far.  We have to work it once it gets down to about a third of the bale but they can pretty much take care of getting it until them.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa and I got a dump truck load of good creek bottom top soil brought in today to use to fill in some areas but mostly to replenish the soil in some of our garden beds.  We have 10 raised beds that are a little over 6'x10' plus one bed that is 12'x20' that we expanded today by adding an extension to both sides that are 7'x20'.  Our entire yard area is on a slope so we have dug all of the beds into the hill to avoid erosion and we did the same with the two extensions this afternoon.  What we had worked but we needed a bit more bed space to give us more latitude in rotating and using a cover crop without running out of garden space.


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## Baymule

Y’all have been busy! All that digging sure keeps you in good physical shape. You get a workout and you get something accomplished. Beats going to a gym.


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## Mike CHS

Teresa took some pictures of the added beds (or at least one side of it framed.  We will do the other side hopefully today if we can get the sheep worked and ready for the sale on Monday.  This part of our 'yard' has the least amount of slope but it is also on slab rock where we have from 4 to 6 inches of soil.  We solve the lack of soil by setting boxes leveled into the slope to make for less erosion.  You can see some of the other smaller beds in the upper left.  There are six beds in that location and another 4 at the top of the hill.  Our Asparagus bed is getting root bound so we are going to double the size of that one also.


----------



## Ridgetop

Looks great.  But thinking about lugging all that produce uphill makes me tired!  After 35 years on our "hill" I am done with slopes except for barn drainage.


----------



## Ridgetop

New place is nice and flat with flat area for vegetable garden next to house.


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## Mike CHS

We will see how bad our breeding schedule turns out this summer.  I looked out in the pastures about 5:00 just as the football game started and saw that about half of the ewes were on the wrong side of the fence and in with the rams.  Turns out that one of the gate latches is needing adjustment and it was wide open.  I got the girls back where they belonged without a whole lot of trouble but stopping Cooper from running through the gate took a bit of effort as he is a little over 275 pounds.


----------



## Ridgetop

How many rams?   Write down the date and breeding date if any bred now.  Then if you have a couple of lambs arrive you can do DNA typing on those.  Otherwise, cross your fingers that they just wanted to visit!


----------



## Mike CHS

There was just the one ram with them.  They weren't in very long but as we know it doesn't take long.     It's no big deal either way as our only restrictions for lambing anymore is no lambs born after January and we will be going to market at the same time as most producers around here.


----------



## Mike CHS

We hauled the last of the ram lambs to market this morning and we will pull what is left of the ewe lambs off of their dams tomorrow so I guess lambing season is officially over for now.

I'm going to mill some of my lumber to finish up the garden bed this afternoon.  It seems somehow wrong to use 2" thick by 10 plus inch cherry for garden beds but the price of lumber at the big box stores is downright silly.


----------



## Larsen Poultry Ranch

Sell the cherry slabs and use the $ to buy concrete cinder blocks? I wish we had access to a saw mill and wood kiln here, we are taking down a bunch of trees.


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## Mike CHS

I've used cinder blocks before and prefer wood.  Lumber doesn't bring many $ around here since there are so many small mills plus the Amish sell a lot.  This batch of cherry is right around 150 linear feet that cost me $25 at an Amish auction.  Of the various types of lumber I probably have more than 2000'.


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## Mike CHS

We celebrated Valentine's Day with a special meal at home since we still aren't going out to eat.  Teresa did all of this and it turned out great.  She made scallops, asparagus and mixed vegetables along with some Hollandaise sauce.


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm going to tell on myself again.  We took a load of lambs to the sale this morning and brought them through the loading area which is normally closed off with an 8' sorting panel.  We just open the panel into the handling chute which lets us run them straight to the trailer.  When we got back home, I went into the stall to clean it out which only took a few minutes.  I glance over to the chute area and saw the last of 30 or more sheep heading out the gate and walking down the driveway.


----------



## farmerjan

Mike CHS said:


> I'm going to tell on myself again.  We took a load of lambs to the sale this morning and brought them through the loading area which is normally closed off with an 8' sorting panel.  We just open the panel into the handling chute which lets us run them straight to the trailer.  When we got back home, I went into the stall to clean it out which only took a few minutes.  I glance over to the chute area and saw the last of 30 or more sheep heading out the gate and walking down the driveway.


So, did you forget to put the panel back or did some enterprising ewe get something open and let them out for a stroll????


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## Mike CHS

The panel wasn't put back and since they are trained to go through anything that I open, that's exactly what they did.


----------



## Larsen Poultry Ranch

Mike CHS said:


> The panel wasn't put back and since they are trained to go through anything that I open, that's exactly what they did.


Can't get mad at them for doing what you trained them to do. Hopefully you were able to get them back where they belonged without incident?


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## Mini Horses

They probably came to the rattle of feed in a bucket!  😊


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## Mike CHS

Mini Horses said:


> They probably came to the rattle of feed in a bucket!  😊



My calling "Here Sheep" is all it took but I did give them some feed in their troughs for being good.


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## Baymule

A cherry wood garden box! Whatever you grow in it sure ought to feel real special! 

My sheep stampede when I call them. A feed can does wonders. Your sheep are trained to go through an opening, but they are trained to come when you call. Sheep have better recall than most dogs.


----------



## Mini Horses

Yeah...recall!!  I have a goat that's about to get recalled!   She won't forget how to turn the handle to the barn feed room!!😡🤭 

They should study these animals to stop Altzhimers!!!   The secret is in there.


----------



## Mike CHS

The semi feral cat (Grace) has figured out a way to get petted and now that we can handle Grace we found out she is a he but the name isn't going to change since he responds to it.    One day last week, Teresa was putting some dry food out and he came up to the bowl and started purring when she laid a hand on him.  We started putting the feed out in small amounts but several times a day.  He still won't let us put a hand on anywhere other than at the food bowl but he now sits where he can see us when we walk to the bowl and then he comes running.


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## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> It seems somehow wrong to use 2" thick by 10 plus inch cherry for garden beds


Sure does!!!! But I can see why you did it.


----------



## Mike CHS

Prices at the sale barn have come down a small amount but they are still within a few cents of where they were a month ago.  All of this batch of lambs were graded as prime with the 70 pounders bringing $3.95 a pound and the 50 pounders $4.15.


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## farmerjan

Congrats on the sheep prices.  Maybe not the highest high, but like you said, close.


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## Bruce

$4.15 on the hoof? Sounds pretty good. Not sure I'd want to know how much a pound for the prime loin chops but I'd sure eat them!


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## Mike CHS

Yes Bruce.  They sell by live weight.


----------



## Mike CHS

You know how you can be sitting and all of a sudden you have a craving for something you haven't had in a long time?  My Grandmother used to make a Honey/Vinegar pie which is basically a custard pie but I'm not finding a recipe that seems like it would have the taste I remember.  These pies evidently originated during the Depression since money was short and these pies have few but inexpensive ingredients.


----------



## Mike CHS

Grace the cat has gotten where it really enjoys being handled and in the process of working with it we discovered that Grace is a male.  He responds to his name so he is stuck with Grace.


----------



## farmerjan

Call him Grayson.... close to grace....


----------



## Mike CHS

Somehow we got our lamb status out of whack as we thought we had all of the ram lambs gone.  I was out walking with the sheep this morning and noticed one of the lambs had an ear tag in its left ear and said oops.  The ear tag in the left ear indicates that it is a ram.  We are due for some meat in the freezer so we will band him for later.  As much as we are around them I'm not sure how we missed this one.


----------



## Bruce

Because that one is trans, presented as a ewe lamb


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## Mike CHS

With all of the rain today, we broke out our planting supplies and seed and got the majority of our spring garden seed planted in flats.


----------



## Baymule

Those are good prices for the lambs! Higher than what I get for them here. Here they sell by the head. If I wanted to make a 5 hour drive one way, I could probably find those prices or darn near to it. West/Central Texas is good goat/sheep country, east Texas-they are catching on, but lag behind. 

Congratulations on the super nice lambs, that bring such prices. 

I'm not even settled in here yet, still have to go get sheep and dogs (Friday) and I'm already itching to find a farm with lots of GRASS so I can have MORE sheep! Hahaha!


----------



## Mike CHS

We had Lance groomed today which surprisingly he really likes.  He also likes to pose for pictures since there is usually a treat involved.   I had him out working sheep yesterday since he was scheduled for grooming anyway and he was completely muddy.  He is my boy!


----------



## Mike CHS

We actually had a day of full Sun today for the first time in a couple of weeks.  

We took the last ram lamb to the sale today and the prices are still holding right at $4.00 a pound for Prime since there are very few sheep available for sale.  It looks like the same producers have sheep ready for the early market as last year but that will change over the next several weeks since the majority of producers will start to have lambs ready for sale at the "normal" time frame.  We plan on putting the ewes in with Cooper in mid April which is a few weeks earlier than last season and hopefully we can beat the hot temps.  We are just breeding 20 ewes this time and we have 13 replacement ewes that won't be bred yet.


----------



## Baymule

Ewe math. Just can’t let those pretty ewes go, gotta keep’em.  I am sooooo afflicted!


----------



## farmerjan

Guess that you decided that the prices were good enough to make a trip rather than band and put in the freezer????  I  don't blame you one bit.  That is why we have sold down on so many heifer calves this year.  Prices dictate that we are VERY picky about keeping one for a replacement with what they are bringing.  That and problems with getting kill dates means that you don't want to feed too many for too long and cull and then not have dates to kill.


----------



## Mike CHS

farmerjan said:


> Guess that you decided that the prices were good enough to make a trip rather than band and put in the freezer????  I  don't blame you one bit.  That is why we have sold down on so many heifer calves this year.  Prices dictate that we are VERY picky about keeping one for a replacement with what they are bringing.  That and problems with getting kill dates means that you don't want to feed too many for too long and cull and then not have dates to kill.



That's why we took him in as it is only 12 miles away and we didn't even need to hook up the trailer for one lamb.  He brought in enough to pay for the hay we have used so far. 

We are going to have a huge vet bill this week.  Grayson has become tame enough that we took him in to get fixed.  Whiskey must have heard us talking since he is nowhere around yet today.  Tally disappeared about three weeks ago but we had put the live traps out last night to see what we might catch and Tally was in one of them.  She was quite a bit bigger than when she disappeared, so she is probably pregnant which makes it a good time to get her fixed.  Our vet doesn't need appointments for male cats so he can be taken care of the next time he comes in.

We also caught a possum in one of the traps in the chicken yard.


----------



## Mike CHS

It looks like Whiskey has been spending time at a neighbor about 1/2 mile away as they have an intact female cat that he admires.  Teresa told them to send him home but that won't happen until she quits enticing him


----------



## Mike CHS

Whiskey came in to the porch this morning and the last of the four feral cats was in a live trap this morning so they go in to the vet this morning and we can bring Grayson home.  Our neighbor's LGD went down with Rabies so we are going to have the vet quarantine Tally and the other cat to make sure they don't have issues.  Murphy is alive and active as I got the definite smell of skunk when Mel came in to eat this morning.  Maisy is needing a bath also so both Mel and Maisy go in for that since we will have mild weather for the next several days.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Our neighbor's LGD went down with Rabies



They don't give their dogs rabies shots? 



Mike CHS said:


> Murphy is alive and active as I got the definite smell of skunk when Mel came in to eat this morning.


Night before last I went out well past dark to make sure all the girls were in the coop (2 weren't of course).

Step 1: count the girls on the roosts to make sure I know where everyone is and check for eggs. 
Step 2: move the wayward girls onto a roost. 
Step 3: close the coop door, say goodnight to the animals and leave, closing the south door behind me.

That night there was step 0.5 .... open the people door so I can go in to do step 1 and watch a skunk scamper out of the coop.  It went under the alpaca stand, came out the other side, got stopped by some loose chicken wire I use to block the chicks from the big girls (last used in June/July) but managed to squeeze under it and hightail it out the south barn door. I've closed the south door after late day scratch time so I don't have that happen again. 

Those darn things are supposed to be asleep this time of year! And it was cold, near 0°F so it shouldn't have been up for a "warm day" outing. It does, however, explain she slightly skunky smell I've been noticing.


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> Those darn things are supposed to be asleep this time of year! And it was cold, near 0°F so it shouldn't have been up for a "warm day" outing. It does, however, explain she slightly skunky smell I've been noticing.



It's skunk breeding season around here.  We found the skunk dead in the pasture and put it on the burn pile.


----------



## farmerjan

It is like skunk breeding ORGY time around here.  I saw 5 dead on the road skunks in less than a 2 mile stretch the other day.  They are everywhere.  The buzzards have been having feasts.... YUCK


----------



## Mike CHS

We found the dead skunk in one of the paddocks so at least we take some comfort in that it did not get away with it.


----------



## Mini Horses

Wishing some of these skunks run off to buddy up elsewhere!!!!!  😲😬👍  They're here every night!!!  I find all their little grub holes.


----------



## Bruce

The problem when they buddy up is you get a lot more skunks!


----------



## Mini Horses

Yeap.  Last year I had mom & 7 babes!  😲🤣😁😬   They love raw eggs.


----------



## Cecilia's-herd

Bruce said:


> They don't give their dogs rabies shots?


I heard somewhere that it only stops them from spreading it? I never found a study to confirm or deny that though.


----------



## Bruce

VERY unlikely they would GET rabies if vaccinated. If they didn't have their dog vaccinated it was a sad and totally unnecessary death.


----------



## Bruce

Mini Horses said:


> Yeap.  Last year I had mom & 7 babes!  😲🤣😁😬   They love raw eggs.


Geez and I thought the Mom and 5 we had last year was bad!


----------



## Cecilia's-herd

Bruce said:


> VERY unlikely they would GET rabies if vaccinated. If they didn't have their dog vaccinated it was a sad and totally unnecessary death.


And illegal in most places! Poor pup.


----------



## Bruce

Yeah, we have to get our 3 house cats vaccinated for rabies even though they never leave the house ... except to go to the vet. I skip all the other vaccines since there is no way they can come into contact with those diseases. Of course if one of the cats needs to have surgery the vet requires them to get the other vaccines.


----------



## Mike CHS

Maisy and Mel got bathed and the skunk smell is gone.  It was close to 80 degrees out today and it was a good thing since Mel wouldn't fit in the groomers tub so they did him outside.

We worked enough of the garden beds to let us get ready to plant the cool weather vegetables we have started. We have enough covers that they will be good when we get that last spell or two of cold weather we almost always get late.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Mel wouldn't fit in the groomers tub


Why am I not surprised?


----------



## Mike CHS

Whiskey and Grayson are back to normal after their day or so of trauma.  Grayson is actually calmer than before and Whiskey is his lovable self.  He has figured out how to come in the screen door by staying between your legs somehow but you get inside and look down and there he is.

Tally was indeed pregnant and she and the big male that we named Trouble, haven't been seen since they were let out of their carriers.  That's ok as long as the kitten chain is broken with them.


----------



## Mike CHS

We brought the sheep in to check them out and pulled fecal samples on several of the ewes.  A couple of the ewe lambs are almost four months old and they are not much smaller than their moms.


----------



## Mike CHS

We got the parasite egg count finished on the nine ewes that we pulled fecals from and we are happy to see that none of them need to be wormed.

The seven lambs that we pulled yesterday are adjusting well but I had only seen a couple of them nursing in the last week or so anyway.  We usually use a wether or one of the ewes to break them into the routine of where to go but the bottle lamb Babs,  comes running every time she sees her people and that's enough to bring the others in.  They will be on a little feed until the grass starts growing more and they are taming right down.


----------



## Baymule

It sure makes a difference, working tame sheep versus bounce off the walls wild sheep. I like the sheep I raise. Buying ewes is necessary at this point, but there is a big difference in them. The 2 registered ewes I have still don't want to be friends. I'm going to get 2 more this year, to build my registered flock. 

Babs sure is a good helper! Isn't she the one that runs with the dogs?


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Babs sure is a good helper! Isn't she the one that runs with the dogs?



She is the one and still does it.     The neighbors crack up whenever they come up the drive going to their place and they are greeted by the dogs and the lamb.


----------



## Ridgetop

Is it possible that the LGD with rabies got it from the skunks?  Here in California they are the largest carrier of rabies.


----------



## Mike CHS

Ridgetop said:


> Is it possible that the LGD with rabies got it from the skunks?  Here in California they are the largest carrier of rabies.



It is that way here also and the dog did bring a dead skunk into the paddock but nobody knows if the dog killed it or not.  I guess at this point it doesn't matter.  There are so many rabid skunks in this part of the state that the Health Dept. just wants you to let them know when you kill one but they assume it has rabies and just want you to leave it in an idle paddock or burn them.  That's why I semi freak out when Mel or Maisy kills one but we keep their shots up to date.


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> She is the one and still does it.     The neighbors crack up whenever they come up the drive going to their place and they are greeted by the dogs and the lamb.


As long as she doesn't chase cars and bite the tires, it's all good!


----------



## Ridgetop

I wondered about that when I read that you found one in your field.


----------



## Mike CHS

I have observed something for the few weeks that really shows how perceptive our sheep are.  It has been warm enough that the grass is trying its best to start growing. It was just long enough that I put the bags back on the mower and cut some grass for the sheep.  All of the year old and older have been getting grass like this in the spring for as long as they have been alive and they come running as soon as I approach the gate.  I'm afraid to give them too much since they have been on hay only so I just make one round to give them a couple of bags full and then taking the bags off to just cut normal.  I had not paid any attention before but they don't give the mower even a look when the bags are off.

Just to see if I wasn't giving them too much credit,  The next time I mowed a little, I did not put the bags on and they mostly ignored me except for a couple of yearlings that were new to this.  After a bit, I put the bags back on and they came crowding at the gate waiting on their treat.  I did the same thing the next time and started with the bags on and they were at the gate waiting and when I took the bags off to finish,  they went on their way.


----------



## Bruce

sheep are smarter than they are given credit for!


----------



## Baymule

Yep, they are pretty smart!


----------



## Ridgetop

Smarter than you usually want them to be!


----------



## Mike CHS

Ridgetop said:


> Smarter than you usually want them to be!



That is why I quit using poly rope electric.


----------



## Mike CHS

It is still cool outside so we used most of the day getting a lot of small things that have been put off for one reason or another.  Teresa got her craft area in the shop reorganized and I spent better than an hour or so finding carbon brushes that I had bought a couple of weeks ago.  I have a pretty heavy duty Hammer Drill that didn't work the last time I needed it and the brushes are usually the culprit.  I think the only thing the drill has been used for is drilling holes on burn barrels.    I originally bought that drill to help hang some audio visual equipment in my boss's office and a regular drill wasn't going to do the job since his office was in part of a repurposed ammo bunker that had hardened walls.  The base I worked on used to be the Naval Weapons Station that was converted to all Navy systems support units.

Anyway, the brushes did the job and the drill will be ready the next time we bring in a new barrel.


----------



## Mike CHS

We went into Kroger this morning and they were stocked fairly well except for fresh vegetables as the shelves were just about empty except for potatoes and onions.  They did have a sale ($7.99/pound) on T-Bones with plenty available so we got a couple of two packs of them.  The price hasn't been in that range for over a year.


----------



## Baymule

It's hard to beat a good T-bone steak. Sounds good and here I sit snacking on crackers and cream cheese because I don't want to cook anything.  I do have some potatoes....... maybe I should rummage through the freezers and find something to thaw out for tomorrow. Freezers are still in disarray from moving, don't know where anything is. To make it worse, I put everything in plastic grocery bags to make it easier to move and quickly tossed them back into the freezers. Not only are they all messed up, everything is in camouflage.


----------



## Finnie

Baymule said:


> It's hard to beat a good T-bone steak. Sounds good and here I sit snacking on crackers and cream cheese because I don't want to cook anything.  I do have some potatoes....... maybe I should rummage through the freezers and find something to thaw out for tomorrow. Freezers are still in disarray from moving, don't know where anything is. To make it worse, I put everything in plastic grocery bags to make it easier to move and quickly tossed them back into the freezers. Not only are they all messed up, everything is in camouflage.


Sounds like a job for one of your “rest” days,


----------



## Ridgetop

They are hiding so Baymule can't cook and eat them!  LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

The only sheep getting feed right now are the ewe lambs and that is only to get them tame before putting all of them back together with the adults for a few weeks.  I thought about keeping them apart but the grass is starting to grow and it's simpler to rotate using one paddock at a time.  We will separate the lambs again and start flushing the breeders before letting Cooper back in with the ewes.  I had expected the feed price to have gone up but it's still holding at $10 a bag which makes the 30 mile drive well worth it compared to TSC and even COOP.  The young men loading weren't happy with me since I also got a couple of bags of mineral and what they carry was new to me and neither bag they brought out had an ingredients tag.  They had to dig through the pallet to find one that had the info.


----------



## Baymule

That ought to make Cooper happy! The feed that I buy hasn't jumped up here either. It has gone up a little, but is still around $10.


----------



## Mike CHS

The ewes are back on grass so they are happy.  The grass hasn't grown a lot so I will rotate every other day to keep them from over grazing.  I think all or most of the ewes have quit making milk but I still want to wait another week before putting them back together with the lambs.  It's still a little early to be sure but just looking at a few of the ewes,  Cooper might have had a good time with at least two of them in that 10 minutes they were together a few weeks ago.

It looks like Babs (the bottle lamb) has trained all of the other ewe lambs to be guardian sheep.  I was down feeding this afternoon and Maisy and Mel went on a run trying to get a Black Vulture that was flying low and all of the lambs went on the attack with the dogs.


----------



## Baymule

Attack lambs! Hahaha!!


----------



## Bruce

I bet the vultures would find other areas to hunt if the sheep keep attacking them.


----------



## Mike CHS

We worked a couple of the raised beds again and got potatoes and onion sets in the ground.  We are going to do one bed with broccoli and another with cauliflower.  Our other plant starts are doing well and we timed it well enough this season they still have plenty of time to stay in the flats till warmer weather is here.


----------



## Ridgetop

Do you start everything indoors?  I am considering eventually doing a hoop house with heavy clear plastic/vinyl as a small greenhouse to start plants.  I am wondering if I could do raised beds with the hoop house over the then remove the plastic sheeting during the summer or if it would be better to just do "cold frame" raised beds with old glass windows on top.  You hinge the windows onto the raised bedframes then raise the windows and prop them open to harden off the seedings before transplanting.


----------



## Mike CHS

We do almost all of our starts indoors on our back porch in covered trays or on heat mats.  One of our chest freezers is out there that gives us plenty of work space.   We are set up to easily be able to harden off the plants outside when the temps accommodate and we have row covers that are the same size as our raised beds that we use for early planting.  A lot of our plant starts are the result of germination tests on our oldest seed.  I literally test the seeds in wet paper towels and then pot those up in potting soil or throw out all of the leftover seed in the pasture if it isn't real viable.  Our biggest raised bed was intended to be the base for a hoop house but what we do works for us so it is now just a big raised bed.  With all of our slab rock we wouldn't be having a garden if it wasn't for raised beds.


----------



## Baymule

You are about to get hit by the storm that came through here last night. It knocked down trees and power lines, blocking roads. Several tornadoes, 1 was 30 miles west of me, I had no damage. Get ready!


----------



## Mike CHS

We have already lost power and the storms aren't even here yet.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Stay safe!


----------



## Ridgetop

Bring the sheep and dogs into the shelter, and hunker down inside with LED lanterns and the fireplace going.  Use your camping stove to cook.    Seems crazy to have just been starting your spring seedlings and now you are hunkering down for a possible tornado!


----------



## Mike CHS

The weather has mostly passed through and the heavy stuff just about went around us.


----------



## Ridgetop

That was lucky.  Saw some of the tornado in Elgin!


----------



## Mike CHS

Our would-be Guardian Lamb was funny this afternoon but she usually is since she acts like a cross between a sheep and a dog that doesn't quite know how to act like a dog.  Babs was trotting down the hill just behind the dogs and Mel decided mid step that he wanted to play fight with Maisy.  Babs couldn't quite figure out how to be part of the fun so she got between both dogs and wound up with Maisy knocking her down.


----------



## Baymule

That has to bring a lot of laughter to you! What a funny girl!


----------



## Mike CHS

We are actually ready for the garden season to start although we still have some frost coming for a couple more days.  All of our plant starts are up and getting hardened off during the milder weather.  I just transplanted the last of our starts from wet paper towels to the seed flats this morning and I still waiting on one more batch of squash to germinate.  We keep unopened seed longer than what is considered their life span and have pretty good luck with them.  I do germination test the older seed though like I just opened up our first planting of Snow Peas that is five years old and I got a 100% germination rate.  The Butternut Squash is 4 years old and they are just starting to sprout and will be ready to pot up in a couple of days. 

