Baymule’s Farm

[digitS']

Good Heavens.

For 2 days, I worked as a kid for a state vet checking a herd of sheep for hoof and mouth disease. The lanolin from handling so many of those critters is really something.

It was almost like having been bathed in oil by the end of the day. You see those people doing the shearing wearing those big aprons - that's the reason.

 

[baymule]

Hair sheep don’t have a lot of lanolin.

 

[baymule]

Most of yesterday and this morning I got my sheep working equipment set up. I bought 6 hog panels and had one left over. I made a long race that included a hog panel spanning across the round bale set. I can easily take it down to set another round bale. It’s bowed outwards to give the ewes room to munch on hay. I set this up across the back of the ewe lot and Ringo’s lot, ending in a sorting gate.

I loaded it up, one piece at a time on my wagon.

It’s a dog’s life.

I got one guillotine gate up. Ewes were enjoying the hay.

I set T-posts to tie the gates and hog panels to. Bright blue hay twine is useful, durable and decorative too.

The sheep found the wagon and soon had blue hay string scattered, bit holes in the plastic bag holding the brass clamps that connect two panels, brass clamps courtesy of @Ridgetop on BYH. I reached for the ratchet and socket. Gone. I had just picked up hay string, even going out in the pasture to retrieve some that was tangled on a ewe. Sheba was trailing her, it just didn’t look right and Sheba was alerting me to it. Back to the wagon, found the wrachet!

I had to lay the pieces out to see how I could fit it all out to make it work. When it looked ok, I pounded T-posts and secured everything with lovely blue hay string. I put up 2 guilliotine gates, the stop gate and sorting gate. Those 4 pieces now cost $1,635. BJ and I bought them used for $500, when the new cost was $900. Almost doubled in cost now.

I got everything put up and tied together. There is a long race from first gate to the second gate, to go across the hay bale, and so I can get ALL of them in and closed up. Looks pretty good.

2-way sorting gate. The hog panel on the ground got T-posted and tied in place, plus another hog panel to the fence that makes a holding pen. The second panel is clipped and can be swung over to the fence out of the way when not in use.

The long race across the hay bale. That panel is removable so I can put in a new hay bale.

WE WANT IN!!!!!!!

I did kinda a squat/crawl through the gates, back and forth, showing ewes the way. Some caught on real quick, some didn’t. My new knee did real good with the abuse I heaped on it. It doesn’t even hurt.

I open their pen gate, it’s half a cow panel, and clip it to a hog panel leading to the first gate. They HAVE to walk all the way through to the sorting gate to get out on the pasture. By doing this a few days, it won’t be some strange sheep eating monster. I’ll be able to work them, take fecal samples, worm, give shots and trim feet. I’ll leave it up all the time and soon they will go in and out with no problem.

The sorting gate and holding pen will help me separate the young ewes going to Cooper, across the driveway.

 

[valley ranch]

You've really gotten a lot done, I'm impressed

 

[baymule]

You've really gotten a lot done, I'm impressed

Thank you for the lovely compliment!

 

[Carol Dee]

WOW, you are the energizer bunny! That was a lot of work, especially doing it single handedly. So glad the knee is not hurting. You have certainly tested it.

 

[baymule]

WOW, you are the energizer bunny! That was a lot of work, especially doing it single handedly. So glad the knee is not hurting. You have certainly tested it.

Knee does not hurt now. I’m told it takes a year to fully recover from joint replacement surgery, but in the last week or so, it’s like I’ve started a new life. No pain. After years of limping around, never ending pain, and misery, this is fantastic. It’s like I’ve suddenly got my Mo-Jo back. I’m ready to go!

Still haven’t got on a horse, probably kinda dumb to buy one not knowing if I can even ride any more or not, but when did I ever do things sensibly? If I’m doing this good, riding ought to be a snap.

Going to Disney World in a couple weeks with DD and family. What’cha wanna bet I out walk all of them?

 

[Carol Dee]

Knee does not hurt now. I’m told it takes a year to fully recover from joint replacement surgery, but in the last week or so, it’s like I’ve started a new life. No pain. After years of limping around, never ending pain, and misery, this is fantastic. It’s like I’ve suddenly got my Mo-Jo back. I’m ready to go!

Still haven’t got on a horse, probably kinda dumb to buy one not knowing if I can even ride any more or not, but when did I ever do things sensibly? If I’m doing this good, riding ought to be a snap.

