Feeding Spring Ewe Flock

This third of the spring ewe flock and their lambs get supplemental feed, 1 lb/ewe/day (100 lbs for 80 ewes and lambs).  Livestock guardian dog, Zeus, gets morning feeding.

Toad

Sometimes toads are found under the sheep's water supply covers.   Empty supplement tubs are used to provide water to the sheep.   A float valve controls the water level in the tub.  A washing machine connecter hose that has a right angle fitting and a male-to-male brass hose-thread fitting connects the float valve to the buried water faucet.   The buried water faucet is covered by an inverted tub to protect the faucet and also inhibit weed growth around the faucet.   Toads also use this shelter.   It also makes a dry and warm area for mouse dens during the winter. 

Toads like this are also seen on the farm roads after dark. Their white belly stands out in ATV headlights.   One has to watch out for the road toads when coming back from feeding the dogs or doing other work after dark.

Pole Barn

This last weekend we extended Jeffrey's pole barn.   The posts were already in place.  Except for the purlins, that were commercially treated, all the lumber was cut from our trees with my Wood Mizer Sawmill.

Sheep Transport

Occasionally, a sheep in the field has some kind of problem that requires that we bring her in for treatment.  Once the sheep is captured (that's another story), we use a special trailer we made that has a loading ramp that lifts up and an access door on the back.  This is towable by an ATV.  Today there was a ewe with triplets that was limping and lagging behind the rest of the flock as I moved them in for supplemental feeding.  I separated the ewe with triplets into a trap area, fenced her in toward the back of the trailer so that she was inclined to go up the ramp, with her lambs, into the trailer.  She and her lambs were brought back to the barn for treatment and then put in holding pen 2 for observation and recovery.

Eastern Mud Snake

On the morning of 2017-12-05, as I was coming back from feeding the livestock guardian dogs and tending to the sheep, this eastern mud snake crossed the farm road in front of me.  This is where the road passes through a bottomland area, over a culvert with small ponding areas in the bottomland drainage that stay wet year round.

The mud snake came up out of ponding area on the south side of the culvet shown below, 

went directly across the road as if it knew where it was going, down the bank, and into the water of the ponding area on the north side of the culvert, shown below.  I watched for a while, but the mud snake never resurfaced. 

I took the mud snake habitat pictures today, in the spring, hence the greenery starting to come up.
The Savannah River Ecology Laboratory at the University of Georgia provides a synopsis of the mud snake (Farancia abacura).  Mud snakes are highly aquatic and seldom seen; due to their secretive behaviour not much is known about their ecology.  They are known to feed on salamanders, other amphibians and tadpoles.  I feel privileged to have seen this one and am pleased to know of this farm resident.

Lumber Rack, wood treatment

Treated another section of the lumber rack with BORA-CARE, using a 1:2 B-C:water mixture.   I mix in a 5 gallon pail, pouring in the gallon of B-C first (very viscous), followed by 4 1/2 gallon rinses of the jug.  Also, I add about a tablespoon of blue indicator dye. 

Treatment sprayed on the wood with a 2 gallon pump up sprayer.  It takes about 2 hours to spray out all the solution and it seems to do about 1/3rd of the rack.  So one more session should do it.

Spring ewe flock with lambs

This third of the spring ewe flock, with their lambs and guard dog, Kratos, is eating their daily supplemental feeding, 1 lb/d 20% soybean hull mix.  Feeding in holding pen 3, they return to NE blueberry field for ryegrass and hay out of the feeder shown.   They will rotate around the 4 blueberry fields in turn consuming the ryegrass.   The other two spring ewe flocks have eaten all their available ryegrass and are on hay and 1.5 lbs/d supplemental feed, in the west bahia and middle fields respectively.