norseofcourse's journal - spring and show update

[norseofcourse]

Identifying plants seems to run in my family. My brother has a PhD in plant physiology and he has the really hard books to use for plant ID. My sister takes pictures of wildflowers and knows the common names of all of them, and where she took the picture. My uncle used to walk me around his garden and tell me the botanical names of all his plants, and my sister's son can do the same. I am in the small leagues compared to them. Usually all I worry about now days is whether or not bees like the flowers, who needs a name, names don't make honey.

Such great resources right in your family!

I knew a few wildflowers/weeds/plants before I moved to my current place, but I quickly found out I had a LOT more to learn! 6 acres of overgrown fields/woods that I am slowly turning into pastures. At first I wanted to identify things to make sure they weren't poisonous to the ponies (found spreading dogbane). Then I got *really really* good at identifying poison ivy (I'd never seen it with berries, or with vines as big around as my wrist. I also had to learn to distinguish it from Virginia creeper and bittersweet, even in winter).

When I got the sheep, I tried even harder to identify things I didn't know, since the sheep ate more of a variety than the ponies did. It also started getting interesting to figure out what grew here. And sometimes painful, like when I discovered stinging nettles (aptly named).

Now, I also try to identify plants you can dye with. Nettles give a nice green. I found barberry in the pasture, which should give a yellow. So should dock, smartweed, goldenrod and sassafrass. I might try ironweed to see if I get purple. Even if not, it's a pretty flower and attracts butterflies.

 

[babsbag]

That would be fun to try out the plants for dying; I used Koolaide. My nephew uses different clays and soils to make his glazes for his pottery. I have thinking about trying some natural colorants for soap but I am very addicted to the vibrant soaps right now so a hard switch but worth it for some markets.

 

[norseofcourse]

Another week, another Friday night udder check

Rose's udder is growing, it's now maybe grapefruit size. Gracie's is next, large orange size - and this week hers is slightly larger than Lukka's. Brosa's is still very small, but it seemed slightly more definite than last week. Every day I tell her, "Stay pregnant"...

Two weeks till I vaccinate everyone and separate Elding from the ewes. He's been acting up a bit lately - not horrible, but typical studly behavior for him. The other day I had to leash him and led him with me to the barn. Usually just the sight of the leash makes him keep his distance from me, if he's acting up.

We had several inches of wet, heavy snow earlier in the week. It's warmed up again now, so a lot of it is melting. I hate mud, but I'm glad for the warmup. With the snow melted, I can see daffodil sprouts poking up Think spring!

 

[luvmypets]

I'm excited to see what your girls give you!

As for spring, I'm with you. Totally done with winter, I was in the east coast snowstorm, so that's enough snow for one year

 

[norseofcourse]

I'm excited to see what your girls give you!

Thanks! So many others are saying 'think pink', but I want boys so think blue! I've nearly got their genetics figured out - Rose's lambs are likely to be black and white, Gracie's solid white or brown/white spotted with a light undercoat. Lukka I think could give either brown or black, solid or spotted, light undercoat or not. Brosa I'm not as sure of yet, her only lamb so far was brown and white with a light undercoat. She should carry black too, and may carry the solid gene. I really like the variety of natural colors. (edited to add: Rose could also have a black lamb that goes grey)

As for spring, I'm with you. Totally done with winter, I was in the east coast snowstorm, so that's enough snow for one year

That was a lot of snow! We've been quite lucky so far this winter. There's still some winter to go, but I am so looking forward to warmer weather, starting garden seeds, opening the windows for fresh air, and things starting to grow again.

 

[norseofcourse]

It's early March, and spring is trying to get here. I have daffodils poking up several inches high. And the sheep are starting to shed. I noticed it first on Brosa - she can reach back with her horns to scratch her neck, and I'm seeing wisps of wool coming off.

