Missing Willow Farm

Feeding time for the sheep is in the morning.  We’ve got them trained to come to a small fenced in enclosure for their daily grain ration.   They’ve got two feeding troughs so there’s enough room for everyone to get in there and get their share.   Sheep aren’t as friendly (or annoying) as goats so having them all in one place gives us a chance to handle them when needed.  It looks like someone’s carrying twins!

Hermione can’t eat just the top of the hay, she’s mining for tasty morsels.  The hay ring doesn’t keep the goats or sheep out (or evidently our cow, either) but it reduces wasted hay.  I wonder if she’s holding her breath under there?   Her hiney is just begging for a spanking!

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We spent three years commuting between our place in central North Carolina to the farm on weekends.  During that time, we built the greenhouse and hutch, fenced the pasture, got everything ready for eventually starting our farm.  Less than a week after we moved here full time, we had sheep delivered.  Three of them.  That morning, we drove to Tennessee to pick up two Great Pyrenees (a brother and sister pair) to guard them.  Zeus and Xena came to us from a Tennessee Fainting Goat farm that was downsizing. We put them in the little barn behind a barricade while we waited for the sheep to arrive.  The sheep arrived with a champion herding border collie  in tow.  When our brand new dogs heard those sheep bleating they broke down their barricade, came tearing out of the barn and pinned that dog under the shepherd’s pickup truck.  What flashed in my brain at that instant was great, we’ve owned these dogs for like an hour and they’ve just killed some famous dog – I wonder what that’s going to cost us.  Thankfully, he was OK.  It marked a very exciting start to our farming adventure!   Zeus passed away this weekend.  He was a beautiful, sweet, friendly good boy who knew his job and did it well.  Rest in peace, Zeus.  You will be missed.

 

Chickens usually take a break over the Winter from laying eggs.  They slow down as the days grow shorter.  Last year we had only one hen continue to lay through the cold months.  I actually had to purchase a half dozen eggs for baking last year.  This year, not so much.  That’s Cranberry’s giant green egg (go Cranberry!).  I’ve got goat cheese in the fridge and spinach in the greenhouse.  Think I’ll make omelets for breakfast.

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I was hanging out with the sheep this morning, trying to get them to pose for me in their winter wool coats.  Milos decided he needed to be part of  the fashion show, parked himself right between me and Beatrice.  He’s such a camera hog. Yes your coat is beautiful too, Milos.  Even if it’s a bit slobbery.

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Jenna had her stitches out last night and her vet gave her the go ahead for full activity.  We’ve been walking her out to our mailbox and back, about a mile round trip, and she’s been carrying her wubba hoping someone will throw it for her.  This morning someone did.  She also had an opportunity to help gather up the sheep for their morning feeding.  The other night she got out of her kennel at around 3AM, pooped on the dining room rug, ate the cat’s food, dumped over the trash in the kitchen then came to our door to let us know what all she did.  Girls’ feeling pretty good!  Speaking of…so am I.  A mere three months after my accident the only thing that’s still bothering me is kicking (either leg).  Good thing there are no mean roosters around!

December’s block is a Martha Washington star.  I’m proud to say I turned in every month’s block on time so got all 12 for just $5, so yay for meeting that goal.  Now my 2012 project is to turn these blocks into a quilt!  That will cost considerably more than $5.

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When the pond starts shimmering, we know something’s up.  Small ripples usually mean ducks.  Major activity on the surface means there’s major activity under the surface.  Today it’s otters(!)  They’re cute and all but guess what they eat?  Fish.  Dang it.  Unlike beavers who are categorized as nuisance animals, otters are protected.  We’re going to have to scare them off of our pond.  It will probably be tough, they’ve moved into that empty beaver den…

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The first month we had Jessica, she hid in a stand of trees on the far side of the pasture.  We had to bring her gallons of water every day and eventually were able to convince her to eat sweet feed from a bucket.  Now, if she’s not waiting by the gate in the morning for her breakfast, she comes running when she sees her bucket.  It’s a little unsettling having something that large run at you.  I’m used to being charged by bottlefed lambs, not cows!

Filling the hay ring with hay has kept our cow Jessica from getting inside again.  It hasn’t, however, stopped the goats.  Don’t they have guilty looks on their little faces?   The sheep are saying ‘move your fat ass, Hermione’.