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- #3,951
Ridgetop
Herd Master
This morning, as DH and I debated whether we were able to get out of bed after yesterday, the mobile tractor guy showed up. Yay! We have been waiting 3 weeks for him to have an opening. With all this rain it has been too wet to tractor, so apparently everyone is doing those put off repairs. Anyway, we need anew alternator on the Baby 'Bota, Bg Blue has a dead battery which DH says he thinks left "something on" to cause. Either way both tractor batteries are old so might as well replace them. The tractor guy showed DH how to clean out the radiator screen with an air compressor. There is a screen that you just pull out which DS3 hadn't mentioned to DH so . . . . We have a small portable air compressor so DH will be able to clean it ourselves from now on. We asked he repair guy what tractors he recommended, and he said that either Kubota or Deere were good for this area because of availability of parts. He said he rarely had to repair Kubotas, but both Kubota and Deere always had repair parts in stock. Our old Big Blue is worth about 5-6K in trade in value he thought. We will have to shop around eventually. He is picking up the batteries and part for the Kubota and will be back tomorrow to finish both of them.
DH says he hurts too much to work on putting up the new ram pen today. I would plant my new shrubs but after that heavy rain last night the ground is too muddy and wet. Instead, I got out all the corral clamps and sorted them. I found about 20 pairs that will require a 1/4" x 2.5" bolt - the bolts I bought are 3/8. Next time am at Lowes I will but 1/4" bolts and nuts. Those seem to be the dog kennel clamps. We have had most of them for 30 years and having bought them at different times they were different sizes so I sorted them out into matching pairs, put a bolt and nut on each pair and tossed them back into the bucket. This will save us a lot of time since before we were sorting them as we tried to put up the corral panels. Most of them didn't have bolts and/or nuts or the bolts were bent or cross threaded. I also found 2 sets of clamps that had a large side and a smaller side for attaching panels to a large diameter post. I will put those in a baggie so they won't get mixed up with the others. Also sorted out the clamps that were a shorter length since using those with a standard clamp makes the panels tilt.
They can go in a separate baggie too. Sorting all the hardware for panels and gates into separate containers makes it easier when doing any work.I began moving the boxes of sheep supplies from the spare room/storage room into the new shelves in the laundry room. Found the box with 400 syringes in it that I had ordered just before we moved, also the coffee cans of miscellaneous size syringes and needles that were down in the shed. (Used a 12cc with a large needle on the ewe with mastitis for the Penicillin since you need a larger needle for that thicker stuff.) Also found and moved the boxes of sheep halters, tupping harnesses and crayons, and hoof trimmers out to the laundry room. Also moved the hanging scale for newborns, and the digital scale that attaches to the large walk in scale box. The new set of shelves are 1" wider and 1" shallower than my old ones. Also made of thinner pressboard. The old set I had been using in the tool shed and it has drawers which will be handy in the laundry room. The new ones are only selves which is fine since I box everything in plastic containers and label it. (Can anyone say OCD?) I left enough room between the window and the shelf for the metal trash can with the dog kibble. DH was using a small one that meant he filled it and then stored half a bag of kibble on the floor next to it. Why put 25 lbs. in a rat proof container and leave 25 lbs. in a paper bag on the floor? I switched out his can for a larger one that will hold 50 lbs. The window was partially covered when I had the shelves pushed into the corner so having moved the shelf unit away from the window, allows more light in the laundry room. I might cut some triangular shelves to mount there for the dog dishes, etc. On the other side I think I have enough room for some hooks when we come in from outside with wet jackets. Also, a space under the shelves for wet or muddy work shoes. It's coming along.
Saw a small refrigerator at Lowes for $139 - marked down from $189 that would be a good size for the animal meds. It is not the smallest one, it is about 36-42" tall with no freezer which I don't need. I talked to DH about it since when DS1 gets here with all the sheep meds from CA we will not have enough room in our fridge for our food. I think we will go up and get it if it is still on sale. LOL Eventually, when we have electricity in the barn it will go in the "tack room" so we will have all the sheep meds close at hand. In the meantime, I think it will fit in the laundry room or DS1's closet.
Both the bottle lambs are in the back yard. I have been changing the pad in the dog crate several times a day for the youngest one and it is getting old. The number of flies in the house have gotten annoying. I put up a Pyrethrin sprayer in the kitchen but would like to get the smelly dog crate out of the kitchen. If we had more panels, we could put her in the barn but then would have to traipse across the field to give her a bottle several times a day. She is only a week old but growing nicely. I have to get more milk replacer today to blend with what I have since no one has Land O Lakes Pro Nurse in bulk. I don't intend to pay $36 for 8 lbs. of Pro Nurse when I can put her on another brand cheaper. The older bottle lamb is about 5 weeks old now and I would like to wean her in another couple weeks. She needs to be eating more hay or grass.
Well back to work moving boxes, sorting, and putting stuff away. Hope to finish the laundry next as room #3. Then I have to work on DS1's room. I have been sorting stuff in there and have got a lot spread around. I need to get it ready for him when he gets here in another week or so. We have to leave for California by June 17 since we have appointments on the 21st which have taken one year to get! Can't miss those. They are with the eye doctor and DH probably needs to be scheduled for cataract on his other eye.
The tractor guy finally got it out and we have ONE key left for the tractor. We will have to try to get another couple of them made. At least we now have 2 working tractors. DH is itching to get out and mow the pastures, but I told him not to. Not only is it way too wet, but another Dorper breeder told me that when the water puddles like this that the Barber Pole worms/bugs crawl higher up the grass to lay their eggs and the sheep eat them from higher grass. Instead, tomorrow we will have to figure out where to move the rams, put up a pen for them, and then put up a shelter for them. Putting up the shelter won't be a problem, but deciding where to p put them might be since they eat off the grass pretty quickly. I wish we had a one-acre pasture for them but will not have anything like that until DS1 arrives and we can figure out where to put them. I told DH we should try to put up the electric fence and charge the solar charger, but he doesn't want to until DS1 arrives. The two bottle lambs are now spending the days outside in the back yard. They are company for each other but are annoying when we go in or out. I am not sure what to do about them when we go back to California. We have to leave in 2 weeks so I hope DS1 can get here before then since we have to vaccinate, dock, and tag.
They are probably with the shelf supports. 
