Some Days Are Rough

Sheeps & Peeps8 Comments
“Some days I feel like crying
It don’t matter if it’s rain or shine
I feel like my heart was broken
At least a million times’
— from ‘Have it All’ by Jeremy Kay

Yesterday was a rough day.  There are times on the farm when no matter how hard you work, or how hard you try to do things right… bad things happen.  Yesterday we found Betty Lou Moo Moo and Beefcakes lying under a tree together, the apparent victims of a lightning strike.  We are so saddened… we loved those cows.  They really meant a lot to us for so many different reasons.  It is very difficult to talk about… or even think about.
Things did not go very well on the ‘peeps’ front yesterday either.  Everything went pretty well on Saturday, but yesterday morning Erma went off the deep end and had to be removed from the coop.  All but one of the peeps is going to recover.  Erma has been relegated to roosting in the barn.  Things are now going well in the coop, and Erma seem quite content to spend her time with the sheep. 

While finishing this, this advice popped up (at what seems to be just the right moment), “You know those bloggers who say “be blessed”? All fine and good but I admonish you to “be a blessing” instead; we’re all already more blessed than about most of the world’s population.”   Thank you, Sandra, just the words we needed.

‘So I try so hard to keep the rhythm of a train
Rolling right along
When the ride gets rough you got to carry on
Carry on’
— from ‘Have it All’ by Jeremy Kay

Moving Peeps

Sheeps & Peeps5 Comments
Erma’s new roomates moved in last night!  We moved the Buff Orpingtons, Silver Wyandottes and the New Hampshire Reds into Erma’s coop at dusk with the hope that everyone would soon roost, and the transition would  go smoothly.  As we closed the coop door, everyone was huddled in a corner… including Erma.  Fingers crossed that everything goes well today.

Creep Feeding

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For the first time we have installed a ‘creep feeder’ for the lambs.  It has an adjustable gate that allows only the lambs and the smallest of ewes into an area with oats and corn trough feeders.  They are free to…

go in…



and go out…

free to eat a bit of oats and corn without having to muscle their
way in between the mamas

In other news… Lena’s 4-H market lambs have arrived.  She is off at Camp Luther this week so we will try to get her to tell you about them when she gets back.

Summer Solstice

Sheeps & Peeps3 Comments

“Now summer is in flower and natures hum
Is never silent round her sultry bloom
Insects as small as dust are never done
Wi’ glittering dance and reeling in the sun
And green wood fly and blossom haunting bee
Are never weary of their melody
Round field hedge now flowers in full glory twine
Large bindweed bells wild hop and streakd woodbine
That lift athirst their slender throated flowers
Agape for dew falls and for honey showers
These round each bush in sweet disorder run
And spread their wild hues to the sultry sun.”

– “June” by John Clare

Flutter By

Sheeps & Peeps3 Comments

Heading to the barn this morning to vaccinate the lambs and do FAMACHA testing on all the lambs and their mamas.  It is stormy, windy and raining cats and dogs.  We could use a little sunshine and color inspiration to get us moving this morning so we thought we would share these pictures from earlier this week just in case you, also, can use a little pick-me-up.  Have a wonderful weekend!