Friday night udder checks have continued - Rose still has the largest udder, followed closely by Gracie and then Lukka. Brosa's udder has been growing much more slowly, but this past Friday it was definitely developing, and about small orange size. I'm starting to worry (a little) less about her miscarrying again - I think she's past the point at which she lost her lamb last year, which was estimated at 80 days gestation. I still keep telling her 'stay pregnant'!

I'll do vaccines in the next day or two, and separate Elding from the ewes. Four weeks till lambing begins

 

[norseofcourse]

I vaccinated all the sheep and separated Elding on March 8th. I also checked everyone's eyelids, and they were all great! I have increased the ewe's grain, but only a little so far, since their body condition scores are all really good. Friday night udder checks continue to show nicely developing udders on all the ewes, including Brosa.

Signs of spring are everywhere! The evening is filled with the sweet music of the spring peepers, and in the morning every single bird tries to outdo the others. The red-winged blackbirds are back, and today I heard killdeer. The warmer temperatures have been nice, but there's been too much mud to do a lot outside yet. And they are calling for colder temps and possible snow coming up, so winter's not entirely done with us.

I got some pictures, but I'm going to start my lambing thread back up, so I'll post them there in the next few days.

 

[goats&moregoats]

Good luck with this years lambing.

 

[norseofcourse]

Just over a week till first possible lambing date! I'll post some pics in my lambing thread.

Winter keeps trying to hang on - the low tonight is supposed to be 26°. I'm hoping this is the last night I'll have to plug in the heated water tub. Spring flowers are blooming - forsythia just started within the last couple of days. I have rhubarb sprouting! And the ponies have started shedding.

It's nice having a sheep that's very comfortable around me. Brosa needed her hooves trimmed, and the other day she was laying down chewing her cud. I grabbed the hoof trimmers, sat down next to her, and trimmed the two hooves I could reach. The next day, she was laying down on her other side, so I trimmed her other two hooves the same way. Nice, easy, no stress. Too bad the other ones won't let me do that.

Good luck with this years lambing.

Thanks

 

[norseofcourse]

Sure is time for an update!!

I'll have a recap on my lambing thread - all in all it went well. Murphy must have heard I wanted boys, so I ended up with 6 girls and one boy! Oh well. The lambs are all doing well and growing like weeds. I've been letting them all into the main pasture in the evenings now, and they're loving it - so much room to run and play! I'll be cutting down tree branches for them soon, too. It seems like spring is coming slowly this year. The grapevines are just now starting to leaf out.

I haven't started milking yet (although I did a 'practice run' this morning that went fairly well). The area I have to pen the lambs overnight isn't big enough for 7 lambs. It's about 7 by 10 feet - they fit easily now, but I'd rather they have more room, since they are growing fast. Also, last year, I tossed a flake of hay on the ground in their pen at night, and then another one in the morning to keep them busy while I milked - with 7 lambs, more of it will get trampled than eaten, and not everyone will be able to get their share easily.

So, I've been cleaning out the corner of the barn next to the lamb pen. I'd been tossing 'undesirable' stuff there when I filled the sheep's hay feeder, so it was a big pile of old, moldy hay, rosebush briers, sticks, big weeds, and other stuff I'd pulled out of the hay, mixed with a few hay strings. For two years worth, I guess it wasn't *that* bad a pile . I have one more cartload to get out, and it'll be clean!

I measured, and I can fit another hay feeder along one side - the same style I made before based on Premier1's design. So I need to build another hay feeder. Once that's done, I just need to move a bit of fencing panel - and the area to pen the lambs will be nearly doubled, and they'll have their own feeder! In addition to wasting less hay, this will also work much better for feeding their grain/pellets than the feeding pans I used the last few years.

Everything else is going fairly well. I have tomato seedlings growing, with about two weeks before they get planted. My asparagus and rhubarb are coming up. I've been piling manure where the zucchini will be planted, and I'll pile it where the tomatoes will be, too. Spring brings lots of work, but the warmer days and longer daylight hours are very welcome.