A little bit of everything--and too much of some things.



Sweet Mama Ewe--Sept. 2012.

 

Too many bugs....

Well, it had to happen sometime...The mosquitoes are here. Went out after dark last night and put flysheets on a very grateful Oakley and Winston, and sprayed them down with flyspray much more than I usually do. I felt bad for not having their fans up yet.  Will have to do that today...I need to go to Wisconsin to the Tractor Supply Co. to buy a nice industrial fan for the sheep--the mosquitoes and flies can't get through their fleece easily but they go for the legs and face instead, which pretty much drives them mad.

 

 

Bug hunters-go forth and conquer!!!

 

Thunderstorms all night have left me a little sleep deprived, but the rain and thunder and wind this morning woke me up nicely and left me in a pretty good mood. I love being out there in the rain! Keeps the bugs down too of course. The ducks burst out of their hut when I open the door and immediately set course for some destination in the field that was obviously a big deal--they randomly stroll through the yard in the afternoons at siesta time, but mornings are for the determined purposeful travel.  They love to dabble and dig muddy holes in the yard--sort of annoying but this habit of theirs has come in handy this spring.  They've managed to keep a swale open that fills up nicely during rainstorms so we don't have to cross a rushing creek on the way to the barn. They also snap up flies of all sorts during their travels, like waddling feathered snapping turtles.

 

 

 

 

Our little ruminants

The sheep tend to sleep in on cool wet days, so they were just standing up and doing their morning stretches when I went into the barn to let Winston out of his stall.  Three sleepy beautiful ewes (Lace, Mama Ewe, Starburst) all crowded against the fence for morning ear scratches, back rubs and kisses.  So incredibly sweet.  Wish I had a go-pro head cam for that view...

 

 

Starburst, a few weeks after we got them. July 2012.

Birds--and more birds

 

There was a special type of cacophony out there this morning--grackles are fledging.  Flying from tree top to tree top with screeching parents in tow. We have at least four grackle nests this year-possibly five.

Our wonderful mourning doves fledged last week! They hung out on our deck for a while, but I haven't seen them for a few days, so hopefully they are out there getting strong and practicing their Cooper's hawk evasion techniques.

 

 

 

Zantar hangs around most days, still displaying and calling. Haven't seen his hens around so can only assume they are sitting on eggs somewhere.  He loves to spend time on Glenn's straw bale garden creation.  He can watch the field for ground predators or competitors, and generally feel majestic up on his high perch. 

Mr. Flan's daughter has been doing a pretty good job raising chicks and continuing to brood the unhatched eggs. We have five chicks so far, and we heard live chicks peeping in another four or five eggs last night. That doesn't guarantee they'll make it! Hatching is a tough business--such a huge effort required to escape what could be a prison for a chick...they can even drown or just suffocate.

Our timing was a little off with these eggs--she was already sitting on four or five when we lost our beloved Wedge, and then we collected more eggs for the next few days before putting those ones in the incubator.  Apparently a hen can still lay fertilized eggs many days after mating. After she hatched her first few, we took the eggs from the incubator and put them under her. As each egg hatches we have to reach in and remove the broken bits of egg shell, and anything else that could hurt the chicks (feces, any goo from the hatching process that would quickly grow bacteria). 

 

 

I still miss Wedge and I can't believe he's gone.  I'll be making a mosaic gravestone for him when I can find the time. He would have liked this spring weather--not too much heat yet.  Last summer I had to keep him and Wookie in the basement for a few days when it got too hot. Their breeding is for cold tolerance, not heat tolerance. Sort of like me I guess! Glenn loves the heat hear in the midwest but even he gets nostalgic for the coast and his island when it gets rainy and misty here. 

 

Wedge's ladies, a little lost without him.
 

Our giant dragon

Things are looking up on the Oakley front.  Our riding coach from a local barn has found an eventing student that is willing to come out and put Oakley through his paces.  I need to find out what he is capable of, what he knows, and have someone show me how to do it all! Both coaches will come out and assess the freshy boy, and remind him that he's not fully retired yet...lol. 

 

 

 

More artiodactyla

 

I should be sending the fleeces to Fargo this week if I can get my act together. I'll get some back as yarn, and some back as roving so I can spin it myself. Should be returned to me in about 2 months or so, just in time for the hot weather and deerflies to really drive me indoors!!

 

Miss Oats--December 2012 before we moved them to their winter paddock.  Her fleece is much nicer than I had previously thought. Staple length over 7", and finer than I thought as well.