Leo

Leo found a sheltered perch to keep an eye on Striker.  She raced to the door soon after and I let her in.

Rams

Rams are in behind the pole barn to help eat down spring weeds, including clover and lots of other good stuff.   From the ram's perspective that also includes bark off the juniper tree.   Since this could kill the nice shade tree here, I put some wire around the base of the tree.

Spring Ewe Flock

This is the complete spring ewe flock with lambs weighing from 20 to 50 lbs.  Most in the 30 to 40 lb range.   They are in the alleyway approach to the south field.   While they had ryegrass overnight, they want their morning grain supplement feeding.   Next to do is move all their troughs and net fence off an area in the east bahia field for feeding them.

Ants

Toads aren't the only critters that are found under the sheep's water faucet covers.  Fire ants also like to make a home there.   Today we worked through the last third of the spring ewe flock (deworming, tagging and weighing all lambs, checking eye color and deworming ewes) and combined them with the other two thirds.  Then moved all to the eastern side of the south field ryegrass.   Front ryegrass eaten, will grow back but needs fertilizer.   Hadn't used this particular faucet in the south field for a while, the ants had taken over, completely filling under the tub with their dirt nest.  Procedure is to soak the nest with a Permethrin solution to kill the ants and dig out the dirt.  They usually don't return very soon after such a soaking.
Earlier today, Jeffrey and Jackie moved the fall ewe flock off the ryegrass in the oak tree field onto the spring brush and new growth in the 60-acres.

Feed

Went to J&B Feed in Lucedale to get 4 tons of supplemental feed for the sheep.   This is a special mix they make for me from soybean hulls and soybean meal that is 20% protein.  We feed this mix to the ewes with lambs and the lambs after they are weaned.

Working Sheep

This weekend we worked with the ewes and lambs: checking eye color and deworming ewes and all lambs, weighing,  ear tagging lambs, and checking the ewe's udders.
Two of the 3 spring ewe flocks were combined in the front field.  The remaining third will be worked next weekend.

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.