I just potted up the Okra seed that will be growing in the garden and testing their germination also saves a lot of time in the garden since Okra doesn't like soil temps much under 70 degrees and won't germinate with it much cooler.  I just put the seeds I'm testing in a wet paper towel and put that in a plastic sandwich bag and even hard seeds like Okra will germinate in 5-6 days.  We start almost everything that will go into the garden except things like beans on a couple of shelves on our back porch.


----------



## farmerjan

Going to get some of my old seeds into wet paper towels and bags to test tomorrow... That will give them 6-8 weeks before they will go out in the garden even though they will go out on the porch daily in the sun when it is warm enough.


----------



## Mike CHS

farmerjan said:


> Going to get some of my old seeds into wet paper towels and bags to test tomorrow... That will give them 6-8 weeks before they will go out in the garden even though they will go out on the porch daily in the sun when it is warm enough.



We have been doing that for a long time and it eliminates garden spots waiting on seed that won't grow.


----------



## Baymule

That sounds like a really smart idea. I have lots of seed. Once I buy a farm and start a garden, that would be a good way to see what grows and what doesn't.


----------



## Mike CHS

We picked our first batch of Asparagus this morning and we did some more tilling in the other beds.  Sugar Snap Peas are coming up and we planted some Buttercrunch Lettuce and Romaine along with some cabbage and Parsnip and carrot seeds.  We have a bunch of cabbage already started but we need to pot them up for planting in a couple of weeks.  Our normal last frost is still about 10-12 days away so we  will hold off on most of the seedlings.  The potatoes are showing some growth but we will just keep covering them up with soil for awhile yet.


----------



## Baymule

Sounds like a bunch of delicious yummy vegetables will be showing up!


----------



## Mike CHS

There is some really nasty weather out there tonight.  We had everything put up that would blow away but it seems that so far most of the heavy weather has been moving west of us by a bit.


----------



## farmerjan

We are supposed to get it starting in the morning.... not looking forward to it.


----------



## Baymule

Morning news showed tornado damage in Mississippi and Arkansas. But the bigger story is Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars. Morons. With people’s homes, businesses and lives destroyed, the network feeds their viewers insipid fluff of no substance.


----------



## Mike CHS

I saw that the ticket prices for Rocks shows went from $43 a seat to closer to $1000 so I doubt he minds the headlines.  I quit watching news of any kind several years ago and anymore get my news from a couple of aggregator sites.

We got a little over 1 1/2 inches of rain but no damage locally.


----------



## Baymule

I don’t know whether to laugh or go slap somebody……..

Glad y’all got no damage.


----------



## farmerjan

We are getting constant wind from that front/storm, but have had very little precip.  Just a few sprinkles/showers so far.  Wind hasn't stopped but at least it is warmer out there than it was. We could use some rain but don't want a deluge.


----------



## Mini Horses

Winds picked up tremendously here in past few hours.  They say expect 45+ and rains coming late afternoon....amounts??  A qtr to one and a qtr inch, depending on squalls that arrive.   Either way, a mess.  Need fuel filter on truck, so home today anyway. 🤷.


----------



## Mike CHS

I like country medicine folks.  A couple of years ago, Teresa needed a couple of things looked at and her DR
 told her she needed to make an additional appointment for the 2nd item.  She wound up changing Primary Care docs.

I had my annual checkup today and of course we got to talking about my shoulder issues as well and I had a referral on the way to the surgeon that operated on my shoulder 4 years ago on the way.  Having to have surgery again was expected although not this soon.


----------



## Baymule

Yes, you need to get your shoulder fixed.  It’s kinda handy to have one in good working order. LOL


----------



## Ridgetop

Too bad we can't all have our surgeries at the same time and place for rehab!


----------



## Mike CHS

Ridgetop said:


> Too bad we can't all have our surgeries at the same time and place for rehab!



That would be interesting.  My schedule will be up in the air since Teresa is meeting the kids in Tulsa in June but I have been using my left arm to haul the 5 gallon water jugs for a little better than a year so I'm prepared.


----------



## Baymule

Rehab would never be the same if the 3 of us hit it at the same time. One of us would HAVE to sneak a lamb in there. I have NO idea who would do that……..


----------



## Bruce

Ridgetop said:


> Too bad we can't all have our surgeries at the same time and place for rehab!


As long as you don't let Jan choose the rehab place


----------



## Ridgetop




----------



## Mini Horses

Ridgetop said:


> at the same time and place for rehab!


Not enough nurses to control that!!  . Elderly patients would be calling 911 for disturbances, hall racing, partying and just general chaos.   Video hall cams would show up on TikTok!


----------



## Mike CHS

We are going to have what I hope is our last freeze tonight.  We have the beds covered that are planted plus there is a bunch of Asparagus coming up that we want to harvest.

We worked the lambs this afternoon to check them out and pulled fecals on a couple that don't seem to be thriving.  Their average age is 5 months now and none of them have needed worming so far but we will see what the fecals show.


----------



## Mike CHS

We did the fecal samples that we pulled from the lambs and a couple have coccidia but no barber pole.  I don't need a fecal to diagnose coccidia since I can usually tell by the smell and look of their feces.


----------



## Baymule

That sounds like the results of an extraordinary breeding program!


----------



## Mike CHS

I think our ram Cooper is setting me up.  It has been well over a year now since he has made any sign of aggression, so he is probably just waiting for me to quit looking.    He loves attention and will even raise his head high so I can scratch his neck.  I spent probably more than a half hour this morning pulling his hair off in clumps and he just stands there.  He has that kind of coat when the hair is mostly not attached to his hide but it is so think that it doesn't just fall off quickly.  Of course all the ewes do the same thing and almost get in a line waiting their turns.


----------



## Baymule

I have some that shed well, some that don’t. I ordered hand shears last year and clipped the “don’ts” LOL I’m looking at my one registered ewe, she has a thick coat of fur. She looks hot. 

Cooper has learned that you are the guy that brings treats and does scratches. He doesn’t want to mess that up!


----------



## Ridgetop

I have a mixed flock of shedders.  Some are complete sheds and look like they have been prepped for a show, some carry patches of wool on the sides and top as if they have some horrible disease, some have mohawks along their spines, some have wool except on their bellies, chests, etc.  The funny thing is that they do not shed the same way each year.  Some of the complete sheds carry wool on alternate years.  I really can't make a true determination until the second shedding to cull out those that don't shed.  I have at least 6 or more that completely shed out each year.  I can't add the lambs into the shedding statistics yet since they don't shed their baby wool until the following spring.  I do notice them scratching on the big brush roller in the pen.  I need to get it set upright so they can all scratch on it.  It is a roller off a street sweeper and needs to be mounted on a post through the center hole to stand upright.  Or maybe on a cross bar so they can scratch their backs.  Right now it is flat in the pen and they rub their sides on it.  The weather has just now gotten warmer so I expect the sheep to start really shedding out soon.


----------



## Bruce

Ridgetop said:


> The weather has just now gotten warmer


"Just now"? Dad said it was 104°F in Fullerton a couple of days ago


----------



## Mike CHS

We are getting ready to put the ewes back in with Cooper in another week or so and I have been giving them feed in  a couple of PVC troughs.  To keep them from running me down, I have been using Lance (our Border Collie) to hold them off of me.  It took the ewes a couple of sessions to figure out that he isn't the passive cute dog they are used to seeing outside of the paddock.  Considering he gets very little time on the sheep he does a super job and he is an extraordinary sheep handler that needs no commands to do his job (keeping me from getting swamped).


----------



## Baymule

Feeding sheep is dangerous! Greedy, knock you down, gimme feed NOW! They are just as happy eating spilled feed on the ground as they are eating out of a trough. Crazy durned sheep! Good boy Lance! He’s keeping sheep hood prints off of you! 

I have 4 ewes with Ringo, saw him breed one this morning.


----------



## Mike CHS

There wasn't a whole lot of sleeping done last night as the weather made its way through but there wasn't any damage locally.  The temps are all over the place but it seems the hardest choice of the day is deciding whether to turn on the AC or heat in the morning.  We had the HVAC guys out yesterday since the unit seemed to be having a hard time maintaining temps even though it hasn't been all that hot.  They said the AC refrigerant was down under 50% and the coil is also needing replaced.


----------



## Mike CHS

I moved Pete (wether) in with the lambs and moved the adult ewes down so I could turn Cooper in with them.  He checked them all out but evidently none of them are cycling at the moment.  I was sitting on the tail gate of our Ranger as the ewes and Cooper stood there so I could pull their loose hair off of them.  I still think Cooper is setting me up as he lay his head down on my legs while I worked his hair off of him.


----------



## Baymule

Maybe Cooper likes you.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Maybe Cooper likes you.



I post about Cooper pretty much jokingly.  He actually has become very gentle as long as I'm by myself, but he is still all ram.


----------



## Baymule

Cooper will have a definite breeding season, then he'll come out. I have left Ringo with the ewes even through lambing, until the lambs were a month or two old. I tried to have two flocks so he always had company. At least in my new place I'll have the room to separate Ringo and Cooper. Ringo is getting stiff, is slow to get up and I will not allow him to get beat up by another ram. More room and plenty of grass will be wonderful for Ringo. He is with 4 ewes now and he'll get to stay with them. I'll sort them out so that Ringo gets "his" ewes and Cooper gets the ewe lambs when they mature. Plus I have ewes that are Ringo's, that will be available for Cooper. 

Have you located another ram for next year? haha, I'll come get him in a couple of years, when he's done his Daddy Duties for you.


----------



## Mike CHS

We haven't even started looking yet but there are a lot of sheep folks around us.

Mr. Murphy was around all day yesterday.  The HVAC guys definitely decided we need a new coil on our unit but when they calle to tell us that it would be a little over $3K and a new unit would be a little over $6K we told them to get the new unit.  We had our HVAC installed right at six years ago but the dude failed to register it so the 10 year warranty is void.

I was mowing around noon yesterday and as I was cutting along the driveway, as the front wheel of the mower went over a big rock that was buried,  the tire literally turned it over and the mower deck went right over it.  I couldn't figure out what the damage was so we loaded it up and took it in to CO-OP.  We have spent about half the cost of a new mower already this year so if this fix is going to be expensive, there will be a new one coming.

I got a text from Verizon yesterday telling me that my 3G phone would quit working later this year so I'm going to have to finally break down and get a new phone but it won't be a smart phone.  I don't make more than 3-4 calls a month and the only reason to even have a phone is the few times that Teresa and I go to different places.  I have had this phone for going on 10 years and when I got it, I worked in a classified work area and the only phones allowed were no frills especially camera capability.


----------



## farmerjan

Got a text from Verizon that here in Va we are going to have to start using the area code with ALL calls being made.  The reason is they are running out of numbers and are going to phase in a new area code here in Va.. so then they can use all the numbers again with the new area code and they will go to the right places.  Don't know exactly where the new area code will actually be originating from... usually starts around some sort of city.  But with everyone "taking their number" with them when they move, I don't guess it matters.  Used to be an area code was in a specific area... but phones were landlines and when you moved you got a new number.  Nowadays, very few people have landlines anymore... You just take your mobile phone with you and keep your number...the only thing the area codes do is basically show where your number originated from now. 
Yep, I am going to have to upgrade mine this year too.  Mine is nearly as old as yours @Mike.


----------



## Mike CHS

I still use the same South Carolina number that I first got back in 1995.


----------



## Mini Horses

I'm third 😁🤣  same here on 3g, phone age and needs!  😬  Not spending hundreds on a phone that's smarter than me!


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> I still use the same South Carolina number that I first got back in 1995.


I have an old number too, it’s a Humble number, basically a small town nestled up against Houston that grew up against it. Our phones died during the switch from analog to digital and that was the nearest place I could get digital phones. It took over 6 months for digital service to get to Livingston, a mere 50 miles away.


----------



## Mini Horses

Sorta same with internet, so we have "less desirable, just what's available".  I've superficially checked a hot spot device and will probably buy that and service, as I buy an "acceptable" to them phone.  Price wise about same monthly as now.  Not well versed with options.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I got a text from Verizon yesterday telling me that my 3G phone would quit working later this year so I'm going to have to finally break down and get a new phone but it won't be a smart phone


MIL got that from TracFone last year. Had to get her a cheap smartphone, they didn't have any 4G flip phones.



farmerjan said:


> Got a text from Verizon that here in Va we are going to have to start using the area code with ALL calls being made.


We had to do that last year, makes no sense to me as there is only one area code in Vermont and that isn't changing. Had something to do with the suicide prevention hotline??? Still have to dial 1 first for "non local" calls.


----------



## Finnie

Mike CHS said:


> I got a text from Verizon yesterday telling me that my 3G phone would quit working later this year so I'm going to have to finally break down and get a new phone but it won't be a smart phone.  I don't make more than 3-4 calls a month and the only reason to even have a phone is the few times that Teresa and I go to different places.  I have had this phone for going on 10 years and when I got it, I worked in a classified work area and the only phones allowed were no frills especially camera capability.


My daughter still has a 10 year old flip phone. Doesn’t want to upgrade. We got the same email from Verizon that her phone won’t be supported any more. We just waited, and then they sent an email that she would be receiving a new flip phone similar to her old one, for FREE!

So those of you who want to stick with old-style flip phones might want to consider waiting and seeing what Verizon will offer you. It sounded to me like they don’t want to lose their low tech customers.


----------



## farmerjan

Hoping that they will extend the same to other customers.  I need a phone I can stick in my pocket and not worry about breaking it.


----------



## Finnie

farmerjan said:


> Hoping that they will extend the same to other customers.  I need a phone I can stick in my pocket and not worry about breaking it.


That’s why she doesn’t want a smart phone. Her old one fits her pocket. This new one seems about the same size.


----------



## Bruce

Finnie said:


> My daughter still has a 10 year old flip phone. Doesn’t want to upgrade. We got the same email from Verizon that her phone won’t be supported any more. We just waited, and then they sent an email that she would be receiving a new flip phone similar to her old one, for FREE!


Same with MIL and TracFone. Only when I ordered her the free smartphone it sat in limbo for a month and a half. Come February they said her 3G phone wouldn't work anymore. I spent ungodly number of hours trying to get them to figure out what was going on with the free phone. She eventually got a text saying the order as cancelled. So I call and they say she can't get a free phone because she already got one. 

Um, nope YOU cancelled the order!!! I spent ungodly number of hours trying to get them to figure out how to get us that free phone. I finally got so fed up with the PITA system and getting the line disconnected that I just ordered her a cheap one so she wouldn't be phoneless. She would much rather have a flip phone, the smartphone is confusing to her and I don't blame her. It is a Motorola, same brand as my old one but some of the "do this to get that" things are invisible. Where my old phone had an actual touch screen button for showing everything that is currently running, on hers you have to be on the home screen, swipe up to the middle and hold. I really don't like "invisible" functions. Every time we go over she's got about 20 things running, doesn't know what they are or how she started them.


----------



## Baymule

I have a smart phone. I like it. BJ got dragged to a smart phone kicking and screaming. Of course he loved it and learned it fast. My sister’s phone is on the blink, so I gave it to her.


----------



## Finnie

@Bruce  I’m with you. Invisible functions are annoying.

I guess once you learn them, they are no problem. But I don’t like things that I can’t figure out because you can’t see anything to click on.


----------



## Mike CHS

Sheep make me smile most of the time but they did something today that they have not done before.  I went into the paddock they were in this afternoon and went just past where most of them were standing waiting on what they hoped would be feed or a move.  I force a couple of them to move and those two started running around the Ranger and of course all of the rest joined in.  I lost track of how many times they made that circle but it must have been at least a half dozen times.  Teresa was at the top of the hill looking down and she was cracking up.  Once they quit running in circles I went on to the next paddock and opened the netting to let them in where they were more than happy with fresh lush grass up to their bellies.


----------



## Baymule

They were playing chase! Haha, that had to be funny!


----------



## Mike CHS

We got the riding mower back this afternoon and that rock I ran over turned out to be a bit expensive.  They replaced the mower deck spindle but considering they only had it for a couple of work days, I appreciate the fast service from those folks.


----------



## Mike CHS

I have an appointment with the ortho surgeon Monday morning so it's at least getting the process started to see what the prognosis is for my shoulder.  I have been doing the PT that they had me doing the last time for over a year but there isn't any improvement so I'm ready for something.


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> I have an appointment with the ortho surgeon Monday morning so it's at least getting the process started to see what the prognosis is for my shoulder.  I have been doing the PT that they had me doing the last time for over a year but there isn't any improvement so I'm ready for something.


It’s time. Shoulder replacement for BJ sure did help him.


----------



## Bruce

Finnie said:


> But I don’t like things that I can’t figure out because you can’t see anything to click on.


Me either!!! Like on the Motorola if you have a web page up you can reload it by pulling down from the top of the screen. And I'm supposed to know that HOW??? @Cntryboy showed me. 



Mike CHS said:


> that rock I ran over turned out to be a bit expensive. They replaced the mower deck spindle


Really? The ones for my Sears 54" deck are < $40.


----------



## Mike CHS

The HVAC folks showed up with the new unit early this morning and are just about finished.  This unit is an American Standard unit and is a little bigger capacity than the older one.


----------



## Baymule

Son had a new unit, inside and out installed this morning. Old one had problems, took old Freon you can’t get anymore and with the ferocious heat Texas is famous for, what are you going to do? 

The place I’m buying has an old outside unit. It’s not if, it’s when. 

Congratulations on getting new AC/heat unit put in. It’s only $$$$$


----------



## Mike CHS

This unit is a package system so it's all outside.  The techs we use are all certified by the manufacturer but have low overhead so they keep their installation charge way lower than most of the companies around here.  According to our neighbor, this unit goes for a bit over $11K but our price was $6200.


----------



## Baymule

What kind of system is it that both are outside? 
Son was quoted a higher price, made a cash offer of $6500 and it was accepted. Still a LOT of money!


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> What kind of system is it that both are outside?
> Son was quoted a higher price, made a cash offer of $6500 and it was accepted. Still a LOT of money!



They are called Packaged HVAC Systems.  Everything is contained in the outside unit.  When we gutted the house there was no AC or heat other than a few small propane units and there was no place to put anything inside the house.  The previous owners had a wood stove that ran the chimney out through a window that they cut out for it.


----------



## Baymule

I’ve had friends with stove pipe run out a window! Window pane replaced with plywood with a hole cut in it. I guess it’s better than cutting a hole in the wall.


----------



## Mike CHS

I needed to take an Ibuprofen earlier to tame down what was going on with my shoulder but I can't take them on an empty stomach.  I broke out a few Ritz crackers and decided I didn't want plain crackers so I got out some cheddar jack cheese and cut it up so there was a bit for each cracker.   I then noticed there was some big strawberries on the counter so I sliced a big one up so each cracker had a bit of sweet.  The taste was satisfying and it filled my unusual taste for the weird combinations.


----------



## Baymule

Take turmeric for your shoulder. I mix turmeric powder with coconut oil to make a paste. I take a heaping teaspoon, chew and wash it down with something to drink. You can also buy it in capsules. Turmeric reduces inflammation. It tastes yukky but it sure works.


----------



## Ridgetop

Shoulder surgery is one of the most painful surgeries - second only to spine surgery - because of proximity to spinal cord and nerves.  When you have your surgery, remember to take the 4 hour pain pills with OTC pai  relievers taken at the 2 hour point between pain pills.  A surgical nurse gave me that advice years ago after my second shoulder surgery.  The OTC meds hold you as the prescription painkiller wears until it is time to take the next prescription dose.  According to Ellen pain makes your muscles tighten which slows healing.  Keeping as pain free as possible means you heal faster.  Used that advice for all of my subsequent surgeries and it works.

Let us know what the doctor's prognosis is.


----------



## Mike CHS

I didn't take any pain killer after my shoulder surgery the last time since it wasn't all that much pain and it was just getting rid of bone spurs.  It was the same way for my back surgery back in 1984. but we will see how this one goes.


----------



## Mike CHS

We got the last of our raised beds tilled and ready to plant.  Actually, Teresa got the last of the raised beds tilled and ready to plant.  I did manage to get them raked and weeded.


----------



## Baymule

Teamwork.


----------



## Ridgetop

Mike CHS said:


> I didn't take any pain killer after my shoulder surgery the last time since it wasn't all that much pain and it was just getting rid of bone spurs. It was the same way for my back surgery back in 1984. but we will see how this one goes.


WOW!  You must be a Superman!  I was laid up for weeks in constant pain with each of 3 surgeries.


----------



## farmerjan

My ankle replacement was a breeze... no pain.  I have some numbness and tingly feeling where there is some nerves that aren't right in the foot... but no pain.  So, I get it too.  Wish I could have said the same about the knees but they are getting a little better... the greatest thing about them is they work better, there is no pain to stand like I used to about die to stand for more than 5 minutes... the stiffness and muscle/tendon/ligament pain/ache will I hope improve more as I use them more... If i can get past the stiffness now...
And I think some of it is the type of nerve block they use... one of my famers' wives just had her shoulder replaced and she has not had any pain either... same nerve block I had... she says it aches and the exercises make it hurt but it is not "pain" per se...


----------



## Ridgetop

My surgeon said he uses a spinal block of some kind and that scares me.  I am going to find out more when we do our preop consult.  I don't want to be awake as they chop away my knee!  Worried about the spinal block too being effective since I had back surgery and have a metal/plastic "appliance"? there.  Will it even work?


----------



## Mike CHS

Visit with the doc this morning went about as expected.  Of course he manipulated my arm in all of those positions that I have avoided for the last year or so and brough tears to my eyes.  I got xrays this morning and they are going to set me up with an MRI so at least the process has started.

He also prescribed an anti-inflammatory.


----------



## Baymule

It is a process. Surgery might go better if you take therapy before to loosen things up.


----------



## Mike CHS

I never stopped doing the therapy from before.  I can do most of the moves but there are a couple of angles that no amount of PT is going to get done.


----------



## Baymule

That might change after surgery and the following therapy. And it might not. But regardless, your shoulder will be a whole lot better.


----------



## Bruce

Baymule said:


> It tastes yukky but it sure works.


That's how you know it is working!!!!








Mike CHS said:


> Actually, Teresa got the last of the raised beds tilled and ready to plant. I did manage to get them raked and weeded.


I thought the second sentence was going to read "Due to my shoulder I supervised".


----------



## Mike CHS

I have the main flock on some good grass and they seem happy.  They are in some netting but now I'm having a problem keeping Cooper from crowding the net as I put fresh water in their trough.  He has developed a habit of getting right next to where I am and close enough so I can scratch his back.  Hie nose is about a half inch from my nose as I am filling the trough  but so far, that seems to work.


----------



## Baymule

Haha, I have a mental picture of Cooper sneezing nose to nose and blowing snot on you!


----------



## Mike CHS

He would not be the first and hopefully not the last.


----------



## Bruce

Baymule said:


> Haha, I have a mental picture of Cooper sneezing nose to nose and blowing snot on you!


Ewwww!!!!!


----------



## Mike CHS

We got one bed planted with a variety of squash.  We have always planted way too much so this year we just started a couple of zucchini, one Butternut, a couple of Acorn, Delicata and also Cocuzel and Spaghetti squash.  We transplanted 31 tomato plants that we have started and we will start a new batch of tomatoes for late Summer.  We will plant green beans tomorrow and get the bed of pepper plants started in a couple of days.  We are putting a bit fewer this year and will probably  be around 20 or so this year.


----------



## Baymule

All of those squash are so good. The Delicata is one of my favorites.


----------



## Mike CHS

We took a few pictures of some of the garden beds.  We used row covers for the last month so we got a pretty good head start considering it's just the 1st of May.  We have been picking Asparagus for about a month now and a lot of green onions and radishes as we thin out the rows plus there are some Sugar Snap Peas by the radishes.   We only planted a couple of short rows of potatoes since we didn't buy any seed potatoes but had quite a few store bought that were looking ready to plant.


----------



## Baymule

I really like your garden. I'm thinking of raised beds for my new home. I gardened in small beds at my house in Livingston, dreaming of a big garden. I got that big garden in Lindale and it was a lot of work. I don't need that big garden now, raised beds are looking better and better.


----------



## Mike CHS

We get more produce out of these fairly small raised beds than we did out of a quarter acre conventional garden but we do have 13 of these beds.

All of the plants that we started are now in the ground.  I had to sprout some more okra seeds since I let the first batch get too dry or too much wind or too much something since half of them died.  It only takes a couple of days to sprout and they will be ready to go in the ground in a few days.

We got a new property assessment today and saw that the property appraisal has gone up $70K since last year so taxes will go up a bit.  Tennessee Green Belt rates are still relatively low so it will go up to around $950 from $740 last year.


