Tuesday, February 21, 2012

The day-to-day...

What is this chopped garlic all about?  It's my cure -- my home remedy.  Yup.  I eat raw, chopped garlic to fight colds and flu.  Since getting home, I've come down with sniffles, sneezes, headaches and and achy body.  I've been slurping  up lots of liquids and hot drinks and besides this, I'm throwing back the garlic.  I chop it up small and then swallow the bits with a large glass of water twice a day.  I have bad breath, yes, but I'm feeling better and it's worth it....to me. Hubs asked me if I brushed my teeth today (and I did).  Oh well.

 This orphan lamb was feeling terrible.  I think he had a belly ache so I brought him home, warmed him up, and fed him some colostrum (first milk). Within minutes he perked up and seemed well so I drove him back up to the bum pen to be with his friends.  I hope he continues to improve.

Here are the wiggly friends (who make photography difficult).  We are all spending lots of time at the lambing barn.  We have continued to have lots of multiple births -- mostly twins, but lots more triplets than we have ever had.  I'm not sure why.  Generally, all three triplets don't end up staying with their mothers.  We usually take one away and try to graft it onto another mama ewe or else it goes into the bum pen.  Right now, I have six lambs in my bum pen. Six bottles to feed every 4 hours.

I've been researching the best way to feed my lil bum lambs once they are weaned from milk.  Powdered milk replacer is so expensive, that I am determined to get my bummies on solid feed ASAP.  Last year I made a feed mixture of molasses-sweetened rolled corn/oats/barley  plus some soybean meal and alfalfa pellets.  The lambs really liked the sweetened part of the mix, but didn't like the rest of it so much.  So far, I think that alfalfa hay will be my number one feed along with sweet COB (corn/oats/barley) and possibly some rolled soybeans.  The key is high protein.  Green weeds and grass will be their mainstay when it begins to warm up.

We've been blessed, so far, to have excellent weather for lambing.  Last year we fought deep snow and sub-zero temperatures and lambing season was hard, hard, hard.  This year it is still a big job with all the multiples, but we don't have the weather to fight ...yet.  The weatherman is predicting snow and cold for us yet this week.  We shall see what transpires.

 The hens are laying nicely.  Today I gathered 11 eggs.  Is there anything prettier than a bucketful of eggs? Maybe a basketful of eggs!

Speaking of eggs, I received this flyer in the mail from our local feed store.  It reminded me to order my baby chicks for spring which I did right away.  They should arrive in April.  Isn't this a cute, 1950s vintage advertisement?   The nice people who work at the feed store are just the best -- one of them is my sweet son-in-love. 

Well, my afternoon coffee break is over.  My cup is empty, and my lemon cloud pie is ate up.  Time to tidy up my house and get ready to check the ewes.  Then it will be time to feed the bummies and put the ewes and lambs inside the sheds for the night.  We're expecting snow after midnight tonight. 

14 comments:

  1. Your eggs are beautiful; in a bucket, a basket, or anywhere. I used to have a woman who came to my knitting class that sold me fresh eggs. She moved to warmer climes and now I get fresh eggs much less regularly. Those lambs are so cute, but I am glad I don't have to bottle feed them. You are a trooper.

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  2. I have egg envy. They are beautiful and I am trying not to think about them. I hope you get to feeling better and I guess when you are feeling bad like that bad breath is the least of your concerns. =) You need your strength for all the nursing and birthing you are doing!

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  3. Ha! Sounds like you need the recipe for my husbands tomatoe rice soup with 6 cloves of garlic in it. We all have great breath after eating it. Hope you are all better soon...

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  4. Your life sounds full, busy and happy. How wonderful to be nurturing new life! May your bum lambs thrive beautifully :)

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  5. Oh, those cute little slurping lambs!
    I'm sorry you have a bit of a bug, Jody. Hope the garlic does the trick.

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  6. I had many things to say about this post, but now all I can think about is lemon cloud pie ...

    Your eggs are beautiful, as are your little lambs! I love the flyer from your feed store. I wonder if I can get on their mailing list.

    Pie is good. Pie is very, very good.

    xofrances

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  7. Your bum lambs are just adorable and I hope they really thrive! I know how much work that is...but so rewarding:). Hope you feel better, too. I think we need that lemon cloud pie recipe:)!

    ~Julia

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  8. Yummmm Lemon Cream Pie. I'm thinking that's a much better remedy than that icky garlic! Sounds like you're having a wonderful, fun life with the little lambies -- I'd love it! I hope you're feeling better today!

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  9. We don't lamb until early May...no winter facilites, but I am looking forward to it, I, too, have brought many a wee lamb home for some extra tlc.

    raw garlic...hmmm....i love garlic, but, well.......lol

    have a great day
    Niki

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  10. Busy girl you are -- as always! Your lambing time makes me think of James Herriot's stories about lambing season in the freezing weather of North Yorkshire back in the day. So glad you're having good weather and not freezing!

    G

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  11. Had that cold bug...thought it was allergies everything was clear, if you know what I mean...but hubby showed up with it couple days ago...same thing! I feel terrible that now he has to fight it....while myself have a little bit still hanging on....feel better Jody!
    Lambs are so cute!
    Today this weather was crazy...we had a calf born in this stuff today..brought her in by the wood stove to warm her took awhile, but we were able to take her to her mama in the barn,,,,happy reunion!!

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  12. Oh, your little lambs are so adorable!! But what a job to feed them every 4 hours round the clock. No rest for the weary, eh? Lemon cloud pie sounds delicious!

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  13. What a busy day you have. I love the picture of the eggs. Lovely. Stay warm.

    Alaska/pj

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  14. Love the garlic, too!

    My son (the one who lives off grid) is getting chickens this spring. They have a coup ready and the littles are excited!

    :)

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