SA Farm's journal

[Mini Horses]

Life can be short. If it makes you happy, do it.

 

[Ridgetop]

I just spent 40 minutes working on Dingo and got one leg hand sheared.
One
His fleece is super thick and his skin is slightly more elastic/loose compared to the girls, making it really hard to know where to cut without cutting him.
It’s going to take me several days to get him done.

Gosh! by the time he is finished you might have to start all over again! Is he part Merino? I know that their skin is very loose and wrinkly to allow the maximum amount of wool to be produced. It makes them hard to shear if you are not expecting it. (Another Ridgetop experience shearing a pet Merino for a friend. OOPS! )

 

[SA Farm]

Gosh! by the time he is finished you might have to start all over again! Is he part Merino?

That’s definitely a risk No, he’s not part Merino. He’s 3/4 East Friesian 1/4 Charollais. I’m a big part of the reason he is so difficult to shear this year…I didn’t fully shear him last year since it was too late to get it done by the time I built the shorter stand, so his wool is just really long and matted in the more sensitive areas, so when I try to get the blade in, it pulls the skin up with the dense wool . The girls don’t have that problem (even where it was matted around their bums), so it took half the time to do twice as much on them.
I did try to get Dingo on the tall stand last spring and he literally fell over off the ramp onto his back like a turtle. It was terrifying, of course, but then, once I knew he was fine, absolutely hilarious —but not something I was going to risk trying twice!
Anyway, I did what I could with him just haltered and tied, but I was too scared to use the shears on his butt and back legs while he was dancing around trying to ram the stand he was tied to, so I just got as much as I could off (without hurting either of us) and called it good enough. I kept meaning to work on him again, but…it just didn’t happen. This year I WILL get him fully shorn

I don’t know why I wasn’t expecting him to get as big as he is. When I got him he was about the same size as Kit—which makes sense as they’re the same age. He grew at about the same rate as she did, but then he just kept growing! Now he’s this giant monster of a ram (compared to my girls) and, as such, he’s a handful for me. If he didn’t have such a fabulous personality or if he threw giant lambs, I would definitely have to replace him with something a little smaller/more manageable.
But, fortunately, he throws very nice sized lambs and is a sweetheart 9 times out of 10–and I prefer that over something smaller but more…feisty…even if that does mean a lot of real estate to shear It also means I have to be feeling strong and able to move him or do any jobs on him—like shearing and hoof trimming, etc.
(DH will move him for me if I absolutely need him to, but for the most part everything farm related is on me.)
Dingo is just lucky he’s such a loveable giant I wish I had more pics of him being a sweetheart, but I never have my phone out when I’m with him since I always need to have a free hand…just in case. I rarely need it, but better safe than sorry

 

[SA Farm]

Here we go. Grabbed a few pics while he was eating his grain. I think it shows why it took so long to do just the one side. Long way to go…What I did looks good, though

So. Much. Real. Estate…

And this is why I don’t ever trust him even though he’s mostly fabulous.
I dared to feed the chickens first…there’s a boarded off window between him and the bantam pen….well, there was lol


Yeah…don’t change the routine….

 

[Mini Horses]

Yeah…don’t change the routine….

E V E R !!

 

[canesisters]

I've made a habit of changing Eva's routine constantly since she was little. Although the reason behind it is my boredom, it's been a great training tool. She is RARELY flustered over anything.

 

[SA Farm]

I’m definitely not a consistent routine kind of person…I don’t know why he decided to smash the boarded off window. It was a rather random thing, really. Maybe the puppy was riling up the chickens and he wanted to protect (or silence) them, maybe he caught a glimpse of DS’s red coat through the gap and thought he was under attack, maybe he was offended that I didn’t lift the flap and say “hi” before going to the chicken coop (the only routine thing) since I forgot (and not for the first time)…who knows I’ve definitely mixed up his routine…more just because that’s how I roll than intentionally trying to train anybody to expect the unexpected…but I wasn’t looking or paying him the least amount of thought, so I didn’t see what he was actually reacting to.
Personally, I think it was just a ram thing. My girls couldn’t care less what or where I want them as long as they’re fed—which is why I’m assuming it was something to do with wanting food NOW!

