Baymule
Herd Master
You are going to have so much ROOM to put up pens, chutes, gates and all the things that make raising sheep so much easier.
Ridgetop - our place and how we muddle along
- Thread starter Ridgetop
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Ridgetop
Herd Master
We will do at least another trip with both trucks and trailers. Then after we move the sheep, it will take another 2 trips with the flatbed to bring out all the other corral panels. There are about 40 10' rodeo panels that we use for night folds for the sheep. Then there are other panels and gates in different places making additional pens.
DS1 and DH left around noon to come back to California. They hope to be back by Tuesday evening. They had unloaded everything and put all the boxes, shelves, and cabinets in the house. Then they set up the corrals in front of the haybales and DS1 scolded me for having them do that since he had fenced off the area already when he and zi were back there. I told him that he should have just put up the corrals adjacent to the one we set up last time, but he said that "Dad said you told him to put it there."
We will just have to move it later.
Went down to the shed and packed five boxes of livestock medical equipment. I have more stuff to pack in the house - syringes, crayons, etc. Tomorrow I will start boxing up the power tools. I need to remember to pack our battery lanterns too since there is no electricity in the barn yet. Those LED lanterns give off pretty good light. We used lanterns in our current barn for the first 5 or 6 years before DH finally ran power to it. It won't be a problem. Snowflake is still limping but seems to be doing ok. Poor Lewis is losing more weight and is limping on both his front foot and a rear leg now. His rear lameness comes and goes.
We are going to run out of hay on Tuesday. DH and DS1 are bringing home about 60 bales from Arizona, so that is a good thing. The last hay we got from our local hay guy was terrible. Too dry and crumbled instead of holding itself in a flake.
DS1 and DH left around noon to come back to California. They hope to be back by Tuesday evening. They had unloaded everything and put all the boxes, shelves, and cabinets in the house. Then they set up the corrals in front of the haybales and DS1 scolded me for having them do that since he had fenced off the area already when he and zi were back there. I told him that he should have just put up the corrals adjacent to the one we set up last time, but he said that "Dad said you told him to put it there."
We will just have to move it later. Went down to the shed and packed five boxes of livestock medical equipment. I have more stuff to pack in the house - syringes, crayons, etc. Tomorrow I will start boxing up the power tools. I need to remember to pack our battery lanterns too since there is no electricity in the barn yet. Those LED lanterns give off pretty good light. We used lanterns in our current barn for the first 5 or 6 years before DH finally ran power to it. It won't be a problem. Snowflake is still limping but seems to be doing ok. Poor Lewis is losing more weight and is limping on both his front foot and a rear leg now. His rear lameness comes and goes.
We are going to run out of hay on Tuesday. DH and DS1 are bringing home about 60 bales from Arizona, so that is a good thing. The last hay we got from our local hay guy was terrible. Too dry and crumbled instead of holding itself in a flake.
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- #3,634
Ridgetop
Herd Master
Absolutely! We always have an American flag flying outside our house now, and I told DH that as soon as we move we have to get the Texas flag to put up as well. I plan to mount them - American and Texas - one at each end of the front porch. One of the things I aways look for and it makes me so happy is to see the Texas flags flying on houses and businesses as soon as we cross into Texas. I always feel lie finally I am almost home!
First trip to Texas we saw a bumper sticker that read "American by birth, Texan by the grace of God". Naturally it was on a pickup. LOL I want one of those.
Dental appointment cancelled for today. Had to reschedule 3 weeks off. I hope to get another load back to Texas next week - furniture, more panels, tools, livestock meds, and equipment. Will probably have 2 trips back to Texas before we can move sheep. Called vet for all day vet visit - brucellosis, Coggins, vaccinations horses and dogs, and found out that Dr. Lau has left the practice to move north closer to family.
