Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Watermelon eating chickens

There is some watermelon under all these chickens. Their first watermelon and they loved it!



They had it all eaten in just a few minutes. Good stuff! These are the Freedom Rangers.






I also gave the laying hens some. They don't want anything to do with it. Strange chickens.



So I got theirs and took it to the FR and they had a watermelon eating contest. See the ref in the middle?



Monday, July 29, 2013

Abraham

This is my poor ram, Abraham. About 4 days ago, I noticed him laying by himself. So I checked him and found his jaw so huge. I knew right away it was bottle jaw. Those darn Barber Pole worms were back and with a vengeance.

So I ran in the house and got my RX kit. I gave hime some Dectomaz wormer, Red cell, a shot each of Thiamin and B complex. Did that the next day too. Yesterday, gave him Cydectin with the shots and Red Cell. Yesterday afternoon, gave him 6 cc of Valbazen. This morning, more Dectomax. And some LA200 antibiotic. I guess I should have given him that the past few days too.







This is him this afternoon. Not much difference at all from 4 days ago. He lays in this corner sometimes and eats dirt. I give them all a loose organic mineral and Thorvin kelp. Last spring I lost my favorite ewe Lucinda, to this same thing. I thought I had a handle on it this time. I have been rotating pastures and cutting the grass a few days later. Until this, they have all been just fine.

But he is a Finn ram. And this dark color. Lucinda looked exactly like him. I have more worm problems with the Finn sheep than the hair sheep. I don't know if it's this particular breed or the color. But all the white sheep are fine. I just hope he makes it.

Any thoughts or advice for me? What else should I be doing? I am doing what the vet told me to do last year. So no, I haven't called him.And Dectomax is what he said will kill these Barber Pole worms.


Grapes and jelly

I picked a bucket of grapes yesterday. And got 2 eggs from those lazy hens. But I am grateful for them!


Then made jelly this morning. It's so pretty. I got 9 jars. I'll make more when I get more grapes. These grapes are so good too. The color is amazing.