Peek-a-boo, y'all!

Near disaster

This baby is so sweet. And I feel awful right now. It was cold so I told my husband I wanted a fire tonight. I had gone out and got some small wood. Then went back out about 10 minutes later. I heard the strangest noise coming from up front where the lambs were. So I ran back in the house to grab a flashlight. Ran out there because I heard that horrible loud wail. I just knew something was awfully wrong.

Earlier this evening, I had put a pallet up across the entrance to the stall where Adele had the lambs. The hens could get in and out to lay eggs. Well, I  guess little Cassidy had gotten outside and Adele tried to get to her and knocked the pallet over. On top of her. That poor little new born baby lamb was laying out in the wet hay under that heavy pallet for who know how long. Til I heard her when I went outside to get wood.

I can't even imagine. If I had waited to go check on them before I went to bed later, she would surely have been dead. Oh, I am so upset. Makes me so sad to even think about her under that heavy pallet, smooshed and cold and her momma couldn't do a thing for her.

I just got the pallet off her and she was laying there all flat as a darn pancake. I picked her up and wrapped her in my shirt and rubbed her all over. She was so pitiful. And Adele and the ram lamb were in the other stall, just standing there calling to her. It was the most awful sound I have ever heard. And I hope I never hear it again.

I hope she'll be ok. I set her down and she walked to Adele and nursed. I waited to see how she did. Then came back out later to check on her. Adele got up and both lambs nursed real good. I never want to go through this again. I feel horrible. I am sure she'll be fine. Maybe it might have just happened before I went outside. I hope so anyway. Please say a little lamby prayer for the sweet little thing.





And this little guy. He and his sister are not identical twins for sure. I noticed this morning that the ewe lamb is real kinky and the wool is close to her skin. His is real fluffy and hairy like.

I was thinking he could be Bilbo's lamb. But just now it hit me that I got him Oct. 27th. 4 months ago. Ok, I already told y'all I hate math. But this is bad.

Adele's mother is Katahdin so she is half Katahdin and the rest wool breeds. So that's how he looks like a hair breed. Sometimes it takes me awhile but the light comes on.


And he is like twice as big as his sister too.

Just another day on the farm. And we did get that fire going. It's cold outside.

Meet...

The 1st lambs at Outback Farm for 2014!

                                                    From Adele Belle, twins! Her first.

                                                           #14, a ram lamb. Isn't he cute?
               

                                                             And # 15, a little ewe lamb! She looks like her momma, doesn't she? Looks like she's thinking about something.

She must of just had them around 7 this morning. The little ewe lamb was still a little wet. Adele is doing great so far. I had taken all the other sheep back next door and she was baaaaing like crazy. So April, Leelah and Gracie were all standing at the gate and I let them back over with Adele so she wouldn't freak out being alone. And of course they all promptly went in and ate all her hay for her. What great friends and mother.

Those 3 ewes should be lambing any time as well, so I'll leave them all over there for now.

These lambs are 95% Finn, so I'll have to dock tails in a few days. I went to the co-op this morning to get lots of bands. So I'm ready for all these little woolie lambs.

So here we go! Let the lambing begin!

Knitting again

My mom signed me up for a knitting class with a group at her church. It's at a home not too far from me. There are 7 of us, counting the girl teaching the class. I had taken a few knitting classes before and kind of know the basic casting on and knit stitch. But I forget between classes. So I thought I might learn a little more here as it's a 10 week class. The first project is a prayer shawl. We just cast on between 50-60 and go from there, just a knit stitch. Pretty boring when I'm doing this alone, but with others it's fun. Because all of the others are beginners. And I am the only one using these needles. Everyone else likes the round needles. I don't like them because there's no place to put the needle to wrap the yarn. I am not comfortable using them. I use my leg to hold the right needle when I wrap the yarn around. Anyway, I know I'll have to use the round needles to make hats, which I have made a few already. I will get the hang of it I'm sure. So we are all knitting at our own pace and when we get done with this project, we will move on to a hat I hope. Anyway, it's fun to be knitting again.

I hope to be learning to spin all this wool I am washing and carding. I'll be shearing again soon and will have at least 7 fleeces to do.

No lambs yet. When I went out to feed this morning, Adele was the farthest. I didn't think she was going to make it over to the feed pans. She is really slow and laying down a lot. They all are the past few days. But she's really slow. I hope she'll be ok. I wish they'd come on with these lambs. I stayed home to keep an eye on them while my husband goes to the wound care doctor. He's been so sick with whatever is going around. He was fine last week. Then I think it was Thursday evening, he went down fast. I mean, fine one minute, deathly ill the next. He was in bed for days. He's finally feeling a bit better, but not out of the woods yet. There are a lot of people with this, whatever it is.

I hope everyone is out of the snow and having some nice weather. It's been so nice and warm here, we let the fire go out and have open windows! We are in for some nasty storms though for later tonight. Tornado warnings for middle Tn. which we are very close to.

Have a great day y'all!

Lamb watch!

 It's coming back to me now. I remember when I took John Henry down to my friend Stephanie's does, that I put Abraham in with the ewes. And that was Sept. 17th. I was thinking it was the beginning of October.

