Counting Lambs

[Sheepshape]

I saw that last picture and had to go put on my coat.

Almost need the coat on Indoors at the moment.

You've posted so I guess you sill have power/Electricity

For now....we often lose power in snowstorms due to the overhead cables being pulled down. If we do lose power , then nobody will be able to get to us for days.

Have you been out to slog through that mess to check the animals yet? I sure hope they're OK.

I've spent much of my day tending to them. It's now that I am grateful for the fact I have mainly local breed sheep....their wool is fantastic.....they have been wandering around all day with snow on their backs which is firmly attached and hasn't melted. Shows just how good an insulator wool is. No water to be had (for them or us), but they're eating snow. Food-wise, they're getting extra pellets and unlimited silage. All looking OK today.

The weather forecast is not great for weeks to come, which means lambing is likely to start with bad weather around.

Even the neighbours weren't able to get to the village by tractor and ended up coming across our field as they couldn't get up the lane or turn back.....it's the worst weather I've ever encountered....the 'perfect storm' of very low temperatures, much snow and gale force winds.....

I have thrown a huge amount of food to the local wild birds who are coming right up to the door to beg for food.

I'm glad that I go for overstocking on food right now.....we;ll be fine for weeks if needs be, but I'll run out of ewe nuts pretty soon.

 

[Baymule]

I don't even have the weather you have, but I am a bit of an overstocker myself. Spring can't come fast enough for you!

 

[Sheepshape]

Spring can't come fast enough for you!

Spring or rather shower was definitely the word for us yesterday. So the water to the house began to flow again, into the taps, the toilets, the kitchen and spare bedroom ceilings.....three pipes burst and water was everywhere. Much midnight oil spent on plugging up, blocking up and mopping up. Today a frozen waste pipe burst and sent a second torrent.

At least today has been milder.

 

[Latestarter]

So sorry

 

[Mike CHS]

Sorry that is happening. I have had to deal with that sort of a mess so I don't envy you.

 

[Baymule]

Wow. Metal pipe or PVC? At our old house we had metal pipe, it burst in the ceiling and flooded the house. Ceiling fell in too. We had it all replaced with PEX plumbing pipe. then had to strip the sheetrock walls and ceilings in two bedrooms, pull up flooring and start over.

I am sorry that you are having to deal with this. It makes a terrible mess and damages your home. Blech.

 

[Sheepshape]

Metal pipe or PVC

Old copper pipes on part of the cold water system and fine bore copper pipes on the central heating system. We also had a plastic waste pipe burst....It was the horrible combination of very low temperatures and high winds.

The pipes to the sheep shed are still frozen up....but fortunately there is a nearby stream which I can fetch water from.

Our lane is still blocked by 15-20 ft snowdrifts....we are lucky that the fridge and cupboards were fully stocked.

One ewe developed early twin lamb disease this morning (one of the girls outside who is expecting triplets). I'm pretty sure I've caught her in time.

 

[Baymule]

Always good to keep a well stocked pantry. You just never know. Yuck on the waste pipe. 15-20 foot snowdrifts.....I can't imagine. Hang in there, sending sunshine your way!

 

[Latestarter]

Our lane is still blocked by 15-20 ft snowdrifts....

I do hope you've been taking some pictures to share despite all the more pressing issues you've been dealing with. That must be like a five hundred year or thousand year storm for you folks. Has anything like this happened in your lifetime?

 

[Sheepshape]

That must be like a five hundred year or thousand year storm for you folks. Has anything like this happened in your lifetime?

It was a bad combination of wind, low temps. and snow, but I live in a remote mountainous area of Wales. Our road, just a little un-named lane, tends to be blocked by snow or too treacherous to drive on due to ice, several times a year. This last storm caused a lot of drifting, and it's these drifts that are blocking the lane.

Meanwhile my ewe with Twin Lamb Disease didn't seem to want to eat

This is our drive

A general view across one of the fields