Baymule
Herd Master
You got your Anatolian thread started! You did good!
May I suggest a new thread for the new ranch?
May I suggest a new thread for the new ranch?
Ridgetop - our place and how we muddle along
- Thread starter Ridgetop
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #3,352
Ridgetop
Herd Master
Sure - I already started talking about the ranch so will have to go back and separate out everything pertaining to Texas for the new thread. LOL
- Thread starter
- #3,353
Ridgetop
Herd Master
Turned, backed and parked the gooseneck myself. Very difficult as DH was in passenger seat and kept giving me directions while DS1 was standing outside giving contradictory ones. DH and DS1 started shouting at each other. DH admitted that from the passenger side he couldn't see my side and was telling me to go another direction because it looked like I was going to hit the gate post with the front of the truck pulling forward. ???. DUH! Does he think I can't see it? I was 2' away from it. Pulled forward and backward a couple times before another loud argument broke out between DS1 and DH. I couldn't understand what either of them were teling me because they were both yelling at the same time. Finally, we made DH get out of the truck and guide me back on one side while DS1 did the other side. That worked better except DH was on his cane and wouldn't/couldn't move fast so he kept yelling at me to come forward while he kept standing right in the way. Then he got mad and DS1 and DH yelled at each other some more while I rolled up the windows and sat in the truck. Finally got it parked, gave the keys to DH and came inside while they unhitched the trailer.
Half an hour later both came in and berated me about how they couldn't pull the truck forward after unhitching because I had the keys. I reminded DH that he had them and he denied it until he found them in his pocket. More discussion between DH and DS1. I closed the door.
Half an hour later both came in and berated me about how they couldn't pull the truck forward after unhitching because I had the keys. I reminded DH that he had them and he denied it until he found them in his pocket. More discussion between DH and DS1. I closed the door.
- Thread starter
- #3,354
Ridgetop
Herd Master
DS1 said he would go out and adjust the hitch. Thinks he can break the bolt loose with WD-40 and adjust the hitch height. Apparently, there are adjustment holes that the bolt goes through.
farmerjan
Herd Master
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2016
- Messages
- 11,463
- Reaction score
- 45,148
- Points
- 758
- Location
- Shenandoah Valley Virginia
I would start a Texas farm thread when you get there... and then can make some comments like, so and so was moved back in June and I mentioned it in my "ridgetop - our place" thread...
Baymule
Herd Master
Yeah, no need to retrieve posts, just write up a brief summary and include a link to your first journal.
Then proceed with the new journal.
Then proceed with the new journal.
- Thread starter
- #3,357
Ridgetop
Herd Master
Ok. DS1 used wD-40and was able to remove one of the nuts off the hitch bolt. The other one is stuck. The bolt turned in place but the nut would not twist free. DS1 put more WD-40 on it to see if he could break it lose tonight or tomorrow with his brother. One will twist the nut with a wrench while the other one holds the bolt in place. If he can't break it loose, he will cut the nut off and replace the bolt and nuts with new ones.
We hitched the small trailer and took two wethers and a ewe to the auction for sale tomorrow. DS1 said she looks loose in the rear like she might eventually prolapse so off she went. She was one of my favorites from the group and would have shed properly. We wanted to send one of the other ewe lambs as well that looked low in the chine, but I couldn't decide if she was actually low in the chine or just exceptionally long in the back. Sometimes youngsters look dippy when they are just really long. DS1 said wait and we can look at her again in another month. Might have a couple more to go then before traveling to Texas. The auction is tomorrow, but we have a full day so can't go then. I will pay the additional $1/per head yardage. Not that big a deal.
Now that those have been separated out, we will vax and move the rest into the small lower pen. They are too young to put with a ram. Thursday we will start running all the ewes out, checking hooves, CDT vaxing and giving selenium. As we do that DS1 will sort them into 3 groups for the rams. Then we will pull out each ram, do the same with him before putting each in their crayon harnesses and putting them with their appropriate ewes. They are being bred late this year, and I have missed a lamb crop, but it can't be helped. If they all settle, I will have 33 ewes lambing in April next year.
Next job is going through the horse equipment I kept and finding the hay bags. I also need to find my blankets, shipping boots, and extra halters, etc. I gave a lot of items to DDIL2 but I did keep a few things. I may have to make a trip up there and retrieve the horse items I need to take to Texas. I will also need Skittles' bridle and bit. And possibly a saddle rack.