----------



## Baymule

I think states across the country are jumping on the huge rise in prices to take advantage of the opportunity to raise taxes. People I know in different counties here in Texas are reporting the same thing.


----------



## Mike CHS

There is so much building going on here (all of a sudden) that prices have gotten silly,  A builder bought the 55 acres just down the road from us and they are already starting to work it for a new subdivision. The big change in Tennessee is that the city of Franklin is the new high tech city for the region and is growing at an extremely fast rate.  Add to that we are right at 50 miles south of Franklin so it is a fairly easy commute for those folks since I65 runs right through our county.  50 miles was pretty much the norm for me most of my working life.  For three years I commuted from Virginia Beach to the Pentagon in DC.


----------



## rachels.haven

Forgive me for butting in. We were told to look there too when moving. Personally I don't understand the Franklin thing. It seemed a bit snobby for us. Although one thing they do have going is better school test rankings (refuse to just say better schools because it's just not so). TN lags badly in the school scores area. Although the boys at my kids' school and on the busses are a bunch of lawless wild animals  Just the boys. Not sure what's going on there...

What I want to know is with the inflation, when are wages going to follow? This year DH and all the other tech workers at his company actually got a wage cut. We're some of the lucky few that it's not a financial concern for. Other people I know are not that lucky, especially in some of the less kushy jobs. Cost of living is rising across the board, wages are not. The equation does not add up.


----------



## farmerjan

It is not going to add up.  This is called going into a recession and if not checked, will go into a real depression....  
This is serious stuff.  There will be more companies tightening their belts and doing without workers and if the supply chain keeps up with all the problems, there will be some more going out of business.  This administration has totally screwed this country's economics... and this is the beginning of a big down turn I am afraid.


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm afraid Jan said it as all the indicators are that a recession is closing in.  I don't have any feel for the job market in Franklin or the Nashville area as we moved here to retire so no current feel for the work environment.  Most of the people we know are retired or close to it or still have employment in our local towns so they are like us and not affected by general slow downs.  Most of the folks we know don't have a mortgage and also garden and raise live stock so that helps them avoid most of the coming shortages.


----------



## Baymule

You are right Jan. It’s coming at this country like a freight train. Hang on it’s going to be a wild ride. 

@Mike CHS you are tight about that. Those of us that are retired will probably have it better in a lot of ways than those working and trying to raise a family. Inflation will hurt us too.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Tennessee Green Belt rates are still relatively low so it will go up to around $950 from $740 last year.


I would be SUPER happy with $950.



Baymule said:


> I think states across the country are jumping on the huge rise in prices to take advantage of the opportunity to raise taxes.


Around here when they do a citywide reappraisal the tax rate per $100 assessed value goes down as the property values go up. Tax income stays stable. They can always raise the property tax for other reasons but not due to reappraisal.


----------



## Mike CHS

I have some dry rot on one of the tires on our Polaris and it needed air every couple of days for a long time. That changed to every day about two weeks ago which changed to roughly 3 hours yesterday.  Got to looking at it and the other three and decided it was time to replace all of them.   Those things are expensive but the ones I bought are 8 ply instead of 4 ply that came with the thing.


----------



## farmerjan

Ouch... but sometimes necessary.  DS put tubes into a couple of tires that had dry rot to get more mileage out of the decent tread still on them.  The trailer tires are SOOO expensive and they get sporadic use... weekly certain times of the year,  maybe not used for a month or 2 at a stretch other times... and like the rakes, mower, balers,  and farm equipment, might get use 4-6 months of the year and then nothing for the rest of the time.


----------



## Mike CHS

I put new tires on our trailer when we bought it and it gets used maybe 4 times a year.  The Polaris is my primary work vehicle on the farm so I don't mind the expense.


----------



## Mike CHS

A quick update on the feral cats.  Whiskey and Graceson stick around the house all of the time now.  Whiskey is completely tame and Graceson is still a bit skittish but he loves to be petted.  Tally disappeared as soon as we let her out of the carrier after we brought her home from the vet to get her fixed.  We never saw her again but I kept putting out food down by my shop.  The neighbor took a picture of a cat that decided to call their place home yesterday.  They have five rescue dogs that they are working on getting them adjusted but it seems that Tally wants human companionship enough that she is sticking around.


----------



## Baymule

Yeah, Tally went to the neighbor’s place. 5 dogs are better than mean ol’ Mike that took her to the vet! LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

I had a follow-up with the ortho doc.   It looks like I'm at an in between point and he won't be doing any replacement parts which is OK with me since he was pretty positive about my shoulder.  The joint is clean although a bit sloppy and he seems to think that my muscles are dense enough that I can get most of the range of motion back except for a couple of moves.  He said my overhead press weight lifting days are over but I should keep working the shoulder like I have been doing.  He offered PT but I'm already doing what they would have me do so I'll keep at that.  He gave me a steroid shot in the joint and that made it feel better than it has in months.  I guess the MRI showed the areas that I can't do since he moved my arm to those areas just to see my reaction I guess.


----------



## farmerjan

@Mike CHS  have you considered doing any stem cell injections?  I had it done on the one knee and it definitely helped it for awhile.  That is the knee that has not given me any real trouble since the replacements.  They told me had I done it sooner that they believed I would have seen alot better results, but that I was pretty far past the "salvage" stage... yet it did help with the pain and mobility in the left knee for awhile.  Many of the college ortho doctors are now doing it for the athletes that injure joints... 
Just a suggestion.


----------



## Mike CHS

I'll have to see what I can find out about that.


----------



## Baymule

My surgeon's PA started talking about shots, so I started telling him about my activities. I have found what doctors consider normal activity could be accomplished by shopping at the mall. What is in my realm of normal, especially for a woman my age, is off the charts. Although, sitting around waiting for my farm to close sure is lowering my activity level! I told the PA I wasn't going to waste my time on shots. Fix the durn knee! Now because of waiting on a survey, I have to move surgery back again! Grrrrrrr

Today I'm building a new horse panel pen for Trip and Carson. I enclosed a place for them with access to a back room that needs torn down. But Trip has started peeing on the concrete floor and stinking up the place. I mop, clorox, mop and he does it again. Trip has lost his housing privileges. I understand that he is unhappy, traumatized by everything that has happened in his world, but he is literally pissing me off. He is hiking his leg on my gas grill, WRONG thing to do you dummy dog! So I'll be dragging horse panels around, driving T-posts and coming up with a shelter for Trip and Carson for today's activity. Beats mall walking.


----------



## Mike CHS

I got a severe case of sticker shock this morning when I took all of my fuel cans to get diesel fuel.  I didn't spend any time trying to verify but I read an article this morning that says there may be a shortage of diesel, so I figured I had better get my tractor fuel before everyone else read that article. 

By the way, the shot I got yesterday was a short lived relief so I won't be bothering with those anymore.


----------



## Bruce

Sorry the shot didn't work. Yeah diesel is way up there, not sure how the truckers can afford to work. It is about $6/gallon here.


----------



## farmerjan

Cheapest Diesel here is 5.50,  and most places along the interstate is 5.89 and up.


----------



## Mini Horses

Even our off Rd diesel is well over 5 a gal. ☹️.  Thankfully. Only for tractor.


----------



## Baymule

Those shots only put off the inevitable. I think you can only get them every 3 months. Steroids further eat away at your bones. Great huh?


----------



## farmerjan

I had a steroid shot once in each knee when we had exhausted every other avenue and was waiting on all the covid craziness and elective surgery shut downs, so I could schedule.  I got ZERO relief and the 
"better knee" started to get worse within 2 months.  My father used to get them in his shoulder and he got relief but for many I hear they get no relief from them.  They do destroy the bone.  If you can find a doctor that does some "alternative medicine" see if you can find someone that does Prolotherapy  and stem cell injections.  I did get some relief and prolonged the left knee surgery.  If it had gotten as bad as the right I wouldn't have been walking for the last 2 years. I just wish I had known about it 10-15 years ago....


----------



## Bruce

Mini Horses said:


> Even our off Rd diesel is well over 5 a gal. ☹️.  Thankfully. Only for tractor.


Same here. Used to be the off road was about the same price as regular 87 octane gas. Now it is about $1/gallon higher.


----------



## Mike CHS

Cooper got aggressive with me today for the first time in months.  I moved them to fresh grass and then broke out the brush to use on him and some of the ewes.  I pretty much got all of the loose hair off of him and my ewe Ginger came up for some grooming.  I did that for a few strokes and Cooper started pushing me with his head (not butting) and it was pretty obvious he was pushing me away from Ginger so he could get some more brushing.


----------



## Bruce

Clearly he should have been shoving that pushy Ginger out of the way! The nerve of her moving in on his time !!


----------



## Baymule

Ringo has pushed me, then throws his head up, eyes squinted, for the slap he knows is coming. He butted me one time. I was shaking the wild persimmon trees for those little nuggets of yummy to fall, and hand picked some just for him. I ran out of ripe persimmons and started walking back to the barn. That made Ringo mad that mean ol' me wouldn't give him any more persimmons so he butted me from behind. That was a first! I chased him, threw a stick at him and yelled a lot. I made him move his feet! RUN RINGO! RUN!


----------



## Mike CHS

It seems odd that we were getting frost a couple of weeks ago.  We have been eating plenty of green onions since we intentionally planted the onions close so we could take advantage of thinning them out.  Radishes are nice and sweet and if you haven't tried them sauteed give them a try.  We planted a small bed of sweet corn in a new bed not far from the back door and that same bed has Cantaloupe also.  We had grapes planted in that bed for the first four years here but since the birds got virtually all of them we dug them out last year.  Cucumbers are starting to flower and peppers and tomatoes aren't far behind.

I mowed one of our main paddocks today to get rid of the woody stems as it will be one of our stockpiled fields for the winter.


----------



## Mike CHS

This is one of those "just because" pictures.  Whiskey is the most serene critter that I have ever known. Graceson isn't far behind but I doubt he will ever be as calm as Whiskey.  You can walk toward Whiskey and he will roll over on his back waiting for his belly rub.

These guys wander during the night so I keep waiting for one or both of them to not come home due to the coyotes but they are cuties.  They love crashing on the seat of the golf cart.


----------



## Mike CHS

We weeded the garden beds this morning and went ahead and watered everything since it has been so dry.  As usual we went from rain every other day to no rain.  Everything is coming on great.  We want to can a bunch of green beans this year since our stockpile of them is pretty depleted, so we planted three of the beds with nothing but green beans.  Tomatoes and cucumbers are putting on fruit and we should have cucumbers in another week.  Our pickle supply is also down so we planted one of the bigger beds with half pickling and half slicing cucumbers.  The potatoes have just about stopped flowering so we are thinking we will dig up one of the rows for new potatoes in a couple of weeks.


----------



## Baymule

Many a time I wish I could sleep like a cat! They sure know how to relax!


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa got us a wheeled string trimmer for our joint use as a Mother/Fathers Day gift.  We have a lot of weed eating to do and because Teresa can't handle the Stihl Trimmer that we have she always said she felt bad since I always did it all.  She was at the big box store and saw the wheeled trimmer and decided she could use that to help me.

http://powermateoutdoor.com/lawn_care/PWSTM4317.html


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## Baymule

Those are so nice! Go Teresa!!!!


----------



## Mike CHS

I need to get some updated pictures of Cooper.  I combed out the last of his beard this afternoon so all of what's left is new growth.  We have had him for a couple of seasons but he has only gotten to where he wants to be handled in the last year.  I need to get @Baymule a comb like the one I use since all he has to do is see it and he will walk right over and get in position to be combed.  He is spoiled which I know is not a good thing in some ways but he comes over when I'm putting water in the troughs and he seems to know how far away to stay but close enough that I can still scratch his back.  I still have to pop him on the nose occasionally but he backs off and doesn't react other than that.  He is in with the breeders and acts like Ringo and Maxwell did with no reaction to me being there.


----------



## Baymule

I'm going Wednesday to Llano to pick up 5 registered ewes, about 5 months old. I'm building my registered flock. Ringo and Cooper will be instrumental in getting my foundation flock going. 

Going to San Antonio Monday, spend night with a friend, we'll go to the Alamo (haven't been since I was a kid, MUST see the birthplace of Texas freedom, again) we'll do the Riverwalk, take the boat and have fun. Spend the night, up early, go to Llano, 1 1/2 hours away. Load up my new girls and 6-7 hours home. I got a quarantine pen ready for them yesterday. The 3 ewes I got this week are settling in nicely and BAA BAA at me when I have feed. LOL I have 2 more to pick up in Weatherford when they are ready. 

I', looking at the end of June, maybe first of July for closing. Possibly 3 weeks for interior of the house, then move, build pens/pasture for sheep and dogs. It may be August when I can shake loose to come get Cooper. I'd like to have a place set up for him so that I am ready. What a concept! Preparedness is not something that I usually do!


----------



## Mike CHS

We will be finished with breeding season in July so Cooper will be in his rest cycle so you can do whatever works for you with no issues.


----------



## Baymule

Of the 2 I am getting in Weatherford, one is a 3 year old ewe. I think I'll let her be Cooper's companion over the winter. If he hops right on it, it will be a January/February birth, not what I really want, but it will keep him happy while I recuperate. I have 5 young ewes that I am keeping, plus Miranda's triplet daughters, plus 1 more, that will become Cooper's girls. I'll get them recorded and gradually grade up to fully registered. Miranda will live on.


----------



## Mike CHS

I spent most of the day spot spraying to kill big patches of Perilla Mint.  I waited too long last year and I didn't get to it before it s.eeded. It has just started in the last few weeks so hopefully I can get it under control


----------



## Baymule

What is perilla mint?


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> What is perilla mint?



It's an annual weed that is toxic.  This only showed up last year from somewhere.  The sheep leave it alone and we haven't had any problem with it since I rotate them while they still have plenty of graze left.  The Extension Service in Kentucky reported quite a few cattle deaths that they attributed to the mint.


----------



## Baymule

Glad I don’t have any of that.


----------



## Mike CHS

It even appears to be toxic to other vegetation.  Where it has gained a foothold, there is no other growth of anything else.  Of course that makes it easier to find and kill it and fortunately there isn't much of it.  We have rain in the forecast but I got about 12 hours on the weeds so hopefully that was enough time.  If they don't show signs of kill in 4 or 5 days, I'll spray 2-4-D again.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> Teresa got us a wheeled string trimmer for our joint use as a Mother/Fathers Day gift.


First - You buy each other Mother's/Father's Day gifts?? 
Second - I looked at the unit, seems to be a nice design. Teresa can use it to do the fence lines and you won't have to pay for spray anymore


----------



## farmerjan

My parents always bought each other mother's/father's day gifts... or cards and a meal out... even into their retirement years... before my mom's alzheimer's got so bad.  I still sent them something for those days as well as birthdays, anniversary and holidays... I still give DS a card and something for birthday, and holidays, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas.... he does the same for me except sometimes he is a few days late...but he will call or at least text and say he has something for me...


----------



## Bruce

I send flowers to my Dad for Mother's Day  I used to send them to my step-mother but she died in 2007.


----------



## Baymule

My parents had their own way of doing gifts.  They would buy what they themselves wanted. Example: My Dad bought my Mom a real nice Garcia reel for his fishing rod, since Mom didn't go fishing, he had to suck it up, take one for the team, and use it himself. Example: Mom bought Dad a CB radio, since he already had one, she had to take it and have it put in her car.


----------



## Bruce

I love practical people!


----------



## Finnie

Bruce said:


> First - You buy each other Mother's/Father's Day gifts??


I have to buy myself my own Mother’s Day gift. It’s usually chicks from the feed store! 🤣


Baymule said:


> Example: Mom bought Dad a CB radio, since he already had one, she had to take it and have it put in her car.


My husband is hard to buy for. If there’s anything he wants/needs, he usually has already bought it for himself. This year (for Christmas) I bought him a CD I really wanted, the best song of which he had already downloaded to his phone. We put it in his truck and listened through it one time, and then he told me to take it out and put it in my car. I’m very happy with it! 😂


----------



## Mike CHS

The garden beds are doing really well. Onions are starting to get bigger bulbs but we had a couple of rows that we intentionally planted close so we could have green onions longer. Our leaf lettuce is looking and tasting great. We got our first cucumbers last week and it looks like they are putting on fast enough that we will be canning pickles soon.

All of this rain in the last couple of weeks has about everything growing in overdrive. We ran out of beds but Teresa still wanted to plant a bit of sweet corn so she tilled the bed right next to the retaining wall that borders our parking area and planted a couple of small beds of corn along with some cantaloupe.   This bed is literally right by the back door so I'll get some pictures when the plants get some size on them.


----------



## Mike CHS

I took a few pictures just to show that we really do have garden beds going.  

The first picture is where some of the sweet corn is planted but I wanted to show what is what when I mention the retaining wall bed.  This corn has just been up a couple of days but there is quite a bit more to the right of that bush.  A little unconventional gardening and thanks to living in the country.

Next is the cucumber bed and then a picture of the lettuce harvest this morning.  We eat a lot of salads but with this much lettuce to use, we are going to have a big batch of Wilted Lettuce.  The 4th is our main bed that used to be one third of the size that it is now.  This bed has a mix of tomatoes, squash and beans.  Onions and green beans are in two of the next beds.  One bed has squash that was recently planted.  There is another two beds to the right but the only one planted now is the okra bed.


----------



## Mike CHS

I am so glad that Cooper decided not to be an aggressive ram. We have been lucky that we haven't had a ram that was ever a problem, but I have a bad habit of forgetting that you are supposed to be wary of a ram.  We have a bunch of sheep that are finishing shedding but the hair is still hanging on.  When the sheep see me carrying a brush they all line up for their turns.  I was brushing my favorite girl this morning and kept feeling something on my ear as I was bent over our 26 ewe (she is the one that had a C Section last season).  I turned my head around to see Cooper patiently waiting for his turn.    The sheep are at the end of their shedding but love the attention when I help them get rid of the excess hair.


----------



## Baymule

Cooper will get Ringo's daughters next spring, that will be 9 ewes. He should be happy. LOL LOL I'll keep Ringo and Cooper on opposite sides of the driveway so they aren't tempted to bash fences.


----------



## Mike CHS

Over the last several days, we have spent I don't know how many hours fixing a cabinet.  One day last week, Teresa was moving things around in one of the cabinets in our pantry and saw some mold on the back of it.  In order to check behind and under it of course, we had to remove it which was a major undertaking by itself. We got it out and saw no sign of mold (?) but in the process we caused a lot of structural problems with the cabinet itself.  We made all of our interior cabinets except for the pantry but wanting to have the pantry done we used MDF based cabinets from Lowe's.  They weren't cheap but they were typical factory production where they used a lot of plastic supports and really basic tongue and groove construction that once, it is out of alignment, it is virtually impossible to get it back together. 

We took it down to the shop and using a bunch of non standard fixes, it is as solid as those that we made but now you have to get it back in with the rest of the cabinets.  That took a bunch of cutting, sanding and cussing but we got it back in place.  We have a couple of Multi-tools that are made by several manufactures but it wound up being the go-to tool for this project.  Those tools were the most used in just about every phase of our home renovation.  I'm pretty sure we got ours at Harbor Freight because we assumed they wouldn't be used very much but they were used an amazing amount of time.   I couldn't tell you how much I have invested in wood working tools but that $14.95 gadget is worth as much to us as any other tool out there.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have been getting cucumbers for about a week and I have a new favorite.  Besides pickling cucumbers, we planted Market More, Straight 8 and new to us a hybrid called Garden Sweet Burpless slicing cucumber.  These are fast growing, slender with firm but not chewy skin. that is super sweet for a cucumber.  We haven't tried them as pickles yet but that is coming as fast as they are putting on.


----------



## Baymule

I’ve grown Straight 8 for slicing pickles and they are good. My Daddy grew Burpee Burpless cucumbers when they first hit the catalog. They were long and slender and he had great fun giving them away. Nobody had ever seen such long cucumbers! I thinK there may be stabilized lines of the Burpee Burpless. I’ve grown them before and they made good pickles. I haven’t grown this particular variety but I bet they make some good pickles.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa is using one of our raised garden beds to plant a Butterfly bed.  When we first bought our home we had Milkweed in just about every place where the briars weren't too think for Milkweed to grow.  I got rid of most of it over the first few years and the sheep actually like it when it is young and tender so it doesn't get a chance to re-establish.  One of the paddocks that got mowed this spring has a few Milkweed plants coming up so she went out and dug up a few to save them in her flower bed.  We still see some Monarchs but of course nothing like the numbers we had when we had plentiful Milkweed.


----------



## Baymule

That’s awesome! The rewards will be great.


----------



## Mike CHS

It's time to start with the pickles.  We have been getting a couple of cucumbers a day since early last week but the rain we have had put the plants into overdrive.  We picked this bunch just before a storm came up but I'm guessing there is as much still needing to be picked.

The other picture is not real common, but we have seen it a few times.  This is three cucumbers attached to a single stem and joined together at their sides.


----------



## Baymule

Cucumber triplets!


----------



## Mike CHS

I brought the adult sheep into the paddock where our handling equipment is a few of days ago but we don't let them into the stall until we are ready to work them.  The area outside of that is also under roof so when it is raining (which has been most of the last three days) it gets a heavy manure load which I was cleaning up this morning.  Cooper hasn't figure out what the hands are doing sweeping motions so he stay glued to my side to make sure they landed on him as much as possible.  I got about half of it done no thanks to Cooper and I think I'm going to change his name to Velcro.


----------



## Baymule

Hahaha! I have a guy here working on sons house, I’m outside painting boards and doing stuff I can do, that doesn’t get in his way. Ringo stood at the gate yelling at me to let him out. I took down the electro net because we need to use that area, so the grass really is greener on the other side of the fence.


----------



## Mike CHS

At the rate the cucumbers are growing, we will probably have all of the pickles we need for storage by the end of this month and we picked and pickled a fairly decent sized batch three days ago.


----------



## Mike CHS

This year is the first year ever that we had finished putting up pickles this early in the season but we have replenished our stock and are now supplying some neighbors enough cucumbers for them to can.


----------



## Mike CHS

I wanted to do some spraying along the driveway today but there was weather all around so put it off.  Of course, if I had sprayed we would have gotten some much needed rain.  There was a lot of thunder along with wind but no moisture.  Maisy gets stressed out when there is thunder going on and she usually won't eat so she ignored her evening feed but took some petting and brushing.  Mel only ate about half of his food but that isn't unusual for him when it's hot.  I went back down just before dark and Maisy was calm enough to lay down by me and slowly eat her food.  When she is stressed out like that I can usually take brush and gently brush her down and she seems to forget that she is stressed out.


----------



## Baymule

At least your brushing helps calm her down. NOTHING calms Trip in thunder except coming in the house and stretching out in the floor as close to me as he can get. 
too bad you didn't get any rain.


----------



## Mike CHS

We had not planned on growing potatoes this year but we had several store bought potatoes that were sprouting so we planted them.  We dug them this afternoon and they had put on a good harvest considering there wasn't very many that we planted.

We are getting enough squash that we have enough to put up a bit and also to share with friends.  We should be getting tomatoes in another couple of weeks and we will be digging onions around the same time.


----------



## Baymule

Even  a little bit is good. Not too bad of a harvest!


----------



## Mike CHS

We brought the lambs in to check them out and to pull a few fecal samples.  They are all between 6 1/2 and 7 months old and have not needed worming but we check them out quite often.

Teresa checked our canned stores to bring up some pepper relish and it looks like we need to restock this year.  We put in 30 plants so that should go pretty quick.


----------



## Margali

Mike CHS said:


> She was at the big box store and saw the wheeled trimmer and decided she could use that to help me.
> 
> http://powermateoutdoor.com/lawn_care/PWSTM4317.html


I got the Cub Cadet version and LOVE it. Mine does go thru strings pretty fast but it's quick to replace them. I let it sit back on handle so I'm not kneeling.


----------



## Ridgetop

We put blades on our string trimmers since we are cutting through heavier brush and mustard.  They do a better job since they don't foul or wear off as soon.  Depends what you have to cut.  When we cut the hay around the fence line for our new fence DH will probably try the string first, then use blades if necessary.  No use renting a power trimmer since he will only need to cut the distance we can put up at one time.  

I will start looking for wire here now.  We can bring it back.  Trouble is we need 5' wire.

When you put up your squash what kind to you can?  I tried canning summer squash types one year and they tasted terrible.  I prefer to freeze  zuchini and crookneck.  I haven't tried the winter squash varieties.  I imagine those would taste better.


