Baymule’s Farm

[Carol Dee]

I weaned ewe lambs in the front field yesterday morning. I have to do so much prep work to move the ewes across the driveway. First, don’t let ewes out in the middle field, keep them in the night pen. Otherwise they hang around and get into everything. I have opposite gates that make a runway across the driveway except they don’t reach all the way across the driveway. I block off the openings with half or whole hog panels. I feed the front field ewes in the small night pen and close them up. Then I unroll horse wire over to the small night pen so they have nowhere else to go but across the driveway. I put feed in the working chute and shriek SHEEP SHEEP SHEEP! This sets off ALL the sheep and they are screaming. I open the small night pen gate and it’s Devil take the hindmost as they race to the feed pan. I close the chute gate. By this time the 97% humidity has me saturated with sweat and dripping like a leaky faucet. I take a break, ice water and sit on the porch to cool off.
I have to do this every time I work sheep in the front field.

Yesterday, to separate the lambs into the holding pen, I had to catch them, put a loop around their neck, run the loose end around their belly, behind their front legs, then through the neck loop. This made a sort of harness so I didn’t choke the little darlings to death. Then i dragged them through the race way, which caused ewes to run ahead of me and pack themselves at the gate I needed to shove/drag the lamb through. I had to hold tight to the rope, grab ewes by the head, turn them around and push them out of my way. Then I could raise the chute gate and push the lamb through. Untie the lead rope contraption, open last gate and traumatized lamb shot through. Go get another one. I weaned six.

Take another heat exhausted break.

Roll the horse wire back up so ewes could run through night pen out to the front field. Go put feed in front field, just outside of the bigger night pen so I could close the ewes out on the field. Shriek SHEEP SHEEP SHEEP! Open gate on chute and screaming ewes charged to the small night pen. Nope. I shook a bucket through the gap into the front field, they ran to the feed and I closed them in the front field.

Then I ran the lambs into the big night pen. They were screaming for mom. I opened the half cow panel gate to the pen I had 4 lambs in that I weaned a few days ago, and put out feed for them. I cut a wide circle and walked the new arrivals into the weaning pen and closed the gate, tied with hay string.

I took an ice water break and cooled off.

Needed to set a bale of hay for the weaned ewes. I cranked up son’s 100 HP Kubota, stabbed a round bale and trundled from back field to front field night pen. I cut the wrap off, climbed back on the behemoth and set the bale. Success! Took behemoth back to the back field and parked it.

Took apart the hog panel, gate, runway across the driveway and closed gates. Watered sheep.

Took another break.

Got on my little 23 HP Kubota to mow strip of grass down middle of driveway, plus some goat weed and Carolina horse weed on the sides. Did that. Mowed around end of driveway, found end of culvert and dropped tractor wheel off in the hole. Great. Just great. Tractor was kinda sorta tilted at an angle with opposite wheels spinning in the air. Shut bush hog off, turned tractor off, put gear in neutral and got off. Walked to back field, cranked up the Behemoth, got a chain and went to the little tractor and chained her up. Behemoth snatched her right outa there! Unchained, drove Behemoth to back field, shut it down, walled back to little tractor, cranked up, called it done and put it away.

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Took another break. Dripping like I fell in a pond.

By this time it was high noon, sun was trying to kill me, and I went inside. Took off soggy clothes, got tall glass of iced tea and took a nap.

This morning I have to sort out some ewes for Rocky. So repeat all the above minus the tractors. Maybe Thursday I’ll start mowing goat weed in middle field. Maybe not.

I am completely EXHAUSTED having only read your days activities! I am glad you take frequent water breaks. Take care. Sorting and weaning seems like a job for 2. Always amazed at what you get done in a day.

 

[baymule]

Productive morning. I worked ewes in front field. First I fed them in small night pen and closed that cow panel gate. Then I unrolled the horse wire over to that pen and propped it up with a lawn chair. I really know how to do things don’t I?

Then I opened both 16’ gates and closed their gate gap with half a hog panel and a piece of a horse panel. Neither gate goes all the way across the driveway.

I’m standing in the makeshift runway from the front field to the working chute.

Girls in the middle field want out!

I got girls from the front field to the working chute.

I was able to get a couple of the ewes I wanted to sort out into the holding pen. But then I got help. In this picture, Specks is tied up so I can open a folding gate to let a ewe into the holding pen.

I had to chase Sunshine and finally corner her, slip a noose over her head, run the loose end around her belly, behind her front legs so I could drag her to the folding gate to the holding pen.

This time I had LOTS of help. Sunshine thought she was aboard a rocket ship to the moon, just not cooperating at all. Holding tight to her, I was able to convince the girls that the other end of the chute looked much better than this end. They slipped past me one by one like I was a bear ready to pounce. They’ve never even seen a bear!

I shoved Sunshine in the short chute so I could take my lead rope harness contraption off her.

Then I opened the folding gate and she joined her friends. There 2 more that I wanted to get but by this time they were wild and none of them liked me very much. Hot, dripping sweat, I made the executive decision to, just the heck with it. Rocky gets 4 ewes instead of 6. I ran the other ewes back to their field and closed their gate.

I opened the 16’ gate from the holding pen to the open yard. I shook a bucket of feed, called Patches and she followed me to the fenced front yard, the other 3 followed her. After they ate the feed, I let them in Rocky’s pen and he is a happy boy.

I let Little Ringo out and he started chasing ewes. Also a happy boy.

I went in, took a shower, got dressed and went to town. I have 10 young ewes plus a wether in a pen that the 2 water hoses won’t reach, so I bought another hose. I got 2 ball valves to go on one end of the new hose and one for the end of the other hose. I’m going to lay the new hose down on the ground, to the water for weaned ewes, I’ll be able to connect it to the main hoses. I won’t have to make multiple trips carrying water buckets twice a day.

Now it’s hotter than hot, I’m not interested. I think I’ll go clean out under the kitchen sink.