BAYMULE FINALLY HAS SHEEP!!!

[Beekissed]

Such a funny man. I'll get right on that.

 

[ninnymary]

Bee, has spare time?

Mary

 

[baymule]

Paris is back in "her" backyard. Saturday morning i was standing in a hole big enough to sink my tractor, in my pajamas, filling it in. Before coffee, even. I was livid. She did the crawl under the enclosure fence thing again, dug holes,and crawled back under the enclosure fence again. But the kicker was the Volkswagon bug sized hole under/in front of the gate. Clearly she wanted away from the sheep. Ya' think? Not only was I not getting anywhere, it was just getting worse and worse. I put Paris back in her happy place. This is the most neurotic, physco dog I have ever had. I just had to stop and back off for awhile. What I was doing was obviously not working, so time to stop before I did her damage.

We had our grand daughters all weekend, so all I did was a 9 month old, crawling, delightful little love. I got outside to care for animals only on her naps-which weren't very long. They went home Sunday afternoon.

Saturday, our hay guy and his friend cleared their way through the wilderness, briars and brush, down the property line in preparation for the last stretch of fence. 1,186 feet from front to back, then about 250 feet across the back to join the fence that is already up. Our hay guy brought his cutting torch and cut my drill stem pipe to length so I can start on the lean to for the sheep. Progress comes in small steps.

We have workmen here building a screen in porch across the front of the house. Trip barks at them, so I am not going to try him with the sheep until they are gone. He would be split between playing with the workmen or playing with the sheep. I am going to wait until I have their new shelter up and put in a place for Trip where he will be next to them, but can't get to them.

The sheep are getting friendlier to me. I look real good to them wearing red--a red coffee can, that is. A red coffee can with feed in it, just rattle it and suddenly I am not a ewe eating ogre any more. Today I sat on the hay wagon, next to the feed trough and talked softly to them. Lady Baa Baa and Sheepalicious wanted feed more than they were worried about me. Miranda Lambert and Ewe-nique were too scared to do more than grab a few bites and run. Sheepalicious stared at me then sniffed my hair. I was delighted. Sheepalicious has a huge belly, her udder is getting bigger, I hope she has her lamb soon!

 

[Beekissed]

Any chance you can hotwire that fence Paris keeps digging under? I'm getting ready to apply some juice to a door that I don't want my pup to enter and can't wait to see if this will solve the problem.

Don't you love it when the sheep wuffle your hair?

 

[baymule]

There is no electricity available where I would put up the electric fence. We bought a solar rig because we thought we would need it for the pigs, but after seeing the massive hogs kept behind wire mesh, where we bought the piglets, we took it back. It was $350. An electric fence might keep her from digging out, but it would not fix the real problem, I think she is afraid of them. I don't think shocking her will make it any better. It will take more time, more patience, more everything. When I get the lean to built off the side of the portable building, I will have a "dog" room, wire on the bottom and sides, no more digging out. I will start over with Paris.

The sheep are getting more used to me. I will spoil them rotten.

 

[baymule]

Well we had our first lamb last night-dead. I found her this morning, a tiny black ewe with a patch of white on the top of her head. I quickly looked at the ewes to see whose it was and it was Ewe-nique. Ewe-nique was the least likely one to lamb, she barely even looked pregnant. I have two others that look like they will explode, they are so big and their udders are getting full too.

I think maybe Ewe-nique might have miscarried, had her lamb too early. The lamb was tiny. Ewe-nique had passed the placenta, so that was good. I watched her carefully, she was eating and drinking, so that was good. I contacted the breeder we bought them from and she was heartbroken for me. I buried the lamb and placenta, covered them with lime so odor won't bring in scavengers and so my own dogs won't dig it up.

I've been down in the dumps today. I know all too well that when you have livestock, you get dead stock, but did it have to be my first lamb? I got my smile back though. I wanted to move them to another pasture, so I got a can of feed and shook it. Instantly I had 4 ewes for best friends. I opened the gate and they followed me closely to the other pasture and I opened that gate. I poured some feed on a board for them, but they were so excited to have fresh grass, they barely noticed. When it was time to move them back for the night, I just repeated the process. It made me smile to have them following me like a pack of dogs. I love them.

 

[thistlebloom]

So sorry your first lambing was a miscarriage. She would have been such a pretty ewe. I like black sheep.
But it's so fun that your girls have come to trust you!

 

[baymule]

Thanks @thistlebloom I have been sooooooo looking forward to my first lamb. Better luck on the next one.

 

[thistlebloom]

Maybe the next two lambings will be multiples.

 

[Nyboy]

Bay I know sad disapointed feeling well. Waiting for your first baby and loosing it. My first litter of puppies 2 where born dead. As big a disappoint it is there is many lambs in your future. Keep a close eye on the mother, look for a smelly discharge. One day not to far off you will post a photo of a field full of lambs frolicking.