More babies!

The 3 Mockingbird eggs hatched last week! This is them not too long after hatching. All mouth!

                               This is them a week later. Getting some feathers, but not many yet.

Every time I say something to them, their mouths go wide open! SO cute. The parents are doing a good job. But, this nest is about 3 feet off the ground, in this maple tree in the garden. I have been hacking away at it over the years. It's got a wild rose in it too. So not many branches with leaves on them. And it's supposed to rain today. I want to go put my canopy over them. But my husband says to let nature do what it will do. Maybe the mother will cover them with her wings if it gets too bad.

I went in the milk room yesterday evening and looked up and there were all the barn swallows, hanging out at thei Then they all flew out and were flying all over with Sam and Rosie. I love them.

Beautiful day

I decided to take my fleeces to a mill. I called yesterday and talked to the man who owns Golden View Alpaca and Mini Mill in Kodak, Tn. Not too far from me, maybe a 2 hour drive. So I am outside today, skirting all these MANY bags of wool from my sheep. Listening to Celtic music and birds chirping and sheep chewing their cud. What an amazing way to spend a beautiful Friday!

P.S. Annabelle only has a little bit of puffiness under her jaws now! I've been giving her Red Cell, hoping to get her blood built back up to fight this. I believe she will pull through.

Annabelle

This is Annabelle last night. So puffy. But this morning, she's just a little and mostly like loose skin. But probably by tonight, it'll look like this again. She's up and eating and seems ok. I am giving her and all the others Red Cell every day til they are better. All the others look great. Just Annabelle is still hanging on to these horrible nasty worms.

Her mother, Lucinda, died from Barber Pole worms when Annabelle was about 4 months old. It was so horrible. I didn't know much about it then. But did all I could for her. She was my favorite ewe. Black and had the prettiest wool. So maybe Annabelle is just more susceptible to these worms.

And she had quads too. But is only raising one of them. The other 3 are with my friend's 3 kids, who love them to pieces! They are named Arwen, Galadriel and Gandalf. They all look just like the other lamb, Goldberry. And all very healthy and happy. And spoiled.

I hope I can pull Annabelle through this. I'll worm them all again about the 7th.

I think one thing that made this worse is the lambs would jump up in the trough when I fed them. And of course they had poop on their feet. So I don't feed them in the trough any more, only in pans and those feeders that hang. So the lambs have theirs and the ewes have theirs now.

And it is NOT fun having to drench 8 sheep every day! I can't even imagine having more than 8.

So please say a little prayer for my sheep, that they get over this. Thanks!

A small miracle

This morning, after feeding the sheep, they all were ready to move. So I got all the fences up and gates open. I turned around when I was done with all that and ALL the 8 ewes, 14 lambs and 2 alpacas were right there by the gate, ready to go.

So I opened the gate and they ALL walked right out and across the driveway and into the garden. I almost could not believe that just happened. I didn't even hardly say a word, just opened the gate and they all went out, one right after another. That has not happened since they all had lambs.

There was always 5 or 6 lambs that didn't pay attention and got left behind. I had to chase them all over to get them out and with the rest. One time, there was only 1 lamb, the smallest of them all, little Pippin, who would NOT go and I  had to chase him  all over the field, then had to go get the husband to help. So I always have this fear of that happening.

Then of course the crazy in me comes out and I start screaming and cussing and who knows what else.

But this morning, there was a miracle here at Outback Farm. And I thanked the Lord a lot! It really was amazing. Maybe the lambs are just older now and know the drill. I don't know and I am just happy.

New milking parlor!

When I tell my husband about a project I want to do, he thinks about it awhile, then jumps right in on it. Sometimes without telling me. Or it could be right in the heat of the day, with not a bit of shade anywhere.

That's what he did a few days ago. It was hot and about noon and there was no shade at all right where I wanted the parlor. But he was out there, getting started. I told him I'd help when the sun went behind those trees.

So we got to work when it was shady there. And did this. I really love it a lot! It was like a flippin' sauna in the milk room. And I'd literally be dripping with sweat. So here is my new milking parlor. The girls like it too.

The only thing bad is the girls would jump on the stanchions and poop. Yuck!

So I put a fence around it. To keep them out during the day. Also, when the sheep are back here, they won't get in while I'm milking and bother the goats. I just need a few more loads of mulch to put around in there and outside the pallet gate. I love pallets. They are the most useful things ever.

Oh, and the view is amazing out there! And cooler .

My babies...

are getting ready to fly! They cannot be old enough already, can they? It just seems like a few weeks ago they hatched.

I walked into the milk room this morning and looked up to see one of the babies out. It's so cute.

Then a little later, there were 2 of them outside the nest. One hopped back in. I don't really know how many there are. I've seen 3.

And I checked the Mockingbird nest out by the bee hives and all 3 eggs have hatched!! They are all skin and bones right now. In a few days, they will be better to take a picture of.

Sick sheep

My ewes have Barber Pole worms. Last Thursday night, I noticed Campbelle had some puffiness under her jaws. I got some Valbazon from a friend and gave her some. Plus some Red Cell and a B complex shot.

Next morning, I saw several others with puffy jaws. So wormed them all and gave shots and Red Cell.

I got a round bale of hay Friday for them.

Then Sat. gave them all Ivermec and more B and Red Cell.

I still have 1 ewe, Annabelle, who looks a little puffy today. I won't give any more wormer til next week. I'll continue to give them Red Cell for a few more days. And I mowed the field where they are now and will keep them here til they are all better.

I cut some cedar and gave it to them today.

I completely forgot that all the ewes got these worms real bad 3 years ago when they all had lambs. I should have given them worm meds after they lambed. But I thought they were all doing so good. We did give them all Ivermec last Saturday when they were all sheared. Then boom, 5 days later, this.

                                         This is my little bottle lamb, Ella. I LOVE her ears!

                                                  And here's Legolas and Elanor. So sweet.

I hope they will all be well soon. I hate when my animals are sick. Makes me feel so bad. I should have known.