Baymule’s Farm

[catjac1975]

It’s been a busy couple of days here! I decided to hire a fencing crew to fence in the front field. In TWO DAYS they did what would have taken me two months to do. These guys swarmed the fence like poking a fire ant hill with a stick. Professionals of their trade, it was educational to me, just watching.

Remember that big oak with the rotten streak, right on the fence line? It was in worse shape than I thought, it was hollow and so rotten that it broke off before he finished sawing it down.

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Carson was delighted to have new friends and galloped up to meet them. These men only saw a giant black dog rushing at them, jumped back in the trucks and slammed the doors! It didn’t take long for Carson to win them over.

The Anatolians were another story. They stood on their side of the fence, across the driveway, hating on the fence crew. If they weren’t barking at the men, they were glaring at the intruders, looking very mean. I warned the crew, not to approach their fence or even directly look at them.

Pictures!

Driveway corner

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Front fence

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Homemade T-post driver, so heavy I could barely pick it up.

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Front fence from the road

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16 foot gate on back of 4 wheeler. Anatolians hate 4 wheelers and they chased it down the fence line, barking ferociously.


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They worked after dark the first day and last night. They had headlights so they could see what they were doing and parked their trucks with lights on.

I’ll get more pictures today. I’m so excited to have this done!

We have been paying people for jobs that we used to do, the last few years. It is nice. Yea pros are unbelievably fast!

 

[ninnymary]

We paid to have a drip system put in the backyard. My husband could have probably done it but it was a very big job with all the plants and pots that I have. Done in 2 days and we were both happy. Sometimes you just gotta pay to have something done even if you can do it yourself.

It looks great Bay.

My husband did pick up some pointers and did our small front yard by himself.

Mary

 

[baymule]

This is a homemade gadget for rolling out barbed wire. It’s a tractor implement disc blade, wheels on it, pulled by a 4 wheeler.
The Anatolians hate 4 wheelers so every time they cranked it up, the dogs went nuts.

This is the wire stretcher they used. Those pins are hammered down, holding the wire firmly. When Bennett, Peggy and I put up fence, they had a home made stretcher, two 2x4s bolted together with the wire between them. But the tighter it was pulled, the 2x4 stretcher slid down the wire bunching up the vertical wires, or stays, rendering a good length of that expensive wire useless. This marvelous wire stretcher did not slip or damage the wire.

Beside every H brace they drove in. 6 1/2 foot T-post. They used the heavy homemade T-post driver, then turned it upside down to use the flat top to finish pounding the post down to ground level. I asked why and was told to keep the H brace from moving. They wire wrapped it and secured it firmly.

This was the huge rotten tree on front fenceline , they cut the stump as low as possible without getting the chainsaw in the dirt (dirt dulls the chain and damages it) then they cut a groove through the stump for the wire. The stump will eventually rot away and I’ll fill it in with dirt.

This is the H brace I built months ago, when there was still forest behind it. I watched the men inspect it, decide to use it and they reinforced it. On every cross bar on every H brace they pounded four 6” long galvanized ring shank nails on each end. Galvanized, they explained, holds up a long time. Regular nails are corroded by the chemicals in the posts.

From the H brace to the corner where the fence goes to the right to make that L shape.

I had them put a 16’ gate in the corner. That’s so I can go out on my tractor and maintain a fire lane on the other side of the fence. The ground takes a dip so I filled the gap with pieces of pine from the clearcut. It passed Anatolian inspection. I will get dirt to fill that in and probably lay a hog or cow panel under the gate to deter digging in or out.

This is the corner where the fence turns right. It goes to the dividing line between me and Peggy and Bennett.

I’m loving g my new fence!

 

[baymule]

Who let the dogs out???

Front corner by driveway. The Anatolians sat on the other side of the driveway barking and hating on the fence crew. LOL The dogs ran the whole field, sniffing and smelling everything. When they were finally satisfied, they went back to “their” field. I put them up, then let Sentry in by himself. I had that funeral visitation to go to, but I will let each dog run the new field alone, and I’ll work with each one individually. This was Saturday, Sunday I had church, then lunch with a friend. Today is sunny and beautiful, so the sheep will go out on the field!

