Lamb Scoring

Saturday was FAMACHA scoring day again for the lambs.  It was foggy and wet, but they came in to the barn like troopers.  They are slowly beginning to understand the routine.  Scores were not quite as good as the last time, but we have had a lot of hot and wet weather which can make parasite loads spike.  We kept three lambs in the barn for some extra care as they scored 4’s making them a little anemic.  We will give them vitamin shots and an iron shot to give them a little boost to get back on the right track.

The Big Weekend

As many weekends are… this was a very busy weekend on the farm.  We moved the yearlings and the older ewes back to the granddaddy green by the barn.  It is so great to have them back at the barn, if only for a little while.  In a couple weeks we will move them to a paddock where they will have access to one of the hayfields during the day.  We also moved the rams to a new paddock… inching slowly towards breeding season.

Took Raven into the woods after doing a little work with the goat boys, and flushed that blasted fox.  It took off up over the hill through the graveyard field.

Celebrated Mom’s birthday… Happy Birthday, once again, Mom!  Great-granddaughter Harley is ready to help blow out the twenty candles she counted to put on the cake.

And we sold a dozen of our ewes – yearlings and proven two-year-olds.  Many, many thanks to the McComb family for making the trip from Marlinton to buy some of our girls.  We are so excited that they are going to a handspinner’s flock.  We hope they will love the fleeces the girls produce and enjoy spinning them as much as we do!

News from the Peeps

We had a lot of excitement on Saturday when it was discovered that one of the older hens in the big coop had hatchlings!  We haven’t wanted to disturb mama and her two tiny peeps, so no pictures yet.  
Instead we’ll share a few pictures of the growing chicks in one of yesterday’s rare moments of sunshine… Buff Orpingtons, New Hampshire Reds and Silver Wyandottes.