----------



## Mike CHS

We freeze most of our squash in vacuum bags and we make a lot of relishes (chow chow).  I blanched a bunch of potatoes then cut up a couple of trays full for french fries that are frozen and in vacuum bags also.

We pulled enough onions today and chopped then froze them on trays to go in gallon bags.  The tomatoes have a bunch of good sozed fruit on them and we need to work on the cages this afternoon.


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm adding a few pictures of some of our garden beds since everything looks so good right now.  The only issue we have had is that something out there has an appetite for okra and have stripped all of the plants so I have to replant.

The beds in between the fruit trees provide just enough shade with the heat that they work really well.


----------



## Baymule

That is so beautiful!


----------



## Ridgetop

Mike CHS said:


> The only issue we have had is that something out there has an appetite for okra and have stripped all of the plants so I have to replant.


Ground squirrels ate our spiky zucchini plants - maybe they have taken a trip to Tennessee!  I wouldn't have thought anything would eat spiky plants like okra and zucchini.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa was defrosting one of the freezers the other day and decided I needed to cook up some of our ribs.  I put 4 racks on the smoker today and I'll do a bunch of thick pork steaks and another rack of ribs tomorrow.  We vacuum pack them as individual meals so it is a nice convenience.  We still have a big beef roast from the beef that we had but all of that cow has been fed to the dogs.  They like it but we don't care for the taste at all.


----------



## farmerjan

Was that beef one of the 2 steers you had raised?  I thought that you had liked the beef.  I didn't  think they were that old.  What didn't you like?  Maybe I can shed some light on why the taste was what it was?


----------



## Mike CHS

This half was from one of the steers.  The cuts that we tried had an off taste to them not to mention even the steaks I'm pretty sure didn't come from our beef just based on their size.  The families that got the other haves say theirs are fine but they are the types that even if something was wrong they wouldn't say.  The dogs are happy that we don't like it though.  

Both of the steers were under two years old.


----------



## farmerjan

I am sorry for you that the half was probably not from your own animal.  There are too many of different butchers that are not as honest as they should be.  One of the reasons we were so disappointed when our local and much preferred place was getting to where we could not even get scheduled year to year...due to taking on more and more other clients.... I hope that we have got that somewhat straightened out with them for at least next year.  
Wish you were closer so you could get some of our beef.  @Mini Horses got some from me at the poultry swap and I think she likes it.


----------



## Mike CHS

Thanks Jan.  We have a good source now for most of our beef needs and the cucumbers we have been giving away has meant enough ground beef to last all summer.


----------



## Baymule

Thanks for reminding me that I have 3 upright freezers that are all in a jumble from moving. Maybe I can straighten them out when I move them again-to my new farm. LOL


----------



## farmerjan

One thing I try to do is keep things in a freezer ; by the year..... obviously easier to use up the oldest stuff first. And with vacuum packaging, things keep longer than what they would ordinarily be kept if paper wrapped.  Then I use small cardboard boxes that fit on the shelves, and use it to divide and organize.  They don't stack, so are straight up and down....and they can get trashed when they get crummy... write on the face with a sharpie....


----------



## Mini Horses

Mini horses is loving the beef!!   Planning for more🤗😁👍


----------



## Mike CHS

@farmerjan - that's pretty much the way we do it.  We cycle pretty regularly so we don't have anything old in the freezers just a lot of it.


----------



## murphysranch

The cardboard boxes are a good idea. Many times my vac pack bag gets a hole in it from being moved around alot. Thanks.


----------



## Baymule

I use plastic bins I got at Walmart


----------



## farmerjan

The plastic bins are great, there are sites you can actually buy baskets or something to use in the freezer.  The only thing I dislike about anything that is stackable is the bottom is smaller than the top so you lose a little storage in the bottom, and there are "spaces" between the bins.  That is just my little "quirk".  I have some old freezer baskets from some chest freezers, and can use some of them in the uprights too.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have been getting plenty of squash and now green beans but one thing that can put a big smile on your face is that first fresh picked Cherry Tomatoes that we got this morning.


----------



## murphysranch

warmed slightly by the sun, then popped right into the mouth. DELISH!


----------



## Baymule

Cherry tomatoes are a snacking treat!


----------



## Mike CHS

We pulled up the last of the onions today and processed most for the freezer.  I'm going to dehydrate several trays of chopped onions to make for long term storage and cooking.  We added so much composted sheep manure to our cucumber bed that the plants are thriving in spite of the heat.  Teresa has given away good size batches to several friends that don't have gardens so they can put up pickles.


----------



## Mike CHS

It is back to hot again today but I sure did enjoy the last several days in the low 80's.  In spite of the heat outside, I made a big pot of Navy Beans and Ham soup that is always good no matter the temp.

I got careless earlier today and fell out of the bed of the Polaris while trimming tree branches encroaching on the driveway.  Fortunately I was able to partially catch myself on the way to the ground so no overly soar body parts yet.


----------



## Bruce

I hope you didn't land on your bum shoulder!


----------



## B&B Happy goats

How is Mel doing ?...that boy still has a place in my heart ❤


----------



## Baymule

That was a close one, good thing you caught yourself on the way down.


----------



## Mike CHS

Mel is doing great.  I have the dogs in with the 7 month old lambs now and they follow him around like he's their Momma.  

Bruce - I managed to keep the shoulder off of the ground and swung around enough to land on my hip.


----------



## Mini Horses

Geesh -- and they say ladders are dangerous!  

Hope it all turns out ok....just sore would be good!  No broken things....


----------



## farmerjan

Hey, just noticed that @Mini Horses hit the jackpot... post #10,000 on page #1,000
Congrats @Mike CHS  on the "numbers"... I think you realize we all like to read your posts and hear about the goings on... BUT NOT about any falls or anything... GHEESH...


----------



## Mini Horses

.  Do I win a prize???


----------



## Mike CHS

Mini Horses said:


> .  Do I win a prize???



You have the dinner of your choice as soon as you arrive to consume it.  ")


----------



## farmerjan

OKAY... If @Mini Horses is making that trip, she can pick me up on the way through and we will DESCEND upon @Mike CHS  and Teresa!!!!
I will even bring some beef to "pay for my meal" since I did not win a prize.....


----------



## Baymule

Not if I get there first!!!


----------



## Mike CHS

It was already 85 outside at 8:30 this morning so we brought the lambs in again to pull more fecals to have that done before Teresa heads out of town later in the week.  The family is meeting just outside of Tulsa for the Holiday.  They tried to find something closer so I could at least go for a day trip but Tulsa was as central as they could find. There is one son each on west and east coast and the daughter lives in Reno.

The couple of lambs that had an egg count had less of a count the last time we checked so we will pull fairly regular to make sure we have a good baseline before they get turned out with the adults.  They still haven't had a wormer and only had a garlic drench regularly.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> and swung around enough to land on my hip


Which of course doesn't hurt at all when you land on it  
I can attest to the opposite, I slipped on the ice going to the mailbox last winter and landed on my hip. Hurt for days and I fell from ground level!



Mike CHS said:


> There is one son each on west and east coast and the daughter lives in Reno.


Sounds like no place is central since they all have to fly, might as well have it at your place


----------



## Ridgetop

Lucky you didn't break your hip!  Sometimes catching yourself as you fall can cause muscles to pull and tear.  Glad you are OK.  You need some sort of safety harness for the Polaris bed!  LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

Actually, everyone is driving except the son in California.  They like it here but they are renting an Air B&B place built for entertaining.  It has 8 bedrooms (and baths) plus a large pool which doesn't quite compare to our two bedrooms.


----------



## Mike CHS

Ridgetop said:


> Lucky you didn't break your hip!  Sometimes catching yourself as you fall can cause muscles to pull and tear.  Glad you are OK.  You need some sort of safety harness for the Polaris bed!  LOL



I just need to watch where I'm stepping and remind myself not even to step anywhere when it is full of branches.


----------



## Ridgetop

Mike CHS said:


> They like it here but they are renting an Air B&B place built for entertaining. It has 8 bedrooms (and baths) plus a large pool which doesn't quite compare to our two bedrooms.


Haven't they heard of tents?  On your pretty property it would be a lovely camping trip.


----------



## farmerjan

Tents, in late June early July, in the humid Tenn with temps in the 90's ???? Uhm.... I don't think @Mike CHS  well would handle the constant showers... Would have been great if they were all 20's and 30's and no one cared about sleeping on the ground.... But I for one would just not be able to get up and down into a sleeping bag.... Much as I hate the fact at this point....


----------



## Mike CHS

Due to the distance, we only get together once or twice a year so no tents.  We set a record in Nashville today with 101 degrees.


----------



## Ridgetop

Those temps make the pool sound even more tempting.  When we come to TX in the summer, we will only camp at KOAs with pools for that very reason.  LOL  😓😓😓


----------



## Bruce

I would think that if the temps hang in the 90-110 range the pool would be anything but refreshing.


----------



## Ridgetop

Water in a deep pool will feel cooler than ambient air temps.  And air on wet bodies feels cooler.


----------



## Bruce

Define "deep"  Certainly our adult wading pool doesn't count.


----------



## Mike CHS

We had thunder in the area this evening that was just enough to keep Maisy from eating.  It didn't bother Mel but when Maisy is stressed, Mel gets stressed also so he only ate about half of his feed. 

We have a bunch of tomatoes starting to ripen so hopefully we can start to can some pretty soon.  The corn is starting to tassel and the melons are growing at an amazing rate.

We have had less than an inch of rain this month so we have had to water the garden beds.   I usually mow some of the paddocks fairly early but decided not to do that this year so the graze is doing good for the sheep.


----------



## Ridgetop

"Deep" is a pool with a deep end of 7' suitable for diving.  Depending on the size of the pool and the depth the pool will heat up or stay pleasant in suer hot temps.  A wading pool will heat up enough to bathe your kids!  LOL  When horse camping with our young children (no showers) we used a muck bucket filled with water in the morning for bathing the kids. By evening it was hot enough to give the little guys a bath.


----------



## Bruce

Yep, the adult wading pool is only 5.5' deep right in the middle at the drain. I suppose one could do a racing dive but I'd probably then hit my head on the other side of the pool.


----------



## Ridgetop

Never dive in a shallow pool!  Even racing dives can be dangerous.  I guess you will just have to float around in a large tube with an adult beverage in your hand.


----------



## Mike CHS

I just browned some ground beef for a pasta dish this afternoon and when Teresa tasted a bit she said how come hers never cooks up that juicy.  I'm not sure how it worked out but for some reason, I do most of the meals using ground beef but when I'm getting ready to cook it, I mix about a teaspoon of baking soda mixed in a little water with the ground beef and let it sit for about 15 minutes and then cook the meat.  Everyone else may already do that but I only started doing it a couple of years ago after watching a cooking show.


----------



## Baymule

I never heard of that.  What does the baking soda do to retain the juiciness?


----------



## Mike CHS

It changes the ph and breaks down the protein.  The meat is tender and lets you brown the meat without it drying out plus you wind up with no big clumps of meat.


----------



## murphysranch

hmmm...learn something new everyday.


----------



## Baymule

Do you to let it sit for awhile or mix it in, or can you immediately cook it?


----------



## Mike CHS

I mix it in just using a spoon since it will mix with it all when it starts cooking.  You don't have to wait the 15 minutes but if you start it cooking without waiting, don't freak out when all of a sudden you have water bubbles that will make you think you are going to have a mess.  

Most of the moisture that you see at first will draw back into the ground beef as it cooks.


----------



## farmerjan

So, a teaspoon of baking soda with ?  how much is a little water????  Never heard of doing that so now I have to try it.


----------



## Mike CHS

farmerjan said:


> So, a teaspoon of baking soda with ?  how much is a little water????  Never heard of doing that so now I have to try it.


Just a teaspoon  or so and it does work.  I have just sprinkled it over the meat and stirred it in and it works also but you have the bubbly affect.


----------



## Mike CHS

We planted some replacement seeds in several of our garden beds a couple of weeks ago since we are pulling out some of the early plants.  Teresa wanted to take a "just because" picture of veggies in the fridge so that is attached.  We have already froze about what we want for this season and have more pickles and relishes than I can eat in a couple of years.  Green beans have slowed down due to the heat and dry weather but we are almost at the point that we don't need anymore.  The corn is doing great and the melons in the bed by the house are going to be ready in a few weeks.

We have given away several five-gallon buckets full of cucumbers and squash to friends that aren't able to garden so we still enjoy that little bit of labor.


----------



## Bruce

Ridgetop said:


> Never dive in a shallow pool!  Even racing dives can be dangerous.  I guess you will just have to float around in a large tube with an adult beverage in your hand.


True on the diving part!
As for the second, floating around isn't even slightly appealing to me.


----------



## Baymule

I like the lazy River at water parks.


----------



## Bruce

At least on the Lazy River you are going somewhere, floating by "scenery"  Nothing to see in the pool ... other than yet more needles from the fir tree dropping in.


----------



## Mike CHS

It has been so dry that I'm glad I didn't do any spring cutting this year or it would be dead grass.  Up until this year I have always mowed one or two paddocks that had the least desirable vegetation but the only bad graze I have right now is Perilla Mint.  I finally got that down to one area and spraying with 2-4-D keeps that under control.  I think I waited too long last year to spray and they put out a lot of seed but I'm finally getting it under control.

I just wrote myself a note to remind me that I need to change our dog food subscription at TSC.  For most of the last year they would be out of the Diamond brand dog food that we use and TSC is about 25 miles from our house so their subscription service works good for us.  You get a bit of a discount, the food always comes as scheduled and delivery is free so it's a win for us plus you can change the amount delivered if you wind up with too much on hand.


----------



## Mike CHS

I need to walk the fence line this morning to see where the 50 or so feet of wire that was wrapped around one of the lambs' legs came from.   She had to have gotten wrapped up in the last hour since I was down earlier and everything was fine.  Having tame sheep is always a plus since I was able to pick up her leg to get the wire off of her.


----------



## farmerjan

Mike CHS said:


> I need to walk the fence line this morning to see where the 50 or so feet of wire that was wrapped around one of the lambs' legs came from.   She had to have gotten wrapped up in the last hour since I was down earlier and everything was fine.  Having tame sheep is always a plus since I was able to pick up her leg to get the wire off of her.


That is like the wire that came out of thin air at the field to get wrapped around the wheels on the rake a couple weeks ago.... WHERE does it suddenly come from??? And how do they manage to get it all wrapped around their leg when they could just step over it???? We had a calf get a wire wrapped around a leg one time and almost cut off the circulation and they had been in the barn just 2 days prior to that.... 
GRR
Who says that inanimate things like wire don't reproduce out of thin air?????


----------



## Bruce

farmerjan said:


> Who says that inanimate things like wire don't reproduce out of thin air?????


I think you are right about that! I would have bet a fair bit of money that I had removed every bit of the hotwire the previous owners put up. Yet I spotted some on an old post just this past week. Fortunately it wasn't down in the grass I was mowing.


----------



## Baymule

Horses are excellent wire/debris finders. The pasture can be pristine, yet they will find that one piece of metal or whatever to injure themselves on. 

My old gelding Joe came to me one day, walked past me and turned his butt to me to “show” me the wad of barbed wire tangled in his tail. No idea where that came from! Then he stood patiently while I unwrapped one strand of hair at a time.


----------



## Ridgetop

That wire probably comes from the alternate universe where the socks disappear to in the laundry.


----------



## Bruce

Oh, bartering wire for socks!


----------



## Mike CHS

A little update on our helper of several years (Jay).  I hope it is permanent, but he seems to have his stuff together and has a relationship with a girl who seems really responsible.  His Grands gave him a parcel of land that he is going to build a house on so we shall see how he evolves.

I'm going to try to tempt the rain to come in today.  There has been thunder around for the last three hours but all there has been is noise so I'm going to fire up the smoker and smoke a big Chuck Roast.  If there is any rain around that should draw it in.


----------



## farmerjan

Hope you can entice the rain.  We were supposed to get more around noon or so.  Nope... cloudy but now radar is showing maybe 4 pm???? It looks and feels like something... very humid and 83. 

Went and got the milk and in glass jars and in the fridge here.  Made some bacon and eggs for "lunch".  Then went out to back the other car up to load the meters and hoses for the owner sampler farm, and then load all the boxes of bottles for the 500 cow herd.  Got in car and key is in ignition and turned on... I remember I had run out to put the windows up yesterday when I was doing the potting and the lightning and rain was starting.... .  DUMMY forgot to switch key off as I was rushing...  DEAD Battery.  Normally,  I take the key out of the ignition and put it on the dash or in the cup holder so I don't have to listen to that beep beep beep.... So put charger on it and will have to give it a little.  Put on 10 amp charge... usually takes 2 hours at full charge... but should be able to use the "start" function in a little bit and get it going.  Don't want to let it sit and run to charge so will let it charge up some first.  Always something...my own fault.

Got the bottles in the tray for the farm I will drop stuff off for.  Got the boxes ready to go in car for the big herd too.  But I want to get the hoses and meters in the back first.  Need to clean out the front  seat for DS to have room.  Get a few pkgs of snacks, and a couple bottles of water and maybe some tea for later too.


----------



## Baymule

That’s good news about Jay. He wasn’t too terribly messed up, but he was teetering on the edge. He just had to get out in the world, figure things out and grow up. His grandparents are probably real happy to see this turn of events.


----------



## Mike CHS

We are still keeping our fingers crossed with Jay but we REALLY want him to succeed. He almost seems one of our kids and it hurts when they fall.

Teresa got back from Tulsa last night tired but content from the family visit.  Her and the kids planned the menus and Teresa shopped and took all of the food with her (some prepared and most not).  They figured it pretty accurately as she brought back coolers without a whole lot in them.


----------



## Baymule

I’m glad she had a great time with family.


----------



## farmerjan

So glad to hear about Jay also.  Sometimes they just need to stumble a little and then grow up.  If he went through his stumble stage, then that will make you and his grandparents happy... and having a decent responsible girlfriend often will make a "boy into a man"....


----------



## Mike CHS

We had a thunder storm start about 3:00 this morning.  It was a lot of noise but surprisingly little wind and a steady rain that brought a little bit more than an inch.


----------



## Ridgetop

Chuck roast on smoker must have worked!


----------



## Baymule

We need rain here. News casters are making noises about the 2011 drought and making comparisons.


----------



## Mike CHS

Some might remember back in February that a couple of ewes got through a gate and in with the ram Cooper.  I have been watching for the last few days just in case and when I went out to change out their water this afternoon, my 52 ewe was out there with trips (two boys and a girl).


----------



## Baymule

Good mama to raise triplets. Do you offer supplemental bottles? 
Congratulations on the beautiful lambs!


----------



## Mike CHS

We keep an eye on them but we have not ever needed to.  This ewe looks like a goat from the rear and her Momma was the same way.  She is one of our big girls that stays right around 170 pregnant or not.  She is also one of the tamest and stood there waiting for me to pick up her babies and check them out.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa and I just went out to see how the lambs are doing since we lamb in the pasture and we have had two inches of rain since they were born this afternoon.  We would have moved her to shelter if there were any issues but they are thriving and Momma is standing over them to keep them warm.  I'm not sure how many more seasons we will breed sheep but I do know that we will never lamb another time in winter.  Summer breeding is never 100% bred but it is so much easier not having to deal with the freezing weather.


----------



## Mini Horses

Same here with goats!  Spring kids are much easier.


----------



## Bruce

Yeah I think the only reason people have lambs in early winter is so they have lambs to sell in the spring. I suppose the big ranches breed for year round lambing so they always have some to sell.


----------



## Mike CHS

Cooper had a busy 1/2 hour when the ewes got in with him back in February. One of our registered ewes has a single ram lamb born about an hour ago and a commercial ewe had a solid black ram lamb born a couple of hours ago from the look of her.  She is a yearling that is the most skittish ewe in our flock.


----------



## Ridgetop

Cooper must be offering cigars all around!  

We lamb all year round but then we don't get much rain.  Also have a barn where we can move the mamas and lambs into.  Summer lambing is bad due to flies.  Sometimes the lambs stress in the heat and I have to put fans in the barn. I don't mind pasture lambing since it is cleaner, but if the ewe is not very tame, you have to chase the lambs to check them out.  Also our ewes like the bottom of the gully to lamb in.  We only have 30 ewes to lamb and we separate them into different flocks and rotate the rams.  We are getting a nice flock of good ewes from different rams but with bloodlines that complement each other.  Depending on the weights of lambs you want to take to auction, you could rearrange your lambing times.  

When I was checking on Barber Pole worms, I was told that spring lambing is when most young lambs are exposed.  Your sheep are very resistant so I suppose that doesn't affect you.


----------



## farmerjan

WAY TO GO COOPER..... That's really getting your "lambing window" whittled down !!!!! Many farmers try to get their calving window into a 30-45 day spread for more uniform calves to sell... Sure would be nice to get it down to a 30 HOUR window.  .

No matter, healthy babies is the best outcome even for a "whoops"....


----------



## Mini Horses

Mike CHS said:


> Cooper had a busy 1/2 hour when the ewes got in with him back in February


Thats 5 lambs from 3 does....in 1/2 hr!   Wow, he's a horny workaholic!


----------



## Mike CHS

Ridgetop said:


> When I was checking on Barber Pole worms, I was told that spring lambing is when most young lambs are exposed.  Your sheep are very resistant so I suppose that doesn't affect you.



We only lamb once a year and have been getting lambs from September - early November and never in spring (normally because of Barber Pole).  Our goal is to have lambs ready for market in January when most people are just starting to lamb.  Our sheep are pretty resistant but the lambs being born now will have issues with Barber Pole probably.


----------



## Baymule

Spring lambs get slaughtered by barber pole worms. Their systems aren’t mature enough yet to fight off the parasites. I’m with Mike and Teresa on this, spring breeding and fall lambing, ready to sell in January is the way to go.


----------



## Ridgetop

But this is mid-summer.  I heard that mid to late summer and autumn were good to lamb to avoid Barber Pole due to dry temps.


----------



## farmerjan

Extreme dry conditions helps to reduce the barber pole problems.  The eggs don't hatch, the larvae cannot survive on the stems of the grass.  We have less problems with them from mid-summer on if it is fairly hot and dry.  Still, a couple good rains, and there will be s "bloom" of them again... so will hit the lambs in the 1-4 month range.


----------



## Mike CHS

I'll post a few more pictures since we will go out tomorrow to weigh and tag.  The lambs from 52 and Ginger will be easy to catch but 136 and her lamb probably won't get tagged until we bring them into the chute.  136 is the daughter of the ewe that we called Wild Thing.  After three years she finally calmed down enough to take a cracker but you couldn't touch her unless she was in the chute.  In spite of that I really liked a lot of things about her but she was big enough to hurt you so she had to go.  First picture is Ginger, then 136 and finally Cooper staring at me close up just knowing I have a cracker in my pocket.


----------



## farmerjan

Sadly, more often than not the daughters take after the "wild, nutty or skittish" mothers... and the sons are often like puppy dog pets.... 

I've got a heifer that is on that high strung cow, NICE HEIFER.... acts just like the stupid mother.... She will be staying at the nurse cow pasture with the longhorn and her calf... and the nurse cow and her 3.... HOPING that she might cool her attitude a bit.... now that most of the other calves are gone, just 2 more to get moved out with their mothers.... there will be just the 5 and the nurse cow calves are eating grain and the longhorn's heifer and the nutty heifer all come right in the creep gate.... Just want her to not go banana's all the time....


----------



## farmerjan

Sorta the same situation as you, @Mike CHS , and "wild thing"..... you hate to get rid of a good producer, and all that... but if she is going to be stupid.... someone will get hurt eventually.


----------



## Baymule

I have 3 young ewes coming up that probably fall into that “someday they might hurt me” catagory. They paw my leg for me to pet them. LOL


----------



## Ridgetop

The lovely ewe lamb that weighs 77.8 lbs at 3 months has a wild mama.   They are separated now and the ewe is sold so hopefully  she will become calmer with the other ewelings.  If not it's bye bye!


----------



## farmerjan

Baymule said:


> I have 3 young ewes coming up that probably fall into that “someday they might hurt me” catagory. They paw my leg for me to pet them. LOL


----------



## Bruce

Baymule said:


> I have 3 young ewes coming up that probably fall into that “someday they might hurt me” catagory. They paw my leg for me to pet them. LOL


You need some heavy duty "ewe chaps" so they don't rip your legs open!


