Random Pictures ...

Lambs on the Loose @ Wild Rose Farm!

We were out shopping and had just come down the driveway … Hey! What are those sheep doing under the cherry trees?!?  Mr. Wild Rose Farm walked up & into the barn to get some feed while I stayed out here to head off anyone who might break in this direction.  I needn't have worried.  The lambs scampered back in through their gate into the pen.  It's where they were safe & where they get fed!  By the time I got my cell phone out to take a picture, you can see the last lamb just outside of the gate heading in to safety … Whew.  We've had the donkey loose on the lawn before, but never any sheep. And of course, the donkey thinks it's a game, high steps, and kicks her heels when you try to catch her, lol.

Rambouillet Ram Lamb Turned in With Breeding Ewes

Breeding season started here on November 26th. We turned a young Dorset ram in with the Dorset & crossbred ewes. We also turned in this triplet registered Rambouillet ram in with a separate group of  Rambouillet ewes.  The ewes know where to go and had headed down the runway, but the ram turned back around to look at me … not sure of what was up!  You can just see the green marking paint on his chest. As of today about 1/2 to 2/3rds of all the ewes are marked.

Wild Rose Farm Rambouillets - Ram Looking Back

Busy Saturday Lambing!

Wild Rose Farm Rambouillet Ewe #416 - "B4" Lambing

We had a really busy day on Saturday the 12th with 6 ewes lambing over the day, and they used all of the 24 hours!  The picture above is our Rambouillet ewe #416 about 8 hours before she delivered a set of twins. You can see her starting to "drop" in front of her hips. She was in labor and closely followed another ewe & her lamb up to the barn, so she delivered in a lambing pen.

Rambouillet Ewe #416 Cleaning 1st Twin Ewe Lamb 

Here's another of the ewes that delivered on Sunday ... she had one lamb in the field and promptly dropped the second lamb on the way to the barn. We paused for about 5 minutes and then proceeded on, #141 coming right along with her newborn lambs ...

Wild Rose Farm #141 With Ram Lambs

Then we had one ewe that delivered on Sunday, which became a day to catch up on other chores & do some napping ...
Footnote: Folks, it's not all sweetness & light on a farm. Some social media accounts make it look easy, fun, & tell only happy stories. It's not pleasant to share some of the realities. A couple of nights ago during the midnight pasture checking, a coyote was spotted sitting and watching in our head lamp beams. The llama is with the ewes inside the electric net fencing that you see in the grazing scenes. The donkey is patrolling the perimeter outside of the net fencing. We've talked about that before. Two nights later, in the midnight rain, vigilance paid off.

Random Summer Happenings ...

Glenda Assists With Round Bale Movement

Lot's of routine stuff going on during the summer at Wild Rose Farm & most is not remarkable.   Moving hay bales over to feed the sheep gives Glenda something to do ... follow the skid steer!

Back To Pick Up Another Bale

Then she came back and proceeded to munch on the hay, picking it out through the net wrap.  Why eat acres of grass when there's dry hay around?  :~0

Yummy Dry Hay - There's Too Much Green Stuff Out Here!

Later in the week, it was time to load up fire wood from the big pile of seasoned wood, aka, the Log Mahal. Once again, it provides an interesting diversion if you're a donkey.  Sometimes she pins her ears back, follows close behind, and acts like she wants to bite the wagon.  Crazy donkey!

Now It's Time To Follow The Trailer ...

Another summer routine is the annual Boy Scout hike to the Ligonier/Latrobe area.  The troop sets out from a church a couple of miles from here and goes right past our farm.  I usually get to document the hike because our kennel of hounds goes crazy when people walk or bicycle past on US Route 30.  It's "not normal", so they sound the alarm!

First Year For The Scout, 7th Year For The Leader!

On down the road they go in safety orange ... not sure where the first evening campsite is.  Hope they had some dry weather.  Notice the uncut hay field across the road and it's late July!

And Off They Go ...

Finally, last week we started to pick blackberries.  With all of the rain, it's been a good year for berries.  We have a thicket of blackberries, multi-flora rose (yuck!), & grape vines on the edge of an old log landing back in our woods.  We got enough for a pie the first time and yesterday we got enough for 2 pies.  Some will be frozen for a nice winter pie.  Take a look at these berries about 7 or 8 feet up in the air.  I guess that leaves something out there for the birds!

Can't Reach These Blackberries!  

Summer is for weeding, pruning, dead heading, & picking fruit ... how about you?