Riding Shotgun

Hauling & Clean Up Of Spruce Tree Branches

Well, the blown down spruce tree is "mostly" cleaned up now.  The root mass and the main trunk are left, along with 2 branches spiked into the yard.  They are in so deep, that they will have to be pulled straight up & out with the tractor drawbar.   We're planning to add two big 8' logs to the pile of wood for the sawmill this winter.  It should make some nice wide spruce boards.   Just noticed 2 pumpkins left behind on the posts ... we'll have to take them to the sheep. 
Then I spotted a little head in the next picture.  It looks like the pup Jazzy is riding shotgun.  Click on the pic to enlarge.  She's the picture of seriousness looking straight ahead!  :)

Wild Rose's Jasmine - Call Name "Jazzy" - Riding Shotgun

Rams In At Wild Rose Farm

Three Dorset Ram Lambs

It's Thanksgiving weekend, so it's time to start the breeding schedule at Wild Rose Farm.  This post should have said "Ram In At Wild Rose Farm", but we ended up putting 3 ram lambs in with the 37 ewes to be bred this year.  I'm not sure if I mentioned it, but our wonderful Performance Tested Dorset Ram purchased in 2013 managed to kill himself this summer.   Best we can tell is that he broke his neck ramming the boards in the ram pen.  No sign of a struggle or flailing hooves, just laid out with a broken neck.  He was fine at 11AM and had only been dead a short while at 4PM chore time.  :(   A freak accident for sure, but of course it happens to the BEST animals. 
Anyhow, rather than purchase another ram, we decided to put 3 of his ram lambs in with the ewes this year ...
Amusingly, they are so happy to get out on grass, that they are hanging in a little group at the moment munching away.  I'm sure that will change by morning!

Fence Sitter Pumpkins Are Nice & Soft Now!

As I was walking back to the house, I noticed the pumpkins on the fence posts & realized that they were ready to heave in to the sheep!  I split them open to get them started. 

Ewe #47 Enjoying A Pumpkin!

YUM ... nothing like a soft, squishy pumpkin for Thanksgiving dessert ...

Rambouillet Ewe #404 - Any More Pumpkins?

You can also see the ewe's ear tag numbers painted on the right hip so we can identify who's been bred as the rams mark them.

Yep - Here's Another One To Share With Ewe #34 ...

Another interesting thing tonight ... I noticed that the sheep were munching on the dried, mature Chicory stems & seed heads.  We hadn't grazed this paddock for a while, so they'll end up carrying forage chicory seeds out to be spread with their manure. 


Ewe Clipping Off Chicory Stems & Seeds

Christmas Pumpkin Treat!

After a bit of procrastination, the pumpkins finally made it in to the field. Several of them were starting to "melt down" with the freeze/thaw cycle, so they suffered the fate of most pumpkins at Wild Rose Farm ..... sheep treats! This wrought iron "pumpkin smasher" was discovered at Van Why's Antiques about a dozen years ago when they still had their shop open in Zelienople. As a collector of hand forged tools, I was intrigued and had to have this before I knew what it was. Pretty cool, huh? I mean, you could just STOMP them, but this is way more fun! It doesn't take the lambs long to jump in and start munching. They'll pick over these for several days until most of the seeds and flesh are gone.