----------



## Mike CHS

I just got back in from feeding Maisy and Mel and have to laugh at myself every time.  I feed them in the shop when they are in that paddock.  Mel will eat then lay down by the door watching the lambs but he is done fairly fast.  Maisy on the other hand, has figured out that I won't leave her until she is finished so her meal takes a half hour or better.  She lays down to eat with the bowl between her paws.  If it isn't close enough to me she will push it over till it is.  I make use of the time to brush her out so it makes use of the time.  If I quit brushing or petting she will stop eating and just look at me till I get back to doing my job.  If I get up to do anything else done like sweeping the stall or cleaning a trough, she will get up and lay beside her bowl until I get back by her and then she will come back and lay down with her bowl and finish eating.  I figure I really have her trained very well.

If I am feeding them out in the field she goes back to not being in control and feeding time takes just a few minutes.


----------



## farmerjan

Yes, you have been trained very well... Whoops, you have trained them very well....


----------



## Ridgetop

How is your grass doing? Are you having drought too?


----------



## Mike CHS

Ridgetop said:


> How is your grass doing? Are you having drought too?



We went a little over a month with zero rain but this last week has been good to us.   Most of our grass is native and pretty hardy in all weather conditions due to some pretty fertile soil.  We are down to 29 head right now and we have been able to rotate to keep things in shape.


----------



## Ridgetop

Yantis is in severe drought right now.  I told DH that we might have to relocate if TX dries out since out reason for moving is to get grass and water!  LOL   Luckily, dry grass and forage is even more nutritious than green.  The Dorpers will gain on anything.  Only problem is if the rains never come back no new foliage will grow!     That is how California has been for the past 10 years.  We used to have 7 year cycles - 7 years of heavy rains and 7 years drought.  Those heavy winter rains have stopped coming.  Weather changes naturally.  When we were all hunters and gatherers we would just follow the herds.  The herds followed the rains and the new foliage.


----------



## Mike CHS

Since we bought our home almost seven years ago, our cycles have been fairly predictable.  We have wet winters and dry springs going into summer but this is the first time we went a month with no rain.


----------



## Mike CHS

No additional lambs so hopefully it is just the three ewes that got bred in February.  We did ear tags for all of the lambs except the dark one that we didn't think we could catch anyway.  We don't like to do ear tags until they are a few days old so I make it a point to go out among them and the lambs don't really have a chance to develop fear since their dames don't have any (most of them anyway).  We will bring all the adults in to the chute in a couple of days so we can separate Cooper.  His job is done and they all look bred and based on their weight gain I'm pretty sure they all are.

We checked weights on the ewe lambs (all 7 and 8 months old now) and they are all gaining very nice on grass and literally a tiny bit of feed.  I do give them about a handful of feed each in the morning but that's to keep them used to coming to me when I go out.


----------



## Mike CHS

I appreciate the recent rains but the grass outside of the pastures went from not needing mowed to seven hours of cutting yesterday.  When I was mowing I noticed a tall locust tree that didn't look right and when I got closer I could see that it was partially out of the ground and leaning toward the fence.  I went back and got the tractor so I could push it in the opposite direction but didn't have room to maneuver.  I wound up pushing it away from the fence partially so that I was able to trim off a good portion of limbs hanging over the fence and I'll finish cutting the trunk up today.

Along with the main crop vegetables, we are getting peaches and the okra is starting to put on.   We got a recipe from a friend for canning the okra that doesn't follow USDA procedures but she has been doing it for a lot of years.


----------



## Ridgetop

Yummy!


----------



## Mike CHS

The top of the tree we cut down was full of Poison Oak so we shall see how good the soap works in a day or so.  

I didn't realize there was that much of it until I got in the middle of it and of course (as usual) I wasn't dressed for that kind of work.


----------



## Baymule

I break out on horrible welts and blisters from that stuff. It’s not my friend!


----------



## Mike CHS

It doesn't like me either but I was in the shower using the ivy soap within 20 minutes so hopefully that's fast enough.

We got 5 hens from a neighbor who is moving to London for an unknown period of time and the hens aren't quite sure about going in the coop in the evening.  They are fairly easy to coax so it didn't take too long to get them in.  They have lived their lives in a coop that had a run of about 15' x 15' and they haven't quite figured out how to handle the 1/2 acre they now have.


----------



## farmerjan

Mike CHS said:


> The top of the tree we cut down was full of Poison Oak so we shall see how good the soap works in a day or so.
> 
> I didn't realize there was that much of it until I got in the middle of it and of course (as usual) I wasn't dressed for that kind of work.


Make sure you put the towels and everything you used after washing with that ivy soap in the washing machine... and use something on your shoes/boots so you don't touch them and pick it up....


----------



## Baymule

A Clorox and water solution will dry up poison ivy rash and kill the itch.


----------



## Mike CHS

No affect from the poison ivy so far so maybe the IVY soap did the job.

I have been doing the rounds trying to see a fox that has decided to hang around.  It was on the porch yesterday eating the cats food when I was letting Sassy and Lance out and it decided it wasn't wise to stay around.  Lance was the first to see it and the "get it" command worked well.  He was on it's behind going down the hill till I called him off.  I have been looking around all day and have seen no sign today. There was one spot that you could see that something had tried digging under the fence but we have chicken wire buried under the fence so it couldn't get in there.  I'm back to carrying a hand gun since the chickens don't need to be fox food.


----------



## Bruce

Let that fox get in with the LGDs


----------



## Ridgetop

Surprised it dared to come onto the property, but they learn the locations that the dogs can't get to them.


----------



## Mike CHS

The ewes and ewe lambs are all merged now and the young ones are still trying to figure out how to dodge the bully ewes.  Mel and Maisy are happy and spent the day going around memorizing sheep butts.   We have the sheep in the middle of three paddocks so I'll rotate them every day.  The main paddock has only tree shade so I won't let the dogs be let out in any rain that (hopefully) might come by.  The temp was a heavy 99 degrees today and the humidity was matching a small camp fire.  Cooper and Pete are together and Cooper keeps hopefully looking in the distance to see his girls but he seems content enough to accept me going down many times to do some brushing and providing crackers.  At least this time, he hasn't tried to figure out how to mate Pete.


----------



## Ridgetop

Is Pete the new ram?  With plenty of space and no ewes to set them off, they probably won't fight.


----------



## Mike CHS

Ridgetop said:


> Is Pete the new ram?  With plenty of space and no ewes to set them off, they probably won't fight.



Pete is the most valuable sheep on our place and he is a wether.  He comes when called,  will make a group of skittish lambs completely tame in a couple of days and no matter who he is with they will be calm when he is around.  Pete was literally on the way to the market when he was just a couple of months old but he was such a runt that I decided to band him and keep him around since he wouldn't have sold for more than 30 dollars or so.  He is a little over 200 pounds now but he will be here as long as we are raising sheep.


----------



## Mike CHS

I don't envy the folks further south since we have only had a high of 95 degrees that feels like 105.  I'm doing my chores in the morning since I'm getting to the point where I am done by early afternoon.  I am still trying to get the Perilla Mint under control so I did spray a couple of paddocks that aren't needed yet.

We are house sitting some friends that has done some extensive planting not to mention they are a major rescue source so they have a ton of new plants to take care of not to mention a whole lot of dogs.


----------



## farmerjan

You and your wife are wonderful neighbors....


----------



## Mini Horses

Every farm herd needs a Pete!   A goodwill ambassador and trainer.   They are worth their weight in feed and care.


----------



## Mike CHS

The temp is going to be in the 88-91 range for the next several days which is a pleasant change.  It was nice enough yesterday that I only had to go out and change water one time.  Maisy uses the water troughs to cool down when it gets hot enough but I can't fault her for that.  Mel tried it once that I know of but he thinks it is too much like a bath so he doesn't get into it like Maisy does.

The garden beds are doing great and we are getting plenty of corn along with enough squash to keep us and the neighbors happy.  Quite a few melons are getting close to harvesting and the fruit trees are giving us all that we can use.


----------



## Baymule

I once got a kid wading pool for Trip one time. I felt real dumb when only his front half fit in it.


----------



## Mike CHS

I meant to mention the cantaloupes that we are growing this year.  We planted Ambrosia this year and it is the best tasting cantaloupe ever.


----------



## farmerjan

I have been told over the last few years that Ambrosia is the best cantaloupe....


----------



## Mike CHS

We grew Hales Best for many years but it doesn't seem to thrive in our heavy soil.


----------



## Baymule

Is Ambrosia a hybrid or heritage? I like saving seed.


----------



## Bruce

Baymule said:


> I once got a kid wading pool for Trip one time. I felt real dumb when only his front half fit in it.


The people that gave us the alpacas had a kiddie pool for them . I think Teddy and Laddie much prefer the pond here.


----------



## Bruce

Baymule said:


> Is Ambrosia a hybrid or heritage? I like saving seed.


Google says Hybrid


----------



## farmerjan

Yeah, Ambrosia is a hybrid....


----------



## Mike CHS

For the last few weeks, everything on our dinner meals has been grown here.  Our cucumbers seemed to be quitting several weeks ago and we were going to start a few more seeds just for the dinner table but the cucumber plants seemed like they were getting their second wind.  We are getting more than we can use now but there are plenty of neighbors.  I am really enjoying the cantaloupes and watermelons.  We only planted a couple of hills of melons and three hills for cantaloupes, but we are getting all we want and I'm not sharing any of those.


----------



## Ridgetop




----------



## Baymule

I’m glad your garden is doing so well. Nothing beats fresh vegetables from the garden.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> We only planted a couple of hills of melons and three hills for cantaloupes, but we are getting all we want and I'm not sharing any of those.


Not even if one of your BYH friends came by? Not even one slice?


----------



## Ridgetop




----------



## Mike CHS

We have some Perilla Mint coming up in the paddock that we use the most so Teresa and I was out pulling it this morning.  You can't spray it with 2-4-D when the paddock is being used.  The sheep won't eat the mint unless they literally don't have anything else but if you spray a herbicide on it they are more likely to try it since the taste will change to a more salty taste.  Repeated cutting will knock it out but I get a respiratory reaction that literally takes my breath away so I don't do that more than I have to.


----------



## Ridgetop

Can you sprinkle loose mineral salt on it to encourage the sheep to eat it?  Salt is supposed to stop plants from growing.  I tried it with a 50 lb bag of rock sale one winter hoping to stop the weeds from sprouting (before Dorpers).  It didn't keep the weeds from coming up but maybe it will make the mint more tasty.  Maybe wet the patch first so the salt will stick.


----------



## Mike CHS

I guess my ranting wasn't clear but we aren't trying to get them to eat it but we keep working on eradicating it as it is toxic.


----------



## farmerjan

Perilla mint is toxic.... deadly..... to cattle also.


----------



## Baymule

Sounds like some nasty stuff.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Sounds like some nasty stuff.



They are the number one reason to not over graze a paddock and keep rotating.  Sheep don't like it but like anything else, if they don't have a choice they will eat it.  That is another one of those things that was brought in from Asia.


----------



## Shellymay

@Mike CHS, we use Chaparral here, it works great on all broad leaf weeds, note it will kill your clover also so if you like the clovers don't use, but it will kill your weeds and could be a good spot spray option for you....


----------



## Mike CHS

Thank you @Shellymay - I'll keep that in mind when I run out of 2-4-D.


----------



## Ridgetop

If Perilla Mint is deadly to cattle won't it kill the sheep?


----------



## farmerjan

Yes, it can kill any ruminant that eats it.  However, they do not like it and normally will not touch it unless their forages get scarce.  It is more likely to be eaten in the fall when other green growth is gone... or during drought conditions.  It is an invasive, and is thought to kill more cattle  in Tennessee than most any other plant.  That is why @Mike CHS is wanting to spray and kill it.  It is only a little less deadly when dried and mixed into hay bales.  Affects their airways, and there is basically no treatment for it.


----------



## Ridgetop

Does it grow in northeast TX?  Tat is the problem with moving to a location halfway across the country - all the foliage is different.  Here we recognize the poisonous plant and have rooted them out of our property.  In Texas we won't recognize them.  Even more reason to keep our cattle tenant on the property with us.  He arranges spraying for bad stuff an will recognize it.


----------



## Mike CHS

It has rained off and on for most of the day and we wound up with a little over 1 1/2". 
We did a bunch of cooking for future meals and have a choice of roasted turkey breast or Chicken Schnitzel for supper.


----------



## Ridgetop

Stop posting such delicious food information!!!  I can't let my family read Mike and Theresa's posts.  They already think I am a lazy and bad mom - seeing what Mike and Theresa cook would just confirm it.

Tonight we are having leftover Taco Pie.  The original Taco Pie was made from - leftover casserole! That casserole was made from - Wait for it!    Leftover Sloppy Joes!   I get a lot of mileage out of food in this house feeding 5 adults.  Anyone who won't eat leftovers goes hungry.

The Sloppy Joes were leftover from DDIL2's dad's BD party/DDIL baby reveal.  Everyone ate the Tri tip and ribs so it was sent home with DS2.  I froze 2 large Ziploc bags of it.  Mainly ground meat so was able to add seasoning and convert it easily to other meals.  Still have one bag left.


----------



## Baymule

3 leftover dinners! Hahaha!


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> 3 leftover dinners! Hahaha!



There won't be any leftover Schnitzel if Teresa keeps eating it.


----------



## Mike CHS

This is one of those days that kind of controlled itself.  The ewes had been in a far paddock so I went out and opened a couple of gates then called them in so we could give shots. Then the vet called and said they could draw blood from Cooper for his health cert for his trip to Texas if we could bring him in this afternoon.  Of course Cooper and Pete were in the paddock farthest from the loading area and in a line that meant I had to move the ewes back to clear the paddock that I needed to bring the boys through.  He is easy to load and will run right in once he sees that it is open.  He is also halter broke so that makes it easier to work with the vet out in the parking area so I just got him to the door and the vet drew blood from outside the door.  He doesn't lead well but he also doesn't fight the halter so that's always a plus.  He REALLY doesn't like strangers, but he was a good boy today.

He usually pouts for a day after being forced into something new but he came running this afternoon when I went out with crackers.


----------



## Ridgetop

NOTE TO BAYMULE:  Bring animal crackers!     

I will toss in a ram halter just in case.  Of course, since we are all strangers, he will probably not let us put it on him!  LOL


----------



## Baymule

Cooper will get his animal crackers!


----------



## Mike CHS

Cooper is actually a super sweet boy that I'm going to miss. I doubt that he will ever be Ringo tame but he loves being handled and I quit worrying about him being a "ram" a long time ago.  We have only been around sheep for a little over 10 years but I'm really questioning a lot of the bad press about how "mean" rams are.


----------



## Baymule

Most animals reflect how they are treated. Ringo is a super sweetheart but will get a little pushy on occasion. He knows he’s done wrong. I scold and shake my finger at him, he’s so comical to watch. One time I was pulling wild persimmons off and hand feeding them to him. The ewes beat him to the ones on the ground. I picked all the ripe ones I could reach, but he wanted more. He hit me and I slapped his face. Only time he ever hit me. After that I was careful how I fed persimmons to him. Spoiled brat expects me to never run out. LOL. I need to plant the Japanese persimmons in the pastures, those get big.


----------



## farmerjan

When we had the horned dorsets years ago, we had no problem with the rams.  And their horns got near as big as the Dall sheep we have now.  The Dall rams are not mean either but they will hit you if they want the bucket and you are not expecting it, but they are more feral and flighty overall.  But to just hit you for no reason, just haven't seen it.  I did have a friend that had a mean ram and you did have to watch him though....
It's like chickens... most roosters are not mean but then there is one that will ambush you if you are not expecting it.  
Most all our bulls are not mean either.  I don't get overly concerned going out in the pasture with 99% of them.  Had one that gave me pause, just did not like the way he watched me, and then he started pawing and acting snorty and DS sold him.  The big 2150 lb bull we just sold was not mean at all... he just wouldn't stay in the pastures, and knew he could take out the fence posts with his shoulder.... when they get like that you have to ship them.  But people mean, nope not a bit. 
Yes, it has A LOT to do with how they are treated.  And you have to respect their space too... just as you want them to respect your space.


----------



## Ridgetop

We did have a mean ram who would attack you without warning.  He was a registered Hampshire ram and as big as a small Shetland pony - probably at the top of the height standard.  DS1 bought him and several ewes to start a registered Hampshire breeding project.  The ram was docile in a halter and would lead on halter and show, but in his pen he would charge you.

The halter him I had to put grain in his feeder with the halter open in the feeder then when he started to eat the grain I would catch him with my crook through the window over the feeder.  Once caught in the crook I had to work fast to put the halter on him and tie him to the feeder.  Only once he was in the halter and tied could I enter the pen.  DS1 was not afraid of him but once when he did not pay attention that ram caught him and knocked him flying.  At the time DS1 was a linebacker on the HS football team.  

We had several rams, Dorset, Horned Dorset, a meat production ram from Iowa, and about 4 bucks.  None of our other rams or bucks ever tried to ram us like that one.  He was seriously mean and we were glad when DS1 sold him.


----------



## Mike CHS

We finally were able to bring the main bunch of sheep in to check them out and get weights.  The four week old ram lambs are 44 and 46 pounds.


----------



## farmerjan

Were the ram lambs the OOPPS ones that cooper got in the field for 5 minutes???
 That's pretty good for that young age....


----------



## Mike CHS

farmerjan said:


> Were the ram lambs the OOPPS ones that cooper got in the field for 5 minutes???
> That's pretty good for that young age....



They are two of them.  They are gaining very well on milk and grass.  Even the triplets are a couple of days younger and they are all between 38-42 lbs.


----------



## Mike CHS

The power company is coming sometime next week to change out one of their poles that is of course in the farthest paddock where I will have to take down netting to be able to open a set of double gates to let them in.  It will only be for a single day and I can move the sheep into one of our smaller paddocks for the day.  I need to pull Maisy away from the sheep anyway since we may start having lambs as early as the 7th of September.  I love Maisy but she has a habit of trying to adopt a lamb which of course doesn't work out well.  The first year that we had bottle lambs was because she took the lambs and cleaned them off so by the time the lambs were ready to latch on to their Mommas, they no longer had the ewes scent so we wound up with them.  We have our lambing paddock pretty secure so it's safer to have the ewes lamb with no dogs around.


----------



## Baymule

Who can resist a newborn lamb? 

Not Maisy!!


----------



## Mike CHS

We picked a bunch of green beans today and we're in the process of canning them.  It looks like we will get between 8 & 10 quarts.  That's pretty good since we have been picking regularly for awhile now.

The little 6000 BTU AC unit on our porch is acting up so we ordered one similar as a replacement.  We have had that thing for almost 8 years and it gets some heavy use in the summer.  Lance and Sassy sleep out there at night plus keeping the porch cool keeps the adjoining kitchen a whole lot more comfortable.  We're guessing it would cost almost as much to get it fixed as buying a new one and it would still be 8 years old.

I'm making a big batch of eggplant Parmesan and need to look it up to see how it freezes since there is so much.  Worst case we can call the neighbor and see if they like eggplant.


----------



## Baymule

If you got 8 years out of that air conditioner, you did good.


----------



## Bruce

Except that if things were made well they should last lots longer than 8 years!

I should find some wood to knock on, the washer and dryer are 10 years old and still functioning. The kitchen appliances are 9 and also still working. Then there is the 1931 cook stove, still working fine after 91 years. Of course there isn't much of anything that can go wrong, the only "moving" parts are the gas valves, no electronics to go bad.


----------



## Mike CHS

I needed some air in one of my mowers tires and when I aired it up, I could feel air coming out of the side wall.  That tire is one of the original tires and had been patched so many times that it was due to be replaced.  I went and picked up a replacement and saw an indicator as to how prices are going up.  I replaced the other front tire a little over a year ago for $32 but the new identical tire was $58.


----------



## Baymule

Close to twice as much!


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Close to twice as much!



CO-OP had it listed in their computer for $32 but they didn't have any on hand so that listing was probably old.  They did mount the one I bought at TSC but didn't charge me anything.  I told the manager that this was the 5th or 6th time they had mounted a tire for free but he said we make up for as often as I go there.    There are some nice things about living in a small town.


----------



## Bruce

VERY nice!


----------



## Mike CHS

Our lambing season started one day later than expected. Our #5 ewe had a nice set of twins and Missy (our 26 ewe that had a C-Section last time had triplets and rejected one of the ram lambs.  She rejected Babs last year but we left Babs with the ewe so all we had to do was supplement with milk.


----------



## Mike CHS

This is the lamb reject.  He didn't get much nice treatment from his mom and is adjusting to human company pretty fast with the exception he hasn't figured out how to walk on the hardwood floors.


----------



## Mike CHS

I haven't taken many pictures out in the field but for some reason, lamb pictures in the home are too cute not to show.  Sassy can't figure out why the lamb won't run off when she tries to herd him.


----------



## Baymule

That’s too funny! Sassy is so high energy that a sweet little guy like that is no fun!


----------



## Mike CHS

I had a friend ask for a close up that turned out good enough to post on here.


----------



## Mike CHS

We made a run this afternoon to look at some yearling rams.  We were looking at yearlings since we won't be breeding again until April of next year.  This is the same farm where Cooper that @Baymule now has originated from. We asked Brandon if he had any mature rams that we could check out.  He said that he isn't cheap but he showed us a three year old that had bred a very large flock of ewes last year.  When he got the ram to move out into the sun, the only thing Teresa and I both just said "Wow". We will go back and pick him up later in the week after we make things ready for him and another ewe that was about as perfect as they get.  The picture doesn't due his structure justice, but he is massive and he is on grass only.


----------



## Mini Horses

Don'tcha just love it when things turn out so well?       he's  a hunk.  And just look at those freckles all over him.  Eye candy.


----------



## Baymule

He is awesome! He will put his stamp on your flock!


----------



## Mike CHS

We still haven't settled on a name for the bottle lamb but Teresa has been calling him Sir Peesalot.


----------



## farmerjan

Mike CHS said:


> We still haven't settled on a name for the bottle lamb but Teresa has been calling him Sir Peesalot.


----------



## Mike CHS

We brought the sheep in to do ear tags on the newest lambs and give shots to a few that needed them.  We had one ewe that is getting pulled down by her lambs nursing so we pulled a fecal from her.  Turned out she only a few eggs but her lamb weighed in at 62 pounds at two months.  The other lambs born at the same time weighed between 55 and 60 pounds which I'm happy with.  We haven't used creep feed on any of the lambs born so far and the growth is super.


----------



## Baymule

Sir Peesalot! Hahaha! Why is it lambs pee out twice the volume they take in? 

That’s awesome weights on the lambs! I’m counting down to spring when I can put Ringo’s daughters with Cooper!

Edited to add, I took Carson up to Cooper’s fence, petted Carson and petted Cooper through the fence. Cooper was on alert, interested but not not fearful or wanting to charge. Little steps.


----------



## Mike CHS

A couple of "just because' pictures.  Teresa named the bottle lamb Pistol.


----------



## rachels.haven

As in, like a water pistol 🌊?


----------



## Mike CHS

rachels.haven said:


> As in, like a water pistol 🌊?



In her part of Missouri there is a lot of use of "you are a pistol" as in character.  Sort of like "you are special" in Tennesee


----------



## Mini Horses

Looking lovingly spoiled, to me. 🤗


----------



## SageHill

Too stinkin' cute!!


----------



## Baymule

You are special in Texas means you are stupid. You are a pistol means you know how to use one. 
If his recent name was Sir Peesalot, maybe his name should be Pisstol. Hahaha


----------



## Bruce

Baymule said:


> Why is it lambs pee out twice the volume they take in?


Seems like alpacas do as well.


----------



## Mike CHS

We separated the two ram lambs from the OOPS breeding and moved them over with Pete and the dogs.  They are a couple of days shy of two months old but they are both over 60 pounds and their mommas were ready for it since they just went off and started grazing and never looked back.  One of the rams is registerable depending on how he grows out.


----------



## farmerjan

Mike CHS said:


> We separated the two ram lambs from the OOPS breeding and moved them over with Pete and the dogs.  They are a couple of days shy of two months old but they are both over 60 pounds and their mommas were ready for it since they just went off and started grazing and never looked back.  One of the rams is registerable depending on how he grows out.


The growth you get on the lambs is amazing.  For the traditional wool breed lambs here, what the general consensus is 5 months preg, 5 months to "blue O",  or the old classification of selling for market/slaughter... That is in the 105-120 lb range.  Now they grade them a little different, and many lambs are bought and killed at lighter weights for the ethnic buyers.  But it still requires feeding for 1-2 months... and you are gaining that weight on strictly grass until weaning and then mostly grass?  Do you supplement them much after weaning?  I think I would like to have a few here for grazing amongst the  "orchard trees" as part of a rotational thing.... I know they will work on the bark of trees, but for supervised controlled short spells they would be more likely to eat the grass until they get "bored" and it would sure cut down any mowing... also winter time clean up grazing.  Something to ponder since there is not much land here... But any calves will work on the branches more... breaking them too.


