Baymule’s Farm

[Cosmo spring garden]

So you start with colostrum for few days and then go to formula? What kind of formula?

 

[baymule]

So you start with colostrum for few days and then go to formula? What kind of formula?

1gallon whole milk from grocery store.
1 cup cultured buttermilk
1 can evaporated milk

Pour 3 cups milk out of gallon, reserve
Add the buttermilk and evaporated milk to the gallon, top off with reserved milk. Shake to mix it up.


The lamb has gone to her new home. I think I’ll castrate the white ram lamb in a week or so, wean at 2 months and give him to the neighbors as a companion to the ewe.

 

[ninnymary]

Day is dawning, I’m going to hook up the flatbed trailer this morning and go get a half dozen 16’ hog panels. I’m going to get my sheep working equipment set up so I can run the sheep through, trim feet, give yearly shots, take fecal samples to check for worms under the microscope. Putting samples under the microscope is time consuming and I will only do 4-8 at a time.

A ram lamb went to his new home yesterday. I had checked him twice for worms and was satisfied that he was clean. His new owner was impressed and pleased with that. I will not let breeding stock leave here without a parasite exam. On 2 separate occasions I’ve bought and paid a price for registered ewes, only to have them die in a few weeks because of a huge worm load. Even the vet couldn’t save them. I’ve been burned by so called breeders and I absolutely will not do that to anybody else. When an animal is so over loaded with worms, even the worming itself can sicken or kill them. Worms release toxins when they die, which places one in a lose-lose situation. They will die if you worm them, they’ll die if you don’t. But I gotta try.

I’m breeding for worm resistant sheep and doing well with it. Worms spike when a sheep is stressed from moving it. Ewes are stressed when giving birth and when their lambs are weaned. I have 2 ewes whose worm count shoots to the moon, what I call “Why aren’t you dead?” But they both produce high quality lambs, bred to Ringo, 10 year old registered ram that has never been wormed. So I keep them, because of what they produce.

And that is your parasite worm lesson for today!

Thanks Bay, just having a snack of dried fuyu persimmons as I read this.

Mary

 

[ninnymary]

1gallon whole milk from grocery store.
1 cup cultured buttermilk
1 can evaporated milk

Pour 3 cups milk out of gallon, reserve
Add the buttermilk and evaporated milk to the gallon, top off with reserved milk. Shake to mix it up.


The lamb has gone to her new home. I think I’ll castrate the white ram lamb in a week or so, wean at 2 months and give him to the neighbors as a companion to the ewe.

Ummm you going to do that surgery yourself? Yikes!!!

Mary

 

[baymule]

Yes, I castrate ram lambs myself. At a week or two old, it’s not hard on them. They run back to mamma, suck milk, get comforted, and are playing and bouncy the next day.

I basically quit castration and started taking ram lambs to auction. It’s easier. If I castrate this ram lamb, the family can have a companion for the ewe lamb and they won’t have to rush out and buy one. And no, he’s not breeding quality.

Also, son in law has requested lamb, so in the coming months this year, I’ll castrate a couple for slaughter. It’s just easier to keep them as wethers if I’m going to grow them out for the freezer. Rams have to be separated, wethers I can run with the ewes.

 

[seedcorn]

So bent legs is a physical thing and not genetic?

 

[baymule]

So bent legs is a physical thing and not genetic?

No it is not genetic. It is usually caused by a deficiency of some sort, usually selenium. I’ve given her selenium for part of her treatment. It can also be caused by crowding in the womb. I’m leaning towards selenium deficiency. I’m providing a mineral mix with selenium, but maybe it’s not enough. I’ll take soil samples and see what’s lacking.

The white ewe lamb’s tendons are so tightly strung along the back of her knee, that I could feel it. Exercise, massage and manual stretching will fetch her along. This morning she was out in her new yard with foam pipe wrap splints getting her exercise. Neighbor commented that he felt like he needed to get her a crash helmet.

 

[ducks4you]

My Vet can't lift heavy loads and chided me that I didn't bring Eva in when she was small. i had to go someplace else to have her spayed.
Pyg's health is failing, so there will be a new puppy this year, another female GS. My orders are to schedule the new pyppy at 40 pounds, less than 4 months old.
Stallions are gelded at 5-6 months and they recover quickly. I have seen it, but not with one of mine.
IMHO, a gelding is worth more than a stallion bc the gelding was manageable before gelding, instead of a neglected (training) stallion.
Nobody fixes mares, but it was a thing in the 19th century.

 

[baymule]

Leaving Disney World, Orlando Florida in the morning and flying back to DFW airport. It’s been a fun week but I’m sure tired! We’ve walked 6 1/2 miles a day, plus hours spent in line. My knees are locked from the hours of standing, my leg muscles refuse to bend. I’ll sleep standing up tonight, like a horse.

We have had a great time, it’s been a great family vacation.

 

[baymule]

Got up at 3 this morning. Hit it at a run, to get to airport in time, go through TSA security, take a train to the terminal, walk miles to proper gate, get on plane for hours of boredom.

Got home a while ago. Had to get lots of dog hugs and Sentry kisses. Checked all the sheep. Lambs ok and bouncy. I came up with names for the 2 keeper ewes. Frimplepants black and white spotted ewe is Gypsy. Ewenique’s black ewe with white markings is Jazzy.

BTX-19 registered ewe, bred to Ringo, is due Sunday. I’m really hoping she has twins. She was sold because she had singles twice. Twins! Twins! TWINS! TWINS!!!!!!!!
She is big enough for twins, either that or she’s going to have a full grown lamb.

Made a vet appointment for Reina, Monday at 2:00. She has a cloudy eye and is acting like her vision is impaired. She was glad to see me, but jumpy on her right side. We’ll get her looked at and treated for whatever she has going on. Worst case scenario is she loses vision in that eye and will have to learn to deal with it. Hoping for the best.

I’m tired. We walked 7 miles a day, stood in line for hours every day, all on concrete. My new knee is a champion! My remaining born with knee was the one that hurt, but not too bad. I punished my knee with Disney, it’s ready for anything I throw at it now!

Think I’ll take a nap. Photo dump later.