We heard it was coming from the fearful meteorologists--so we took inventory-- milk, coffee, food in the freezer, we're okay-- hay, chicken feed, heated water pails all round, heat tape on the water hydrant-- tractor accessible to plow--we're ready.
Dear Daughter had a concert band performance on Tuesday night, projected to be the worst travel weather. We were prepared to take a hotel room in the city in order to make the concert, but didn't have to. The snow was blowing, by its end, but nothing extraordinary for Minnesota natives to cope with.
I tucked a flake or two of hay inside every sheep shelter-- there are 5 breeding groups of 4-7 sheep right now-- filled waters and salt boxes, got the fowl inside their barn, with cats adjacent, and waited it out.
Emily's school was cancelled today. Yay, we made gingerbread boys, girls, sheep, dreidels and stars. Tomorrow we'll decorate them. Maybe I'll photo those!
Tonight we went out and put newly-purchased Rocky coats on two finnsheep girls-- they'd been shorn by the farm I bought them from, having been destined for the butcher. They were spared that fate, but now they looked too vulnerable to me in their half-inch of wool covering, so we put coats on them. As I recall, any layer will help keep a body warmer, even if it's just heavy nylon. They are also in the most sheltering of my barns, so . . . it's as good as it gets on this little farm. Oh, for the record, the 6 month finn ewes, who are as tall as any full grown Shetland, wore sizes D and E loosely, having no wool. But the length along the spine, front to back, was good. My big puffball Shetland, Bluebell, has on a G size, and it looks tight all over.
I have an H as well; I'm thinkin': Osmo the Finn ram; maybe Bluebell in a few weeks.
These coats may be a nice thing, but it's true that the sheep had better be quiet and good-natured to put up with being grabbed and outfitted while enjoying a bit of hay.
Finally, arrangements were made today for Shawn the Shetland ram with aberrant horns, who has the most amazing fleece I have seen on a Shetland. Oh, I have a picture of that!
He's also seen in the last post, looking through the fence. Half-horn guy. Because he is now the only guy with thick, substantial horns here, I was afraid of what he'd do to other hornless rams when rams are recombined in a few weeks, after breeding. I had a butcher date ready for him.
I called a woman who had said, "before you butcher him, call me", so I did. Shawn can go live with her, soon, and I am always happy when an animal with great traits gets to live on . . .
Happy Wednesday, everyone.
3 comments:
It sounds like the weather brought you a nice family day! I'm glad Shawn and his wonderful fleece were spared. I noticed my shorn Finn girl was shivering a bit the other day. I only have canvas coats and I worry her wool would felt. I will check out the Rocky coats.
We were totally white for a while too. But today is beautiful; white and blue. With a warm (as warm as 7 degrees can be) sun. I'm glad Shawn found a home. I don't think I could be a shepherdess after all, with those hard decisions to make.
White, here, too! Wonder if we all live in Minnesota? Soot's boyfriend, Joe, is fitting in well and Arthur is not being a pest, like I feared. I'm wishing that Soot would pass on her black color to her baby (babies?) but probably not. Joe is too white as are all the grandparents!
Glad your "children" are staying warm and safe.
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