----------



## Mike CHS

These two ram lambs will get a very small amount of feed but that is only because they haven't been handled much so it gets them coming to me.  Fast growth has been one of our main criteria for keepers.

For some reason our sheep have never bothered any of the trees in our fields.


----------



## farmerjan

Good to know about the sheep not bothering the trees.  My DS's sheep don't bother his much either... the neighbors goats just destroy their trees though.... but they are a browse animal more.  The horses will strip bark also if they are bored and hungry too... but I have seen sheep bother trees some... maybe it is more wooled sheep that do it....HMM....


----------



## Mini Horses

My goats will strip a tree before eating grass if its in the field.....not old trees, those they just go for leaves and young branch.  Fruit trees are a favorite!


----------



## Mike CHS

Lance REALLY doesn't like having to tolerate a lamb and can't figure out how he went from herding sheep to having to let one lay down by him.  He tolerates the lamb only because he is well trained and leaves him alone because I told him to.

Sassy could care less and likes having the lamb around.


----------



## Baymule

Lance has to share his bed with that interloper!!!


----------



## Mike CHS

We have had a couple of busy days.  The Perilla Mint that I sprayed was taking it's time dying and even though the stems had turned black, the plants were still trying to go to seed.  Soooo, I spent the better part of three days literally roaming the paddocks in the Ranger and manually pulling the plants.  I'll start spraying early in the spring since they seem to die off fast shortly after they sprout.  Teresa got the summer garden taken out and the fall garden planted.  Of course, it's supposed to get back in the mid to high 90's this next week so we pulled out the shade cloth.

Teresa got the last of the mint in the paddock that the new ram will be in first since we pick him up tomorrow.  He and the ewe coming with him will be kept in a stall for a short time depending on how he acclimates.  He was pretty tame when he was a yearling but he hasn't had a lot of human contact since then.  We have hay plus I'll cut grass for him.  I went down to the feed store and got some feed this afternoon.  (Side note, that feed was $8 a 50 pound bag six months ago and it was $11 today)  I'll see what I can do to get him used to me for a couple of days to at least see me as his food source anyway and see how we go from there.


----------



## Baymule

WEEDS!!!!! At least the weeds I have here are not toxic. Pretty yellow flowers of bitterweed are making a carpet. Goat weed too. 

Congratulations on picking up the new ram. He will get things figured out and see you as the sheep version of Santa Claus-you come bearing gifts! Hay, fresh grass, feed, fresh water, treats…….. yup, he’s a smart ram and will warm up to you real quick!


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> I'll see what I can do to get him used to me for a couple of days to at least see me as his food source anyway and see how we go from there.


Animal crackers!


----------



## Mike CHS

We got the ram and the ewe unloaded without any drama but the loading had a bit of it.  Brandon had the ram in a temp netting pen in a small holding cell.  I backed the trailer up to the cell but there was a gap just a bit wider than I am.  We didn't think he would try to get through that gap with me in it but our thinking was a little off.  Brandon got him headed toward the trailer and when he got next to me, he looked at Teresa who was behind the trailer gate on the right side, he then looked at the trailer and then looked at me on the left side.  I could almost see what he was planning on doing and about that time you could almost feel him thinking, "I can take the white haired guy out" then lowered his head and did just that.  Fortunately, I have enough arm strength that I held on to the trailer and the cell gate so he just pushed me up in the air as he went under and through me.


----------



## Bruce

I hope you don't pay in the morning, that had to hurt!


----------



## Mike CHS

Bruce said:


> I hope you don't pay in the morning, that had to hurt!



Nothing hurts so far.  I literally had my weight off the ground as he came through so he mostly just helped raise me up.   I made a lot of progress with him before it got dark at the stall.  I just sat there for a good bit of time and his curiosity got the better of him and he came up to sniff on the cracker but he couldn't decide yet if that was something he wanted to try.  They ate a good bit of the grass that I brought to them but didn't touch the hay so they seemed to be satisfied.


----------



## Mike CHS

The bottle lamb is a week old now and completely spoiled.  We make a point of making sure that he gets plenty of time outside but that kind of restricts what we can get done other than staying with him.  We had a 10x10 kennel that we used to use for lambs but we lost that to a tornado several years ago.  We decided that we were going to get another one but then decided to use one of the 88' runs of netting to fence off a 50'x50' portion of the chicken yard.  We energized it with a solar charger that we have and after a couple of times getting zapped, he leaves it alone.  Having been raised alone, he does a good job of playing by himself and he is grazing well.  We have taken him out to the herd quite a few times and although they keep smelling him they aren't aggressive with him but I guess he has our scent, so they accept him.  In another couple of weeks we are going to try to leave him with the others and just go out to give him his bottles (at least during the day).


----------



## Baymule

Mike can FLY! With a little help from a death grip on the trailer and a shove from the ram. Hahaha! I laughed at that. I use half hog or cow panels to close gaps. Just a FYI.  Glad you weren't hurt, but I would have loved to have seen that!

It won't take long for him and the ewe to warm up to you and look forward to your animal crackers. He's obviously not mean, just a ram being a ram. He will soon get with the "Mike" program. Why do you think I come get YOUR rams???? I'm not stupid. Crazy maybe, but not stupid!


----------



## Mike CHS

Other than cut grass this morning there wasn't much else done today.  I made some progress today with the ram.  I went down several times during the day and just talked to him and put very small amounts of feed in the trough.  The first couple of times he waited for me to go back in the door before going to the feed but I kept the door open so he could see that I was there.  Several times I did things like sweep up their pellets and give them fresh water and grass and he seemed more at ease by the end of the day.  The last couple of times that I put out feed, he was comfortable enough to approach the trough with me sitting on the door stoop beside it.  I did cheat a bit and put a few pieces of animal crackers in the feeder and finally whole crackers so he would recognize them when I try to give them to them by hand and he did eat them.


----------



## Baymule

A little at a time and he'll be your best buddy.


----------



## Ridgetop

I will try mixing animal crackers with the barley corn and see if they decide they like them.


----------



## SageHill

Mike CHS said:


> Lance REALLY doesn't like having to tolerate a lamb and can't figure out how he went from herding sheep to having to let one lay down by him.  He tolerates the lamb only because he is well trained and leaves him alone because I told him to.
> 
> Sassy could care less and likes having the lamb around.


The expression on Lance's face is priceless!!!


----------



## Mike CHS

One of our few neighbors came over this afternoon so her son could see the bottle lamb.  Teresa took her out to the field so she could see the newest babies and all of those that haven't lambed came running up to see who was there and what did they have for treats.  The yearling bottle lamb (Babs) is in the lead and as sweet as she is she is going to be culled for a lot of reasons.


----------



## Baymule

That has to be a hard decision.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> That has to be a hard decision.



It is and I think it's mostly our fault.  We over fed her on the bottle so she wound up with a whole lot of fat cells that has her all out of wack in confirmation and weight.


----------



## Mike CHS

The ram is coming around pretty fast.  I doubt he will ever be as tame as the other rams that we have but he just wasn't made that way but he is gaining trust pretty fast.  I am still making sure that I get down to the stall 6-7 times a day to do just something while they are in.  They ram and ewe don't react at all now when I'm sweeping up or adding grass or water.  The ram put his nose on my hand when I held it out and he immediately comes to eat when I add some feed or fresh grass.  I don't push him and let him decide to get closer and so far he is doing it a little at a time.  You can tell his curiosity is working in my favor.  A couple of times today,  I put a small bit of food out and stood away from it.  He came toward me and stopped just in front of me so I could rub his back.  He only let me do it once but he walked away rather than ran so we are getting there.


----------



## farmerjan

Mike CHS said:


> It is and I think it's mostly our fault.  We over fed her on the bottle so she wound up with a whole lot of fat cells that has her all out of wack in confirmation and weight.


She won't pass on the overweight fat cells in her DNA.... disposition counts for something... You should have sent her home with @Baymule  as another breeder.... your bloodline would show through...
Has she lambed yet?  Maybe try one lamb from her and see...?


----------



## farmerjan

Congrats on the ram "taming - training"... Nice when they have some common sense.


----------



## Baymule

farmerjan said:


> She won't pass on the overweight fat cells in her DNA.... disposition counts for something... You should have sent her home with @Baymule  as another breeder.... your bloodline would show through...
> Has she lambed yet?  Maybe try one lamb from her and see...?


It might be worth a try to breed her.......


----------



## Mike CHS

farmerjan said:


> She won't pass on the overweight fat cells in her DNA.... disposition counts for something... You should have sent her home with @Baymule  as another breeder.... your bloodline would show through...
> Has she lambed yet?  Maybe try one lamb from her and see...?


She is still young so we shall see.

We put the bottle lamb in with the two month old ram lambs along with the dogs and the wether.  We went out to feed the dogs and also took out a bottle for his 4:00 feeding and Maisy was walking with the lamb.  She usually runs out but she was staying with the lamb.  Mel is staying with him also so he is in good hands.  It's better for the lamb to be out with other sheep and even the dogs than hanging around with people.


----------



## Baymule

He’s got a double dog escort!


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> He’s got a double dog escort!


We did go out just before dark to bring him back in the house for his last bottle.


----------



## Mike CHS

We had another couple sets of twins born this morning.  We went out and got weights and ear tagged those that are ready for it.  Our sheep have the tendency to spend the first couple of days at or near the spot where they lambed so I always make sure I have extra water and feed to set out for them.  Fortunately they are smart enough to stay near shade with almost 100 degrees for the last couple of days.  I have a stand of giant bamboo that seems to be their favorite spot.  There is a micro climate under the bamboo that keeps them fairly comfortable even with the heat.

Teresa went out to see where the bottle lamb was and he was bouncing around Maisy and bumping her all over trying to figure out where the milk was.   She finally had enough and walked away.


----------



## Baymule

Congratulations on the new lambs. I can just see the annoyed look on Maisy's face.


----------



## farmerjan

Mike CHS said:


> We had another couple sets of twins born this morning.  We went out and got weights and ear tagged those that are ready for it.  Our sheep have the tendency to spend the first couple of days at or near the spot where they lambed so I always make sure I have extra water and feed to set out for them.  Fortunately they are smart enough to stay near shade with almost 100 degrees for the last couple of days.  I have a stand of giant bamboo that seems to be their favorite spot.  There is a micro climate under the bamboo that keeps them fairly comfortable even with the heat.
> 
> Teresa went out to see where the bottle lamb was and he was bouncing around Maisy and bumping her all over trying to figure out where the milk was.   She finally had enough and walked away.


Maybe the bottle lamb would learn to steal off other ewes....


----------



## Mike CHS

farmerjan said:


> Maybe the bottle lamb would learn to steal off other ewes....



Maisy and Mel stay close to him during the day and we take a bottle out several times during the day.  They all come running up when we take the Ranger out to bring the lamb in for the night. The lamb would try to steal some probably but our ewes are not gentle on lambs other than their own.


----------



## Mike CHS

I did my routine with the new ram and he is coming around a whole lot faster than I had expected considering how little he had been handled.  He will come up and eat feed out of a bowl right in front of me and he doesn't react at all when I'm out sweeping up pellets.  He wasn't sure whether or not that he liked it but he tolerated my hand on his neck and he obviously enjoyed the scratching plus he seems to enjoy me talking to him.  I have no intention of taming him but I do want trust and we are getting there.  If we can get him comfortable enough we want to get him on the scale since he is the biggest ram that I have seen.


----------



## Mini Horses

You say he did have some handling as a youngster.  They remember!  I always handled foals at birth and first few days after, touching, holding, etc.  Do so now with goat kids.  That  imprinting seems so minor but big difference comes in their acceptance of being handled later.  I think he'll be fine in short order.  😁  you brought an adult acquaintance with him.  That has always been my goal when adding does to my herd, if possible.  That's partly why I just bought 3 from one herd...they have a friend while acclimating to new surroundings an animals.  It's more than "chicken math".

He's a nice one.  I hope you get him weighed too.  Curious to know.


----------



## Baymule

I let Carson in this morning. I felt like I was doing him kinda dirty yesterday, putting Cooper and Dessa in his yard. But Carson asked to go out last night like he always does and woke me up barking last night. A big goofy Great Dane/Labrador cross, not a LGD, but I won't tell him that. He just rose up, BOOFING, not a full bark and wanted to go out. Carson is on the job. 

It won't take long for the new ram to calm down and give you his trust. Yes, their balls are bigger than their brains, but at least they have enough sense to figure out that you are no threat. 

Just getting light, Sentry and Sheba are barking, Carson is barking, don't know at what. They have quieted down now. 

Cooper and Dessa are at the fence, staring across the driveway. Dessa yells at me, wanting to be back with her friends. Cooper yells at me, wanting to cross the driveway and go make NEW friends.


----------



## Baymule

Carson did not ask to come back in, he curled up on the porch. He has a purpose and he is at work. Awesome farm dog.


----------



## farmerjan

Bless all of you with the barking dogs at night.  I am glad that they are doing their jobs for you.  And I sure hope that Cooper and Dessa get into some sort of an "acceptance" of NOT getting what they want @Baymule .
I would also be curious what the new ram weighs.  I really was impressed with the picture of him... he has size and length to really stamp his lambs if he is prepotent.  Let's hope it is a good blend with your genetics. 

I know everyone keeps saying that members will love their new phones as we have to make changes.  BUT.... @Mike CHS ... they still make flip phones that are perfectly compatible with the 5-G stuff that our old 3-G phones won't work with.  If all you do is use it for talking and maybe occasionally texting or something... and Teresa has a phone that does the "fancier stuff" you have little or no use for, then go with the flip phone.  I know everyone has kept saying about going with the smart phone... but I am leaning more and more to another flip phone.  I want it to fit in my pocket, I don't want to worry about it getting broken; my DS has gone through 3 or 4 in the last 18 months;  I hate the size they are.  I have a computer at home for things I need to look up and I am not price comparing at a store I am at shopping at... I am not often looking for GPS for directions at the last minute.  For many people the smart phone might be the greatest.  For me, it seems like there are just too many other things I don't need on them.  And one more thing... the cotton picking RIDICULOUS prices are just too far out there for me.  Newest, most top of the line stuff just doesn't impress me.  
It is just to each his own.  The flip phone I looked at is water proof also.


----------



## Mike CHS

@farmerjan the only use I have for a phone is talking.  Even when I had a bunch of people working for me they knew that if they needed direction from me, they had to call since I didn't and still don't answer a text.  I'll read it but that's it.  

The ram is coming around fast.  He is still skittish but it has been less than a week and he will come up and eat out of a bowl that I'm holding and doesn't react when I walk around him.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa took some pictures while we were out with the sheep so I'll post a few.


----------



## Baymule

Love the pictures.


----------



## SageHill

farmerjan said:


> I want it to fit in my pocket, I don't want to worry about it getting broken; my DS has gone through 3 or 4 in the last 18 months; I hate the size they are. I have a computer at home for things I need to look up


OMG are you my twin?? The dang phones keep getting bigger and my pocket is the same size as aways. The stupid phone hangs out of the pocket. More often it FALLS OUT. HA - I was backing the tractor the other day (using the box grader), saw something on the ground - thought 'just run over it' - then I realized it was my phone. GEEEADDD. I use my phone less and less, and even leave it behind <gasp>. It's great for texts, calls, email (occasionally) and  photos.


----------



## SageHill

Mike CHS said:


> Teresa took some pictures while we were out with the sheep so I'll post a few.


Awe - great pics and ooooohhhh that GREEN stuff!!  🤣


----------



## farmerjan

SageHill said:


> OMG are you my twin?? The dang phones keep getting bigger and my pocket is the same size as aways. The stupid phone hangs out of the pocket. More often it FALLS OUT. HA - I was backing the tractor the other day (using the box grader), saw something on the ground - thought 'just run over it' - then I realized it was my phone. GEEEADDD. I use my phone less and less, and even leave it behind <gasp>. It's great for texts, calls, email (occasionally) and  photos.


 Yep... we must be twins.....The last time I leaned over on the tractor, raking hay, I lost the phone out of my shirt pocket that didn't have a snap to "close it"... DS was there and I had him call it as I had an idea of where I lost it... found it under a windrow of hay... at the end of the row, and I had run over it with the tractor wheel (tell tale tread mark) and it worked fine....


----------



## Baymule

Before I buy jeans, I check the front pockets to see if my phone will fit.


----------



## farmerjan

Can't put those danged phones in a jeans pocket and be on the tractor for hours.... and what good is it if it is in the little tool box on some of the fenders (but not all of ours have tool boxes) if it won't fit, and surely doesn't fit in the front shirt pocket even when I wear a man's shirt... I like my flip phone in my jeans pocket and it will stay there sitting on the tractor or trying to sort cows and one hits the gate hard or anything.  I learned my lesson that time it was in the front shirt pocket... and now I just pull it out of the jeans pocket after a couple rows or rounds around the hayfield, in case someone has called I need to talk to....


----------



## farmerjan

Surprisingly, but MANY of the farmers that come to the stockyards have flip phones. And not all are like us "old geezers"


----------



## Mike CHS

I have lost track of how many Bell Peppers were processed this garden season but it has been a bunch.  The plants started out really well but slowed down during the hottest weather. They have since been putting on enough for us and the neighbors to put some up.  This bunch were picked today and the majority of them were picked from plants that needed the peppers thinned or branches were going to start breaking.

I got the last of the Pirela Mint pulled up today since that seemed to be the only way I was going to beat it (at least temporarily).  S[raying it this time of year would have done no good since this cooler weather has them all setting seed and all spraying would have done was to cause them to drop the seed.  I have learned that if I'm going to beat it, I'm going to have to spray early and then spray more to stay on top of it.  I have been pulling them for a couple of hours a day for the last five days and I'll still find more if I look.  Two of our eight paddocks don't have any of the mint but I beat them back a couple of years ago.  Up until today I was getting from 3-4 bed loads in our Polaris Ranger.


----------



## SageHill

Love the peppers. But oooh 3-4 bedloads a day in the Polaris. EEEK!! Though I've done similar with wild cucumber. I'm guessing that at least it smelled minty. Wild cucumber stinks 🤢.


----------



## Mike CHS

I went and picked up the lamb for the night and Maisy did something she had never done before and we have had her over four years.  Whenever I go to do something with Maisy, I always squat down right in front of her and scratch around her ears as we are almost nose to nose.  Maisy has never licked me but she just likes her contact.   So tonight, I don't know if she was stressed out because she was tired of getting poked by the lamb looking for milk or if she was stressed out because she knew the lamb was leaving.  When I squatted down in front of her, she immediately started licking and didn't seem to want to stop.


----------



## Baymule

That’s one of those awwww…….. sweet moments. 

Maybe she was telling you, “Daddy I’m so sorry for trying to steal lambs. I never knew what a pain in the A$$ they are! Thank you for taking him away tonight! PLEASE don’t bring him back! I promise to never try to steal newborn babies again!”


----------



## Mike CHS

We went out and put ear tags in the two sets of twins born yesterday.  One of the ewe lambs has some really pretty markings that is a new one to us.  I took some pictures but can't get the camera to cooperate.

I'm making good progress with the ram.  He will come up and eat out of a bowl while I'm sitting on the shop door stoop.  I can rub his back while he is eating and he doesn't get spooked when I walk by him so I'm happy with only a week here.  He doesn't trust me enough yet to take a cracker out of my hand but he knows what they are from getting them in the feed trough.


----------



## Baymule

That ram will come around, you have the patience to bring out the best in a ram. Can’t wait to see lamb pictures!


----------



## Mike CHS

Finally got a few pictures loaded from this morning.


----------



## Mike CHS

Success!


----------



## Mike CHS

These two girls were bawling for some crackers.  The one on the left is Pixie who is the daughter of our first bottle lamb (Princess);

The one on the right is the momma of our next bottle lamb (Little Bit) since her milk dropped down late.


----------



## farmerjan

Mike CHS said:


> Finally got a few pictures loaded from this morning.


Nice color on the set of twins... must be from Cooper?  But didn't you have a couple of black ewes in the originals?  Or some color?  Is this ewe out of them and cooper contributed a recessive that came out this time?
Sheep look really nice.


----------



## Mike CHS

The black ewes were out of Ringo.  That one black spot on his ear hides a whole lot of color.


----------



## SageHill

Mike CHS said:


> These two girls were bawling for some crackers.  The one on the left is Pixie who is the daughter of our first bottle lamb (Princess);
> 
> The one on the right is the momma of our next bottle lamb (Little Bit) since her milk dropped down late.


WIDE BODIES!


----------



## farmerjan

I knew there were some black ones... you don't have any black ones now do you....That helps @Baymule get all those colored ones....maybe Cooper has a recessive and he will throw more color on Ringo's daughters that both you and @Baymule have.  Do you see any difference in sale prices?   on the colored or the whites?


----------



## Mike CHS

We don't have any black ones now but Cooper's line throws a lot of color patterns and a lot of various shades of brown like the pics I have posted this week.  There doesn't seem to be a difference here in prices for the sheep but that may be because there are a bunch of sheep growers in middle Tennessee and the majority don't seem to have a preference in color or not.


----------



## Mike CHS

@farmerjan - this ewe is fairly typical of what Cooper throws when the genes match.  She was more reddish, copper colored when she was born,  Her name comes from that color as in "Penny"  She is right at 10 months old and wasn't bred this time.  She is about as tame as they get and holds her confirmation very well on grass.  She was wormed right after weaning but hasn't needed it since then.


----------



## Baymule

WOW!! That ram is a BIG boy! Look at that straight top line! Love the leopard Appaloosa spots!


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> WOW!! That ram is a BIG boy! Look at that straight top line! Love the leopard Appaloosa spots!



I'm curious to see how much he weighs once he gets more used to being handled but I'm not sure he will fit on our scale.  He has muscles on top of muscles but he was with a large flock of ewes all by himself.


----------



## Baymule

Hope Muscle Man doesn’t lose his physique! He won’t get near as much body building exercise!


----------



## Baymule

I had to go back and admire him again. He’s tall, long and big all over. Is he spotted on both sides like that? Have y’all named him yet?


----------



## Mike CHS

He has those spots all over and we haven't come up with a name yet.


----------



## Baymule

I got one. Del Rey, it means The King.


----------



## SageHill

Mike CHS said:


> I'm curious to see how much he weighs once he gets more used to being handled but I'm not sure he will fit on our scale.  He has muscles on top of muscles but he was with a large flock of ewes all by himself.


I was just thinking that too. Anyone even have a guestimate on how much he weighs??


----------



## Mike CHS

The last time we had Cooper on a scale, he was 226 but he is over that now.  This boy is well beyond that.

@Baymule Teresa didn't like that name so we will think about it some more.  I have come up with several but they were already used by some prominent names.


----------



## farmerjan

What is his registered name?


----------



## Mike CHS

farmerjan said:


> What is his registered name?



Right now it's a number


----------



## Mike CHS

We have reservations for the family get together for next August.  I couldn't go to the last one in Tulsa because of our animals but this one is only a little over an hour away.  I still won't get a lot of visiting time but at least get to see the new Granddaughter again.



			https://cedarridgenashville.com/


----------



## Mike CHS

One of the worst things about breeding when we do is hoping the ewes cycle so it works.  We have half a dozen that look like they should have lambed a week ago but they are still hanging on.  Nobody seems in distress so no point to worry yet.

The bottle lamb is doing well with our routine of giving him a bottle at 7:00 and then taking him out to the baby sitter dogs with their food.  Maisy and Mel are enjoying it now that they know that I will bring him back out every morning.  This definitely is the best protected lamb in the county while he is out there.

He has a unique personality that is much different than all of the bottle lambs that we have raised and I'm pretty sure he will get banded and join Pete as wethers since I won't send him to the market.


----------



## Mike CHS

The fall temps came in right on schedule.  Our first day in the 40's came on Monday.  I didn't think about it but I went down to feed the ram and ewe and both of them freaked out when I opened the door.  I can be slow to get awareness at times but they had been calm for several days so it took me a couple of minutes to figure it out.  As soon as I started talking to them they calmed down and I realized they didn't recognize me at first.  Monday was the first time in months that I wan't wearing shorts and T shirt but that day I was wearing long pants and a sweatshirt. 

I let them out this morning so hopefully things go well from here on out.


----------



## Baymule

I did just the opposite with Sentry and Sheba. Got early shower and went back outside to put them in the sheep lot. I was wearing shorts,  They barked, snarled, hair up on their back, in attack mode. Impressive! I finally talked to them, “Momma’s got legs!” And they wagged their tails, happy to see me. LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa and I went out to call the sheep into a paddock away from the ram since several of the yearlings kept trying to entice him to break his way through the fence.  One ewe was in the process of delivering her second lamb so she will stay put for another day.  One of them has the color pattern like a few others have.


