Christmas in May?


Maybe not, but it sure feels like it! Today the electrostop fence I ordered from Premier arrived!!! I am hoping that it will solve all my sheep jumping fences sorts of problems. On the fence itself I went all out, and bought the 42" height fencing. Unfortunately in my infinite cheapness, I did not order posts at the same time (shipping), instead purchasing them from TSC... I even called ahead. Of course, they didn't actually have the posts I inquired about, so hopefully the funky fiberglass ones will get the job done. I am so excited about the prospect of getting my pastures back in shape! I'm absolutely thrilled. I can run quite a few sheep on this little place when the pastures are in working order. The great thing about the sheep I have right now is that they are super thrifty, and not an ounce picky!    

If there edible then they aren't weeds in my book! I thought that this picture was funny  for the weed eaters happily at work next to a "weed eater." The sheep do a much nicer job... even picking the sticks out of the fence!


I made sure and stuck around long enough to see whether or not they would try to bolt through there new fence. That way if anybody did dart into it I could untangle them in time. There's nothing worse than finding one of your preciouse animals electrocuted to death in a fence. Yesterday I made sure, and fixed BB's hobbles just for that reason. She had gotten her hind foot loose, and what was the first thing she did? Try to jump the fence. Thankfully the rope caught in the top of the fence, and she did a bit of a faceplant into the deep grass on the other side! It doesn't sound nice, but at least it gave me the opportunity to catch her that I needed. Hobbles fixed she should get her nose in the new fence, instead of catching it mid air with her hind feet, and wrapping herself up in it.



Here is the new paddock all read for the sheep. You can see the energizer hanging on the gate, and the fence reel hanging on the fence next to it.





Just another view of the fence. This one shows the poly wire protecting the permanent fence.





The Paddock that the sheep just left. It doesn't look very tidy, but it is grazed well enough. The sheep had been here for 2.5 days, and where already tired of being on stale grass. I hadn't seen one eat all morning, and of course when I moved them they ate like they where starved.



The girls are looking so good, and little Yabbo too! They are much happier chowing down on fresh grass. I am going to make their spaces small enough that they need to be moved every day. Fresh grass= less parasites.



Here is the pasture the sheep came out of earlier. It is a bit overgrazed, but is recovering nicely. If anybody's wondering, yes I did take the mower to it to top the foxtail! Three sheep are not exactly enough to graze a quarter acre evenly without cross fencing. 

Abit Corny



The best invention ever! I love this little scoot along cart.
So far it has proved absolutely essential for punching drippers,
planting transplants, and quite frankly doing any thing
else that I don't want to have to bend over to do!



Well, I finally got to it..I planted more sweet corn. I had been stalling more than just a bit, because I absolutely resent punching drippers, but the promise of red, golden, and variegated ears of delicious sweet corn prompted me to get into gear. Plus, as a side note I have gotten pretty fast at dripper punching after putting in nearly 400 of them! I made sure, and planted the corn in a block this time, instead of planting it in one long row like the first  one... ooops. Live, and learn right? Anyway, one 10' x 3 row wide block of Ruby Queen Hybrid sweet corn is in. I'm going to plant some Silver Queen Hybrid tomorrow. Then over the next couple of weeks I will plant some more Silver Queen, and Kandy Korn Hybrid. I'm going to try to stagger the plantings so that I will have more consistent production. We'll see how well it works . I'm just hoping that I get a better germination rate than I did with that first row. I think I planted too early for sweet varieties last time. Soil was too cold, and the seed rotted. Same problem with the beans. The fall garden is going to be sooo much more organized! I can't wait. 

Yesterday we had our first harvest out of the garden! One very, VERY, large Kohlrabi! I have never eaten or grown Kohlrabi before, so it was quite a treat. It tastes very much like broccoli hearts. I do believe that we let this one get too big, as it was quite tough!  

The Mega-rabi! The giant leaves make it hard to tell just how huge the center really is!

Something else that you all might find as neat as I did was this Killdeer nest, that was hiding under a tomatillo plant! I've been seeing the Killdeer in the garden every day since I have been home, so I had a feeling that they had a nest somewhere, but I didn't expect to find it under a tomatillo! Maybe that is what has happened to all those pesky insects that I was dealing with earlier this year. I think that it really helps to have the pasture nearby so that they have a safe place to look for goodies. Seeing these little birds calling my garden home definitely makes me feel like I might be doing at least something right. Its a nice thought that I am getting the opportunity to grow food, and make a hospitable environment for natives at the same time!

The beautiful speckled eggs of the Killdeer. According to what I was reading yesterday, killdeer are insectivores that tend to like to nest in slight depressions in the ground. They are technically a shore bird, although they generally live far from water. Their range is from Canada all the way south to Peru!

Got Garden?

