We've had some beautiful warm days this week!
I let the sheep into the small sheep pasture the other day to enjoy the sunshine.
There isn't much grass yet, but they enjoyed stretching their legs.
I won't be letting them out in our big sheep pasture until at least the end of the month.
I won't be letting them out in our big sheep pasture until at least the end of the month.
And Bonnie finally got to see the lambs - I think they like her:)
Faithful farm doggy.
Poor Bonnie got butted by Emma. Completely knocked her over. None of my ewes have ever done that before, so Bonnie was justifiable surprised and a bit hurt.
Not physically injured though - she's just fine.
The lambs enjoyed taking naps in the warm pasture.
And the cats enjoyed taking naps on our deck...
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| Muffin |
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| Mitts |
Take a look at Mitt's paws - he's got seven toes on each foot.
Bonnie hung out on the deck, too.
Today, I banded the lambs tails.
This is done when the lambs are about 11 days old. The longer you wait, the bigger their tails are, which makes it harder to get the band on there. It also makes them harder to catch, because by then they can run really fast;)
I use an elastrator, which places a thick rubber "band" around the lambs tails. Eventually, the lower part of the tail below the band shrivels and falls off.
The elastrator is very easy to use and causes the least amount of pain and stress to the lambs. You can also use it for castrating the ram lambs, although I've never done this.
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| Sweet Marianne |
The lambs still experience a certain degree of discomfort right after their tails are banded. For about an hour or two they lay around, looking quite sorry for themselves. I can't say I blame them. But it isn't long before they're back to normal, running around and playing with each other.
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| Peek-a-boo! |
Brandishing my "weapon" ;)
And adorable little Margaret/Piranha/Nibblin' Lamb!
The next big event with be shearing the ewes, which will happen later this month or possibly in May depending on the weather. I don't do my own shearing. Maybe I'll learn someday, but for now I have a friend who comes over and does it for me.
Well, Happy Trails y'all!
Awww...more cute lambkin pix. ;-) Just out of curiosity (in which Tom displays her ignorance), why do you essentially cut off the lambs' tails?
ReplyDeleteMuffin is GORGEOUS! I love tortoise-shell kitties.
Ahahaha--I love Mitts' sleeping position, too. So cute. And what fun to have a cat with seven toes to a foot!
HTSYS! ;-)
God bless,
~"Wild Rose"~
What a fun virtual day on the farm for me! The lambs are getting so big and are just adorable. No doubt they loved being out in the sunny pasture for some adventure. But, poor Bonnie! She meant no harm to the lambs. Poor sweet girl getting slammed by the Ewe for just a friendly sniff. Hrmph!! I am glad she was not hurt because mamas can get pretty fierce when it comes to their babies! Muffin and Mitts are so wonderful having a nap on the deck in the sunshine. Oh how I Love me some kitties!!! I wish I could post a photo of my sweet boy to share. Thanks so much for a fun farm tour on such a gorgeous day!
ReplyDeleteOh my, what great pix. It's as if they are inviting us to come on up and enjoy the energies of those lambs, of Bonnie, of the kitties, of the scenery of your ranch, and the hospitality of the Henkoski Family.
ReplyDeleteI think WilliamDane is right! Some us wish we could come for a real visit!!! Alas, that is not a possibility right now for this Florida blog visitor. I never knew what a beautiful state Idaho was until I saw all the photos from this site and Accordion to Kellie. I have lived on the easy coast all my life but I can say that I have missed out on some incredible beauty. Visiting Idaho has risen to the top of my bucket list!! And I always enjoy photos of beloved pets and stories about them!! Give Bonnie a pet on the head from me!
ReplyDeleteWild Rose - It sounds much more gruesome when you put it that way;)lol.
ReplyDeleteThere are several reasons for docking the lambs tails. Tails will accumulate manure, which attracts flies and other parasites. In general, tails are an excellent source of filth and will also interfere with breeding, lambing and shearing.
Winnie - The lambs are definitely getting big! I love seeing them run around and play with each other:) I'm glad Bonnie wasn't injured, too. Poor baby!
I love kitties, too, especially mine:)
It would be wonderful if you could visit Idaho someday!! What fun=)
I will definitely give Bonnie a pet for you:)
Mr. Dane - Thanks:) I'm certainly blessed to live here - it's so wonderful.
*Bashful grin* I guess that was rather graphic, but my brain was all deflated, so I couldn't think of any other way to put it. :-P
ReplyDeleteI figured it was something like that. Thanks for the education. :-)
God bless,
~"Wild Rose"~
P.S. I have to go along with the general sentiment here--after seeing these pix, I now have the sudden desire to meet all those wonderful, fuzzy, cuddly critters in person (not to mention their charming owner). ;-)
~"WR"~
Hehe;) Well, that is what I'm doing essentially - cutting their tails off.
ReplyDeleteYou're most welcome:)
Maybe you can come up and see my lambies sometime! That would be awesome!! I can't wait to meet you when we go on our DOTT=D
Blessings,
~Tasha~