Dr. Nenn is covering all patients herself until the new vet arrives. Got all day appointment on April 9, then another week for Brucellosis results to come back. Then 30 day window to move the rams with negative Brucellosis. I need to type up list of all sheep with tag numbers and email to vet before they come out so they can enter them in their computer. I told her that I had invested in paint branding irons to help make it easier and she was very, very happy since instead of waiting to ID from each ear tag, the assistant can pick up number easier from brands and be ready faster. This sets off leaving for Texas with sheep into mid-April when we get Brucellosis results. Coggins will come back faster so probably can take horses back first week in April. First lambing date is April 21. May have to take 2 trips to allow sufficient space to lamb in trailer.
My punishment for not breeding on schedule last year to try to avoid this situation. No help for it, must just roll with it and hope for the best.
As soon as hay is offloaded from gooseneck, we can start to load more stuff. Supposed to rain today or tomorrow but although overcast doesn't look like rain yet. With the way things are going, we will probably have a massive storm when they get home with trailer load of hay while they try to offload.
Heading down to pack power tools in shed. Horse saddles and tack - except for halters, lunge lines, and lunge whips will come on later load. I need to order double ended ties for horse trailer to ship horses. Beginning to wonder if $6000 was cheap to ship animals since I am starting to find it hard to hold it together. 
Need to make a vet appointment for Rika for xrays on her neck. He has been crying for several days and arthritis pain killers don't seem to be working. Need to have her xrayed and see if it is something that can be addressed. Don't want to think about the alternative. On a happy note, Erick called and said that he had his bred bitch ultrasounded. She is definitely pregnant.
In a couple weeks they will x-ray to make sure how many puppies she is carrying. We will be getting another Anatolian in June or July if she has enough puppies. 
I told Erick I would take either a male or female of his choosing since I don't have a male. We will need at least 3 working Anatolians in Texas. In 2 years I'll probably breed Ozel to a stud Erick chooses. Erick gets pick of the litter out of her. I will raise the pups until they are ready for him to take them. He will grade them for LGD ability and conformation, choose his own and one for me. The others will go to his buyers. Not sure if a male out of the upcoming litter will do as a sire since I need to ask Eric if they are related and how close.
The hills are very green and there is a lot of itchy week coming up - some form of nettle that likes high alkaline soil. Itchy weed comes up first with wild mustard following quickly. Since I couldn't get a vet appointment until the 9th of April, the sheep will have time to graze. We have no appointments until June 21 which is an appointment with the ophthalmologist. DH has to schedule a removal of his appointment for his other cataract removal.
First trip to Texas we saw a bumper sticker that read "American by birth, Texan by the grace of God". Naturally it was on a pickup. LOL I want one of those.
Dental appointment cancelled for today. Had to reschedule 3 weeks off. I hope to get another load back to Texas next week - furniture, more panels, tools, livestock meds, and equipment. Will probably have 2 trips back to Texas before we can move sheep. Called vet for all day vet visit - brucellosis, Coggins, vaccinations horses and dogs, and found out that Dr. Lau has left the practice to move north closer to family.
Dr. Nenn is covering all patients herself until the new vet arrives. Got all day appointment on April 9, then another week for Brucellosis results to come back. Then 30 day window to move the rams with negative Brucellosis. I need to type up list of all sheep with tag numbers and email to vet before they come out so they can enter them in their computer. I told her that I had invested in paint branding irons to help make it easier and she was very, very happy since instead of waiting to ID from each ear tag, the assistant can pick up number easier from brands and be ready faster. This sets off leaving for Texas with sheep into mid-April when we get Brucellosis results. Coggins will come back faster so probably can take horses back first week in April. First lambing date is April 21. May have to take 2 trips to allow sufficient space to lamb in trailer. My punishment for not breeding on schedule last year to try to avoid this situation. No help for it, must just roll with it and hope for the best. As soon as hay is offloaded from gooseneck, we can start to load more stuff. Supposed to rain today or tomorrow but although overcast doesn't look like rain yet. With the way things are going, we will probably have a massive storm when they get home with trailer load of hay while they try to offload.
