Friday, July 12, 2019

Dog Shelter

Jack  is temporarily stationed with Zeus in the blueberry fields, with access to the chick barn where we have the sheep working facilities.   With the thunderstorms and associated thunder and rain the dogs seek shelter in the barn.  Here are Jack, Zeus and Whitie waiting out some bad weather. 


The far back location is particularly enjoyed as a hideaway and has undergone considerable excavation.  Whitie is the current resident. 

Even Charcoal cat has a place in the barn.


Thursday, July 11, 2019

Forage for Sheep

We planted cowpeas with millet  in 3 fields and cowpeas alone in several other  fields, this spring.   Sheep have been grazing in the south field on the millet and cowpeas.  This morning I moved them from the south field to the middle beaver field. 

South field just after sheep left.

Middle beaver field, as they arrive.  The cowpeas are trampled down, where the hat sits, from the sheep stampeding through. 

Greyone's daughter, in the foreground, is enjoying some cowpea leaves.


Hero Getting Better

I think Hero is getting better, but he still has a ways to go for full recovery.   We go to the veterinarian again this afternoon (Friday).

Hero has spondylitis.   
"Discospondylitis (diskospondylitis) is an infection of the vertebrae and the discs that provide cushioning between the bones of the spine. If only the vertebrae are included in the infection, and the discs are spared, then it is known simply as spondylitis. 
Read more at: https://wagwalking.com/condition/discospondylitis-spondylitis"

Hero's symptoms included slowed, staggering movements, inability to run, and frustration, if not pain, from his inability. 

This is an X-ray of his spine. 

The image below is a blowup of the x-ray showing two vertebrae and the disc space between them.   Circled in red are two dark blotches indicative of bacterial infection. 

An x-ray of Hero's hips showed a normal ball and socket conformation; no hip dysplasia.  This I am glad of.


Wednesday, July 10, 2019

New Collar

Hero looks on, while a sheep admires Heidi's new collar.   She had lost the previous two puppy collars.   This is her first "big dog" collar. 


Tuesday, July 9, 2019

Flat Tractor Tire

On the Fourth of July it was hot, dry and we were baling hay.  All went well, 8 bales (a thin stand) from the west bahia field, until at the end we got a flat in one of the rear tractor tires.  We switched the baler from the John Deere 2955 to the Fiat 60-66.  Slowly Jeffrey drove on the flat to a level shady spot, then we proceeded on the repair. 

With blocks and the 12 ton bottle jack we lift the tractor. 

With a special tool and a socket wrench, Jeffrey pushes the tire bead off the rim.

Addional persuasion is applied with a not so special tool (hitting the tire, not the tool).

Once the outer bead is pushed in off the rim, the same is done on the inside.

Then, with prybars, the bead is worked up and over the rim.

With the outer tire bead off the rim, Jeffrey pulls out the inner tube. 

Then with the prybars, the inner bead and whole tire is worked off the outer edge of the rim.

The tire is off, ready for repair.  In this case it's an old tire with a few slits in the sidewall.   One them open enough to see through.  This is where we think the inner tube got punctured. 

These big tires are expensive, and while eventually we will have to replace both of them, for now we will try a patch.   Jeffrey has a new inner tube to use.  So we load up the tire in the Gator, transfer it to the truck and take it to the tire shop.   For $11 they put a big patch on the inside of the tire.