Baymule’s Journal

[farmerjan]

I know that you are doing the breedup program, and have to cull... BUT.... you will always need some "commercial lambs" to sell for cash flow... and 1 very special ewe will not break you. If breeding her to Rocky and letting the neighbor have her for his commercial program and the kids and meat in the freezer, then that is the way to go.... I think that there might be others that can be culled with less stress on the ache in your heart too...
And breeding her to Rocky, and keeping that years lambs, might give you another line of breedup lambs, that would allow for some other line breeding down the road.... and then let her go to Chase.
Sometimes, you make the decision to keep an animal because it just is the better thing for you. And as the next crop of lambs comes in, you might not hurt so much to let her go; especially to Chase and his family since he does alot to help you too...
Cull for reasons other than just the heavier wool on her back... cull for type, and yes, for the breedup program, but sometimes there is merit in keeping around one of the "old ones"... and sometimes it is the right decision to let them go.

 

[Margali]

What @farmerjan said. She is giving you babies each year that are good to eat... That could be her way to pay rent.

You would still be doing better than me! 4 of my 10 ewes are special and not leaving farm ever. Aria is first ewe, Mocha is first registered ewe bought, Oreo is first ewe born, and Socks is first registered ewe born.

 

[Mini Horses]

Agree. I have a couple goats who are worth far more than $ or the cost to feed - let them live out their life here. Reason I still have 4 OLD mini mares. Had 5 until 2 wks ago but she loved it here and not like I couldn't keep her until.

I was going to let Brat retire this yr but, she took it upon herself to rebreed so I'll have her milk thru this year. She loves to be milked. We're buds!! Her end will be very hard, so hoping she'll retire 2025 and relax for a few years & be just a pet. She was first kid, never left the farm, never will.

 

[Baymule]

I think yall might be right. I’m tearing up just looking at that picture and I can hear BJ talking to her. Heart wrenching. Frimplepants stays.

Ewenique, last of 4 original bred ewes we bought. She’s 10 years old, pregnant with twins, due now through next week. She’s never going anywhere.

Dessa. Registered ewe, BJ picked out and named her. Brought her home June 2021. So far she’s given me one breech dead ram lamb. Bred to Cooper again, due end of March. Hopefully live babies this time, but she’s here forever, regardless of what she does or doesn’t produce.

Texas Five. Not. Going. Anywhere.

I’ve reached my goal of 30 ewes, plus 5 unweaned ewe lambs. I figure to top out at 50 ewes. There will be lots of lambs, breeding up, selling of recorded ewes as I get registered ewes from their lines. Culling hard, I will have a nice flock.

Just doing bare minimum math, 50 lambs at $100 at auction is $5,000. That’s not counting sales of registered breeding stock. This is completely doable in the next 2-3 years.

 

[Baymule]

Got new pictures of Ringo 2.0 and Rocky. Hard to get good pictures because they were sure that the phone was an animal cracker.

Is that a cracker?

Ringo 2.0

Rocky. @Mike CHS Teresa requested new pictures of Rocky. He tried to eat the phone.

 

[Baymule]

And I got 2 1/2” of rain last night. That’s on top of the 10 1/2” last week. Sheep pens were not dry, but they are back to slop. I let the Anatolians in the house yard last night and will again tonight. Sentry is with ewes and lambs in front field, Sheba and Buford are in middle field with Cooper and girls.

Pond overflow

It drains towards the driveway and road

And it drains towards the 40 acres on the north side that belongs to Bennett and Peggy.

Walking towards driveway and road.

Sheep pens are slop again. Once it dries out, I’ll be running sheep through the chute, checking feet, trimming feet and taking fecal samples.

 

[farmerjan]

I feel for you with the slop. At least here, there are places that the cows can get up out of the wet with our hills and such. I cannot imagine being so flat with "no place to go"....
A message to Mother Nature.... "Please hold off on so much rain in Texas right now, and bring it during some of the hot summer months to give the pastures a nice drink and some relief from the heat... signed @Baymule "...

 

[Ridgetop]

After you get the fencing done, you might want to dig another pond where the water drains toward the front and road. Use the earth removed to raise the level of the ground for the barn.

Love the length on Rocky. He is a very nice ram. That length of loin is where the $$$ cuts are.

The Life of a farmer - too much rain, not enough rain, flooding, drought, prices are too low can't make money, prices are too high can't restock! Why are we even doing this? Oh right, because we are MASOCHISTS!

We all need therapy - identify as illegals and we can get it free!

 

[Mini Horses]

I LIKE dig a pond for fill dirt! Why not? Even shallow would work. Even some wide, shallow ditches could work -- grass could grow in them most of year and just be a catch basin in bad weather? Think along those lines --

 

[Weldman]

I went and looked at my pond I dug last summer, it's holding 2 inches which I hope stays till summer. Will give me a boost on getting pigs down there to pack it down. Going to have about 6 ponds when done so far I have counted on plans. Going to check on a pond is 2 miles round walking trip.