Heading down to pack power tools in shed. Horse saddles and tack - except for halters, lunge lines, and lunge whips will come on later load. I need to order double ended ties for horse trailer to ship horses. Beginning to wonder if $6000 was cheap to ship animals since I am starting to find it hard to hold it together. Need to make a vet appointment for Rika for xrays on her neck. He has been crying for several days and arthritis pain killers don't seem to be working. Need to have her xrayed and see if it is something that can be addressed. Don't want to think about the alternative. On a happy note, Erick called and said that he had his bred bitch ultrasounded. She is definitely pregnant.
In a couple weeks they will x-ray to make sure how many puppies she is carrying. We will be getting another Anatolian in June or July if she has enough puppies. I told Erick I would take either a male or female of his choosing since I don't have a male. We will need at least 3 working Anatolians in Texas. In 2 years I'll probably breed Ozel to a stud Erick chooses. Erick gets pick of the litter out of her. I will raise the pups until they are ready for him to take them. He will grade them for LGD ability and conformation, choose his own and one for me. The others will go to his buyers. Not sure if a male out of the upcoming litter will do as a sire since I need to ask Eric if they are related and how close. The hills are very green and there is a lot of itchy week coming up - some form of nettle that likes high alkaline soil. Itchy weed comes up first with wild mustard following quickly. Since I couldn't get a vet appointment until the 9th of April, the sheep will have time to graze. We have no appointments until June 21 which is an appointment with the ophthalmologist. DH has to schedule a removal of his appointment for his other cataract removal.
- Thread starter
- #3,635
Ridgetop
Herd Master
Oops! posted when I was correcting the last sentence - schedule removal of the cataract in his other eye. Might have to make two trips to Texas with sheep that close to lambing so they will not be as tightly packed. Have to see. DH will have to come back the end of April for another appointment with the urologist about his prostate cancer numbers. We might take one load back in April and then the second load with lambs the first of May. What a mess. I am determined to get to Texas!
GOOD NEWS! Got hold of Jeff Binse who bought Shaul's Sheep Mfg. He is starting up slowly. Bad news is that the prices have gone up 22%. His insurance would not cover any of his equipment since it was 10 years old! He also is having trouble getting the metal he needs. The larger tubing that he was bending for the panel and gate frames is heavier and won't bend so he has to cut and weld all the panels and gates. The bender was lost in the fire anyway, so that is another problem. He did say that he was building 5' panels and gate panels now so would be able to fill my order the end of April or in May. As long as I can get gates, I have enough panels for jugs.
@Margali:
Here is an idea for feeding panels to go around the hay bales. Instead of the pricey slant bar panels. I have been thinking about using this fencing from Lowes. It is 4' high. DS2 put the 3' height in on top of block as a short railing on a section of raised patio. He and DS1 bent the panels into an arc since the patio was on retaining blocks in a rounded shape. They bent it using our round metal barrel horse feeders and said it was easy.
I was thinking that by bending it to fit around the 5' hay bales, it would work in the barn. The ends of the panels are not attached to posts, you buy the posts separately and use attachment pieces and self-tapping screws to attach it. The posts and attachments come separately. The square tubing horizontal top and bottom bars fit into the attachments which are screwed into the posts with self-tapping screws. However, the fence or attachments could be attached to wooden posts instead. The bars are 4" apart (4.5" on center) which is the spacing on my current hay feeders, and perfect for sheep. If you just used it bent and wired the sections together, it would also work as well as stock panel. The problem with stock panel is that if they get their heads close or in they can tear off ear tags easier. Especially the youngsters.
Model #58283428
The panels could be bent to surround half the haybale and could be attached to permanent posts in the barn. The other side of the haybale could have another bent panel or stock panel attached. You could also just attach the panels together with wire or hay ropes. That might be better so you could remove it to clean up the spilled hay before putting in another round bale. It would certainly be cheaper than the diagonal bar feeding panels since they were $170 for a 5' length and his prices have gone up 22% since the fire. The fencing panels also come in 5' height if the 4' height is too short. The 5' would be harder to bend but doable, and the sheep/goats would not be able to jump into the feeder. The 5' is the same price as the 4'.
