Mystang's Homesteading Circus

[animalmom]

I don't have any suggestions for you on the silo but would LOVE to see pictures of what you decide to do with it.

 

[mystang89]

While you don't care for Icelandic, their lack of milk production may not have passed to these Just won't know until you can work them. All I can say is that you bought them for a price that will allow you to sell at a profit! A good thing.

I'm definitely interested in how much milk they will be producing and I think if I can get this problem with the current pregnant ewe taken care of, that I'll find out. The last who sold them to us said she'll come over to look at them and bring some kopertox with her in case it's skald. I'm fairly certain it's not foot rot.

 

[mystang89]

The lady was kind enough to come over yesterday and take a look at the hoof. She said it didn't look like skald nor foot rot which I agree with. She said it looked like she stepped on something. Hooves are put solid so I'm not so sure about that although when she trimmed the hooves she did end up cutting into the quick. This was over a week or 2 ago though and she is just now limping. There is a small area on her hoof that is very tender, not like the hoof is being eaten away or anything, just real tender and easily bleeds when need with. She put some horse thrush medicine on it for disinfectant and my wife wrapped it in Coban to give it a bit of padding.

I'll just play the way and see game.

 

[Mini Horses]

Could be a bruise or an abcess starting. Either could be from stepping onto something. It's a wait & see...but, definitely watch and the bandaging may be enough to help if it is "only" a bruise. Didn't see any puncture wound? If so, then that may be another consideration...healing and keeping out infection.

 

[mystang89]

My wife was worried about the thrush medicine not being correct since it's a fungal and she's more thinking we'll need to worry about bacterial so I'm going to see about an antibacterial. I'm fairly sure you could just use alcohol as a disinfectant but better safe than sorry.

 

[Mike CHS]

We had one that had a hoof problem that we weren't sure about and the vet said it was bacterial. We got some Nuflor from the vet and the hoof was fine in just a few days. It is not cheap though.

 

[mystang89]

Purchased a used haybine today and I'll probably be purchasing hay baler from the same person. Not too far from me and reasonably priced. He gave me a lot of info which I never had access to and free reign to ask whatever questions I needed. He had a farmhand wheel rake as well which he's willing to sell but I'm not sure about it.

I've owned a wheel rake before and wasn't very impressed by it. I really don't think it picked up as much of the hay as could have been picked up. I was thinking about a bar rake. I've heard different things about both; one person likes this one, another person likes that one, but what are your thoughts on regards to them. Do you prefer one over the other? If so, what do you like it dislike about them?

 

[mystang89]

Children, wife, and I went for a road trip to Illinois to pick up another sheep with a ram lamb. Four hour trip one way, four back, with 8 children in the car and all survived. Mentally the wife and I are done, physically we're ok.

The Sheep are fine too. It's a ewe dam (Henrietta) and her 1 week old lamb, both cute as could be. The ewe is supposedly an awassi, East Freisian, Karakul mix. Her dam was purchased from Karras Farm. I say supposedly because I'm not all that confident in Karras' records. I'll get pics of her and her ram tomorrow.

We'll probably end up keeping this ram since it's new blood and has both Awassi and Karakul in it along with Sunny, out 50% Awassi/Lacaune ram from Bruce. That gives us a good genetic line to work with.

Henrietta seems to be a great mom just from first impressions, teats are a bit smaller than I like (especially since Karras farms say they breed specifically for large teats) but they are larger than Clara's. (The ewe that is a terrible mother. Actually, calling her a mother at all is an offence again that word.) Anyway, the teats are manageable and the udder is decent size. Seems to be good stock to work with.

BTW, whoever lives in Illinois, sorry for that weather. Wow. Do you all ever see the sun? Everytime I go through the is a torrential downpour.

 

[Baymule]

Congrats on the new sheep and on surviving the trip with 8 children. LOL LOL

 

[mystang89]

A new addition just arrived to our growing herd. We came home from some errands and this little thing had just gotten here not more than 10 minutes prior.

Mother took to her nicely it seems. Cleaned her up, fed her etc. Was something nice to watch on this rainy day.
Now the children are in the front pasture playing in the "pool". Really, it's just an area which collects rain water when there's too much for the steam.