Shearing, with barn fire risk.

A few weeks ago after we had been putting the sheep out on pasture I noticed a repetitive clicking sound, which usually means that the electronetting is contacting some grass.  It wasn't an emergency and I had other things to deal with, so I didn't investigate.  The next day I went into the dark barn and saw a huge blue spark flashing in the corner by the grounding rod.  The wire had been ripped from the connector and was sparking on the side of the barn, only inches from the sheep bedding.  The whole barn could have gone up in flames if that spark had ignited the bedding. Yikes.  Lesson learned.  G moved the grounding rod and secured the wire in an area where it would be less likely to become jarred loose. 

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Shearing went well except for a few cuts, and an accidentally cut of Mama Ewe's heel which resulted in arterial blood pouring all over the floor.  It really wasn't Steve's fault. He was coming in with his hand for a swipe of her belly wool and she kicked her hoof right into the clipper path.  I saw it happen and was relieved that there apparently was no injury, but then I looked away then looked back and the blood was coming fast.

Normally I have a full kit of first aid supplies including blood stop powder and tissue glue but I had only prepared the basics this time.  I had to resort to good old fashioned pressure and then some Blue Kote to prevent infection.  During a muddy spring it's the worst time to have a foot puncture.

Starburst ewe

G keeping the sheep from fighting --they always do this after shearing. It can get pretty vicious. 

Miss Oats is even more thin than I had thought, and we are quite worried about her.  I will have to do a better job of separating her from the flock to give her some grain and extra rich legume hay.  When the vet comes in a few weeks we will take blood and also check her for internal parasites. 

Henry's fleece is huge, but has some flaws in it.  Last year I had it made into felt, this year I will have it made into roving and then try to make a braided rug with it. 

The shearing happened just before we had a major heat wave in the midwest.  It got all the way up to 33 degrees celsius!! Oakley was doing better than me, and he's the one with respiratory disease!  I cancelled his driving lesson.  He hasn't worked in three weeks.  Once due to soggy fields, once to heat and once to cold driving rain. He looks very stiff to me, and I am always worried about his feet (due to his Cushing's diagnosis).  

My parents arrived for a visit yesterday and I'm hoping they will help me skirt the fleeces in time to bring them to Shepherd's Harvest this weekend.  The woman who owns the fiber mill in North Dakota will be there and I can save money on shipping if I bring them directly to her.

Lot's going on around here, including frost in the last few days that has killed some of our plants.  We put up hoops and plastic over the tomatoes and I put bed sheets over the amaranth, we brought extra sensitive plants into the house since even the greenhouse wouldn't keep them safe.  Crazy Minnesota spring.  

Time to order fly predators.