This is the fencing I plan to install across the front yard of Yantis. It also comes in a 6' height. The 6' height is a lot more expensive than the 5' height, and the posts and attachments are an extra cost, but installation is DIY easy. I want the 6' height since I worry about the dogs going over a 5' fence with the highway right there. On a quiet road it would be different.
I installed this fence in the 5' height around our pool by myself and it went in really fast and easily. DH and I will do it ourselves in Yantis and it will probably only take a couple days - maybe a week allowing additional time for the fence posts to be put in concrete. The pool fencing I installed has held up great for 15 years and never rusted. It is not as sturdy as wrought iron since it is steel, but it looks the same, goes in easy and costs a lot less than having someone put in wrought iron. I will probably get an estimate on wrought iron before buying the fencing though since using the 6' instead of 5' panels adds another $70 per panel to the price and I have at least 200' to fence.
Heard from DS1 and the guys are in Flagstaff so they are making good time in spite of dust storm across eastern AZ. When they get home tomorrow I'll plan another turn around run asap. Got to leave to pick up DGD1 in another 20 minutes. DGS2 says he is "never going to Texas. He hates Texas because we are moving there and he doesn't want us to go".
GOOD NEWS! Got hold of Jeff Binse who bought Shaul's Sheep Mfg. He is starting up slowly. Bad news is that the prices have gone up 22%. His insurance would not cover any of his equipment since it was 10 years old! He also is having trouble getting the metal he needs. The larger tubing that he was bending for the panel and gate frames is heavier and won't bend so he has to cut and weld all the panels and gates. The bender was lost in the fire anyway, so that is another problem. He did say that he was building 5' panels and gate panels now so would be able to fill my order the end of April or in May. As long as I can get gates, I have enough panels for jugs.
@Margali:
Here is an idea for feeding panels to go around the hay bales. Instead of the pricey slant bar panels. I have been thinking about using this fencing from Lowes. It is 4' high. DS2 put the 3' height in on top of block as a short railing on a section of raised patio. He and DS1 bent the panels into an arc since the patio was on retaining blocks in a rounded shape. They bent it using our round metal barrel horse feeders and said it was easy.
I was thinking that by bending it to fit around the 5' hay bales, it would work in the barn. The ends of the panels are not attached to posts, you buy the posts separately and use attachment pieces and self-tapping screws to attach it. The posts and attachments come separately. The square tubing horizontal top and bottom bars fit into the attachments which are screwed into the posts with self-tapping screws. However, the fence or attachments could be attached to wooden posts instead. The bars are 4" apart (4.5" on center) which is the spacing on my current hay feeders, and perfect for sheep. If you just used it bent and wired the sections together, it would also work as well as stock panel. The problem with stock panel is that if they get their heads close or in they can tear off ear tags easier. Especially the youngsters.
Merchants Metals Freedom Fencing 4-ft H x 8-ft W Black Steel Decorative Fence Panel $109.00
Item #854213 |Model #58283428
The panels could be bent to surround half the haybale and could be attached to permanent posts in the barn. The other side of the haybale could have another bent panel or stock panel attached. You could also just attach the panels together with wire or hay ropes. That might be better so you could remove it to clean up the spilled hay before putting in another round bale. It would certainly be cheaper than the diagonal bar feeding panels since they were $170 for a 5' length and his prices have gone up 22% since the fire. The fencing panels also come in 5' height if the 4' height is too short. The 5' would be harder to bend but doable, and the sheep/goats would not be able to jump into the feeder. The 5' is the same price as the 4'.
This is the fencing I plan to install across the front yard of Yantis. It also comes in a 6' height. The 6' height is a lot more expensive than the 5' height, and the posts and attachments are an extra cost, but installation is DIY easy. I want the 6' height since I worry about the dogs going over a 5' fence with the highway right there. On a quiet road it would be different.
