Ridgetop - our place and how we muddle along

[Ridgetop]

Orange tag 5 just lambed twin ewes in jug. DGD1 is ecstatic and helped me weigh the twins. 7.2 and 8.1 lbs. Marked one with livestock spray until we can tag. Nice large twins for the size of this first freshener. No grain was given I stopped giving grain to pregnant ewes after having to pull some huge lambs last year. It helped to reduce lamb size and made for easier and unassisted lambing. DGD1 has announced that she will take charge of them and tame them. Good, she can halter break them so they can go to the Reno show next year.

Half sister is getting ready but I think has another 2 weeks to go so might turn her bac ut n field. There are 2 ther ewes that are getting near their times - also due in 2 weeks or so. Don't like to move them into the barn too early since the flies are so bad nd it has gotten hot. I will look for the fly spray and spray the ewe after she asses the afterbirth. It will help keep the flies from bothering her and the twins.

Love lambing!

 

[Baymule]

Sheep chasing! LOL That is so much fun. NOT!!!!
Congratulations on the new lambs, may all your ewes give you twins.

 

[Ridgetop]

THANKS!!!

But only till the late September/October/November lambs arrive since they will be gong to auction at the right time for the best prices. Then we need all rams! LOL Otherwise, yes all ewe lambs so I can take some of them to Reno. Better bring some grandchildren to Reno to help show too.

 

[farmerjan]

I feel like you do about the firing of the ranch/farm hands.... with my DS... I am not even fighting this year, I am too tuckered out. Get my knees done and then start doing some things the way I want them done....I'm with you on that... get it set up and then do it myself.

 

[Ridgetop]

I am woman hear me roar! I can do anything!

After I take my pain killers and have a short rest in between chores . . . .

 

[Mike CHS]

We learned our lesson about feed and pregnant ewes our first lambing. We literally had huge lambs and had to assist 3 out of the 10 ewes.

 

[Ridgetop]

Absolutely. I like the ewes to lamb in jugs since we don't want to climb into that 150' steep gully to retrieve the lambs and ewe. However, I really don't like to have to pull lambs either. I have pulled a lot over the years, and it is getting harder on this old body to crawl around on the barn floor pulling lambs!

With these breeds they don't require the extra nutrition that the wool breeds need. The Dorsets didn't need as much as our old Hamps and Suffolks and it was a real management change when I went from the Dorsets to the Dorpers.

Last year my ewes bred back when their lambs were 3 months old, but I have given them a rest this year after they produced in such a short time last year. With no forage I noticed that they didn't keep condition the way they did the year we had all the rain and great forage. I also am planning my lambing dates for the best prices when selling the lambs instead of just having a year round crop. Better returns, better business.

Moving ewes and rams tonight when DGS1 arrives. DS1 and DS2 will be offloading and stacking hay today.

DS2 does not have to report for work until Monday since there is no work at the moment with his company. If it keeps up they will send him back to the hall and he will be reassigned to another company. Apparently his entire crew "dragged up" to work with another company that had more work and more overtime. He can't drag up since he is still an apprentice and has to stay where he is put until the program reassigns. No crew except himself and the foreman (if he doesn't drag up) means no work since they need a certain number of men - journeyman, hot apprentice (DS2), cold apprentice (can't work on energized services), groundman, etc. to put in the power poles and hang the electric wires and transformers. It is heavy work but DS2 is disgusted with the company because "no shift - no pay". At least he can spend time with his baby Robert.

 

[Ridgetop]

DD2 and FSIL came over with Annabel last night. I had bought one of those baby mittens with the rubber ends for teething for each of the babies. First thing Annabel did when it was out on her little hand was hit herself in the face with it. It is now known as Annbel's baby boxing glove! LOL

FSIL (aka Doofus) helped stack another 2 tons of hay bales with DS1, DS2, and assisted by DGS1. DGS1 managed to break the PVC water pipe connection going to the barn by dropping a 100+ lb. hay bale onto it and cracking it. DS1 is at Lowes now getting parts to repair it. Also getting new faucets for some of the old lines that are leaking. I suggested he have DGS1 come over to help repair the pipes but he said he couldn't wait for his parents to decide he could come over in a day or two! DD2 is bringing Maysie and her neighbor over next week to see the new lambs.

After the hay was stacked FSIL helped DS1 bring up Axtel and move him into the ram pen. He had a healing abscess that I cleaned up. Then while dong their introductory "I am the Alpha ram" butting contest Axtell's remaining scur got knocked off I went back into the house for the Alumashield. DS1 sprayed the bleeding wound while FSIL crawled under their trampoline shelter to find the scur since DGD1 wanted it. Then we turned out the bred ewes into the field with the others. (That reminds me that I need to turn the lambs in the barn onto the field too - then we can clean the creep and that pen. Tonight we are supposed to sort out the next 3 ewes that are to be bred and turn them in the front pen. New ram Smlley will go in with them in another week. Need that time gap to make sure who sires any lambs from Snowflake and P5, who were in with Axtel but did not mark. Not sure why they did not mark since they looked like they were in season. However they are barely 1 year old so . . . .

DS2's remaining apartment stuff is sitting i my living room. Got everything removed once and the room cleaned and back to normal, then he finished his move out of the San Diego apartment. Sometimes I think I am an unnatural mother and grandmother to want to live alone. DH can live with me - most of the time - sometimes I get tired of cleaning up after him too. I completely understand why my grandmother said she enjoyed living alone after living all her life with her husband, his parents, occasionally her mother, their 4 children and - just when she could see everyone moving out - my divorced mother and 2 babies moved back home! Even animal mothers drive off their offspring after a time!

No news from the Yelm property so fingers crossed everything is proceeding well. I did get a call from the alarm company that someone had accessed the pump house. Couldn't get hold of Jerry at first so told the company to call the police. They called back to say that the security service they use didn't have anyone in the area to respond to the house and the police would not respond unless someone was physically there on the property to report the trespasser and possible thief! WHAT???!!! What good is the alarm system then if someone can break in and unless we are there on the property the police won't come out?! If I was on the property no one would try to break in! Anyway about 10 minutes after arguing fruitlessly with the alarm dispatcher Jerry called and said that the buyer and agent were on the property. He said that someone had removed the paper with the alarm code from the lock box. AAAAAAGH! I will be SOOOOO happy to get this property sold.

Well guess I will go down and turn out the 5 lambs onto the field. DH fed this am and said that the field e is getting crowded. We really need that new feeder but couldn't pick it up on our way home. Remember DH insisting on returning on Memorial weekend? Yep, they were not home. So another expensive trip to northern California to pick up the feeders. Maybe I will order that 5 head stand for judging sheep after all before going up to get the equipment. Have to look at the bank account.

 

[Baymule]

Some animal mothers eat their young...... Yours are probably too old and tough now to be very tasty.

 

[Ridgetop]

Yup, but I have an Instapot with pressure cooker function! If meat gets scarce - who knows!