Baymule’s 2021 Lambing

[Kusanar]

Everyone dealing with freezing temps, don’t shoot me but can you post a snow pic. I’ve been wanting a few days of snow. Bay, I don’t envy you. That sounds downright awful. I live in the Atlanta area and grew up in Savannah. Snow remains a novelty to me.

We have warmed back up now, but I took this pic a few weeks ago from the parking lot at work. This was ice with a few inches of snow on top of it which is what made the mountain so pretty.

 

[thistlebloom]

Bay, since this may become an annual event, maybe you should look into trough heaters. I know it will cost some initially, but they last for years and years, and will be a huge boon "in the event of". You just need to have them at the ready, with a plan for electricity. I wouldn't want to do what you have to do for even a week.

 

[bethh]

We have warmed back up now, but I took this pic a few weeks ago from the parking lot at work. This was ice with a few inches of snow on top of it which is what made the mountain so pretty.

View attachment 81665

That is beautiful. Where is it?

 

[Kusanar]

That is beautiful. Where is it?

Roanoke Virginia. It's just wet and muddy here now. Apparently 37 degrees and raining. We did just have an ice storm Friday and Saturday though but roads were fine again Sunday and all of the mud had thawed out.

 

[bethh]

Roanoke Virginia. It's just wet and muddy here now. Apparently 37 degrees and raining. We did just have an ice storm Friday and Saturday though but roads were fine again Sunday and all of the mud had thawed out.

It’s so muddy here. Everyday I look at expecting to see pigs wallowing around.

 

[Baymule]

@bethh snow usually shows every 2-3 years, we get 2-5 inches, by day 2 it is melting, by day 3 it is mostly gone. My kind of snow party!

THIS storm is I think they said a 50 year event. First we got an ice storm on Thursday, then sleet all day yesterday, Sunday, it started snowing last night and this morning it looks like 10 inches.

This is the house.

This is the sheep barn, open on 3 sides because of the ferocious heat we have. There is radiant heat barrier under the metal roof that makes a 10 to 15 degree difference in the summer. Doesn’t do much good right about now....

How do you like Carson’s photo bombing tail?

This is a shot of a small pen I use to jug ewes and new babies in, when needed. I had a lamb born during the ice storm Thursday so I jugged new baby and new mom, using cardboard to block the wind. I put them both in the barn yesterday, hoping they have bonded enough, figuring the lamb would stay warmer in my original shelter I built. The lambs pile up in there. Just look at the snow that blew in the pen! Divine guidance made me move that ewe and lamb!

In the front corner, by the T-post is another pen, Sheba curls up in the hay in the corner. It got dusted with snow too, but her corner was a little more sheltered.

 

[Baymule]

The snow is too deep to use my wagon to haul buckets of boiling water, so I carry them. I’ve done round 1, breaking ice and pouring boiling water in to melt ice. I have 15 baby lambs out there, keeping water for the ewes is critical. It’s up to 10 degrees now. It’s a freaking HEAT WAVE!!!! LOL LOL

Horses were licking snow this morning, I opened up a hole so they could get a drink.

The two bottle lambs got hungry before I came back in, BJ warmed their milk and fed them for me. We both got sick last month, I’m ok now, BJ is almost over it and I’m not letting him outside to get cold and relapse. It’s tearing him up. He is keeping the water pots boiling and that’s a huge help.

More snow pictures

 

[farmerjan]

It looks so much like a normal snow here in Va..... I understand making sure the ewes getting water.... and using hot to melt it is better than just giving them warm water to drink. Their metabolism will go up as their body drinks the cold water and warms it inside.... all that provided they are not out in a raging blizzard/ice storm and have some shelter. Yours are doing fine. Really, we have done this for years. Granted, our animals probably get a bit more of a winter coat... but your temps have been chillier so they have gotten a chance to get acclimated to it.
YOU WILL GET THROUGH THIS. The animals will cope and you are always giving them more and better care than many do.....

 

[thistlebloom]

Wheels are useless in snow. If you have anything you can use as a sled it's 1000 times easier than carrying buckets.

I have to bucket water to my animals also, I use a sled that holds 3 buckets, and when I need to wash out and completely refill I use the sled that holds 5 buckets. That's usually about 50 gallons worth of hauling.
My exterior faucet froze up yesterday so dh helped me fill and haul water from our frost free hydrant up front. Not enough snow to use a sled then, so dh sweetly carried them for me. Today we finally have snow to cover all the bare bits. Only 3" so far but still coming. Back to being able to slide things.

I am sorry for all of you getting hit by all this. You sure are getting character development! Not that you all weren't a bunch of characters to begin with...

 

[Kusanar]

It’s so muddy here. Everyday I look at expecting to see pigs wallowing around.

Yeah, and here we have lovely red clay, so slick as oiled glass and will suck your boots right off... Even the horses walk gingerly when it gets slick because they slide... and they have 4 legs, I'm just happy when I don't fall in it.