Wranglin’ Time

May
14

We’ve been busy on the farm the past few days, doing things that needed done and catching up on a few things where we were behind. Such as sheep shearing. Those poor sheep were still wearing their winter coats and it suddenly got hot here. The donkeys’ hooves needed trimming, too. It was time for lots of wranglin’. And! I have a surprise, something unexpected at this point. But we’ll start with the goslings. (Surprise later.) They were way past ready to get out of the brooder and into some sunshine and romping room. I decided to take them to the chicken house/yard first as an intermediate move to their eventual home in the pond yard.

I set off to clear out the chickens. I didn’t want the chickens to feel “crowded” by the new arrivals, I have way too many eggs as it is, and it’s warm now, so I don’t mind clearing the chickens out of the hen house to give the goslings some time to grow there in safety.

Before I could get to the chicken house, I came across this:

WHY ME? Why?

Casper helped in the corralling. Or not. They were just coming up for a cookie….

Once Clover, her baby, and Dr. Pepper were back in the goat yard, I cleared out the chickens. They were so excited. These hens went into the chicken house this winter and haven’t been out since, so everyone was happy to take a stroll.

Then I wrangled the goslings and got them in there. The big world! It is so scary!!!! And they are so cute!!!

They’re clumpers.

They move in a group.

It took them a little while to figure out where the food and water was, but they did. It’s so good to see them out in the fresh air and sunshine, getting some exercise. It’s always tough keeping young ones in the brooder, but it’s for their safety. I’m always so glad when I can take them out!

Naturally, no sooner were the hens out than they wanted back in.

A handful of the more persistent ones flew back in. The chicken house/yard isn’t crowded, though, and everyone seems to be getting along fine. The goslings will stay there for a few weeks, until they’re big enough for the pond yard, then the hens will have their house back to themselves.

Then it was donkey wranglin’ time! The donkey hoof trimmer arrived. Jack first.

To be trimmed, they are taken one at a time out of the field. I asked the hoof trimmer why he didn’t just trim them in the field, skipping the whole wranglin’ part, and he said he didn’t like getting kicked. Apparently, if you trim the donkey around other donkeys, there can be some upset. (Especially when holding down and trimming a girl donkey in front of a boy donkey. The boy donkey thinks you’re stealing his woman. If he trimmed Poky in front of Jack, Jack would be climbing on his back trying to tackle him to the ground.)

It’s bad enough trimming the girl donkey when you take her out of the field!

Poky:

Jack, while Poky is getting trimmed, pacing and distraught.

Moaning for his beloved.

Short video of Jack, the distressed lover:




Back together!

And so close together! See Jack’s ears behind Poky?

She isn’t getting a step away from him! Ever again! He almost lost her! She was away from him for 10 minutes! It was terrible!

And!! The donkey hoof trimmer thinks Poky is pregnant. Not sure how far along, but she’s along. But! We’ve been expecting that since they’ve been together for nearly a year now. (Donkeys are pregnant for 11 months, so she could have a baby any time now.) So, since that is expected, it’s NOT the surprise secret!

On to the sheep wranglin’!

A section of the field was temporarily fenced off to make a holding pen for the shearing.

Mr. Cotswold was brought out last, because once they are sheared, they are released to the field and you just never know how Mr. Cotswold is going to behave. He’s an incorrigible rake.

Off came their coats, one at a time.

Our sheep shearer has been shearing sheep for over 50 years. He used to shear 3000 a year back in the day. He could shear 12 sheep an hour. He’s not that fast now, but then he is about 250 years old. Or something. I’m always amazed that he can handle the sheep.

After shearing, they each ran across the field into the tall, tall grass to escape the indignity and hide their nakedness.

I was particularly interested to see the yearling after she was sheared. She is half Cotswold, half Jacob. She has dark wool like the Jacobs (but not spotted), and it’s long, curly wool like the Cotswolds. (She has no Jacob horns.) I wondered if her body type under all that wool would be muscular and meaty like the Cotswolds or light and dainty as a Jacob.

A Cotswold ewe, sheared.

A Jacob ewe, sheared.

The half-breed yearling, sheared. (Yes, that’s a cut on her side from the shearing.)

I think she’s kinda in between. We sell the wool (want some? email me at [email protected]), but I will be keeping hers. Under all the wool, she looks black now, so I wonder if her wool will be all-black next year. This was her first time shearing, so that was her lamb wool.

And now for the surprise! We have had lambs every year in late winter. The ewes go into heat in the fall. Once we get past that time frame, I don’t expect lambs any more for the year. Except…. Well! Somebody has been keeping a secret. Somebody who is a youngun on her first heat cycle and doesn’t quite go along with the group……

After getting up close and personal while shearing Annabelle, the shearer announced that she was bagging up and he expected her to lamb within the next few weeks!!!

Annabelle’s gonna have babies!!

And we’re not going to lose these lamb(s) to the wild beasts, as happened with our last lambs a few months ago. I don’t want to take Annabelle out of the tall, tall grass just yet because it’s so good for her, but as soon as she delivers, she and the lamb(s) will be coming up to the goat yard at the house.

