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Baymule
Herd Master
I weaned ewe lambs in the front field yesterday morning. I have to do so much prep work to move the ewes across the driveway. First, don’t let ewes out in the middle field, keep them in the night pen. Otherwise they hang around and get into everything. I have opposite gates that make a runway across the driveway except they don’t reach all the way across the driveway. I block off the openings with half or whole hog panels. I feed the front field ewes in the small night pen and close them up. Then I unroll horse wire over to the small night pen so they have nowhere else to go but across the driveway. I put feed in the working chute and shriek SHEEP SHEEP SHEEP! This sets off ALL the sheep and they are screaming. I open the small night pen gate and it’s Devil take the hindmost as they race to the feed pan. I close the chute gate. By this time the 97% humidity has me saturated with sweat and dripping like a leaky faucet. I take a break, ice water and sit on the porch to cool off.
I have to do this every time I work sheep in the front field.
Yesterday, to separate the lambs into the holding pen, I had to catch them, put a loop around their neck, run the loose end around their belly, behind their front legs, then through the neck loop. This made a sort of harness so I didn’t choke the little darlings to death. Then i dragged them through the race way, which caused ewes to run ahead of me and pack themselves at the gate I needed to shove/drag the lamb through. I had to hold tight to the rope, grab ewes by the head, turn them around and push them out of my way. Then I could raise the chute gate and push the lamb through. Untie the lead rope contraption, open last gate and traumatized lamb shot through. Go get another one. I weaned six.
Take another heat exhausted break.
Roll the horse wire back up so ewes could run through night pen out to the front field. Go put feed in front field, just outside of the bigger night pen so I could close the ewes out on the field. Shriek SHEEP SHEEP SHEEP! Open gate on chute and screaming ewes charged to the small night pen. Nope. I shook a bucket through the gap into the front field, they ran to the feed and I closed them in the front field.
Then I ran the lambs into the big night pen. They were screaming for mom. I opened the half cow panel gate to the pen I had 4 lambs in that I weaned a few days ago, and put out feed for them. I cut a wide circle and walked the new arrivals into the weaning pen and closed the gate, tied with hay string.
I took an ice water break and cooled off.
Needed to set a bale of hay for the weaned ewes. I cranked up son’s 100 HP Kubota, stabbed a round bale and trundled from back field to front field night pen. I cut the wrap off, climbed back on the behemoth and set the bale. Success! Took behemoth back to the back field and parked it.
Took apart the hog panel, gate, runway across the driveway and closed gates. Watered sheep.
Took another break.
Got on my little 23 HP Kubota to mow strip of grass down middle of driveway, plus some goat weed and Carolina horse weed on the sides. Did that. Mowed around end of driveway, found end of culvert and dropped tractor wheel off in the hole. Great. Just great. Tractor was kinda sorta tilted at an angle with opposite wheels spinning in the air. Shut bush hog off, turned tractor off, put gear in neutral and got off. Walked to back field, cranked up the Behemoth, got a chain and went to the little tractor and chained her up. Behemoth snatched her right outa there! Unchained, drove Behemoth to back field, shut it down, walled back to little tractor, cranked up, called it done and put it away.
Took another break. Dripping like I fell in a pond.
By this time it was high noon, sun was trying to kill me, and I went inside. Took off soggy clothes, got tall glass of iced tea and took a nap.
This morning I have to sort out some ewes for Rocky. So repeat all the above minus the tractors. Maybe Thursday I’ll start mowing goat weed in middle field. Maybe not.
I have to do this every time I work sheep in the front field.
Yesterday, to separate the lambs into the holding pen, I had to catch them, put a loop around their neck, run the loose end around their belly, behind their front legs, then through the neck loop. This made a sort of harness so I didn’t choke the little darlings to death. Then i dragged them through the race way, which caused ewes to run ahead of me and pack themselves at the gate I needed to shove/drag the lamb through. I had to hold tight to the rope, grab ewes by the head, turn them around and push them out of my way. Then I could raise the chute gate and push the lamb through. Untie the lead rope contraption, open last gate and traumatized lamb shot through. Go get another one. I weaned six.
Take another heat exhausted break.
Roll the horse wire back up so ewes could run through night pen out to the front field. Go put feed in front field, just outside of the bigger night pen so I could close the ewes out on the field. Shriek SHEEP SHEEP SHEEP! Open gate on chute and screaming ewes charged to the small night pen. Nope. I shook a bucket through the gap into the front field, they ran to the feed and I closed them in the front field.
Then I ran the lambs into the big night pen. They were screaming for mom. I opened the half cow panel gate to the pen I had 4 lambs in that I weaned a few days ago, and put out feed for them. I cut a wide circle and walked the new arrivals into the weaning pen and closed the gate, tied with hay string.
I took an ice water break and cooled off.
Needed to set a bale of hay for the weaned ewes. I cranked up son’s 100 HP Kubota, stabbed a round bale and trundled from back field to front field night pen. I cut the wrap off, climbed back on the behemoth and set the bale. Success! Took behemoth back to the back field and parked it.
Took apart the hog panel, gate, runway across the driveway and closed gates. Watered sheep.
Took another break.
Got on my little 23 HP Kubota to mow strip of grass down middle of driveway, plus some goat weed and Carolina horse weed on the sides. Did that. Mowed around end of driveway, found end of culvert and dropped tractor wheel off in the hole. Great. Just great. Tractor was kinda sorta tilted at an angle with opposite wheels spinning in the air. Shut bush hog off, turned tractor off, put gear in neutral and got off. Walked to back field, cranked up the Behemoth, got a chain and went to the little tractor and chained her up. Behemoth snatched her right outa there! Unchained, drove Behemoth to back field, shut it down, walled back to little tractor, cranked up, called it done and put it away.
Took another break. Dripping like I fell in a pond.
By this time it was high noon, sun was trying to kill me, and I went inside. Took off soggy clothes, got tall glass of iced tea and took a nap.
This morning I have to sort out some ewes for Rocky. So repeat all the above minus the tractors. Maybe Thursday I’ll start mowing goat weed in middle field. Maybe not.
