Reader and lambcam watcher Sandra asks, “Why is there a sheep in the kidding area?”
Daisy is my only Babydoll Southdown ewe and she is what they call an “easy keeper.” She can get fat even when she’s only eating hay. Even though she’s bred, I pastured her with the boys and lambs this winter because they were on an all hay diet and I didn’t want Daisy getting even fatter by feasting on grain all winter. Now that she’s getting close to lambing, I want to move Daisy in with the ewes and start her on some grain to give her the extra nutrition she needs for her last month of pregnancy, but putting her in with the ewes and their ample portions of grain would be too big a transition and would make her sick.
Daisy is in the kidding area so that I can control the amount of grain she gets for a week or so, and slowly ramp her up to get as much as the other girls. Hannah is furious that Daisy has invaded her space by Nanny McPhee and Mrs. Doubtfire don’t seem to care.
In other farm news, we had to giant round bales of hay delivered this morning by our friends the Hopkins.
We put one round bale in with the non-breeders and one in with the ewes.
Then, while everyone was busy eating, we fenced them into small paddocks with moveable fencing.
Keeping the flocks confined to small areas now will allow the new pasture to come in and establish roots before the greedy sheep and goats are turned out on it. We practiced rotational grazing in New York and on Martha’s Vineyard but we never gotten started so early before. Green grass in March is like a dream.
The main advantage round bales is that they are about 1/2 the price of square bales. (Each round bale equals 20 to 25 squares.) There is also a small time savings in that we won’t have to haul hay out to the flock twice a day. The disadvantages are that they are difficult to move and subject to the weather. We put the ewe’s bale in the large run-in attached the barn so it would stay dry, but that wasn’t an option for the non-breeders. They will still eat the hay after it’s been rained on, but it isn’t as appealing and loses nutritional value.
Hopefully we will be able to turn the flocks out on to pasture in two or three weeks. It’s going to be 70 degrees today and the green grass is coming on fast. Rain tomorrow and through Saturday, but we need it, and at least it’s going to stay warm.
Still no babies in the kidding pen. Stay tuned.
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
has the naming convention for the babies been picked and I missed it? I can’t wait!
Absolutely LOVE those toothy little smiles on their faces!
Susie, I really enjoy your blog, I learn so much about your wonderful sheep, goats and dogs. I would love to have some sheep and goats, but I also know my limits and my three sheepdogs are my limit. They all need hair cuts and a dose of flea drops… I’m hoping to work on that this weekend.
Dude. Your animals have started actually SMILING at your camera when you take pictures of them!
That Daisy! Such a fat-so!!! Have to tell you, when we are on a family drive and see those big round bales of hay, my kids yell out the window “COW BAIT”!!
Laurie, I’m narrowing the field and hope we’ll be able to post the choices for voting tonight or tomorrow.
Love the teeth!! the pics make me LOL!!! Especially since I accidently got Daisy full screen before I even knew what I was looking at!!
I just love Daisy!!!
In Germany the round bales are the norm. since it’s so rainy there, many farmers ‘shrink-wrap’ them so they can be stored right in the field w/o rain damage. the shrink-wrap is opaque white. so these large round things are commonly know as “Field Marshmallows!” LOL
Green grass and warm days….welcome to the South! But don’t let it fool you; there will still be more cold days thru April before we can safely say the warm weather is here to stay.
Do you unwrap the round bales? Or just let them eat around the wrap? We have been standing ours on end, tying a cattle panel around them and cutting off the wrap. Now I wonder if we need to go to all that work.
ya know every time i come here i feel happy
even if it’s a day where i’m feeling a bit blue
love seeing the smiles
love that spring is in there air (although it’s been rather cool here in ca) and that green pastures are in sight (almost)
on a side note***lambcam***can not be viewed on my safari web browser
firefox works sort of ok
but not sure why it’s glitchy…i HAVE downloaded the plug ins but don’t get a steady stream or ANY stream on safari
lotsa love
happy sunshine and pastures and babies soon
lotsa love to ya all
rona
Love the Lamb Cam! Not getting any feed today for some reason, though.