We actually have had two full days without rain which meant I finally had a chance to mow the grass before it got too thick in places. As usual this time of year it took twice as long to mow it and the spots that went into super grow mode look like lines of hay waiting to be baled. I also get to find all those little things that everyone seems to have forgot they casually left in the yard.
On the plus side nothing broke down. Usually however I have noticed I make it through the first mowing or two before things start to break. In another four days I will get to start all over again the stuff grows so fast here this time of year.
Lambing has slowed down considerably the last couple of days and all but two of the birthing stalls are now free. So far we have only lost one still born lamb but we did have another problem birth this afternoon while I was mowing. Luckily my mother was right there and managed to pull the first lamb before it suffocated. I have to give the old girl credit she may get on my nerves but she can still midwife a lamb birth with the best of them. She reached in there and fought with all she had to save that lambs life.
So far we have 19 lambs on the ground and looking healthy. Eleven boys and eight girls. So it's certainly been a year for the boys. At this point in our operation though we can't keep all the ewes we breed anyway so whethers end up bringing in about the same amount of cash overall. Our meat sales have actually been growing too so it's all about the same.
We have definitely lost one breeding ewe though as she has stopped producing milk and no way I am going to breed her again. She barely survived this last birth and we have been bottle feeding the lambs so looks like she becomes the first retired ewe on the place.
Many people would think about selling her off at this point and in different circumstances I would too but as it stands right now we can afford a bit of extra weight and to be honest having an older retired ewe or whether around is not always a bad thing. It makes weaning time go easier to give the young ones a leader who knows the ropes when I separate the flock.
The tiller was a fail. I got all the parts I needed to get the thing hooked up and found out my biggest fear was in fact a reality and the tiller was geared for a 2000 RPM PTO. Nothing to do now but try and find a buyer for it. Too bad too because if it had worked it would have been perfect for my needs. Those old 2K implements are hard to find and some people will pay dearly to get them but not sure how much of a market there really is in my area. I guess we will see.
Since I now have a little bit of breathing room I can start putting out swarm traps tomorrow and maybe if the rain they are predicting doesn't show I might even be able to start sinking posts on Monday.
Keep Prepping Everyone!!!!!
I've meant to make a few comments over the weeks...talk about one lucky lamb! Glad that things have been progressing well for you. Perhaps a free ad in the Arkansas democrat for the tiller would help. There a quite a few homesteads in the northern regions with the back to earth movement like the 70s. Except the reasons are collapse-based scenarios for this generation.
ReplyDeleteK - I am thinking someone should buy it eventually. The 2000 RPM implements are not easy to find but then again not everyone uses them either.
DeleteI expect you could sell the tiller in our area, lots of gardens and someone could make money going around tilling them. Grass to mow here as well. I have one mower to work on and one working so no excuse not to mow.
ReplyDeleteSf - I was thinking some old super garden tractor enthusiast might want it bt so far no bites.
DeleteWow, you have been busy. Our mowing season has begun as well. We only get to spend about 22 hours in the country & 4 or 5 of that is mowing.
ReplyDeleteDFW - I hate mowing. But unless I build some fences around my fruit trees I can't let the sheep in there to do it for me. That and I would have to fence it in too.
DeletePP,
ReplyDeleteMowing is a full time job.....there's never any down time on this task unless it's raining or snowing. I tell you the grass is growing......so are the weeds!!!!
Congrats on all the little lambs running around. I'm happy to hear you're keeping the retired lamb. She can rule the roost when it comes to all those little babies running around.
So sorry to hear about the tiller being no good. This must be the season for tillers not wanting to function. We have to go rent one during the week, ours refuses to keep running. BD Man has worked on it, and is ready to throw his hands up. Parts are no longer available for this make and model.
Sandy - I hate mowing. The ewe isn't out of the woods yet although she was finally up and on her feet today so the medicine appears to be working. She is going to lose her udder though after this the vet says. No way on Earth my mother would sell her off or put her down either. I am fine with it since she pays the food bill. If i ever get the fences all done she can help me mow!!!
DeleteI am hoping someone will buy this tiller and then I can go get a new one. Used tillers are hard to come by these days.
Seems it was a year for boys in the goat world as well. I was fortunately to end up with 50/50. I'm curious why you don't let some of your sheep do your mowing for you. That's our least favorite job! We wouldn't do it at all except we have neighbors.
ReplyDeleteLeigh - Well a lack of fencing is the first issue. Sheep are kinda easy to keep in as long as they have grass but they laugh at standard electric fence unless it's one of those five strand or mesh things. At least these sheep do. Actually it's all because of Sandwich she goes through any fence that isn't a mesh and then gives all the others the idea. Also I need to but fences around my fruit trees too before I can let them in. I have plans to allow the flock to have about another 2 acres I currently mow but I can't work on it any more until the ground dries out. That won;t happen now before May I imagine.
DeleteWe used to get good money for old ewes, sell her and yet a few yearlings in! How big of an area are you trying to till? My rotovator may be a pig to get going but it's unstoppable when it is!
ReplyDeleteKev - LOL my mother would never speak to me again (which may not be a bad thing) if I got rid of any of her ewes before they died of natural causes. If they are sick enough they need to be put down then fine she will live with it but not until then. She cried for an entire afternoon when we put the ram down a few weeks ago.
DeleteTo bad about the tiller, I recently sold an '80s Grey market Kubota mini that had a 4speed PTO.... Now I know why. They would have made a great pair, someone will want it for sure.
ReplyDeleteMr. Tool - I am hoping someone will. Most people are so unfamiliar with anything not 540 they are scared to jump on it.
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