Between The Storms

Wild Rose Farm Ewes Grazing - We Need To Be Sheared!

Between the blowing rain storms today, we're working the ewes over towards the barn.  The plan is to shear about half of them on Monday.  Ideally, we'll get some strong winds & some sun tomorrow.  Then we can pen part of the group in the barn to dry off for shearing on Monday.  These girls probably can't wait to get all of that wool off! 

One Paddock Away From The Barn ....

The picture below has not been retouched or squished!  We shouldn't have lambs before April 26th or so, but ol' WRF #37 looks like she's ready to go with twins for sure ... we'll have to wait & see.

Wild Rose Farm #37 - Lambs In There?

Another Sign of Spring .....

Turkey Vulture Warming To Fly .....

Yes, another sign of spring is the return of the turkey vultures to the area skies.  We know all about the important role that they play in the the clean up of carcasses & roadkill, but I'd rather not see them anywhere near the sheep.  This one was in the very front paddock along US Route 30 and it flew up to the guard rail to hop on something along the road .....  
The more aggressive black vultures are known to attack sheep & cattle while they're "down" and in labor.  We lost a ewe several years ago who was laying in the warm sun near a post like this.  We didn't see the actual bird closely, but I had the "impression" of a black shape taking off from the post ..... We had come home down the driveway & I saw "red" on a ewe standing behind the barn.  Since it was a week or two before the sheep were due, I thought I saw a dreaded prolapse and hurried out.  Not so.  She had been attacked as she was stretched out enjoying the sun and I suppose she couldn't get up on her feet quickly enough.  We had to put her down and we lost the twins that she was carrying.  It was too early to get their lungs to fill with air.  That was a very unpleasant experience.  In the blogs, I notice that farmers generally try to accent the positives, but sometimes you'll hear "the rest of the story".

Glenda Had An Interesting Day!

Peacefully Grazing, Then ......

An ordinary winter day turns into an interesting event for Wild Rose Farm donkey Glenda!  "Hey, what's this?  Whoa!  Are you coming after me?"  Sure looks like it from the picture above.


Kicking Up Her Heels!

Better get outta here ...... Glenda snorts, kicks up her heels and scampers away.   It's not really as close as it seems from this perspective, but you don't normally see a donkey looking up at the sky above her either!
The helicopter is over the hill and up on the north facing snow covered slope.

OK, It's Leaving Now......

Having successfully defended her pasture from the helicopter, Glenda returns to grazing! 
By way of explanation, these helicopters are flying around picking up and dropping orange packages for 3-D Seismic testing related to shale gas exploration & mapping.  Here is an very interesting rural PA blog that I found from Granny Miller when I was looking for a link to explain this ...... a blog worth exploring on many levels! 

Sneak Preview - WS&FF 2014 T-shirt!

2014 Waynesburg Sheep & Fiber Fest T-shirt

The Waynesburg Sheep & Fiber Fest Committee had our monthly meeting yesterday and the 2014 T-shits are in!  Here is your sneak preview ..... the color is pumpkin orange with a brown image.  This year features a wonderful sketch of Horned Dorsets from our local artist Colleen Nelson.
Plans are underway for a great festival  this year ......  See you in May!
P.S. - when you come to Waynesburg, visit Art Beat Gallery right on High Street near the Courthouse - this shop features work from Colleen and many other local artists.

Feeding Time Before Another Storm!

Off To Feed The Wild Rose Farm Ewes, But Let's Zoom On The Bird Feeder!

It's late afternoon feeding time for all of the animals on the farm ..... first the dogs, the cats, the donkey, the sheep, and then the birds.  Now zoom in & look at all of the activity before the next front moves in.  The forecast is for high winds & another 2-4 inches of snow overnight!

Five Different Types of Birds At The Feeder .......
 

The birds were all flocking around the feeders .........



Now Add A Woodpecker......

And Another Woodpecker .....

You can pull out your birding books and have fun identifying the birds.  There were also mourning doves on the ground picking up seeds.  We counted a dozen male cardinals and as many or more females.  The only common birds that weren't around this afternoon were the blue jays .... must have been annoying the birds at another feeder!   

Mid Winter Snow Continues!

Wild Rose Farm Barn Through Streambank River Birch

On our way over to the afternoon sheep feeding, I turned back & got this angle of the barn.  If you enlarge the picture, you can see Frank, one of the Redbone coonhounds, on the far left standing up and watching us!  I've said it before, but you can't sneak up on the farm with that watchful kennel of hounds.

WRF Ewes At Feeding Time

The sheep really aren't doing anything at this time of year, but they are frisky in the cold weather.  The crust on the snow keeps them on paths between their hay in the loafing shed, the feed bunks for corn, and the spring water tank. 

"U" Shows Us The PathTo The H2O Tank!

Once the snow softens, the sheep will wander around more in the paddock.  But for now .... we stay to the path!


Wild Rose Farm Ewes - Watching & Waiting - "Where's The Corn?"

Snuggled In For A Nap!

Who's That Taking Advantage of A Snug Nest?

Left to their own devices, the animals all find a way to be comfortable in the cold weather.  Of course, the sheep go in and out of the buildings at will.  The ewe above was on her way out the door when I snapped this picture.  I went into the barn to check the water buckets and something in the hollowed out middle of the round bale caught my eye! 

Morris Quite Comfortably Napping!

The sheep munched out a nice spot for Morris, our fluffy orange barn cat.  He was nice & toasty and showed no inclination to come out to be petted.  He appeared at Wild Rose Farm as a tom cat several years ago & you couldn't touch him ...... we called him Morris for obvious reasons.  Orange & grumpy.  We did finally get him "fixed" and he's now a fairly friendly fellow.