SA Farm's journal

[SA Farm]

Kitty hasn’t been keeping her kittens together, so I moved them up on the porch so they can sleep in the cat house. Much nicer for them - especially since they can now get the food so they’re a little less fully dependent/draining on their poor mama. They’re just about 5 weeks old now and look so cute and tiny compared to their big brother Looks like 2 boys and 4 girls.


Got Dingo on the stand! It worked pretty good. I did need to use a few extra carabiners to hold it around his fat neck, but I got him on, his feet trimmed, and I trimmed his belly wool as well before putting on his marking harness and putting him in with the three girls.
It’s good to know that I’ll be able to get him fully sheared in the spring without too much trouble now. Phew!

Of course, the year I have a marking harness is the first year I get to WITNESS sheep porn
Coy and Foxy were both marked within minutes of being put together lol
There’s a blue stripe on Foxy’s butt




So…lamb watch starts March 4. Kit wanted nothing to do with him, so we’ll see when she’s marked. This year she lambed in April while everyone else lambed mid-late March, so I will also switch out Dingo’s crayon after Kit is marked (assuming it’s within the next 17 days) to see if anyone gets marked a second time.

Doll is keeping company with Coy’s boy. He’s probably too little to do anything, but I’ll keep an eye on her anyway. They’re both going to be on a good amount of grain and will be separated by January when he’ll either go to keep Dingo company or be sent to the freezer. Not sure which one yet.
I can’t believe he’s even smaller than Doll despite being a month older. This is why I don’t really mind if he manages to breed her. I doubt tiny lamb(s) from him would put a dent in her nutrition level (Also, she is old enough - technically. I would like more growth on her, but being bred now wouldn’t be the end of the world. Just don’t want her popping out Dingo babies yet. If Coy’s boy doesn’t get her bred, she’ll be meeting Dingo in April for fall lambs.)

That’s the plan, anyway. We’ll see how things go. (I do think they would make dangerously cute babies though…just saying…)

 

[Baymule]

Sometimes all I see is the romancing, not the act. Actually seeing the event is better, with the crayon, you will see the evidence!

 

[SA Farm]

Sometimes all I see is the romancing, not the act. Actually seeing the event is better, with the crayon, you will see the evidence!

Yes, the crayon provides much evidence! Dingo left all sorts of proof that he had a very good day yesterday

I’m really glad I know now how obvious it is. I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but it’s pretty hard to miss lol

 

[SageHill]

They used it on Clarkson's Farm --- hilarious show.

 

[SA Farm]

Getting down to the last few things on my fall to-do list.
-> Finish repairing barn stall (the sheep damaged the wall from boredom on one side and Dingo worked his way through the other since he was lonely in the spring). A bit of plywood and barn boards and that’ll be fixed up.
-> Dig drainage ditch in the run.
-> Attach tarp to lean-to.
-> Clean out pens one last time (deep litter method for winter).
-> Maybe finish fencing off the corner lot if we have time.
-> Put away mobile pens (hopefully not for a while yet, but the one is done for the year now).
And I just finished putting together a little hay feeder for the lambs. Maybe need to add a little lip to the front under the lid so the water drains off better. Otherwise it looks good and works perfectly for their little faces

Hay feeders really do save a ton of hay from being wasted, so I’m trying to have them in all the runs. I’m hoping to put something together for in the stalls/sheds as well, but it just isn’t a priority right now. I have two, so it’ll have to be enough for now.
As always, if I get my priorities done, I can work on other thousands of things that also need done—mostly house work lol

 

[Bruce]

Though I will miss the kitten cuteness!

They are VERY cute

Dingo left all sorts of proof that he had a very good day yesterday

He sure did!

 

[Baymule]

Even a little thing accomplished is a step forward.

 

[SA Farm]

Kit is marked today, so due 5 days after the other two girls. March 4 and 9 we start lamb watch. Next week I’ll change out Dingo’s crayon and see if anyone failed to settle.
Then we just cruise through until we figure out if Dingo needs to settle Doll in April.

Yesterday I was at Walmart and had to wait with DS since DH forgot his wallet in the car. DS is in the main part of the cart and the moment I look away… SLAM! He kicks the child’s seat part shut on my hand. Hurt like a son of a bleep and the first knuckle of my middle finger is all bruised up and I can’t bend it much.
So much for my to-do list getting things crossed off
Never take your eyes off a toddler! Kinda like never turn your back on a ram lol

 

[Bruce]

Might need to go back to swaddling him
Sorry for the pain!

 

[SA Farm]

Finger is feeling better now. DH was not pleased that I made him move the sheep around for a few days. He’s just lucky it’s only one pen. I still fed, watered, and grained the chickens and lambs
Now I’m back to doing it all again. My knuckle is still sore to the touch, but since it’s my left hand, it’s not so bad. I also got the chickens cleaned out and bedded so they’re ready to deep litter for winter.
Rain and cold today and same for the rest of the week. Supposedly a bit warmer next week, but I’ll need to see it to believe it