We had a quiet Christmas and thanks to the snow, which finally reached a depth of 7", carol singing was cancelled and the family gathering here last Sunday has been postponed until New Years Day. Tim checked over our generator as with this much snow, we're bound to loose our electricity. It was a good job he did as one of the fuel leads had a slight weep in it. It's been replaced and the "Genni" run for several hours and so far we've not needed to use it. It's been close once or twice, the power has "dipped" for a second or so, as if there has been a power surge, a usual sign we are to loose our electricity.
Every morning has seen us carrying bales of hay and water out the the sheep, and on more than one occasion this whole process being repeated in the afternoon. Now the snow has started to thaw, we're all wallowing in mud and several of the sheep are starting to limp.
A job for this weekend is to take Finn out from the ewes and put him in his own paddock along with Cecil, Archie and Fluffy. Whilst all the sheep will be coming in to the barn we'll give them the "once over", feet trimmed and a mineral drench etc.
Brazil is already in the barn, and has been since the Sunday before Christmas, when I went to feed that morning, she didn't come to the feed trough and when I went up to her she didn't move and looked very confused. Closer inspection revealed that she had gone blind! Thankfully a couple of injections from the vet on the Monday morning and her sight slowly returned over the next few days. She's fine now but we're keeping her in just to make sure. Today she was joined by Abbi, who was limping at this morning's feed which has got worse over the day. We caught her up and looked at her foot, it felt warm, but I couldn't see anything, and as the weather has been so miserable today we felt that Abbi would be better spending some time in the barn, she didn't complain, a sign a sheep is not 100%, and it's a whole lot easier for us to catch her to check her foot. Hopefully it's nothing too serious, but on the wet ground, her hoof is soft and a small piece of grit could have got wedged up the inside of her hoof. Painful!!!!!!
Despite the snow we've managed to get a couple of jobs done, the drain in the main barn (where I'm hoping to put the pet lambs) is now laid, just needs the top covering putting on. Virtually all the wood that was in the barn is now chopped and split, the wood that I can't cut got soaked when a load of snow slipped off the wood store roof, into the barn right on top of the wood! A few dry, windy days and I'll be able to get it cut and stacked.
I wish you all a good New Year and that not too many of you are struggling with all the snow.
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4 comments:
What is this snow you speak of? We've had no more than half an inch in the same period!
Sounds like you've been busy. All our snow is melting, that which hasn't compacted into ice. Love to all for the New Year
Rain, hail, sleet and snow. Electricity or not, if we have animals life goes on regardless. Apparently, city folk think we are a bit strange....! I have now also my mother's donkeys etc to look after as she has been a little unwell.
Needless to say, the Landrover is working overtime is working overtime in this snow, and more to come!
Wishing you all a very happy New Year.
The ice and snow is creating more work for those of us with livestock! I'm getting a great work out carting haylage up to the girls. The two tup lambs are doing fine foraging though and just getting bits of extra hay.
I've had a couple a bit limpy but it has turned out to just be compacted ice between the toes. It's very dry here still because everything is still frozen solid. Hope your lot are ok.
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