Well yesterday got finished with a some sense of accomplishment! I finally got my Okra planted, drippers punched, etc. The corn on the other hand.... not quite there yet, that's a mission for this afternoon. My poor okra transplants look like heck unfortunately. they just didn't weather being cooped up for an extra three weeks too well. I have faith that they'll snap to it though. Originally I was planning on planting just 75' of Okra, but my sweet potato slips didn't turn out to well... soo I'm glad I like pickling! What I didn't have in transplants I planted in seed. They will more than likely catch up quite quickly.

Also on the order for yesterday was fixing sprinklers. I absolutely hate digging up and flushing lines, but knew I had to finally get it done. With the idea of having sheep out here again I need to have my irrigation in top shape. I now only have one sprinkler left to fix... yay! Also, had to change on of the lines off of full rotation so that it wouldn't be spraying the garden. I'm trying to keep any excess water out, to help control the weeds... namely bermuda! Beautiful for a SoCal pasture, not so great when taking over the beans. Got a good look at my kohlrabies today, and man are they big! I have never eaten kohlrabi so I'm pretty excited. Ooo, and the broccolies are getting little dainty florets too. Not long now!

Oh, and the cucurbits are officially planted. Other than a few straggler cucumbers that I'm going to have to plant from seed, its looking good! There's watermelon, pumpkins for pie, Cinderella pumpkins, patty squash, crooknecks, butternuts, buttercups, and even Atlantic Giant Pumpkins... I'm really hoping to get one up to 700 lbs.! I decided to forgo trying to put drip in the patch, and have chosen instead to just go ahead and sprinkle irrigate. I'm going to inter plant clover as a living mulch, and then go ahead and flush the sheep on it in the fall. 

Ok, and for today. Well first order was to fix that blasted BB from jumping anymore fences. She quite frankly annihilated my poor asparagus. They where finally growing, and now they are sticks. Soooo, BB is now loosly cross hobbled. No more bolting, no more clearing fences. After watching the show ( you didn't think she appreciated having her feet tied together did you?) I caught her back up, and made sure her hobbles hadn't gotten any tighter. With her jumping temporarily curbed I felt safe moving the sheep into the pastures by the main garden. I won't be leaving the hobbles on for very long. Just until my electrostop fencing arrives on Friday. That should teach her enough respect for fences that she won't need them anymore. Even with the hobble situation, all the sheep look much happier in their new space. They will get fresh grass day after tomorrow. I really need about 4 more sheep to keep up with as much pasture as I have, and thankfully the rams will be coming soon enough! I'm not sure, I may end up getting one Targhee, and one Merino, or two Targhees. I haven't made up my mind yet, but know that I will get two so that I'll have enough for next year when I purchase my ewes.

Yellow Onion Close Up

Tomatillos growing like weeds!

Broccoli is getting closer

Big ol' Kohlrabi

Potatoes and Cole Crops

The next order for the day is getting all the drip line layed out for the next block of corn. Last time I planted a long skinny row... well I read that thats not the way to do it so now I'm going to plant a couple blocks, and at different intervals so that I have a steady supply of sweet corn. I can't help but be excited about this fall. I'm already planning what's going where, and getting things prepared. I tshould be a much better crop. I'm also trying to line out where the sheep will go year after next. Get all my grazing leases organized. Its going to be a great next couple of years I think, and I hope you all will join me.  

Corn and Beans

Onions and Tomatoes back view

Working the Sheep

Its docking time! Ella, and Yabbo both still have their tales... and I'm not one for looking at nasty sheep tales. For those of you not familiar with sheep production practices,  most breeds of sheep are not born with the short nubby tails that we are all familiar with. Pretty much all modern breeds of sheep have long heavy tails that are manually removed for cleanlyness, and ease of breeding. There are several different methods for docking tails, but I choose to use elastrator bands. I like the bands for simplicities sake, and because there are no open wounds to get infected. The band is simply plased in the desired location on the tail, and applied. The band works by cutting off the circulation below that point, and the end of the tail simply falls off! Its only painful at first, but once the circulation stops (which is quite quickly), the sheep looses all feeling to that part of the extrimity. Sheep with docked tails are happier, cleanlier, and less likely to develope flystrike!(a condition where blowflie maggots eat on living sheep)



Elastrator bands look like Cheerios!



Being organized helps. Having the elastrator set up before
 you start is a bonus, and always have extra bands.







