Baymule’s Farm

[Dahlia]

I got my dirt pile Friday. I moved dirt Saturday and got the dirt pad for the chicken hoop coop to be built on. It may not look like much, but that’s between 30 and 40 trips from dirt pile to dirt pad on my little 23HP Kubota tractor. Plus raking it smooth periodically.

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Sunday was church, lunch, took the rest of the day off and watched a movie.

Yesterday I started on the hoop coop.

I worked sheep until noon. I ran both flocks, the middle field first, then the front field.

Then I proceeded with raiding the shed remnants. I got out my chainsaw. Filled it with chain and bar oil. Got a hammer and wrecking bar. Of course, I didn’t have the foresight to get the hammer or wrecking bar, which meant more trips to the portable building to get what I needed.

There were 2 boards laying on the ground, so I tossed them over the fence.

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The back wall lumber was leaned on the back wall of the shed part that didn’t blow down. There were 4 sheets of heavy plywood leaned on it.

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I pulled nails out of the plywood. Had to go get the hammer. Some wouldn’t come out, had to go get the wrecking bar. Put nails in my back pocket. Filled my pocket up.

I used my chainsaw to cut the bottom and middle 2x6 off the 4x4’s.

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Then I pulled the 4x4’s and top 2x6 over, it fell on the plywood. I put blocks under the 2x6 to lift it off the plywood and cut it away from the 4x4’s.

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I dragged the 2x6’s over the fence. I picked them up, 1 at a time and carried them to a table. I cut 2 nine foot pieces for cross members. I measured the 2x6’s from the back wall, they were 13 feet and some inches before I cut them loose.

I carried the boards to the front yard, laid them down and screwed them together.

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I dragged up 1 cow panel and 2 hog panels. I laid them on the frame, popped up one end and dropped it in place, 3 times. I put bricks under one end of the cow panel and stapled it to the board. Then I did the other side.

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I put a hog panel in place and stapled one end. It was uneven to the cow panel.

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I started on the stapled end, using hog rings to even the panels up with each other.

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I love your hoop coop! Great job!

 

[baymule]

B40 had a tiny ewe lamb yesterday morning, Little Ringo is the sire. I did not jug her, she was being attentive and making sure the lamb fed. I caught her and tagged her with a scrapie tag. When I fed ewes there was a mad stampede of greedy girls, the lamb was crying for her mother, but mom was busy. When feed was all gone, B40 found her baby and took care of her. Pretty good for a new mom. I didnt get a picture, I’ll have to do that today.

Across the driveway in the middle pen, Bon Bon had twin rams. One was stuck in a pallet and was weak. He needed milk! The big deal was that for the FIRST time , Buford was in the night pen with ewes and lambs and he was perfect. He respected the ewe, gave her space and didn’t mess with the lambs or the afterbirth hanging out of the ewe. I heaped praises on him. I opened the gate and let ewes and lambs out on the field. Then I led Bon Bon to the working chute and set her lambs down. I fed her and finally got the white ram lamb to latch on and get his milk. His mouth was not warm, a cold lamb is a dead lamb, so I found him just in time.

Bon Bon wasn’t sure that he belonged to her, so I made sure he got to eat several times. Rocky is the sire of these two lambs, both rams.

Buford is not snarling at me. He is grinning. He grins when I scold him and when he is all excited. This grin was telling me that he was unsure, was he in trouble? Did he do something wrong? I reassured him, petted and praised him. His grins are so darn cute!

This makes 33 lambs now.

 

[flowerbug]

... The big deal was that for the FIRST time , Buford was in the night pen with ewes and lambs and he was perfect. He respected the ewe, gave her space and didn’t mess with the lambs or the afterbirth hanging out of the ewe. I heaped praises on him....

glad i already had breakfast but also know that if you post pictures i may see bloody bits so it doesn't bother me.

glad he did well. no playing with babbies!