Teresa & Mike CHS - Our journal

[Mike CHS]

Mr. Murphy was around today. I was going to retrofit a gate between the old chicken pen and our #1 paddock and when I checked my fence supply shelf I didn't have any gate bolts. I also got tired of having to air up the rear tire on our Cub Cadet and put a new tire on that rim. In the process of putting the tire back on I broke the bolt that goes into the axle. I decided it needed a spring service anyway that I don't want to do so called our COOP and they came out and picked it up. They pick up and return for $15 but the advantage is you go to the head of the line because they need to get it out of the lot since you don't pick it up.

When I was out with the sheep this evening I saw that our holdout #11 ewe is finally bagging up and showing signs of being close to lambing. I need to plan better since I wanted lambing contained to a 40 day cycle so we could breed some of the ewes back and sell to get our numbers down but my math didn't work out. I'm not sure what the long break was that our ram Ringo did.

 

[Wehner Homestead]

#11 May be the culprit, not Ringo. That’s the case with Reagan. Doesn’t matter which bull we use. She breeds randomly.

 

[Mike CHS]

That could be. One of the bred ewes that we sold is still holding out also so we shall see. I have to change our next breeding plan since some of the nursing ewes are getting pulled down enough with milking that I don't want to breed many of them again this year.

 

[Latestarter]

That kinda sucks Mike... seems all was less than good news today. Lack of hardware followed by broken hardware and compounded by "best laid plans" needing re-laying... Maybe #11 needs sold?

 

[Pastor Dave]

I agree with @Wehner Homestead. I would say he just took his time, but my guess would have to be #11. I believe in general, in life, it seldom has to do with the male holding out. Haha

 

[Mike CHS]

But that was all minor stuff Joe. Seems you get used to a routine and the minor things makes for a day where nothing gets done. #11 is on the cull list already but not for having a late lambing.

We have a ready buyer for at least the next year for any sheep that we want to sell so we are going to move out about half the flock in the next month or so.

 

[Baymule]

Isn't that how you do it? Keep all the ewe lambs, build the flock, then whittle it down to size, keeping the best.

 

[Mike CHS]

Our #11 ewe finally decided to release her lamb. A single so far and she is doing her thing. We have been fortunate this season that the way we have the fields laid out we can usually see when one goes off by herself. I was able to get pictures of her delivery starting while she was laying down, when she stood up to use gravity and finally when she started cleaning off her lamb. The lamb is up and we will check sex in the morning.

 

[Baymule]

Lambs are so wobbly.....for maybe 10 minutes! Boing! Boing! Boing!
Congrats on another lamb!

 

[Wehner Homestead]

Congrats!! Does that mean you are done for this round?