I decided to take pictues of the days proceedings, and was quite pleasantly supprised with how smoothly everything went. Of course it all starts with being organized.... wether you're working three sheep or 3000 being organized is a must to save frustration. I am by no means an organized person, but there are some things that I have found help. For me they are proper facilities, a calm mindset, and having a bucket or box that hangs on the fence to hold all your tools both within reach, and out of the way. There should hardly be any reasons to loose your temper with your sheep. If you are getting extreemely angry, then you should probably take a step back and look at your facilities. Why are you angry? Let your fences do the majority of the work. If your running like a dog trying to catch sheep, you probably should invest in some more/taller panels, whether portable el-cheapo wood panels you can make yourself, or fancy metal ones, doesent matter. Just as long as they are portable, and can be easily reconfigured to work the amount of sheep that you have. The chute I'm using in these photos is my loading chute. When I had 60 sheep I didn't work them here. I could of, but it would not have been easy enough. With as few as I have now, it works ideally. the sheep can see out the front panel, making them think they can escape, and the funnel shape directs them where I want without extra work. The sides are high, and sturdy... which I have found to be more, and more of a must with owning taller breeds of sheep. The last, and one of the most important features, is the narrow chute itself, which limits movement... and consequently chasing!



Sturdy facilities are a must, though they don't have to be permanant



I started the day with Yabbo, checking teeth, picking foxtails, and of course docking his tail. I went ahead and trimmed his feet too. Our soil is very soft, and lambs feet don't wear well here. I also gave him his CD&T vaccine. To work on sheep I like to sit them on their rump, just like I would to shear them. This gives me access to all the places I need to handle, not to mention complete control of the sheep. As a side note, make sure and use alchohol on vaccine sites, as CD&T can be prone to abcessing, also for the same reason do not give CD&T vaccines in the wool... it will fall out. I chose to give it in the bare skin on the right inner thighs this time. 



Keep things cold while vaccinating, especially
 when you will be returning it to the fridge.



Getting Vaccine pre drawn.









Next sheep of the day was little ol Ella. Her poor face was absolutely full of foxtail. I was hoping she would have shed the wool on her face out by now... but it doesn't look like its going to happen. Wooly faces make sheep far more prone to stickers in the eyes. She got banded, given her booster, hooves trimmed, and eyewigged. Lastly I worked BB. All BB needed was her CD&T booster, and that blasted top knot taken off! BB is officially Fro- free! All in all, this time the whole lot was quite calm. No launching over my shoulders, or busting my face, or breaking gates for that matter. I'm feeling a bit more confident that my prospect bell sheep might eventally make good leaders. Its just going to take a bit more time.   



Before being worked.

 

Done and already eating. Low stress handling makes for happy calm sheep.









Finally Back



The beautiful Hopland Research Station



Well 2 weeks turned into a month as I made an attempt to get through the fiber. I started this venture with a trip to Hopland, CA. to shear the Hopland Research Station's beautiful flock of Targhee sheep. It almost took a full week to shear the flock of nearly 1000. After shearing the station I went ahead, and took some needed RR, taking a break from shearing to do some brush clearing instead. I actually enjoy clearing brush, and somehow managed to stay entirely out of the poison oak. Which was unfortunately not the case with my friend that I was clearing the brush with. I couldn't help but think of how much more pleasant it would have been to put sheep on the lot for about 3 days before the clearing commenced!





Hopland Research Station Rams



 I finally got my trailer back just in time to make the trek north to Redwood Valley, CA.  I had to leave it in Vacaville to have the electrical worked on. Now it works like a dream... no more getting electricuted while its plugged in! YAY! While I was up north I ended up shearing for Jean Near, owner of Utopia Ranch, and a sheepy legend of sorts up in the valley. Mrs. Near has been building her flock of colored merinos for close to 40 years! The sheep of Utopia are beautiful, large, and colorful. She has quite the collection of moorits, blacks, greys, and of course, bright white... all of which are coated year round. You can find more information about her flock at http://www.jeannear.com/ . Though shearing real Merinos for the first time was extremely hard work, I had an absolute blast. I wish I would have remembered to get my camera out. It was my first ever time shearing on a shearing day too, and I think it went pretty well. I just took extra time, navigating the wrinkles, and trying to keep the beautiful hand spinning fleeces second cut free.



Corriedale Merino X Ewes and Weathers



I also sheared for a few other smaller flocks the next day. I ended up getting off to a late start, as I was enjoying my stay with Mrs. Near so much that we ended up talking until late the morning of my departure. The other flocks I sheared both contained some of Mrs. Nears genetics crossed on Corriedale. I will post their information when I get permission. They also have beautiful coated sheep, some of which are pictured here.





Coated Corriedale Merino X ewe





After finishing up in the beautiful Redwood Valley, I ended up having to cut my travels short. The weather made a change for rainy, and I couldn't afford to stay and wait it out. I had to call, and cancel my other appointments in the surrounding area for now, and might be able to head back that direction at a  later date if they are still in need of shearing. For now it looks like I have one shearing job left south of Bako, and a lot of garden to focus on... also can't forget my THREE sheep. Yep BB had her lamb! A adorable little ram now named Yabbo, who might be lucky enough to go to work next season.

Ella, Yabbo, and BB