----------



## Mike CHS

We had to think about what made this bottle lamb different than all of the others that we had and it didn't take much figuring.  We had used a kennel outside for our first couple of lambs so they were tame but not into living with us.  We had a couple that had a day or two in the inside kennel with interaction with us and then back out with the sheep and getting fed by us that way.  This is the first time that we have had one in the house with us for this much time.  We have a couple of ways this lamb can get a good life, whether that be with us or elsewhere.  We really don't need another wether at this point but that is OK if it works out that way.  We have friends who have always had some sheep for pets but most of the sheep are getting older and they are talking about getting more.  He responds to his name, comes when called and stops doing whatever he is doing when we get on to him.

Maisy pouts every time I go down and take the lamb out of the field.  She won't even take a treat or if she does take a treat she will spit it out and just look at me.


----------



## Mike CHS

The ram and ewe that we let out of the stall spent the whole day staring off in the distance to where I moved the ewes but they came back up to the stall this morning as I was out.  I had left a small amount of feed and they went in to eat that then went back out.  When I went to the stall they saw me and came back to see if I had something for them.  The ram took a couple of crackers and I put some more food out and they walked right by me to the food.  Today was just to get them used to coming in and gaining more of his trust by not trying to control their coming in and out.

We went out and weighed and ear tagged the twin ewes born to #44 yesterday.


----------



## Mike CHS

At some point in his life, the new ram had a lot of hands of by someone.  He appears to be completely trusting no.  I can walk up to him and put my hand on his back and walk completely around him.  I expected him to at least flinch some when I got in his slight zone but he had no reaction at all.  I don't want him getting too trusting so we will keep it where we are.  I just wanted to be able to get him in and out without having to drive him.


----------



## Mike CHS

I got winter rye grass seed put out in a couple of paddocks and I plan on getting some pelleted lime put out next week. CO-OP has a really good price when you buy a whole pallet but they had to order it so I can get it.  The lady doing the ordering kept trying to convince me to get the hydrated since they had that on hand but I watched a major part of a couple of tons of hydrated lime disappear into the tree line with our constant winds this time of year.

The bottle lamb spent his second night with the ram lambs, Pete the wether and the dogs.  He follows Maisy everywhere she goes even if one of us is out there and she loves having him along.  She is back to accepting treats from me now that I'm not stealing "her" lamb anymore.

I feel for all those that had to go through the hurricane so I almost feel guilty about how pretty it is here today.  The high was 74 and the sheep are loving it.


----------



## Baymule

Y’all moved from Charleston, how are the friends y’all have there doing? Everyone ok?


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Y’all moved from Charleston, how are the friends y’all have there doing? Everyone ok?



They got a lot of water and a lot of trees down but nobody that we keep in touch with had any major damage.  Teresa's oldest son lives just outside of Charleston and it was the same with them.  Charleston has major water issues with just normal rain so they are used to dealing with it (or putting up with it rather).


----------



## Mike CHS

We went out to check the sheep and saw that Myah had a big single ram lamb.  She is one of our registered girls.


----------



## Baymule

Congratulations on the ram lamb!


----------



## Mike CHS

Pepper, another registered ewe had a single ewe lamb when I went out to check early this morning.  When I went out to clean out the water trough I saw that there was now two ewe lambs recently born.  I guessed it was Pepper's and it turned out that it is another ewe lamb.


----------



## Mini Horses

Surprises like that are great!!


----------



## Baymule

Yay! Two ewes for the flock!


----------



## Mike CHS

We spent a lot of time watching Pepper and her twins today.  The second lamb was born several hours after the first and we couldn't get a good feel about how she was taking care of it.  She has never been good about standing to be nursed and I was always amazed that she raised such healthy sheep.  We were watching this afternoon and Pepper was about 100 feet away from the youngest lamb but she was watching her.  We watched, and watched, and watched some more and it looked like she had abandoned the lamb.  I asked Teresa to get a bottle ready and we would go out and pull her.  Teresa went in and about that time, Pepper went back up to the lamb and presented herself to the lamb to nurse and then went up the hill with both of the lambs.  One of the things I love best about our place is that we have a good view of almost all of our pastures from the front door.


----------



## Baymule

You have beautiful views, the sheep and green pastures just make it all better. Pepper is on her own schedule, not yours. LOL LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

We had hoped for a faster lambing time but it is what it is.  We are at almost a 200 percent lambing rate so that is good.

The new ram still doesn't have an official name but he is getting really well into the program so I will temporarily call him Rambo.  I'm guessing that he is at 300 pounds so he and I will not be having a competition.  I have him coming in several times a day and he is calm and with no reaction when I approach and put hands on.  I have made a point of closing the gate after he is in and he doesn't react at all. 

He has tried to be aggressive a couple of times but I am more aware of how sensitive his nose is and it is working.


----------



## Baymule

That boy is BIG. He is in the right hands, Mike's Ram Training School.


----------



## Mike CHS

Ever since covid started, we have been getting our COSTCO basics via shipping but there are a lot of those "wanted" items so we made a run into Franklin this morning.  I think we took care of those "wants" big time.  We still had to go into town to get some dairy products for the lamb since we use buttermilk in our recipe and the COSTCO buttermilk is big enough to feed our whole herd of lambs.

Pistol is getting small amounts of feed a couple of times a day and we have cut him down to three bottles a day.


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm broadcasting lime but I had to come in and get some water.  It's in the low 80's right now.  I use my riding mower to pull the spreader and it doesn't create a lot of wind while it's going.  Putting out lime is an easy job but it's time consuming since my spreader only holds 150 lbs so I wind up making numerous trips back to the truck to get more lime.


----------



## Ridgetop

When we had Dorsets, at night if the lambs hadn't nursed enough the ewes would paw them to make them get up to nurse before the ewes lay down to sleep.  No middle of the night feeding for those moms!  LOL


----------



## Mike CHS

Ridgetop said:


> When we had Dorsets, at night if the lambs hadn't nursed enough the ewes would paw them to make them get up to nurse before the ewes lay down to sleep.  No middle of the night feeding for those moms!  LOL



I have been out with them when they bedded down at night and the next morning when I went out, they had not moved so that told me not to worry about night feedings.  I figured that if they didn't do it, I sure was not going to.


----------



## Mike CHS

We have frost in tonights forecast so we stripped all of the peppers off the plants and went ahead and pulled them and the support posts up


----------



## Baymule

Those were some bodacious pepper plants, just loaded when we were there!


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm really surprised at how much separation there has been in lambs being born but it has been this way ever since we started doing spring/summer breeding so it goes with the territory.  We pretty much have most of the daily chores down to a routine since there has been NO rain.  We have to drive to Arnold Air Force Base tomorrow to renew Teresa's military ID card that we only accidentally noticed was about to expire.


----------



## farmerjan

Forecasts for us to have frosts/freeze tonight and probably for Sunday night also. I went out and found a few peppers too... and got a few ripe tomatoes the deer left.  I did not pick the green ones as there weren't many.  If we have a breeze at all, it won't hurt them too much.  I haven't dug the rest of the potatoes yet but it won't hurt them in the ground right now.


----------



## Baymule

I’ve had one lamb born so far. One. Uno is one month old and the ewes aren’t even bagged up yet. In April Ringo was chasing Eve, and again in May. She may/may not be pregnant. I saw Ringo breed Frimplepants on April 25, making her due September 17…….. a little overdue. She is hugely round but not bagging up yet. Ewenique is pregnant, no bag, Nova and Nora both look pregnant, Tiny I don’t know. 

For a breed that is supposed to breed all year around, somebody forgot to tell my and yours  ewes! 

Uno got the message. He’s been humping the ewes since he was about a week and a half old. They line up at the trough in the evenings and he goes down the line humping them all.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa's military ID is about to expire so she got on and made an appointment for this week which she said was for today at 1:30.  I was listening to something on TV this morning and somebody mentioned today is Columbus Day so I asked Teresa if she was sure her appointment was for today since it's a Federal holiday.  The printout said it is for the 11th so I'm glad that we caught it before driving the hour and a quarter it takes to get to Arnold Air Force Base.


----------



## Baymule

I’ve done that before……start clubbing self with Stupid Stick


----------



## animalmom

Teresa must be a youngster still.  I got my dependent mil id renewed this year and finally got an indefinite one since I pass the magic milestone of 65.  Nice not to have to go do that.  For us it isn't the actual doing, being in the office and getting a new picture taken, it is the travel time there and back that eats up most of the day.  Sigh.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa has three more years to go to 65


----------



## Mike CHS

Thought I would get one last garden related picture before we start processing all of these peppers.  We did get a heavy frost so it was time to put that bed to rest.  I have limed all of the beds and most of them are cleaned up or planted with cool season plants.


----------



## Mike CHS

I have been working on getting the ram to come when called and he is doing good so far.  He seems perfectly content to stay where he is but we need to use the facilities with the others so we need him to move out.  We have made it a point to have Teresa down when I handle the boy quite often and we switched places this morning so Teresa put the food out. He came right in when she started talking to him and came right up for his cracker before going to the feed so he is getting there.


----------



## Baymule

Awww… that is so cool!


----------



## Mike CHS

We processed a bunch of asparagus berries to save the seed today.  We have been planting some seed for the last few years as we expanded our asparagus bed but we are going to start another asparagus bed next spring.  The majority of the crowns in our main bed are over 10 years old and we transplanted them here when we moved from 
South Carolina.


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## Baymule

How long does it take for asparagus to grow from seed?


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> How long does it take for asparagus to grow from seed?



We have gotten small amounts in the second year but it's better to plan on not harvesting anything until the third year.  We only use seed to expand or fill in but our seed is free so we always keep the beds full.  Asparagus seed is silly expensive if you have to buy it and isn't much cheaper than year old crowns.

Edit to add that if you want some seed we can send you some.


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## Baymule

That's good to know. I love asparagus and want an asparagus bed.


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> We have gotten small amounts in the second year but it's better to plan on not harvesting anything until the third year.


Curious, that is the same timeframe as when you buy crowns. Guess I'll have to harvest some berries! Does it matter when you plant them? And just how is an asparagus berry supposed to plant itself such that the crown is the recommended 8" deep??


----------



## farmerjan

Most "wild" asparagus here is carried from place to place by the birds.  They eat the berries... often sitting on a fence and then next thing you know there are asparagus  plants coming up all along fence rows.  They just poop out the berries and they land on the ground and then the plant grows.  So, I am not sure about the planting the crowns 8"  deep except that it seems to help to prevent any freezing of the main part of the crown from surface frost heaves and such.  And the funny thing is, if you go to dig the wild stuff up to transplant it to a garden, they are way down deep... so somehow the berry seems to root and the roots go deep to form the crown.


----------



## Mike CHS

When we transplanted our crowns, we only planted them 3-5 inches deep and later added dirt to the bed.

We start the seeds indoors and transplant after the last frost date.  We do direct seed a few to fill in but they take two or more weeks to sprout.


----------



## Mike CHS

The milder weather has our lettuce plants thriving.  We will do a lot of "Wilted Lettuce" just to let us stay caught up with it.   Broccoli and cauliflower plants are doing great and since we are supposed to have some freezing weather in a few days, it's time to break out the low tunnels and frost blankets.  We got a couple of pounds of onion sets into the ground this afternoon.


----------



## Baymule

I'm sure missing my garden! It will take me awhile to get one going. Right now, I don't even know where to put one. I guess I ought to be buying a few cinder blocks at a time, to make raised beds. Even treated wood won't last long here.


----------



## Mike CHS

I have been calling the ram Jack, just to have something consistent to call him.  He hasn't been agressive but I have been making sure he doesn't get crowded. That being said, he got me this morning.

I still haven't figured out exactly what happened but the next time I went out I had a piece of wood in my hand.  I'm guessing that he thought the feed that I went out with in the bowl was for him and when I moved it away to put it in the feeder he decided to do what rams do when they aren't happy.


----------



## Mike CHS

I forgot to mention that his name now is Oshi.  When I saw him raising his head back the first thing out of my mouth was meant to be "Oh ****!" but I only had time to get out "O shi" by the time he got me.  

The forum software changed the second word but I'm sure it will be pretty easy to see what it is.


----------



## Baymule

Oshi!! Hahaha!!! That’s a good belly laugh! Will that be his registered name? Better do a google search, it might be a cuss word in another language, too! Hahaha! 

Did you have time to slap his nose?


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## Mike CHS

I didn't have time to do anything other than say his new name


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## Mini Horses

Hope you didn't get hurt (much)....surely not fun happening.


----------



## Bruce

Google says Oshi in Japanese:
"Oshi" means *a person who you support and someone you are a fan of*. It literally means “push.” Think of it like you are promoting someone and “pushing” them forward.

Somehow the literal and intended meaning both fit!! Good job choosing a name Mike!!!!


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## Baymule

There ya’ go! Perfect name!


----------



## Ridgetop

Mike CHS said:


> I have been calling the ram Jack, just to have something consistent to call him. He hasn't been agressive but I have been making sure he doesn't get crowded. That being said, he got me this morning.





Mike CHS said:


> I forgot to mention that his name now is Oshi. When I saw him raising his head back the first thing out of my mouth was meant to be "Oh ****!" but I only had time to get out "O shi" by the time he got me.



Love the new name!   Hope you didn't get hurt.

We have had a couple of those rams too.  One DS1 named Friendly because he used to come up all the time to be petted.  Bought as a 4 month old ramling and had my grandson go in the barn and tame him down.  He was gentle and able to be handled until he decided to go after DS1 and DH a couple times.  Our 2 oldest rams have gone after DS1 and DH only a couple times.  That was when they had just been placed in the breeding pen with cycling ewes so that could have been the reason.  Occasionally one has looked like it was going to butt when DS1 goes in to move a ram ad is chasing them around but we are on the look out for that behavior.  

Mostly our rams are pretty laid back, but we don't make them tame like you do.  They are not tame enough to eat cookies and ask for petting, but they are able to be handled.  I believe that a tame ram (*particularly bottle rams*) can be dangerous.   I never turn my back on a ram and keep a "ram stick" hanging on each pen that a ram might be in. The "ram sticks" are 18" pieces of old wooden closet rod with a hole drilled through one end threaded with hay rope. I would refer them to be 1" PVC which would not be as painful to the ram, but I had the closet pole and actually since the sticks hang outside n the weather all year the PVC would eventually get brittle and could shatter. Shattered PVC can be as dangerous as glass.  

Only ever had one that was a real "killer ram" and dangerous.  He was a huge Hampshire show ram belonging to DS1.  He could only be handled in a halter.


----------



## Mike CHS

Today was beautiful.  Temp got up to the high 60's but will still be going down to the 30's tonight then we have several days getting back to 80 and 50's at night.  Teresa cooked up a bunch of chicken breast Schnitzel that will make a whole bunch of my favorite chicken.  I have a birthday coming up on Saturday and she asked if I had any requests and Schnitzel it was to be.

There is a local festival for the next couple of days in Lewisburg but it seems to have changed a lot.  They used to always have contests for goats but they will just have a livestock display this year.  They have a lot of good talent out of Nashville but those don't start until evening so we will not be seeing that.


----------



## Ridgetop

Several Fairs around the country are no longer having livestock shows.  Traditionally exhibitors win "premiums" - a $ amount for placings on their entries.  I think that the livestock shows cost more to put on than other types of exhibits and some fairs have done away with them to save money.  Livestock shows require much more space - for housing/penning of the animals, showrings, equipment, camping space for exhibitors (even though they charge for camping), separate office space and personnel.  Then there is the cost of ribbons, trophies, arm bands, manpower to guard the exhibits at night, clean and set up the arenas, clean the barns, trash receptacles for manure and waste bedding, (exhibitors clean their own pens, but all that stuff has to be dumped somewhere), etc.  Liability insurance is necessary too in case an animal gets out and injures someone.  Usually, in youth shows there is a lot of volunteer participation from parents but open competition in open Fairs does not always have the level of volunteers.

In the last couple years before our local Fair folded, I raised the premium money for the dairy goat show.  I used the Booster Club 501c3 non-profit status to obtain donations and prizes for the youth entrants.  I had to start the day after the Fair closed to send begging letters for donations for the following year.  It was a lot of work, but we got a large entry once the premiums were offered.  For those people that don't show livestock, (or dogs, horses etc.) the exhibitors put a lot of work into their entries.  Youth that show livestock, whether for breeding classes or market really work hard at fitting, training, and grooming their entries.


----------



## farmerjan

Happy Birthday a couple day's early.... I have no idea what my schedule will be on Saturday.... Since I just had a birthday about a month ago... will you stop counting now???? I said I will not get any older than the 69 I turned...!!!! just start counting backwards....
When I was younger, I would peruse the fair premium books and enter as many chickens as I could to qualify for the premiums... plus all the baked goods and garden produce and eggs etc.  Then I would show my horse in the horse show... I could make enough to pay for a good part of my chicken feed and if the competition was good, I often did very good with my mare in things like barrel racing and pole bending, and other gymkhana games.  She was fast and very quick on her feet, but I trail rode alot besides the "ring training" and she was very responsive... plus she would obey many voice commands even when "fired up" so I had more control of her, over people that didn't put in the "ground work".. I rode an hour nearly every morning before school, because I often had jobs after school... and I spent time with her on the weekends too.  My babysitting would buy all her hay for the year and much of her grain... any class winnings were "extra money"... 
The poultry classes I entered when I got a little older, at all the town and county fairs we had... we would go to fairs 2 out of every 3 weekends for 2-3 months.  I know my mom must've gotten tired of it sometimes, but she never complained and always had food and the back of the truck camper packed with whatever we needed to save on costs at the fair... and that was back when it costs nothing compared to today to eat at the fairs.  

If it wasn't for the premium money, there would have been alot fewer animals.... I understand the only having an exhibition tent of animals to look at now without all the competition and the things like liabilities and all.  Besides, people seemed to have common sense in livestock barns and people were not so sue crazy over every little thing... 

Thank you, @Mike CHS ,  for supporting the youth and the hard work that it took to make the fair a successful and fun time for the kids.


----------



## Mike CHS

@farmerjan I was never one to celebrate birthdays but I always smile when Teresa makes it a special day. But, she makes most days special so I do smile a lot.


----------



## Ridgetop

No matter how bad some days are, they are all special when the one you love and who loves you smiles and says "I love you".


----------



## Mike CHS

We got a pretty good rain today and no high winds in spite of the forecast.  We still have 8 ewes to lamb and it has been over two weeks since the last one.  There are three ewes that are huge so I'm keeping an eye on them. The new ram hasn't had a lot of work moving around paddocks so I have been moving a pvc trough around to different places and calling him and it is working out well. 

On a completely different note, Teresa finally told me she can't figure out my taste for my pre-bedtime snack that I have been doing for years.  I like a couple of table spoons of cottage cheese, a little liquid from a jar of Maraschino Cherries, a couple of cherries and finally a garlic stuffed olive.  It gives me that good sweet and sour taste before brushing my teeth for bed.


----------



## Baymule

Smart Oshi! He comes when called and gets a treat. 

Your bedtime snack beats the heck out of my failed salmon patties, so there’s that…… Tell her it could be worse.


----------



## Ridgetop

The cottage and maraschino cherries sounds good but eating the garlic stuffed olives with it?!  Are you sure you are not channeling those pregnant ewes?  

I had a jar of green olives stuffed with lemon peel that were tasty but can't find them in any stores anymore.


----------



## Bruce

Ridgetop said:


> Several Fairs around the country are no longer having livestock shows


Who needs livestock shows at a county fair when they have big music shows, somewhat suspect midway rides and a ****ton of food that is bad for you? 

 

Might as well go to Six Flags or something.



Mike CHS said:


> It gives me that good sweet and sour taste before brushing my teeth for bed.


Doesn't brushing defeat the purpose of the flavor you seek?


----------



## Mike CHS

We need to do some major moving in the next couple of days dependent on weather.  We want to bring in the oldest ram lambs to check weights and pull some fecals.  One of these is too young to figure out whether we want to register him or not but so far I'm not thinking he is good enough.  We have several ram lambs that we need to pull in the next couple of weeks but not quite ready yet so we will move the adults in probably Tuesday to start the sort.


----------



## Baymule

Always work to be done. Been trying to figure out where and how to get up my working gates and cow panel and hog panel chutes set up. Feet need trimmed, need to build some sort of wood stanchion that I can bolt and unbolt for use. Don’t want to leave it out in the weather to rot and feed termites. So I can’t use deck screws and make it one big heavy chunk. I gotta think on this. I got time, can’t do nuthin’ now anyway. Driving me nuts!


----------



## Mike CHS

We were hoping to be finished with lambing by now but we are still waiting on 8 more ewes.  I'm posting some pictures of our cool season garden beds.  I had a couple more pictures of the lettuce bed but no idea where I put them.


----------



## Baymule

Nice! Fresh veggies in cool weather are so good!


----------



## Mike CHS

We are going to bring the main herd in to start checking them out and we have a few lambs that need their shots.

One of the Oops ram lambs is turning out really nice.  I love his calm personality plus he is showing some good signs of growing out very well.  We were planning on taking him to the sale but decided to go ahead and list him as a commercial ram and see how that goes for him.


----------



## Mini Horses

He is a good looking lamb.  Good length and nice depth on hind qtrs.👍


----------



## Baymule

He is nice! Maybe he can find a home being a ladies man!


----------



## SageHill

Mike CHS said:


> We are going to bring the main herd in to start checking them out and we have a few lambs that need their shots.
> 
> One of the Oops ram lambs is turning out really nice.  I love his calm personality plus he is showing some good signs of growing out very well.  We were planning on taking him to the sale but decided to go ahead and list him as a commercial ram and see how that goes for him.


Nice ram lamb!!


----------



## Mike CHS

SageHill said:


> Nice ram lamb!!



Thank you.  He has a lot going for him.


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm hoping that our ram Oshi and I have come to an arrangement about managing space around each other.  He of course likes to see what kind of treat that I have in the bucket that I take out to them but he insisted in getting in my space which I won't tolerate again.  For a couple of days I had a broken step-in post that I took in the paddock when I was taking out feed.  When he crowded me, he got the post up under his nose and it only took a couple of days for him to leave the gate and wander over to the trough where I put the feed.  Considering how little he has been handled, I'm happy that he reacts like I want him to but he hit me hard enough the last time that I will make the effort to not let it happen again.


----------



## Baymule

You got your hands full with this one. He’s smart and will learn Mike’s way of doing things, but you will always have to keep a watch on him. It doesn’t sound like he’s mean, just a ram. He’s not out to get you, but he’s a ram.


----------



## Mike CHS

You are right and he isn't mean.  He doesn't spook nearly as fast as he did before we started to set some ground rules.


----------



## farmerjan

It's hard to take an adult animal like that and "retrain" to a totally different routine.  Add to that as @Baymule said, he is a ram.... As long as he isn't mean, and you both let him know the boundaries, and still give him positive attention, you should both come to some sort of compromise.  You haven't had him all that long either... it could take a year or 2 before he fully "get's it".... but at least you have made progress and that is pretty good for a ram that was used in a capacity as a breeder only... not in a "family closeup and personal" situation like you have.


----------



## Mike CHS

One of the 8 ewes finally got tired of holding her lambs in and our 93 ewe had twins about an hour ago.  I don't usually mess with the lambs for several hours so I haven't sexed but they both look to be on the small side and right at 6 lbs each.

I like to add a couple of details in these posts so when I forget to write something down, I can come back to the posts for reference.


----------



## Baymule

Me too! I read my own posts to see what the heck I was doing! LOL

Congratulations on the twins! Only 7 more hold outs to go!


----------



## Mike CHS

I went into town this morning to pick up a little something for Teresa's birthday Thursday and on a whim stopped into Wendy's for a sandwich.  They weren't doing lunch yet so I ordered a #7 combo which I had no idea what it was.  I didn't check the nutrition but I'm pretty sure I got my quota for cholesterol for the month in that thing which turned out to be a Baconater.  I never had one before and probably won't again but it was downright tasty.

We brought a half dozen ewes in to pull fecals and check their weights and our schedule is tied up enough this week that we will do a few sheep every day until we get everything done with them.

On a side note, property prices are still ridiculously high here in spite of values crashing all over the place.  We have a friend that bought 25 acres three years ago.  She demolished an old house on the place, it had a decent sized pole barn and had it all fenced/cross fenced for livestock (including goats and sheep).  She sold it last month for $250K


----------



## Baymule

Prices are still stupid here too. I’m just real happy that I got this place when I did. Land may come down a little but I don’t expect it to ever return to what it was. Texas economy never crashes. It may take a hit occasionally but it never takes a dive. I expect prices to remain high. And how will young people afford a home? Why, with inflation dollars! Inflation dollars are worth less, so you get paid more, right? It’s insane. 

