This weekend I caught all the lambs individually. I wanted to trim their hooves and weigh them. Continue reading “Weighing Lambs”
Weighing Lambs
Author: fourfarmdogs
Chicago Style Dogs
We enjoyed some summer weather last weekend with Chicago Style hot dogs (well, sausages, actually) made on the grill. Oh yeah! Continue reading “Chicago Style Dogs”
A Little Earth Moving
This week we had a little earthwork done for the farm. I say a little, and for the farm, because in our state, under the “right to plow” law, if you are moving a reasonably small amount of dirt and it is for farming activity, you don’t have to get a grading permit. Continue reading “A Little Earth Moving”
Fence Posts: Wet or Dry Cure Concrete?
I’m gearing up to start another round of fencing. I do add concrete my fence post holes, because in the floodplain, the flotation forces of full-submersion flooding can cause whole fence lines to float- or so I’m told by a neighbor who learned this the hard way! So the question I’m pondering this year is, pour the concrete in the hole dry and let it cure on its own, or pre-mix the concrete first? Continue reading “Fence Posts: Wet or Dry Cure Concrete?”
How to Light a BBQ Grill
Kirk continues to find any excuse to use his “Inferno” propane tank torch attachment. This now includes lighting the BBQ grill. 😉
On the plus side, we don’t need to use lighter fluid or chemical-ey charcoals anymore. This baby lights up plain old charcoal in a minute or two!
Frozen Colostrum For The Future
I only had one ewe single this year, but I took full advantage of that and milked colostrum out of her three times in the first twelve hours, to freeze for future use. The rest of the ewes had twins or triplets, so I didn’t want to rob any of them. Continue reading “Frozen Colostrum For The Future”
Sewn-Up Duck Adopts Babies
A funny thing has happened with the recently sewn-up duck and the babies with which she’s sharing her A-frame. They’ve decided they’re family. 🙂 Continue reading “Sewn-Up Duck Adopts Babies”
Where Owls Barf, Fortune You Will Find
Know what this little blob of material is on the roof of the sheep shelter? It’s an “owl pellet,” Gentle Reader. I bet I’ve unconsciously seen these a million times in my life, but never knew what they were, until last year. Continue reading “Where Owls Barf, Fortune You Will Find”
Sewn-Up Duck
Last Sunday I was awoken by the Border Collies barking madly at 2am. I took a look out the window to see the ducks all clustered, standing at attention in their pen. My flashlight caught Ms. Coyote behind their pen as she dashed away. I tromped out in my robe and boots, all looked ok, until I got to the back of the pen. Darn, she got one. Or did she? Continue reading “Sewn-Up Duck”
The Odd Couple: Ears, Eyes, Bark and Bite
Here is our livestock guardian pair, displaying their somewhat adversarial relationship. Neither one is really afraid of the other, and they haven’t thus far hurt each other and don’t seem to have intent to. But, the dog enjoys getting some sport out of hassling the llama by barking at her, and leaping up to air-snap at her head. This annoys the llama to no end, and she swings her long neck around with flattened ears, trying to communicate her irritation. Sometimes she even spits at the dog, but the dog doesn’t mind and keeps at her lively sport. 🙂 Continue reading “The Odd Couple: Ears, Eyes, Bark and Bite”