We hitched the small trailer and took two wethers and a ewe to the auction for sale tomorrow. DS1 said she looks loose in the rear like she might eventually prolapse so off she went. She was one of my favorites from the group and would have shed properly. We wanted to send one of the other ewe lambs as well that looked low in the chine, but I couldn't decide if she was actually low in the chine or just exceptionally long in the back. Sometimes youngsters look dippy when they are just really long. DS1 said wait and we can look at her again in another month. Might have a couple more to go then before traveling to Texas. The auction is tomorrow, but we have a full day so can't go then. I will pay the additional $1/per head yardage. Not that big a deal.
Now that those have been separated out, we will vax and move the rest into the small lower pen. They are too young to put with a ram. Thursday we will start running all the ewes out, checking hooves, CDT vaxing and giving selenium. As we do that DS1 will sort them into 3 groups for the rams. Then we will pull out each ram, do the same with him before putting each in their crayon harnesses and putting them with their appropriate ewes. They are being bred late this year, and I have missed a lamb crop, but it can't be helped. If they all settle, I will have 33 ewes lambing in April next year.
Next job is going through the horse equipment I kept and finding the hay bags. I also need to find my blankets, shipping boots, and extra halters, etc. I gave a lot of items to DDIL2 but I did keep a few things. I may have to make a trip up there and retrieve the horse items I need to take to Texas. I will also need Skittles' bridle and bit. And possibly a saddle rack.
- Thread starter
- #3,358
Ridgetop
Herd Master
Yesterday DDIL2 heard suspicious clinking from the hallway. She found Nicholas - 11 months - had opened the antique ice box that I use as a liquor and wine cabinet. He had managed to get a bottle of wine and was happily banging it in the floor. The floor is concrete covered in vinyl! Today I cut down some boxes to make wine boxes, removed the bottles, and packed them up for Texas. The ice box is coming with us so had to be emptied anyway. Nicholas is starting to walk. Today he actually walked abut 6' without holding on to anything. Becoming truly bipedal. If he wants to go really fast though he drops down and crawls. The other day his mother had a hard time catching up to him as he revved up speed.
Had a mammogram today, such fun! - and then stopped at the grocery store for vegetables. Broccoli crowns were on sale along with cabbage, yellow onions, and zucchini. I even got a small package of fresh black figs. I will miss this produce store since vegetables are about 30% cheaper here than in the market and very fresh. They also have good meat prices in the butcher department too.
The weather has been incredibly windy lately. Pleasant temps but strong winds. DS1 slipped and pulled a muscle in his back. He said that when he was at Walmart yesterday, he almost fel twice when the pain seized up. I keep forgetting that he is over 40 now. (Of course, I was a mere child when I had hm - he gets older I will have to claim that he was adopted as a teenager!) He is putting off wrestling with sheep until it is better. I am looking forward to building a real chute in the barn in Texas where I can work on the sheep without any help when I want to.
Had a mammogram today, such fun! - and then stopped at the grocery store for vegetables. Broccoli crowns were on sale along with cabbage, yellow onions, and zucchini. I even got a small package of fresh black figs. I will miss this produce store since vegetables are about 30% cheaper here than in the market and very fresh. They also have good meat prices in the butcher department too.
The weather has been incredibly windy lately. Pleasant temps but strong winds. DS1 slipped and pulled a muscle in his back. He said that when he was at Walmart yesterday, he almost fel twice when the pain seized up. I keep forgetting that he is over 40 now. (Of course, I was a mere child when I had hm - he gets older I will have to claim that he was adopted as a teenager!) He is putting off wrestling with sheep until it is better. I am looking forward to building a real chute in the barn in Texas where I can work on the sheep without any help when I want to.
Mike CHS
Herd Master
We bought our handling equipment even before we had the fences done and have always been happy that we did. Each section of our chute holds three adults perfectly and the sheep have been doing it so often that all I have to do is open the gate. 
- Thread starter
- #3,360
Ridgetop
Herd Master
We actually have a chute between 2 of the pens BUT the pen fences are 5' high so very awkward to nudge sheep along in them. Also, we have to set up a drive fence to put them in the chute. What looked so good on paper is worthless now. We can use portable panels from the jugs to make another chute but with the steep ground, DS1 says it is easier to lure all the sheep into the barn, run them into one large portable pen, then sort and grab them one at a time. I don't think so, but he doesn't want to go to the trouble to set up and take down the panels to make the chute. He says that is too much trouble. A permanent chute in Texas will be good. I would love to get the solid panels that hook together but they are pretty expensive. I think we can make a chute out of pallets instead. If we bolt them together we can redesign them later. I can incorporate the 3-way sorting gate in the chute.