I hope to get my sheep equipment set up next week and start working my sheep, like you, a few at a time. It’s been a crazy year and I have neglected fecals, trimming feet and have a lot to catch up on.


----------



## SageHill

Same here on the land prices, then add a house and . So lucky and so blest we plunged when we did. 
Not far from here - a new house on ... a 3000sq ft LOT is 700K !!!! OMG not even enough room in the yard for a tomato plant!


----------



## Mike CHS

We brought the flock in again this morning and we now have most of the work with them caught up.  We spent more time cutting hair on 4 of the ewes that didn't shed right this year.  We have stopped doing routine hoof maintenance and only work those that have obvious over-growth issues and we have two of those to do before moving them back out.  

We went out yesterday in the paddock where Oshi is to rig up some poly rope on step-in posts and connected to the upper hot and ground wires.  Evidently he didn't like the way one of the gates was hanging and made a pretty good effort of making it more to his liking but the hot wire seems to have stopped a repeat performance.


----------



## Baymule

Oshi let’s it be known that he’s on the farm and he has an opinion about things.


----------



## Mike CHS

He keeps it interesting and I'm learning a whole lot of new things that I had previously thought I had figured out.  

He is actually coming around pretty well but I had never been exposed to that kind of power in a ram since the tame rams made me complacent.  The gate that he rearranged was a 10' gate on a 9 1/2' opening so it only opened one way.  He bent it in enough that it now opens either way.  I'm really surprised that the light gate chain held.


----------



## Baymule

Other breeds are even more aggressive and are capable of doing a lot of damage. You would expect that from a 2,200 pound bull, but we don’t expect that kind of raw power from a ram weighing 300 pounds. 

Cooper killed a water bucket, his new one is tied to the fence. 

Ringo spoiled us both.


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## farmerjan

Try having 200+ lb rams, that have horns like a bighorn sheep.... sometimes it is interesting.  I have only had one that half hit me and he was really trying to get into the bucket and was only 2-3 feet back as he "rammed" his way through a couple of ewes.... Luckily, ours are much more likely to be standoffish than to be challenging.  It is all my 220 lb,  6'6" son can do to hold them when we trim feet and do horn measurements.  They seldom do any ramming of innate objects though... they will do the whole "ram thing" with other males in the fall breeding season, but they don't bother buckets or fences or gates or anything.  If they did, they would be running the neighborhoods.


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## Baymule

@farmerjan how long does it take to grow a ram for sale to the hunting ranches?


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## Ridgetop

Mike CHS said:


> He is actually coming around pretty well but I had never been exposed to that kind of power in a ram since the tame rams made me complacent. The gate that he rearranged was a 10' gate on a 9 1/2' opening so it only opened one way. He bent it in enough that it now opens either way. I'm really surprised that the light gate chain held.


Rams are very powerful and can be dangerous.  Our rams are pretty docile but I never trust them.  DH and DS1 are not worried abut going nt their pen but when I go in a pen with a ram I always keep facing him.  It sometimes making walking difficult, particularly on uneven ground!   Junior is now 7 months old and has integrated into the ram pen where we pen all our rams together when they are not in the breeding pen.   I am glad they don't fight seriously.  Junior is very polite to hs elders!  LOL  

We had 2 market sires penned in adjacent horse corrals years ago.  The corrals had those large heavy duty metal bars. The older one decided to fight with the younger one through the bars.  We now have a corral panel that has several severely bent bars.  We refer to it as the ram panel.      It helps us remember how powerful rams are.


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## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> He bent it in enough that it now opens either way.


 That is a LOT of bend!!!!!!


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## farmerjan

On the Dall rams, we try for at least 3-5 years for the horn growth.  If the rams are growing good AND they have not broken off a tip from butting heads in the fall season, we will keep them closer to 5.  Some grow faster than others too... and the measuring also is the circumference around the base of the horn as well as the degree of curl... real tight to the head are not as desirable as ones that curl outwards...  DS sold one that had exceptional horns, we used him for breeding for 2 years, and then rather than take the chance of him breaking a horn, sold him rather than switch and use a different ram and put him back into the "bachelor ram group".... I think he got 900 or 1,000 for him.  Most are 3-400 and really it is not much when you figure what they are bringing at the normal stockyard sales when there is a big demand, like before a holiday or something.  We haven't sold any for 2 years with the covid crap and all cutting the businesses off for over a year and then trying to recover.  I think he is going to talk to the 2 places here soon and see what the current situation is.  There are about 8 he needs to get rid of... mediocre to average heads and maybe 1 or 2 would be good heads.  He needs to cut back on the rams although they are at doug's farm and run in with several fields of the feeder calves out behind in the lots.  They go under the couple of places there is some board fence (it was built for cattle not sheep)... and get around to eat... and they do eat some of the silage in the winter....
Of course this year he lost 3 of the 5 or 6 lambs early to the coyotes... 
He seems to be getting more interested in them again... maybe things are not as hunkey dorey and he is finding his way back to enjoying the animals a little more...maybe he has just decided that he needs to take better care of things in general.  He said he trimmed most all the sheep hooves at his house that needed it so had to catch them in the small pen that they have to go through from the small field behind his house to the other couple of "lots" that he fenced off for them to rotate into, in front of his house.  And he found out where they were getting out and has remedied that (for now... they will find something else, they always do)  and is going to put in some new T-posts and restretch the wire along the other side so they can't keep jumping a low spot and then he can go back to rotating them better.


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## Mike CHS

It is officially cold here and getting down in the 20's tonight so our stalling ewes will probably drop their lambs tonight or in the next set of nights in the 20's.


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## farmerjan

Mike CHS said:


> It is officially cold here and getting own in the 20's tonight so our stalling ewes will probably drop their lambs tonight or in the next set of nights in the 20's.


Sorry to laugh but that is Murphy's Law at the finest !!!!! Yep, they wait for the cold snap, or the hurricane, or the snowfall, or the pouring down rain, to lamb or calve or something....Supposed to be 20's and 40's all this week... with some COLD RAIN on Tues and some possible snow flurries ... and then maybe a few more flurries on Thursday.... 🥶


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## Baymule

Yep, this will be when they lamb. Could you bring them in under the shelter, so y’all don’t have to go traipsing out in the cold?


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## Mike CHS

They are in the paddock where they are never very far away.


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## Ridgetop

farmerjan said:


> Most are 3-400 and really it is not much when you figure what they are bringing at the normal stockyard sales when there is a big demand, like before a holiday or something.


That is not very much $$ when you have to keep them for several years.  Maybe the hunting ranches are starting to get hunters again and you can get them sold.


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## Mike CHS

We brought most of the sheep in to work this morning.  We did the usual and pulled fecals from a few and got weights on all of them.  We still had a few ewe lambs that needed shots and we got them this morning also.

Teresa cooked my all time favorite meal of corned beef and cabbage in the Instant Pot so Reuben Sandwiches are on the menu this week for me.


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## Ridgetop




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## Mini Horses

. Love both -- from pot and sandwiches!!  Yum!


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## Mike CHS

We dropped off Teresa's car this morning to get the oil changed and I took her there this afternoon to pick it up.  She went in to pay and a couple minutes later she came out and gave me a thumbs up so I headed home.  About half way home she called and she said they couldn't find the key fob so I went to the house to pick up my set of keys and took it back to her.

We found a place in Columbia that has the keys and the ability to program it so at least we don't have to go all the way to Franklin for a key.  We figured we would give the shop a few days to see if the key turns up and get us past Thanksgiving before replacing it and dropping off the bill at the shop.


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## Baymule

Makes ya’ have a lot of faith in that service department, don’t it?


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## Mike CHS

I have been cutting back on the bottle for Pistol for the last several days and today was his first morning without a bottle.  He was looking for the bottle but I just kept giving him small pieces of cracker and after a bit he just wandered off like the bottle didn't matter.


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## Baymule

He got the message, no bottle. LOL


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## Mike CHS

Teresa is more social than I am and of course managed to pick up a cold or flu bug.  Then she managed to give it to me.  She had a home test for covid and that came up negative.


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## farmerjan

I feel for you both.  I haven't done/aren't going to do a covid test as this is TYPICAL of the bad cold I get once every couple of years.  Lots of rest, fluids, vitamins, guaifenesin to keep my nose running... and it will run it's course.  Coughing and all that fun crap.  I am sure I got it at that meeting because of the cold weather, and my being more tired from not getting sleep like I normally do.  It's time... it'll do it's thing and that will be it. 
At least with the weather warming up I have been out some to soak up the sun.


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## Baymule

I’m sorry y’all are sick for Thanksgiving but glad it’s not Covid. At least her precautions have kept Covid away. Hope y’all feel better soon.


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## Mike CHS

We did find out sort of second hand that we have a flu bug.  Teresa and a bunch of ladies at church were doing food baskets to give out to families for Thanksgiving and one of them got the test done to confirm it was flu.  There wasn't much point in our doing tests (since I have never figured out what good a test did).


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## farmerjan

The test doesn't do any good except to let them add to the "horrendous number of cases of covid"....Covid is not any more contagious than a cold like I have or the flu bug that Teresa brought home from the church ladies...


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## Baymule

Cousin Covid is no more than a head cold-at least for me it is. I’m building my immunity. My immune antibodies ought to be the size of a refrigerator by now, armed with a 12 gauge sawed off shotgun, bandoliers crisscrossed right above the ice maker, granades loaded on a belt,  and a stockbroker buying up stock certificates in Kleenex. Yeah, I’m ready. 
Bring it on!


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## Mike CHS

I was cleaning up some pictures and ran across one with Lance working sheep at a friends farm before we got any sheep.  He gets so little time now other than holding sheep in place if I let them outside the fence since it's faster for me to move them.


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## SageHill

Mike CHS said:


> I was cleaning up some pictures and ran across one with Lance working sheep at a friends farm before we got any sheep.  He gets so little time now other than holding sheep in place if I let them outside the fence since it's faster for me to move them.


Good one. LOL -- yeah my guys are in the "train as little as possible" because other things need to get done.   .
I've always said that farmers and ranchers do not have the time to train their dogs like the people who only trial their dogs. The best dogs do not need or require copious amounts of training.


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## Mike CHS

We finished everything early this afternoon since it gets dark so early and we got the new Top Gun movie from Amazon.  It is done good enough that we went ahead and bought it since I'm sure we will watch it again.


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## Baymule

Top Gun sounds refreshing—I’ve been binge watching sappy Hallmark Christmas movies. Fortunately Cousin Covid and his accompanying Queen Quarantine , are gone. The day is sunny and I’m going outside to play. 

Rain+Covid+Hallmark movies=insanity


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## Finnie

Mike CHS said:


> We finished everything early this afternoon since it gets dark so early and we got the new Top Gun movie from Amazon.  It is done good enough that we went ahead and bought it since I'm sure we will watch it again.


I saw it twice in the theater, and I would have gone to see it again, it was that good. I think it was very well made, plus it was just fun to watch.


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## Mike CHS

The nearest theatre for us is 50 miles so buying it worked for us


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## SageHill

Mike CHS said:


> We finished everything early this afternoon since it gets dark so early and we got the new Top Gun movie from Amazon.  It is done good enough that we went ahead and bought it since I'm sure we will watch it again.


DH surprised me with a trip to the theater when it came out - I wasn't sure - but it was great -- and OMG the theater seats moved, there was wind in your face, and ..... even a mist of water. It was worth it - and here I thought the button on the arm rest that said "water" meant the holder was for a water bottle and that it was a cooler. Naive - I know.


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## Mike CHS

I went down to Alabama and picked up 1000 lbs of sheep feed.  The prices are still good considering what I have seen it go for elsewhere but it has gone up 50% in the last year.  The reason I drive the 30 miles to Ardmore is the Tucker feed that I buy there is the equivalent of $12 per 50 lb bag and the same feed at Lewisburg (15 miles away) is $19 a bag


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## Baymule

It’s worth the trip for that kind of savings.


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## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> He gets so little time now other than holding sheep in place if I let them outside the fence since it's faster for me to move them.


But less fun for both of you!


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## Mike CHS

I was starting to show all of the signs pointing to pneumonia that Teresa suggested we go to the DR,  I couldn't get in to see my regular since we went to one of those "Fast Pace" urgent cares. I had to laugh when I wrote down their name since we were there over three hours.  X-ray showed a whole lot of crud in there but no bacteria.  They gave me rx for a couple of things and we headed on home.


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## Baymule

Good thing there is no pneumonia. I hope you get over the crud soon.


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## farmerjan

Sorry to hear about the "crud", but glad that it is not pneumonia.  Just rest I guess, plus whatever meds they sent you....


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## Mike CHS

I'm not feeling terribly bad but felt like I was trying to breathe water.  Wound up with laryngitis also but the only impact that has had is that Lance goes on offence whenever I try to croak something out since he thinks there is a stranger in the house.


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## farmerjan

My voice is about half hoarse also.  Had someone ask me today if I was all right... had to explain that this hoarse voice is a common thing for me when I get a cold.


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## Baymule

Lance is on the job protecting the house from that weird talking stranger! LOL
Just hold a ball in front of Sassy and Lance. They won’t care what you sound like then!


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## Mike CHS

This is video that I had not seen yet but it is short and cute









						Border Collie gets the damn job done…
					

Professional herder at work           Enjoy the meme




					citizenfreepress.com


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## Baymule

Awesome to watch working dogs. That dog is amazing.


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## SageHill

Mike CHS said:


> This is video that I had not seen yet but it is short and cute
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Border Collie gets the damn job done…
> 
> 
> Professional herder at work           Enjoy the meme
> 
> 
> 
> 
> citizenfreepress.com


Love it!


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## Mini Horses

That is AWESOME!!!!!!!!    😍


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## Mike CHS

I had to put down our oldest ewe that was born here today. This ewe got caught in a small ditch so that she wound up on her back and although it couldn't have been very long it was evidently long enough.  We did what we could do to bring her around but she had obviously been down long enough to not be able to recover.


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## Baymule

I’m so sorry.  Each and every one of your girls are special and loved. Her being the first one born on the farm makes her even more special. This is a hard loss for you and Teresa. Big hugs to both of you.


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## farmerjan

Why do they get themselves into positions like that.....?  Just like our cow, she had the one dead calf, DS thought that was it... why did she get herself on that little bit of a hump, back down the hill to have the 2nd one... no telling if it had been alive or not.... but she couldn't get herself rolled over enough to get up and being weak anyway, that was it.  
So sorry that you lost her...


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## Mike CHS

We thought we were going to lose Ringo over a similar thing.  He had a boil that we wanted checked and of course the vet had to give him a shot.  We got home and everything seemed fine and luckily I looked out just as he was laying down and he parked his butt next to a big boulder that putt him flat on his back.  He started struggling immediately but I got out there pretty fast.


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## Mini Horses

I had a goat who butted a young, way smaller one yesterday while I was tossing hay.  No doubt she'd have died had I not been there.  Landed with neck under, on side, head twisted backwards 😲. Surprised it didn't break her neck!  But she could not get head out or flip onto sternum....would have strangled to death.  Strange things happen.


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## Baymule

Mini Horses said:


> I had a goat who butted a young, way smaller one yesterday while I was tossing hay.  No doubt she'd have died had I not been there.  Landed with neck under, on side, head twisted backwards 😲. Surprised it didn't break her neck!  But she could not get head out or flip onto sternum....would have strangled to death.  Strange things happen.


Good thing you were there and saw that. Bad goat! BAD!


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## SageHill

Oh man, sorry you lost the ewe.


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## Finnie

SageHill said:


> Oh man, sorry you lost the ewe.


X2 🙁


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## Mike CHS

I think I finally got over the worst of this flu bug.  I have never had one kick my butt like this one did and hopefully never again.  I still don't have much of a voice but I can make enough gutteral sounds to make the sheep react, including Oshi.  I will never trust that boy but he is to be admired. He has learned to respect my space as he knows I won't affect his.

I just spent about an hour reading the events around Elon Musks adventures on Twitter and I'm pretty sure he will never be attributed but he has to be the bravest person in this century.  I won't say anything else since it might hurt someones feelings.


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## Baymule

I’m so glad you are getting better. It’s so hard to do chores outside when you feel horrible. The flip side of that is it keeps you on your feet, you get exercise, like it or not. 

Elon Musk is one interesting guy. I like his style.


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## SageHill

Mike CHS said:


> I won't say anything else since it might hurt someones feelings.


HA! 
I kinda think that trying not to hurt someones feelings is part of what started this mess many moons ago. 
Say your peace when and where you want. Others need to learn they can deal with it.


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## Mike CHS

SageHill said:


> HA!
> I kinda think that trying not to hurt someones feelings is part of what started this mess many moons ago.
> Say your peace when and where you want. Others need to learn they can deal with it.



I guess I should have used a smiley face or something.    I'm at the point in my life that if I say something that hurts your feelings,  You really need to quit listening since I don't care what your reaction is.


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## farmerjan

Mike CHS said:


> I guess I should have used a smiley face or something.    I'm at the point in my life that if I say something that hurts your feelings,  You really need to quit listening since I don't care what your reaction is.


. I'm with you on that.......


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## Baymule

Well I reckon y’all know where I stand on speaking my mind. I try to be polite about it, Southern style. 

I went to San Antonio to visit friends. We went to the Alamo and the River walk. Decided to take the boat ride. We got on, a man and 2 ladies did too, sitting next to me. The man was a loudmouth, running down Texas. Now most times I can ignore people like that, but I had just come from the Alamo, the shrine of Texas freedom. That loudmouth just rubbed me the wrong way. 
I politely asked, “Where y’all from? 
One of the ladies answered, “Southern California.”
I answered sweetly in my best Southern accent and Texas drawl, “Bless your heart.”

The look on their faces was priceless. Evidently they had been to Texas or elsewhere in the South to know I had just told them, “Y’all are stupid.” Loudmouth shut up and the boat ride was peaceful.


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## farmerjan

Baymule said:


> Well I reckon y’all know where I stand on speaking my mind. I try to be polite about it, Southern style.
> 
> I went to San Antonio to visit friends. We went to the Alamo and the River walk. Decided to take the boat ride. We got on, a man and 2 ladies did too, sitting next to me. The man was a loudmouth, running down Texas. Now most times I can ignore people like that, but I had just come from the Alamo, the shrine of Texas freedom. That loudmouth just rubbed me the wrong way.
> I politely asked, “Where y’all from?
> One of the ladies answered, “Southern California.”
> I answered sweetly in my best Southern accent and Texas drawl, “Bless your heart.”
> 
> The look on their faces was priceless. Evidently they had been to Texas or elsewhere in the South to know I had just told them, “Y’all are stupid.” Loudmouth shut up and the boat ride was peaceful.


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## Mike CHS

I can literally hear you say that to the loudmouth.


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## SageHill

Baymule said:


> I politely asked, “Where y’all from?
> One of the ladies answered, “Southern California.”
> I answered sweetly in my best Southern accent and Texas drawl, “Bless your heart.”


Love ya' @Baymule -- you are priceless.    👍  and far kinder than I would have been (and I'm sitting in SoCal)!


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## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> I can literally hear you say that to the loudmouth.


Yup, you sure can!


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## Bruce

One has to wonder why they were visiting Texas if they have nothing good to say about the state.


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## Baymule

Coyotes have been active, howling and too close lately. The dogs bark their warning. I’ll step out on the porch and praise the dogs and talk to them. They stop to listen to me, then go back to their vocal war with coyotes. Good dogs. 

Ground is white with frost, it’s cold outside. Sheba and Sentry are staring this way, waiting for me to come outside. I just got another cup of coffee. My Carharts and hoodie sweat jacket are draped over a dining chair. Rubber boots in the utility room. After this cup, I’ll suit up and go out to greet the day.


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## Mike CHS

We have had quite a few nights with temps down around freezing but the row covers are doing their job.  Teresa just brought up a batch of Kale and lettuce along with a head of cabbage.


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## Baymule

That looks good. How do y’all cook the kale?


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## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> That looks good. How do y’all cook the kale?



Teresa usually does a sautee of some kind.  I can't even stand to smell that stuff so I obviously don't cook it.


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## Baymule

You don’t cook it, you don’t smell it, but do you eat it?


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## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> You don’t cook it, you don’t smell it, but do you eat it?



NEVER!


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## Bruce

Probably eats his dinner out on the porch so he doesn't lose his appetite while Teresa eats hers.


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## Baymule

I’m gonna have to grow some kale to see if it’s really all that bad. If I hate it, the sheep will like it!


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## SageHill

What is is about kale?? I can't stand the smell - smells like a garbage can to me. Though I've had it raw in salads and it's ok. Maybe it's something like cilantro - some people think it tastes like soap DS thinks that. I read somewhere there's something tied to genetics in that one. (But DH and I like cilantro so it must be hidden deep in the genes).


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## Mini Horses

Its the sulfer....like most cruciferous veggies.    May taste more agreeable raw. 🙂


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## Mike CHS

We have gotten into a decent routine with all of the cold weather but of course, it is COLD.   It hasn't gotten quite as cold as the forecast since this morning was the first time I have had to break the ice in the water troughs.


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## Baymule

I had ice in the water buckets yesterday too. Going to rain all day, Thursday it will drop and get real cold. Gonna be a cold Christmas, down in the teens at night but above freezing in the day. Stay warm!


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## Mini Horses

Similar here...23 outside now @7 am.  Probably will have a little ice to break today.   And will use these hot tubs during the frigid Christmas weekend as days will be in 20-30s also, after low teen nights.  So, heavy freeze.


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## SageHill

Mini Horses said:


> Similar here...23 outside now @7 am.  Probably will have a little ice to break today.   And will use these hot tubs during the frigid Christmas weekend as days will be in 20-30s also, after low teen nights.  So, heavy freeze.


Oh man - SOOOO glad I don't have to deal with ice here. What a pain, and the thought of frozen pipes eeeek.


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## Bruce

It is nice of you southerners to join us with sub freezing temps!!!


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## Mike CHS

We are supposed to be down around 28 in the morning and then 8 degrees the next day.  I have the shelter open and the heat lamps on even though the ewes never use them.


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## Baymule

Looks like Friday will be out worst day/night. Low of 14F and high of 31F. I did some wind blocking on the 2 cowpanel hoop shelter, sheep will be ok. Dogs will snuggle down in hay.


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## Bruce

Anything you have to do to keep pipes from freezing at your new place?


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## Baymule

Bruce said:


> Anything you have to do to keep pipes from freezing at your new place?


Yeah, I drew up water, and turned water off. With 3 girls, this is gonna be interesting. Got buckets of water in the bathtub for flushing toilet and a pitcher of water and a bowl for washing hands. They are lost.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Yeah, I drew up water, and turned water off. With 3 girls, this is gonna be interesting. Got buckets of water in the bathtub for flushing toilet and a pitcher of water and a bowl for washing hands. They are lost.



It was just the two of us but we had drinking water from Walmart and everything else used buckets.  We had a horse trough that we put outside in a tent that was our bathtub.    Every once in awhile the neighbors used our driveway to walk to other family and we would have a quick conversation while they walked by.

I am officially over the flu bug except for a little bit of chest congestion left over.  We both got it but it did a better job of kicking my butt.  I rarely go to a doctor but did for this thing.  I guess there was some good that came out of it since I got rid of over 20 pounds that needed to go anyway.  I also never had a bug that lasted this long.  It was with me for almost a month and hit several other neighbors for just as long.

It got up to 57 today and this was the first time I didn't have to go out and break ice for several weeks.


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## Baymule

I’m glad you are finally feeling better, that flu really got a hold on you. Then having to go outside and bust ice on water for animals sure didn’t help any. It doesn’t matter how you feel, they must be cared for. I know you are happy to see the freeze go away, at least for awhile. We may still get freezing weather, still have January and February to go. But if so, at least you won’t be sick!


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## farmerjan

Glad that you are finally feeling better.  Seems like the "bugs" this fall/winter are kicking people's butts.  I am thankful that the 2 I have had had been 48 hour type things... and still having this sinus drip is driving me nuts... plus a sore throat again today but I attribute part of it to the sinus crap.  Oh well, I just keep doing what needs to be done just like every farmer I know.  Hope Teresa is feeling better too.

So glad that the cold has retreated for a bit.  We got up to 49 today and was mostly sunny.  Weather should be decent for at least a week with nights above freezing by this weekend.  That will be nice.  Sure we will get cold again, just hope that we don't do much of the ZERO stuff like we did.  

Are you expecting lambs soon?


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## Ridgetop

Got caught up with your post finally.  First time on BYH since Thanksgiving.  Stuff happens.


----------

