Margali's Griffin Wood Ranch

[Baymule]

Oh, so a grass snake? They do stay small. I’ve seen one snake out by the pond. It got in the water so fast, I didn’t see its head. Don’t know if a water snake or a cotton mouth. Two guys cutting up firewood killed a copperhead.

 

[Mini Horses]

The snakes are there but livestock activity helps minimize the numbers -- except where there's mice & eggs! These squatter, feral cats have helped with mouse patrol! So fewer snakes.

Believe another groundhog has decided to move in under a hen house. . Need to buy some cantaloupe to bait the traps....

 

[SageHill]

@SageHill @Baymule It's a Dekay's Brownsnake (Storeria dekayi). They stay tiny and are completely harmless worm and slug eater.

I called it roadrunner's dinner since they eat snakes and small lizards. These are the most commonly seen snakes on my property...

Oh yeah - I've got roadrunners -- all affectionately named "Roadie". They even eat the rattle snakes here - LOVE our Roadies!

 

[Bruce]

Believe another groundhog has decided to move in under a hen house. . Need to buy some cantaloupe to bait the traps....

I never did trap the groundhog last year despite using every bait claimed to be an attractant including cantaloupe. Haven't seen it this year but I'm pretty sure "yet" is appropriate.

 

[Mini Horses]

I caught 3 about 2 ys ago. Same place.

 

[Bruce]

Maybe I'm unlucky and got the smart/wary groundhog. I need stupid ones!

 

[Margali]

BREEDING 23-24 PLANS
I'm trying to figure out breeding plans as well as having Mocha, Oreo, and another sheep for showing. I think this will work:
Group1: Aria, 4 of OK sheep.
Group 2 Show Group: Mocha, Oreo, and smallest/calmest OK sheep.
Group1 will join Snickers April 22 - June 3rd giving September - November lambing dates.
Group2 will join Snickers Aug 12 - Sept 23 giving January - February lambing dates. Oreo will be 6.5 months and will join Group 1 at this point.

Group 2 will be required to practice showmanship to earn their evening feed. Babies from this group would qualify for owned and bred classes.

 

[Baymule]

Remember January-February can throw some bodacious ice and snow parties. I used to breed for lambing in February because the grass came out in March. Snowmeggdon of February 2021 cured me of that. Water buckets freeze and you’ll be hauling water from the house.

Why not breed Group 2 at the same time as Group 1? At what age will you breed Oreo?

 

[Margali]

Why not breed Group 2 at the same time as Group 1? At what age will you breed Oreo?

Mocha is still nursing Oreo who is only 6 weeks old right now. Misty and Shy Lady are smaller and a little lower condition than I'd like. They turned 1 year old April 1st. So I was going to feed them seperate a bit.

The big breeding ewe show is in January and ewe is supposed to be pregnant then. So I might shift group2 further back to September and breed Oreo too.

 

[Ridgetop]

Check birthdates on lamb classes for shows during the year. Dorper shows have fall lamb classes and spring lamb classes. Breeds with annual lambing usually require lambs to be born after December 31 to qualify as lambs for the show year. If you have a young lamb born December 31 in one if those breeds, it will show as a yearling. I know - it doesn't make any sense, but check the rues on birthdates of lambs. Sheep that breed year-round like Katahdins may follow the Dorper class schedules of fall and spring lambs.