Anyway. Got in another short shearing session with him today. He was good, though Katana was trying to lick his nose while I trimmed his back feet—which annoyed both of us—but was otherwise very good. Got most of the other back leg wool off, but mostly worked on his front leg and belly. I think I might have to move the stand or turn it around to get his other side done.
I’m basically just hand shearing all the throwaway sections for now. I’ll use the electric shears to do the rest later on.

So, maybe one more session on the current side to do his neck and trim his front feet (maybe foot depending on angle), then two sessions on the other side before taking him up by the house to use the electric shears on him and bag up the good wool to be processed. Actually, depending on how things go weather-wise, I might try to run a few extension cords out back to finish him up in the barn…we’ll see how things go over the next week or so

 

[canesisters]

I’m definitely not a consistent routine kind of person…I don’t know why he decided to smash the boarded off window. It was a rather random thing, really. Maybe the puppy was riling up the chickens and he wanted to protect (or silence) them, maybe he caught a glimpse of DS’s red coat through the gap and thought he was under attack, maybe he was offended that I didn’t lift the flap and say “hi” before going to the chicken coop (the only routine thing) since I forgot (and not for the first time)…who knows I’ve definitely mixed up his routine…more just because that’s how I roll than intentionally trying to train anybody to expect the unexpected…but I wasn’t looking or paying him the least amount of thought, so I didn’t see what he was actually reacting to.
Personally, I think it was just a ram thing. My girls couldn’t care less what or where I want them as long as they’re fed—which is why I’m assuming it was something to do with wanting food NOW!

Anyway. Got in another short shearing session with him today. He was good, though Katana was trying to lick his nose while I trimmed his back feet—which annoyed both of us—but was otherwise very good. Got most of the other back leg wool off, but mostly worked on his front leg and belly. I think I might have to move the stand or turn it around to get his other side done.
I’m basically just hand shearing all the throwaway sections for now. I’ll use the electric shears to do the rest later on.

So, maybe one more session on the current side to do his neck and trim his front feet (maybe foot depending on angle), then two sessions on the other side before taking him up by the house to use the electric shears on him and bag up the good wool to be processed. Actually, depending on how things go weather-wise, I might try to run a few extension cords out back to finish him up in the barn…we’ll see how things go over the next week or so

The whole wool growing thing fascinates me. It hadn't occurred to me that there would be throw away sections. But of course!
I've seen shearing videos & they stack up ... pelts? (is that the right word? ) like they are ready to make sweaters right then & there.
There is soo much more to it though.

 

[SA Farm]

pelts?

Fleeces Pelts include the skin. We’ve harvested a few of those too, but you can only do it once per animal

Yep, the wool around the belly, bum, and neck tends to be discarded. Too short, too coarse, too full of VM, or literally too crappy lol

 

[SA Farm]

Don’t know when it happened, but the other board in the window is broken now. I guess Dingo figured his job wasn’t done until both boards were cracked. Rams
Countdown to babies is real now. Foxy and Coy are due around the 4th, so I put them up in their stalls today so they can settle in and get cozy before their lambs hit the ground.
I’m predicting triplets from Foxy and twins from Coy again this year. Last year I expected twins and a single and they both had one more than I thought. Let’s hope they don’t do that again though (I am much more prepared this year since I have colostrum on hand, but still!)

Eggs are in lockdown now, so chicks should be within the next 3 days. I’ve heard bantams like to hatch early, but they weren’t even internally pipping yet, so I expect they’ll be on time.
2 more quitters, so 28 eggs went in. Hopefully at least 20 chicks will come out


None of the eggs from my Cochins have been fertile so far this year. I also am no longer getting the Speckled Sussex eggs I was planning to set on Wednesday since the breeder I was getting them from is having the same problem. I asked him to let me know if/when fertility increases and I’ll get them then.
My mixed bantams out back have been giving me fertile eggs, so at least I’m getting something. I have two people who want standard pullets from me, though, so mr. Rooster needs to get to work!
He has one month to prove himself before I decide he’s just getting too old and replace him