I installed this fence in the 5' height around our pool by myself and it went in really fast and easily. DH and I will do it ourselves in Yantis and it will probably only take a couple days - maybe a week allowing additional time for the fence posts to be put in concrete. The pool fencing I installed has held up great for 15 years and never rusted. It is not as sturdy as wrought iron since it is steel, but it looks the same, goes in easy and costs a lot less than having someone put in wrought iron. I will probably get an estimate on wrought iron before buying the fencing though since using the 6' instead of 5' panels adds another $70 per panel to the price and I have at least 200' to fence.
Heard from DS1 and the guys are in Flagstaff so they are making good time in spite of dust storm across eastern AZ. When they get home tomorrow I'll plan another turn around run asap. Got to leave to pick up DGD1 in another 20 minutes. DGS2 says he is "never going to Texas. He hates Texas because we are moving there and he doesn't want us to go".
Mini Horses
Herd Master
So....anyone with a tent can come to Yantis to visit, see eclipse ----- AND HELP WITH FARM STUFF? 
Margali
Herd Master
I have openings too!!
- Thread starter
- #3,638
Ridgetop
Herd Master
Absolutely! I'll start a list. LOLSo....anyone with a tent can come to Yantis to visit, see eclipse ----- AND HELP WITH FARM STUFF?
- Thread starter
- #3,639
Ridgetop
Herd Master
My men were home around 3:30 today. They ran into very bad winds on the way back, which increased gallon consumption.
Had a busy day today. Started with feeding, then shower for doctor appt. Took 1.5 hours to get to doctor in traffic. Arranged with doctor that he order a chest x-ray for DH before his appointment on Thursday. Only took half hour to get home. Tried to pick up mail but had to go back to house and exchange keys since I had the wrong set for mailbox. Got mail, then picked up DGD1. Packed more tools, got phone call from DS1 to make sure that driveway was clear. Packed more tools. Decided to take 2 more base cabinets to Texas since they have pullout shelves. Handy for heavy tools. Will have to remove them at a later date since I need to install the heat barrier before taking anymore cabinets to Texas.
Tomorrow bridge.
Thursday 9:30 am vet appointment for Rika. I have been giving her pain killers instead of the arthritis meds and she seems in less pain. At least she is not crying. I told them she needs x-rays of her neck. I can't let her suffer, but we will see if anything can be done for her. I wondered about a dog chiropractor.
Thursday afternoon lung x-ray and doctor appt for DH. Then traffic all the way home.
Friday laundry day with all DH's dirty laundry from trip to Texas.
DH just read an article about a liberal woman from Oregon who moved to Texas for her job. She hated the conservative politics, the in-person voting process, gun policy, schools, etc., etc., etc. She moved back to Oregon. Good riddance. Don't come back.
Had a busy day today. Started with feeding, then shower for doctor appt. Took 1.5 hours to get to doctor in traffic. Arranged with doctor that he order a chest x-ray for DH before his appointment on Thursday. Only took half hour to get home. Tried to pick up mail but had to go back to house and exchange keys since I had the wrong set for mailbox. Got mail, then picked up DGD1. Packed more tools, got phone call from DS1 to make sure that driveway was clear. Packed more tools. Decided to take 2 more base cabinets to Texas since they have pullout shelves. Handy for heavy tools. Will have to remove them at a later date since I need to install the heat barrier before taking anymore cabinets to Texas.
Tomorrow bridge.
Thursday 9:30 am vet appointment for Rika. I have been giving her pain killers instead of the arthritis meds and she seems in less pain. At least she is not crying. I told them she needs x-rays of her neck. I can't let her suffer, but we will see if anything can be done for her. I wondered about a dog chiropractor.
Thursday afternoon lung x-ray and doctor appt for DH. Then traffic all the way home.
Friday laundry day with all DH's dirty laundry from trip to Texas.
DH just read an article about a liberal woman from Oregon who moved to Texas for her job. She hated the conservative politics, the in-person voting process, gun policy, schools, etc., etc., etc. She moved back to Oregon. Good riddance. Don't come back.
Baymule
Herd Master
I hope the vet can do something for Rika.