We have a lamb puppy watch!





Comments

  1. CindyP says:

    Annabelle’s gonna be a mommy!! :sheepjump: A wonderful surprise!!

    Jack looks like he was trying to dig under the gate…has he been watching too many dogs?

  2. Anita says:

    YAY babies! And I love the little earnest faces of the goslings. So solemn.

  3. wvhomecanner says:

    :sheep:
    WOOHOO! … they grow up so fast … LOL!
    A lamb watch! perfect May fun!

    dede

  4. BostonSu says:

    The little sheep/dog is gonna be a momma!! How exciting for you and Annabelle!! :happyflower:

  5. wvhomecanner says:

    OH and a baby watch w/Poky! Is that a foal watch when it’s a donkey?

    dede

  6. mymsie says:

    Awwww Jack, what a loyal companion! :heart:

  7. NancyL says:

    Yayyy – Annabelle’s gonna have a puppy! I wonder if she’ll THINK it’s a puppy? And a Jack/Poky baby – too sweet. You’ve been busy all this time, so you might as well have some prizes!

  8. Blessings says:

    Spring time on the farm! Sooo much to do…I love how Clover and gang came looking for COOKIES…as if to say have you forgoten the COOKIES!
    ~~HUGS~~
    Waiting for some cute PROM photo’s of the real people kiddo’s?…

  9. DarleneS says:

    Congratulations Annabelle you will be a mother soon. And a pretty one at that. :sheep:

  10. farmershae says:

    Wow!!! what an exciting day at the farm! I’m looking forward to new babies!

  11. CATRAY44 says:

    Congratulations! Maybe the baby should live on the porch, like her momma did, lol.

  12. Pete says:

    Wonderful! Leave it to Sweet Annabelle to do things just a little differently – rather the Diva way?

    Congratulations al around!! :snoopy:

  13. leneskate says:

    WOW more babies! Good for all of you!
    Love all the photos today!

  14. Journey11 says:

    Yea! More babies! I really enjoyed this post. My little girl did too. She loves to see all the animals. :happybutterfly:

  15. Pat says:

    This is so exciting – Poky AND Annabelle babies!!! Can’t wait to see pics. Also, prom pics are important, too. Have a great weekend.
    Pat in Eastern NC

  16. themandabear says:

    YAY ANABELLE BABY!

    So excited =D And Excited to see Poky and Jacks baby too!

    Oh I love babies =D

  17. Teri says:

    Congratulations to Annabelle and Poky!

  18. AnnieB says:

    What a great post! I just love your animals and they way you present them/love them. Yay for Poky and Annabelle! I can’t believe they will be mommies!

  19. aprilejoi says:

    Spring babies, WooT! I am especially excited about Poky and Jack’s, uh, LOveChild 🙂 Thanks for sharing!

  20. Donna says:

    Soooo… this is Annabelle that for so long thought she was a dog… are you sure they’re going to be lambs and not puppies? 😉

  21. jan n tn says:

    If she is bagging up today/now…. you probably only have the next few days. But that is strictly one more guess ( sheep farmer opinion ).

  22. MaryMooCow says:

    Lovely post. I enjoyed all the beautiful photos a lot. Congratulations Annabell and Poky! :sheepjump: And I thought our baby bunnies that I just posted about are adorable: you’re gonna have lambs and a donkey! :happyflower:

    Blessings,
    Mary
    https://lundkids.blogspot.com

  23. Valerie says:

    YAY!! More puppies, Annabelle’s puppies. She is such a sweetie, she’ll be a good mommie.

  24. Valerie says:

    I forgot to comment on Jack and Poky, which is totally absurd because we have donkeys whom I love.(Click my avatar). I truly laughed out loud at the video of Jack. Our Sassafras does NOT allow Hawthorne near her at any time except when she is in heat. He is, in fact, timid around her, because she has a wicked kick. When she was due to have her first baby, many people told us to separate the donkeys, because the male would kill the baby. This didn’t happen; Sassie is a very protective mommie and NOBODY gets close to her baby without her wanting them to be. But I’m just letting you know what people say about donkeys.

  25. lavenderblue says:

    Yay! for CITR babies! All men should be as loyal as Jack. Although I think Poky finds him a bit smothering. Golly, be careful when she is in labor. Jack might think you are hurting her.
    Do we know who the daddy of Annabelle’s puppy is? You’ve moved everyone around so much that I’ve lost track.

    That video of Jack may be my new favorite “country sounds” track since the “pause” track on our “Corner Gas” DVD. You can hear chickens on those but I can hear BP or GB lowing in the background on this and it is so restful. That’s why I’m guessing BP, no drama.

  26. Window On The Prairie says:

    Oh wow, how exciting! A little Jack or Pokey, and a little Annabelle. Can’t wait to see them!

  27. amyg says:

    Congratulations! So excited for Annabelle & Jack is just too adorably in love with Poky! Love is in the air :snuggle:

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