1. Wow, that's an official record - rain for 13 days straight and counting. We're still 20 something inches behind because of the 3 years of drought but it sure doesn't feel like it - everything is wet and soggy. And that's a big problem - here in FL we usually have a strong rain for 30 minutes every day but it's so hot that it gets completely dry 15 minutes after. So, we never really bother about things getting wet - they'll be dry before they rot or rust, no problem. And now we have many days with 8 hours of rain back to back and all the holes that water can get through are suddenly obvious and dangerous.
2. Paul attacked me on May 24 (I mean, it was a serious adult ram attack, not games and fun as before) . Congratulations dude, you're a man. Although it also means that you'll be going to freezer camp sometime in August.
3. As it turned out even perfectly executed roundhouse kick in ram's head will probably hurt you more than him - don't do it. A slight tapping with the end of the crook on eyes or lips will do the trick and show him who is the boss though.
4. Everyone except for a few (who will get their treatment tomorrow) got a proper dose of Ivomec and hoofs trimming. We didn't finish them all because we basically gave up after 3 hours or so because they fought a lot and it was hot and humid and I realized that those poles don't really dance - it's all in my head. We never bothered with general hoof trimming before - the ground and bedding were always stone dry so foot rot was never a problem and only those with limping problems were getting free pedicures. Now I have to worry about that. We also weighted a few - spring lambs are about 60lbs, moms and yearlings are 100 - 125 and Sr. Sister (of course!) and Paul are over 150 lbs. Man, that's a lot of superb quality 100% grass fed all natural meat walking on my pastures :))
5. The grass grows up very nice though - I think we should be OK this summer. We're on the Central Hill now, which is one of the worst pastures and even that gives us 2 days from 2 rolls of electronet area. And DHP, which we've grazed this year already is ready to be grazed again (but hopefully we won't be there until beginning of August).
6. I understand many people now want to go work or live on farms. If you're one of them, here's the best way to piss off a farmer - open every closed gate that you see and close every open one. Surely you know better which ones should be open or closed, right? And those funny signs "keep closed"? Of course they are not for you. Yeah, and do us all a favor - also ignore signs like "LGD in use, don't approach livestock". I mean, dog food is expensive nowadays and you will be really helping.
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4 comments:
Man, you crack me up Leon. :)
We're still getting rain off and on here. I hope it dries up so I can make good on my promise to take Kiddo camping.
#2 and #3 just about killed me. :) I remember the horrendously loud crack of the rams when they clashed at the farm... what on earth is wrong with them? "Congratulation dude, you're a man... although going to the freezer camp" Hahahaha :)
Yeah, I bet that roundhouse kick hurt. Them dang things must have inch-thick skulls. :)
Ron
Heh, glad you like it. I have a weird writing style actually, about 5 people in the world can understand what I meant :)
Even I'm not so stupid to kick him in the skull :)) Right in the jaw, dude. Still hurts :)) And he almost looked like he liked it - "go ahead, scratch me again" :))
> I remember the horrendously loud crack of the rams when they clashed at the farm...what on earth is wrong with them?
Well ... I saw a guy got off a bus once, said a few words to a guy at the bus stop and than there was a head-butt and horrendous noise of the second guy's nose going flat. What's wrong with us?
We don't allow rams fights by a very simple method - there is always a super-ram who can kick everyone's a**. The juniors don't fight among themselves too cause there is no point, I guess. It's not a flawless system of course - for example, before Paul (our senior ram at the moment) will depart for the evergreen high quality alfalfa pastures up there we need to either sell or send to those pastures one of his lieutenants, cause right now there are two of them and they're about the same strengths and the only dead rams I want to see here are the ones I killed myself.
I have a turkey that attacked me the other day. I think he enjoyed me chasing him around the yard with a campfire chair... :)
That must have been the problem on the farm... the two rams were just about equal, so fight they did. Wow. We were raising hair sheep... they didn't have wool, had hair like a deer.
Ron
He have hair sheep too (Katahdins). I've never heard a good reason to raise the woollies South of the Mason-Dixon (actually, not too many good reasons to do it up North nowadays, too). Yes, some people do but that's what some people do - weird things :)
I think I need to clarify what I said about the super-ram thing (you probably know that but just in case someone googles ram fights and ends up here) - I meant mostly difference in age. That means they will be different size too but if it's only size and they feel equal otherwise - there will be carnage. Another footnote - if you separate rams and then put them together again whatever worked before will not anymore - takes them about 15 minutes to forget who was the boss, so they will need to set up the pecking order again. And there may be carnage.
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