I donāt like to count a task finished until Iām really done- tools put away and everything. But I can pretty much say Iām done fencing the center field. At least, I was able to move the sheep into it at the end of September. I had a few lingering details left to finish, like filling in some nasty ankle-twister holes in the field and adjusting a gate that didnāt ride smoothly. Iāve done those now.
Category: Farming
Ram Marking Harnesses
Iāve been really pleased with using marking harnesses with the rams this year, itās reassuring to verify that everyone is getting bred on schedule, and that there were no accidents earlier in August that I didnāt know about! Here are two girls with nice clear blue marks on them, indicating that in five months, they should have some of Hersheyās lambs.
But, here is one that didnāt go as planned:
Oops! Thatās both blue and green! Thatās ācuz Hershey busted through the hotwire separating the groups on a couple of occasions. So, oh well, Iāll have a few lambs with a mystery sire. If they are great and Iām dying to keep them, I can DNA test them so they can be registered; otherwise theyāll just go on the locker list. And this is probably where the marking harness provides most of its value, is when somebody gets where they shouldnāt. Without them, Iād have no idea what went on in the few hours Hershey was in the wrong pen, where this way, at least I can quantify the damage!
Garden Round-Up
Our garden produce is winding down for the year. We got an amazing amount of stuff, considering how little effort we put in. We have a whole basket full of potatoes in the pantry, which we are rapidly eating down. I love to make mashed potatoes with either a sweet potato or yam mixed in- a tip I learned from a past neighbor of mine, Barb, who felt that sneaking those in improved the healthiness of regular mashed spuds, while still pleasing her kids! š It improves the flavor, too, I think!
Livestock Advisor WSU Tour
For the last couple of months, Iāve been taking the Livestock Advisor course thatās sponsored by Washington State University. The concept of the course is to get a broad overview of training about all types of agricultural livestock; and then to give back to the community by sharing this information in a variety of volunteer opportunities. Iām enjoying the courses, though they are a bit more basic than Iād hoped. But, you always pick up something from a class, and Iāve learned a few new things.
Last week, we traveled to WSU to do a whirlwind tour of all of their agricultural facilities.
Llama Taming
The llama is getting a little tamer these days. I think having lived here for about a year now, sheās adjusted more and gotten used to me, all the dogs, and the layout of the place. She is much less flighty.
Dude Harnesses
This week is all about the boys, for once, on the farm! Usually boys play a bit part and the girls have a starring role on farms, but there are times when the men get their due. We do need them!
Yesterday was the start of breeding week for the sheep, so Tuesday, the rams got fitted with their breeding harnesses.
New Roo
Out of the 21 Rhode Island Red hatchery pullets I bought last spring, I was hoping one might turn out to be a mistaken rooster. And these ladies are so assertive that more than once I thought I did have a rooster, with the way they spar, and mount each other! But, I finally decided it wasnāt the case- I have sixteen hens left, and no sire amongst them. So, I have been on a quest for a RIR roo!
Flushing Ewes Again This Year
I waffled again this year on whether or not to āflushā the ewes prior to breeding. Flushing is putting them on an increasing plane of nutrition as they come into heat, coaxing their bodies to release more eggs, to render a higher rate of twins and triplets. Last year I did it, and had a 200% lamb crop born, so I think Iām going to stick with the plan for another year or so; and then maybe experiment with dropping it and see how it compares.
The Future of Katahdins and Meat Sheep
The last speaker I listened to at the KHSI Expo was Dr. Kreg Leymaster, a researcher from the USDA Meat Animal Research Center (MARC) in Nebraska. His talk was inspiring, he made me feel pretty fired up about our breed! š MARC is doing a lot of research on sheep breeds, trying to winnow down which ones are the best producers, the best tasting as lamb, and have the lowest maintenance requirements. I gather that the general vision at MARC is to help America develop the dreamiest sheep breed ever: one that consistently produces 200% or better lamb crops, with no help, thrives on the average forage offered by the open range (not grain feed lots!), and renders high quality, good-tasting lamb. The ultimate put-dinner-on-the-table sheep!
Old Lady Udder
Udders have been on my mind the past few weeks. OurĀ 7-month old ewe lambs were still nursing on their overly indulgent mothers. I will be separating the ewes in a few weeks, because the ewe lambs are going to pair with a different sire than the older ladies. I figured it would be good to get weaning out of the way before then; both so the mothers could start adding some condition (though none of them are thin!) and so the ewe lambs wouldnāt be stressing about weaning during the week they should be breeding. So, a few weeks ago, I split the hotwire enclosure into two halves.