Monday, January 30, 2023

Sunday Reading - More Winter Preps

 

All last week predictions were pretty universal that we were going to get hit with another Arctic plunge starting today. Well that did happen Yesterday I was dreaming of Spring seedlings and Sunshine than today there was a thin film of ice on the water troughs and the dog pretty much drug me sliding across the porch when I went to put him in the back yard. 

The animals are all somehow convinced I actually control the weather and let me know they are disappointed in me too. 

On the up side Saturday morning when I went out to split a trailer of wood for the week they were predicting lows into the single digits and highs in the upper 20's for the week. By the time I finished Saturday afternoon the prediction had changed to really just a Sunday thru Wednesday cold snap and a high well into the 40's by Wednesday afternoon.

I can live with that.

The February long range forecast even shows a continuation of the warmer than usual upper 40's and 50's well into the middle of the month. Give me a bit of breathing room to prepare for the new Winter use and wood usage before next year anyway now that I have a better idea of just how much I need with the smaller wood stove.

It is beginning to look as if things are slowing down at work maybe. It better or I am going to be hard pressed to get my garden preps done on time at this rate. 

No more predator attacks, untimely (or timely depending on how you look at it) deaths. The ground froze solid and added a new problem with my remaining sheep flock as now about half the sheep left are older ewes and one giant whether and half younger animals just now hitting their 3rd year. The younger sheep are all oopsies that were not meant to happen. My plan was to outlive the last of my critters and I am sure I still will but I did not want any new ones. The remaining ram and ewe's had other ideas while I was at work one day. 

The problem is that the old flock are all, well old,  and unable to hold their own on the rough frozen area around the feeders so they get knocked around and even one old girl was knocked down and was limping this afternoon. I may open up the hay field for them to graze over tomorrow despite the fact that Lilly tends to get lost out there until this unstable frozen mud softens up a bit for them. Sheep legs have never been the strong point of fat ewes anyway and the area around the feeders turns into a mess for their little hooves when frozen. Generally I get around this by just opening up all the pastures and let them go where they want but with Lilly being so deaf and blind now I been keeping them close and limiting them to the barn lot and the West pasture. 

I also suspect that is why they are eating much more hay than usual too.

It has been nice not having to go on a 2 or 300 yard nature walk to find my missing ewe every afternoon though.

Still only 2 more days until February so things are looking up. The days are lasting longer and the temps are becoming easier to live with. It won't be long now.

Keep Prepping Everyone!!!!

 

2 comments:

  1. That's a relief about the predator attacks. Hopefully, they've all moved on to more suitable hunting grounds.

    I hear you about elderly animals. It's one of the reasons I've always sold my goats while they're still in their prime and productive, so I don't have to have the added care when they get old. That sort of works with the does, but it's harder with the bucks because that's where I tend to rely on genetic variety. My breed isn't terribly common (making them easier to sell) but it also means a lot of travel and expense to replace one of them with outside stock.

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  2. keep lily and a friend out of pasture.
    they can rule the home roost while the others are pasturing

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