Going to Disney World in a couple weeks with DD and family. What’cha wanna bet I out walk all of them?

Awesome, I know you can and will outwalk all of them at Disney!
Guessing if you can push, pull, tug and twist those heavy panels and gates getting on the horse won't be a problem. (At least I am hoping it is not.)

 

[ducks4you]

I swear baling twine is indestructable! We use it everywhere, and it doesn't fall apart, so whatever we were suPPOSED to use never Gets used.
Then, you have to buy a knife to cut the baling twine off.
I feel a little guilty sending any baling twine to the landfill. Everything else will break down in 1k years except the baling twine.

 

[baymule]

Whew! It’s been a day! Therapy was canceled this morning, so I went to Crockett for dog food and horse feed. Was coming down the driveway and saw Frimplepants out in the field with lambs. EEEERRRRKKKKKK! Stopped car, leaped gate in a single bound on my bionic knee, (not really but it sounds fun) and ran to Frimplepants. The other ewes were trying to steal her babies. Some were licking the lambs, Frimplepants was freaking out. The black and white lamb was following other ewes, Baa baaing and trying to nurse on them. So I got them penned up, dogs too.

The black and white lamb is a girl! The white one was shivering, Frimplepants went to work on her, but she was flopping around, trying to get up.

Poor little ewe’s front legs were so bent, she could barely get up. She tried to nurse, but kept falling down. I picked up the lambs, with Frimplepants following, yelling all the way, and put them in a small pen. I let the ewes and dogs out.

Sentry was going bonkers, wanting the babies. He stuck his head through the cow panel and licked the white baby. Sheba and Carson wanted the babies too. The only one on the farm not trying to lick or steal babies was the horse. LOL

I texted Chase, the neighbor who keeps me supplied in pallets and asked for 4 more. I tried putting the white ewe up to the teat, but she was weak, her legs were bent and she just wasn’t able. I tried tying Frimplepants up and milking her. Uhhh….nope. My sweet, rub my tummy ewe turned into a tiger with no teeth or claws, but the implication was clear. Obviously this wasn’t working, so I called TSC in Crockett and they had colostrum. I wrapped the ewe up in a towel, stuffed her in my sweat hoodie next to my belly for warmth and left.

At TSC, I bought the colostrum, pulled a baby bottle out of my pocket and asked for warm water. I had the ewe snuggled in my sweat hoodie with her head hanging out. A lady, Tammy, took the bottle, returned with warm water and mixed the colostrum. Customers were smiling and asking questions about the ewe and I told everyone that I was getting EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE. I went and sat on a pallet of 50# dog food bags and fed the lamb. Then I went to Walmart for milk to make formula. People stopped me to see the lamb and one woman was utterly enchanted, petting the lamb and said I made her day. I even got my picture taken.

It wasn’t long after I got back home that Chase showed up with pallets. I put the ewe lamb back with Frimplepants. Warm and strengthened by the warm colostrum, the lamb struggled to her wobbly feet and was able to nurse on her momma! She didn’t get much and collapsed. I fixed her a bottle and Chase fed her. He was delighted. I explained that I’m leaving on Sunday for vacation to Disney World with daughter and family for 6 days. Would he be interested in bottle feeding the lamb while I am gone? He was glad to.
“Good! Then she will be yours! “
It was decided that I will keep her until Saturday, make sure she has 2 days of colostrum and well started on formula.
He and his wife have a 10 year old girl, this little lamb will be well cared for and loved.

We got a good pallet shelter built and enlarged the pen.

Poor little ewe lamb! I think her legs are so bent from being squished in the womb. I’ve already started therapy on her. I’ve rubbed her legs, very gently straightening them. They won’t straighten but I’m trying to stretch the muscles and tendons.

Chase left to go home. I let the ewes in their night pen to feed them. They crowded up to see the lambs.

Sheba and Sentry were having fits to see the babies. Both examined the babies , then laid close to the white ewe lamb. It’s like they knew something is wrong with her. Even Carson wanted to be close to the lambs.

The black and white ewe lamb snuggled in deep hay in the new Pallet Palace.

The white ewe lamb is in a box, in the bathroom. I don’t want to leave her out in the cold, she is weak. I’ve just got to get her strength up and feed her. I’m confident that with some TLC and therapy on her legs, she will be fine. She will go back outside in the day with her mom, in at night. Saturday she will go to her new family.

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