So I just went out to check on Adele and all the sheep except Adele are laying down. I got closer and they all stayed put. Unusual for them. They see me and come running. So I go to check Adele and notice Leelah. Go over to her and she gave a little push!

These 1st 3 photos are of Leelah Belle. She had Adele 2 years ago and this is Blossom from last year. She has so far only had single ewe lambs.

 I hope no one is grossed out by close ups of sheep vulvas and udders. But she's getting pretty floppy and loose. Also noticed a little stringy goo. So she is really close to lambing!


This is Fiona. She's Bonnie and Bridget's mom. I hope we don't have a repeat of last year! That'd be great if she had her lambs first.

And Graicie. She's got a nice udder there.

Adele is just fooling me I do believe. I thought for sure she'd be first to lamb. But who knows? They always fool me.

Poor Bilbo Baggins. The only ram left. I took Abraham to the butcher yesterday. Really hated to do it but he got sick so much. I need to find a good healthy wool ram soon. I will keep Bilbo for the hair ewes though.

April is the big fat white one laying down next to Bilbo, the black ram.  When I got her she was already bread so she should have full Katahdin lambs. If these are ewes, I will keep them. I didn't realize how big she is til she lays down.

This is Adabelle. She was born here several years ago to my doe Ocho. I sold her to my friend up the road when she was just about 5 months old. She had a hard time getting pregnant but finally had twins last year. I went over yesterday evening and she was barely walking, poor girl. S this morning, Stephanie called and said Ada had the kids. She had triplets but one died. Or was stillborn. She had a white doeling and a black and white buckling. They are adorable!

They also have another doe, Jessie Belle, who is HUGE! She should have triplets too in the next few days.

It's warm here. We let the fire go out and have windows open. We also have tons of flies. All over. I have been killing them like crazy since last night. I hate flies! So here we go. Lambs, kids and flies! Yippee!

Part 5: Back home. (and that's all folks!)

I just had to post all my favorite goat pictures. And some dogs too.

Zarah and Penelope, looking toward the house.

                                                                   My sweet Sandy.

Zarah again. She is getting to be quite like her momma Abby now. She has the beard like Abby. And I have noticed she is a hay and feed hog like Abby too. I'll put down 4 piles of hay and she's hogging all of them. Just like her momma. I sure do miss her. It's been a year now.

                                                                        I love this one.

                        Penelope Jane. She's a little sweetie, this one. Can't wait to milk her again.

                                                      Bubba, the man! I love this dog.

And here's their favorite spot to be. Even in winter. They got out one day a few weeks ago and came back home full of icicles hanging on them. Silly dogs!

                                          Finally back home again. It was a long hike we took.

This is where we were. It's so beautiful up there. I need to go back out there to see if those daffodils have bloomed yet. I need some in this house!

A few days after this, I sold John Henry to a couple in Tn. I got a text from the man's wife today, saying how she just loves him and what a great buck he is. I was really happy to get that text. It made me feel so good to know he has gone to a good home. I really was a bit worried that they might have taken him to a goat sale or something.  I am happy for the ole stinkin' buck. And my sister will be happy to know this too.

I am done with this long story. I just love taking pictures. I have my camera with me all the time. I sure hope you all weren't bored with this. I will be back to blogging about other things now!

Oh, just have to say that yesterday and today, in the high 60's with beautiful blue skies. Just glorious here. We had a little rain last night and some tonight but I am fine with that.

Also no lambs yet. Still waiting.

The walk: part 4

Ok, 1 more after this and we're done.

Zeeboo said to go this way. Bubba is already over there, ready to go down. Look at that pretty bright green moss. So green.

Now across this ridge. It only went so far, then stopped. There were a lot of trees across the end, so we just headed straight down toward the house. Don't these guys look worn out?

Through this limb, that long white shiny thing is the roof to one of the chickens houses across the road from us. I think there are about 5 or 6 at least. But I never knew they were there when we bought this place. The house we moved from in Ringgold had 7 chicken houses down behind us. And they really stunk bad. That's one of the main reason we moved. But these houses are way across the road and back over the hill, so we really never notice them. Just every once in awhile, after the chickens have been taken away, when the houses are cleaned, that's when we smell them. But not always.

What we are walking down. It was pretty steep in some places. I found 2 pretty long branches for walking sticks and I'm glad I did. They saved me several times from rolling all the way down. It was pretty slippery.

Aw, down in the valley at last! Just look at that view. That's Pigeon Mt. You can just see the shine of the garage roof to the left through the clearing. To the right, that shiny spot is the pond the dogs love to swim in when they get out.

This is the little hill I usually climb up when we walk out back. It's got the best view right there.

                                             So I sat down and took a break. I love it here.

Poor Bubba was quite worn out here. Stella was way down the hill, waiting for us. But we stayed here a good 20 minutes, just resting.

I'll do one more post because there are some really good pictures of the goats.

It's a beautiful day today. There might be some rain later, but tomorrow close to 70! It was amazing yesterday too. I told all the pregnant ewes they can go ahead and have lambs now. I am thinking Adele is just about to lamb. She is getting pretty loose in the back end and walking really slow. I keep hoping I'll go out and see a few little lambs but she's holding on. I think I put the ram in about the beginning of October. So they may have a few more weeks to go. They are all SO huge though. It's so exciting waiting for lambs.