WOW!! The Sauna Summer Continues...

We have named this year, Sauna Summer, due to the humidity and heat.  I am just now getting used to the heat and we are out early and late to care for critters.  We take lots of water and work in the shade and wear our straw hats.  It is dangerous hot.  I have the AC in the house on 80 so we do not have such a hot, cold difference.  The 80 degrees seems cold when you come in soaking wet and cool down.

The picture to the left is Blue with Ariel's collar and bell.  For some reason, Blue liked Ariel's bell and collar and took it from Ariel.  Ariel is a Nubian and the collar is loose around her neck.  Blue used her horns to take the collar and bell & work it off Ariel.  She is a pretty smart critter and is the herd queen.  She wears it proudly like she is wearing a diamond.  She makes it clang and struts her stuff, even though it is to big, she does not care.  We will eventually get her a smaller collar and attach the bell to it.  But for now, it is a conversation piece....

I have had some folks emailing me wondering how Earl was doing.  He is doing great and to the right is a picture I took of him yesterday.  We have had him for about 2 weeks and he has gained quite a bit of weight.  He is a cute little guy.  We will be neutering him shortly and he will be going in with our young heifer after he is neutered and Barbacue goes to the processor.  Earl is a mini Jersey that we aquired.  He was a bottle baby and is very tame.  His cute factor is very strong and he will more then likely end up a pet...

Barbacue the steer (above) has missed no meals and has an appointment in a couple of weeks to go to the processor.  He is on pasture and getting corn mixed with soybean hull pellets once a day.  He is prime to say the least.  We have been raising him up, since a calf for this moment and we can not wait for the home grown beef he will provide.  No hormones, pastured freely, no cruel handling, corn fed, he will provide for us and our family after having a wonderful, but short life.  His girl friend is a heifer calf and Earl will be her buddy when Barbacue leaves.  We have two more calves out in the field with there moms who will be weaned shortly.  Both are steers and one will be sold and the other raised up for next years beef supply.  There is nothing better then home grown beef.

PJ came to the farm Sunday to help work the ewes.  We work them every 3 weeks during the heat of the summer.  We check for worms and give BoSe injections as needed and check hooves as well.

This is the work area in the shade under the new barn.  The shoot is a Billy Goat Gruff shoot I traded some goats for awhile back.  It has come in very handy and really saves your back.

The picture to the right is PJ getting the sheep up to ready them into the shoot.  He squeezes them in with the cow panel to push into the shoot.

This is the shoot in action.  The sheep goes into the ramp and has a door that closes behind them.  Then they go into the shoot and their head is secured in the head gate.  Then the sides can be opened on both sides to trim hooves, give shots, even shear.  We do have to remember before the next working to replace the springs on the head gate.  They are wore out and do not always close as they should.

After the sheep are worked, they go into a waiting area where they get some hay and a bit of grain and wait for the rest of the herd to be done.  There was a nice breeze today and it was not to bad working the flock.  We love the new barn and it has come in really handy for several needs.  After everyone is finished, we open the gate and with a bucket, the herd follows me back to their pasture.

The ewes are done for another 3 weeks and we are off to other things that need to be done.  The above set up will be really nice for the fall shearing of the Icelandics.  We will be able to put them up if it rains and shear come rain or shine.

Enough for now...