Time to let the sheep graze some of that grass I’ve been looking at for over a year!

9 days old, dock is tasty!

This sight makes me happy. The girls dropped their heads and tore that grass up!

Run! Play! Fat bellied ewes enjoyed the beautiful day.

 

[Branching Out]

What a lot of work getting that fencing in place Baymule. It looks great!

 

[SPedigrees]

This is a homemade gadget for rolling out barbed wire. It’s a tractor implement disc blade, wheels on it, pulled by a 4 wheeler.
The Anatolians hate 4 wheelers so every time they cranked it up, the dogs went nuts.

View attachment 62813

This is the wire stretcher they used. Those pins are hammered down, holding the wire firmly. When Bennett, Peggy and I put up fence, they had a home made stretcher, two 2x4s bolted together with the wire between them. But the tighter it was pulled, the 2x4 stretcher slid down the wire bunching up the vertical wires, or stays, rendering a good length of that expensive wire useless. This marvelous wire stretcher did not slip or damage the wire.

View attachment 62814

Beside every H brace they drove in. 6 1/2 foot T-post. They used the heavy homemade T-post driver, then turned it upside down to use the flat top to finish pounding the post down to ground level. I asked why and was told to keep the H brace from moving. They wire wrapped it and secured it firmly.

View attachment 62815

This was the huge rotten tree on front fenceline , they cut the stump as low as possible without getting the chainsaw in the dirt (dirt dulls the chain and damages it) then they cut a groove through the stump for the wire. The stump will eventually rot away and I’ll fill it in with dirt.

View attachment 62816

This is the H brace I built months ago, when there was still forest behind it. I watched the men inspect it, decide to use it and they reinforced it. On every cross bar on every H brace they pounded four 6” long galvanized ring shank nails on each end. Galvanized, they explained, holds up a long time. Regular nails are corroded by the chemicals in the posts.

View attachment 62817

From the H brace to the corner where the fence goes to the right to make that L shape.

View attachment 62818

I had them put a 16’ gate in the corner. That’s so I can go out on my tractor and maintain a fire lane on the other side of the fence. The ground takes a dip so I filled the gap with pieces of pine from the clearcut. It passed Anatolian inspection. I will get dirt to fill that in and probably lay a hog or cow panel under the gate to deter digging in or out.

View attachment 62819

This is the corner where the fence turns right. It goes to the dividing line between me and Peggy and Bennett.

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I’m loving g my new fence!

That is a solid, spectacularly well-built fence that anyone/everyone would love. It's so great to see your ewes enjoying their new pasture. I miss livestock. There is something so fulfilling about seeing animals enjoying the fruits of the land while nourishing and improving it. Those look like very happy sheep.

 

[Rhodie Ranch]

This last post made me break out into a smile! Yea for fencing and good dogs and great sheep!!

 

[ninnymary]

Wow Bay, you have done so much to that property. Can't believe you already have so many sheep. Everything looks beautiful!

Mary

 

[baymule]

New lamb born last night! Mom is a White Dorper, her first lamb. It’s a ram lamb and my ram put a bit of color on him! He has a few brown spots on his neck, brown nose and looks like he’s going to have freckles on his legs. 2 more big fat ewes about to pop!

 

[baymule]

Cleo was in labor this afternoon. I put the Ewe Crew back in the lot, had to leave and didn’t want to leave ewes out in the field. The black vultures are around and I didn’t want to risk it. Plus we have eagles and they can carry off a new lamb. In their pen, the dogs are around them, not in the pen, but close enough to keep vultures and eagles away.

My neighbor’s ewe had twins, boy and girl. He thought she might have another. I gloved up and felt around inside. Did not find another lamb, felt a lump. She looked like she felt bad. She passed the afterbirth. She was attentive to her lambs, but stood with head down. I told neighbor to call vet and go get a shot of lutalyse. Vet said she could have a mummy fetus still in there. When he got back I went over and gave her the shot. If there is anything still in there, she will pass it. He will watch her for the next few days.

I kept an eye on Cleo, she was in labor and straining. Toes were showing so I gently pulled when she pushed. A white ewe lamb was born! A little bit later Cleo had another ewe lamb and did not need assistance.