norseofcourse's journal - spring and show update

how is Brosa?

ohiogoatgirl said:

how is Brosa?

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Brosa is fine. I'm starting to think she may not be pregnant...

It's been quite awhile since I've done an update! Things have been really busy.

Brosa had me fooled, it's long past time for lambs so she didn't get bred again after she miscarried. I hope she successfully has a lamb this coming spring.

Gracie's ram lamb was treated with levamisole, which finally seems to have kicked the worms. The ivermectin was having some effect, but not near enough according to the fecal test. He's doing well, I still have to get some updated sheep pictures.

My zucchini did great this year!



In early summer, I piled load after load of horse manure (composted and fresh) in two rows, laid black plastic over it all, and planted 4 zucchini plants in the 'valley' between the manure rows. Then I ignored it - didn't even water it during the couple months we had of no rain. I've eaten quite a bit, given it to friends, and taken zucchini into work to give away. Not bad for having gotten the zucchini planted really late - July 9th.

I also got the tomato plants in late, and they haven't done nearly as well. Next year I'm going to use the same manure/black plastic system with them. If it works as well with tomatoes, I will be learning to can - and I sure hope it does.

I have some old apple trees out back, planted about 65 years ago. The trees are old and overgrown, and I don't spray them, and some people have told me I won't get good apples from them. I didn't listen to them, and neither did the trees!



A few are Yellow Transparent (early summer apples), and the others are red apples that are maturing now. The ponies and sheep both love them. I'm still not quite sure what varieties they are, but they are tasty. Most of them are out of my reach, but I got a fruit picker on a long pole this year, so I hope to get some. I have been working on trimming some of the trees where I can, and clearing the grapevines and bittersweet vines that are smothering a couple trees.

Some of the credit for the apple tree success has to belong to the bees. A beekeeper has two hives here, I'll get a share of the honey he harvests. He checked them a few weeks ago, and said there wasn't enough honey to harvest yet (they are young hives, and we had a really rainy spring that he said affected the production of a lot of hives).



The sheep are doing well. Rose's lambs are the biggest of them all. They are all spoken for, which is good, but it will be very hard to take them in to be processed next month.

What do you do with your zuccini?

Poka_Doodle said:

What do you do with your zuccini?

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Mostly I slice it up and bake it in the oven with onion and spices. I love it that way. I've grilled it, too. The link you posted for zucchini cake sounds interesting.

Aww! Sounds like a busy and fun time at your place! Glad everyone and everything is doing well!

Zucchini looks great. And, I'm drooling over those apples!

I've been getting my hay in! Later in the year than usual, since I still had a bunch of hay, and nowhere to put it to empty out the garage to put new hay in. Due to condensation problems in my barn, I haven't been able to store hay there. With advice and some help from a friend, I built a lean-to shaped frame in the barn and we put plastic over the top. It's 16' wide, 8' deep and 7' to 9' high (sloping toward the wall of the barn). I put plastic down for a vapor barrier, and a layer of pallets on the floor and pallets against the wall. I got 60 bales of hay in it Monday. I now have plenty of hay in the barn where I need it for the sheep, and I have a place to put remaining 'last year's' hay to empty out the garage and get current hay in when it's harvested.

60 more bales, and I'll have all my hay in. I will be glad to have that done.

I found someone within driving distance that was advertising teff hay. I've read about it but never seen it here. I went and got 5 bales to give it a try. It looked stemmier than I thought it would, and not real green. It looks like it might have been cut later than it should. I'll see how the sheep and ponies like it, but I doubt I'd drive that distance for a bigger supply, unless it looks a lot better once it's opened and the critters love it.

Only a little over two weeks till the lambs go to the processor, and Elding goes in with the ewes. Elding is more than ready, and the ewes seem to be too - they are hanging around his paddock a bit more often when they're in the main pasture. I know, I know, I still need to get pictures...

With Icelandics, it has to be a saga, right? lol

The sheep were out in the main pasture all afternoon. Rose was flirting with Elding, who nearly went through the fence several times - I heard him hit the electric with a *snap* at least twice, and looked quickly to see him jump back.

As dark approached, I filled the feeders for the sheep and lambs, and called the sheep to come into their pasture. They know the routine, and I watched, as I always do, with a smile as the flock came, and I let them in the gate. Wait - not all of them. Recount - yep, only eight, there should be nine. Who's missing? Not Rose, she's right there. Brosa? No, she's up by the barn, wanting to be first at the grain. Gracie! Where's Gracie?

I look, and I call, and call. At least Gracie's a white sheep, and should be easier to spot in the growing dark. Is she over by Elding? No. Under the apple trees? No. With the ponies, stealing a few bites of their hay? No.... So I grabbed a flashlight and took off into the pasture, calling.

I figured I'd start along the perimeter of the fence - visions went through my mind of Gracie somehow stuck in the fence, or caught somewhere else, and trapped. Or, heaven forbid, someone hunting close enough mistook a short white fluffy sheep for a deer... really tried to banish that thought.

So I headed up the west fenceline, where the ponies and sheep have worn a path next to the fence. Unfortunately, I forgot that in places, the &$%*# wild multiflora rose sends shoots out. I didn't have the flashlight on yet, but it was just dark enough that I missed one gangly briar, until I suddenly caught it right across my face! OUCH! I stumbled backwards, fell, and rolled right into the fence... DOUBLE OUCH! I felt one good shock and got out of there as fast as I could.

I continued to search the pasture (much more mindful of briars and fence), pointing the flashlight beam everywhere I could, looking for a flash of white. I called, then paused and listened, hoping for a reply. No luck. I made it through a general sweep of the back pasture, headed towards the barn, and heard the sheep calling - and as I got closer, I heard a *baaa* from the apple trees - Gracie! She came over to me and I told her she had me worried, but I couldn't be mad at her because she was ok. I led her back into the sheep's pasture and fed everyone.

So ends the saga of the missing sheep. It could have been worse - she could have been hurt (or worse), I could have broke an ankle or something when I fell, I could have not been able to find her at all (of course, then I wouldn't be writing this, I'd still be out looking, and wondering how long before I call the police about a missing sheep...). But all is well, I have all 9 sheep (10 counting Elding) safe, sound and fed. I also have the remnant of a rose thorn embedded just above my upper lip. And I don't want to touch that electric fence again for a long, long time.

Glad you're both ok!