And So I Decided to Ted the Hay

About 2pm on Friday, I decided to go ahead and ted the hay. After a couple hours I checked what I had done and some places seemed to have dried enough to bale. So I called Preston and Ben and told them my plan and spent a couple more hours tedding until they came home. Ben's friend usually helps us, but was out of town for the weekend. Preston went out and raked it into rows and I drove the tractor with the baler and wagon in tow and Ben at the receiving end of the baler. We did about 100 bales in 2 hours, put the wagons under cover and hoped that Saturday would bring enough morning sun to dry the rest of the hay and allow us to finish.

Saturday, 6:30am: I'm stirring awake and I hear the sound of thunder. "NO!!! The earliest guy said 8am and then actually changed his forecast to later!! They really have no clue." Then the wind immediately picks up and it starts pouring. I jump out of bed, throw on my bathrobe, run to close all the windows and then run outside to the porch to move the two fleeces that were essentially dry when I went to bed, but figured I'd get them in the morning. Well, the rain had already gotten them wet even on the covered porch. The wind had blown a bunch out on the grass, so there I am in my bathrobe and bare feet running around in the rain gathering up my wool. This is all within 5 minutes of waking up!!!! I collapse on the couch to catch my breath, say goodbye to the remaining hay and wait for the coffee to finish.

So Plan B was to work with the lambs. Several needed their second dose of vaccine, all needs their hooves trimmed. A couple who are leaving the farm this week needed to be tagged (an earring in their ear). And I dewormed them all for good measure since several more will be leaving the farm in the next couple weeks. After wrestling with some more than others, I decided who my favorites were. One little gal had more spunk that some twice her size. She flopped and fought me with every ounce of her being. But we got the job done.

This is the time of year when I am really battling parasites. I've lost several lambs to them in past years and I am so determined not to lose anyone this year. So I'm trying some new things. Aside from the internal chemical dewormers and natural dewormers, I decided I would try taking them off pasture (which is where the parasites are) and put them on "dry lot" for a week and see if they improve.

So Ben helped me fence in a little area adjacent to pastures 1 & 2 and the old barn. It's all concrete there with a door into an enclosed area in the barn for shelter. I put all 13 of the lambs in there along with Dudley, an adult wether who is leaving the farm this week. I wanted him to be with the lamb he is going with so they could do a little bonding. Dudley isn't really too keen on having to hang out with a bunch of whiny munchins, but he'll live.

So we go in for dinner and afterwards I ponder some relaxing things to do on my way to check on the lambs. The remaining 4 lambs were weaned today as well, so they were at the fence crying. I walk closer and don't see anybody else. I go inside the barn ... no sheep. Dudley had obviously led the charge and walked over the fence ... that obviously wasn't too enforced. There they all were out grazing in a bit of hay field that hadn't been mowed. Clover heaven!!

So I go get Preston, we decide there are a couple places where there are cracks in the concrete we can put in posts. We get that handled. We roll back the fence and psyched up to go herd the sheep back and here comes Dudley and all the lambs following him back to the barn! There is a God!! He's trying to make it up to me for all the rain. We close the fence, tie it to the posts. They are in there now.

I walk back around to pick up some of the tools and a I think I see something ... I back up ... a lamb is still out there! Two lambs!! I thought I counted right, but apparently not. So I get Preston again and we herd them back. They really want to be with everyone else, so we roll the fence back a little and they walk right in. Everyone is where they are supposed to be. So much for relaxing ... it's time for bed. Maybe tomorrow.