amtolle

A New Addition

Today was sheep and goat auction. I go to the auction to meet friends who also raise sheep. The auction is mostly a social event, the twice a month I get off the farm. Most of the breeding animals going through the sale are unregistered or if registered, inferior to my needs, or culls -…… Continue reading A New Addition

Walking the Line

Photo by Blue Bird on Pexels.com Today was a warm, sunny day. A perfect day to walk the line, fence line that is. When the weather is a warm as today, but not overly warm, I check the fence line. I bring some wire, wire pliers and the dog, Hank along with me as I…… Continue reading Walking the Line

Vaccinating Ewes

Replacement ewes age 8 months. The barnyard is noisy with lambs and ewes bawling for each other. The ewes whose lambs I weaned are my breeding group A, older ewes that have been at the farm for a couple of years. I have a group of young ewes, replacement ewes. These ewes were born on…… Continue reading Vaccinating Ewes

It’s Noisy

Weaning time has arrive, actually I am a week late in weaning the lambs. Sheep for the most part are quiet animals, until weaning time. I will have two to three days and nights of constant baaing. I schedule weaning when the lambs are eight weeks old. This year due to a serious cold front…… Continue reading It’s Noisy

Children and Sheep

Grandson feeding the goats The farm is an important developmental and educational place for children. They are excited to see and touch animals they are not exposed to everyday. I love when my grandchildren visit. It is a joy to watch their faces and expressions when they are around the animals. It is not just…… Continue reading Children and Sheep

Mud and Foot Rot

Winter comes and sometimes brings us snow, ice, and cold. But the sun always comes out, the temperatures get warmer, and the mud arrives. I do not like mud. Mud can cause a health problem for the sheep called foot scald and foot rot. Both are the results of bacterial infections in the hoof of…… Continue reading Mud and Foot Rot

Rain, Sleet, Snow

Icicles on the gate Yesterday at noon the storm arrived with rain. A slow steady drizzle continued through the day and into the night. About 11 pm the rain turned to sleet coating everything with ice. Ice on the tree and bush next to the house. Sometime in the early morning hours the sleet turned…… Continue reading Rain, Sleet, Snow

Weather Curve Balls

I watch the weather. Sometimes the weather determines what jobs I will be doing that day. Today, the weather was great, warm and sunny. T-shirt weather I call it. But I spent all day prepping for the freezing rain and snowfall coming in tonight. Yeah, we went from T-shirts to Winter thermal garments in 12…… Continue reading Weather Curve Balls

Pasture Musical Chairs

Sheep grazing on my pasture The photo of my sheep flock two years ago, taken in June. I use pasture rotation to keep my flock fed. This week, I had to take all livestock off the pasture. Reason, the temperatures are lower than what the pasture grass requires to grow. I will be feeding my…… Continue reading Pasture Musical Chairs

Reading, Talking, Seeing

Photo by Matthis on Pexels.com In the beginning I knew very little about sheep. Today, I know some about sheep, with a lot more I need to learn. I am currently re-reading “Dorpers in the New Century” by Rolf Lategan. Although this book talks about the Dorper breed and what the breed standards are, there…… Continue reading Reading, Talking, Seeing