SA Farm's journal

[Baymule]

How many bales do you need to store? I’m assuming square bales…. Make a cow panel hoop, use several panels. Put the split foam pipe wrap on the edge of one hoop, zip tie it I place. Then zip tie the other cow panel to it. Wire it together also. Put a tarp over it, should last for a year or at least through winter.

 

[SA Farm]

How many bales do you need to store?

Probably about 100-120 small square bales based on my current flock size. That’ll be including Dobby. I have a little shed I use every year that fits 25 and I have a pallet area next to it where I’ve been storing all the rest with the tarp over it.
Pallets, cattle panels if I can get them here, plywood roof if I can’t (sucks not having a truck sometimes ), and tarp. Should be very doable and only need a few minor repairs between seasons.

Bottle lamb is doing great. I’m upping his milk intake again today since he seems to be growing like a weed and Foxy is producing better and better every day.
This morning’s milking

I’m so proud of her. She was just a kicking, flailing, straining nightmare the first few days I had to milk her and now she’s almost completely jumping up onto the stand by herself! Stands still, doesn’t kick, and even has started shifting her legs out of the way a bit! Makes it so much easier on both of us!
I’m going to have to start bringing out the 4 cup capacity Pyrex if she keeps this up lol

My plan is to start offering the lamb hay, creep, and water this weekend when I move him out to the barn. At the same time, I’ll drop him to 3 bottles a day. I’m aiming to have him weaned by 6 weeks (assuming he’s still here), so I’m dropping a bottle a day each week and the last week I’ll water it down.

 

[Baymule]

Can you build a lean to shed off the side of the building?

Way to go Foxy! Are you going to keep milking her?

 

[Bruce]

Sounds like Foxy figured out she is a lot more comfortable after you milk her.

 

[SA Farm]

Can you build a lean to shed off the side of the building?

Way to go Foxy! Are you going to keep milking her?

Kind of, but I want the new one taller since the other shed I can’t even stand up in. Not fun throwing bales bent over!

I’m planning to keep milking her for as long as she’ll let me. She’s definitely one of those ewes that likes to wean her lambs fairly early, so we’ll see how it goes. I am definitely planning to go down to milking less often though! This 4 times a day thing is really making my housework pile up

I did take some time just now (after midday milking) to start shearing Doll. Man, her wool is gorgeous! I got her almost half done and need to decide how to finish her…I might just have to figure a way to turn my stand around in the barn for Dingo anyway, so I might do that one day and get them both done. It’ll be hard on my back, but if I can do them both in the same day, I can turn it back around and be done messing with it for the year.
Maybe a problem for next week

 

[Mini Horses]

I can remember when I used "less" hay....now, a ton a month in winter. Usually 4-5 ton averages out. I can store a lot of SQ bales.. I need to revamp my mostly unused barn for milking more -- dairy goats. And high volume, at that. But, I do sell milk and use it. Never had sheep milk but richer, I hear.

Milk that ewe as long as she'll let you and hold up with producing. My milk animals usually tame to milk stand quickly -- food!! They love to eat. Plus they will milk 10 months plus.

 

[SA Farm]

But, I do sell milk and use it. Never had sheep milk but richer, I hear.

Milk that ewe as long as she'll let you and hold up with producing. My milk animals usually tame to milk stand quickly -- food!! They love to eat. Plus they will milk 10 months plus.

I plan to use it once we’re past the 2-week mark and it loses that strange, kind of salty flavour. After that, it’s definitely sweet, creamy, and delicious! Not unlike the Nigerian Dwarf milk I’ve had in the past. Definitely creamier than the LaMancha.

Yes! She’s free fed grain on the stand and it’s probably the only reason she’s settled down so much so fast
She’s up another 100mls this morning. She does give less each milking during the day, but I’m very pleased and grateful to be getting this much!
Supposedly, the max lactation for sheep is around 6 months - and that’s with the specifically dairy breeds. I’d be happy to make it 4 months, but we’ll see. It might just be a race to see which of us gets tired of it first

To be fair, though, this is the first time I’ve had a stand that works well for milking, so it’s significantly easier and less of a pain than squatting or kneeling beside the sheep (or goat from back in the day) to milk. On the other hand, this is also the first time I’ve had a toddler and puppy to manage at the same time

We’ve actually had a few sunny days, so I’ve been letting Coy and company out into their not-so-dry lot. Took a good long look at Dobby and find she’s looking rather elegant now that she’s growing into those ears.
She’s so pretty DS has good taste Her sister wants nothing to do with people, but Dobby seems to really enjoy coming up for her chest scratches and pets. DS isn’t picking her up as much now that she’s getting heavier, which is good, though it didn’t seem to lessen her friendliness level.

They’re starting to nibble on hay and grain, possibly sipping at the water as well. I’ll probably post an ad for the sister this weekend for anyone who likes to plan ahead.

 

[SA Farm]

Apparently, rain and just a tiny bit of sun is enough for DH’s hen to want to go broody. Thinking of letting her but have to figure out where to put her and wait until she’s really determined.
Rainy hair do lol

I actually have a bunch of figuring out to do since I want to get my bantam Brahmas out of the brooder shed. I also need to get the bottle lamb out of there now that he’s starting to eat some hay and grain. I would love to house him with Coy and the girls, but have to test it out and see if she’ll tolerate him. Maybe today.

Cuties. Dobby’s sister has a foamy milk bubble on the left of the pic

I can’t believe how fast time goes. DS and Katana are absolute besties and she’s looking very mature now!
She was licking his ear lol



On Saturday I cut my finger on a knife that Someone left wrong-side up in the drawer. That was after I bruised my other finger somehow. Yesterday I decided to finish shearing Doll. Pinched my bruised finger in the shears Then it was time to get her feet done and she’s a kicker, so I accidentally stabbed my cut finger. I was going to finish what I was doing, but there was too much blood in the way, so I figured I’d better put it off.
Not a good week for my fingers
But look at the beautiful crimp in Doll’s wool!

(Picture from before I stabbed myself) Worth it!

I’m going to give my fingers today off (other than the usual), then finish her kicky little feet tomorrow. Then I’ll be half done spring shearing

 

[Mini Horses]

Wow. That wool looks like you used one of those crimping irons...but tiny! That's amazing. But, does it leave as you card/spin it??? I know nothing about process but that's some pretty stuff!!

 

[SA Farm]

Wow. That wool looks like you used one of those crimping irons...but tiny! That's amazing. But, does it leave as you card/spin it??? I know nothing about process but that's some pretty stuff!!

The crimp does go away during spinning/processing. Some people make art yarn with the locks to keep that look, but I haven’t tried anything like that yet.