Whew!! A busy week

Weaning the lambs is always a busy week, and thankfully it wasn't too hot,  yesterday we were at 40 degC and today its over 30 again. 
But wasn't good on the Wednesday when everything had to come down to the yards for drafting (separating the ewes and lambs) that evening.  It was blowing a gale - Norwesterly wind getting up to about 120 - 130 kmph, you really appreciate just how terrible a cyclone at 250 - 300 kmph would be, as what we get are bad enough.  Luckily the wind didn't last all day, and by the time I had to go out in it things weren't too bad.  The Boss already had half the sheep down, before  I had to do anything which was good.  Anyway the last half were into the yards by 5.15pm and Drafter (our Stock agent) arrived at 5.30pm.  His son came with him, so saved No 3 Daughter from yard time - or should I say DUST TIME!!

The work's about to start

Not rain, but dust



Drafting



Two trucks and an escapee

 By the time all the drafting was done, and the cryptorchid lambs were all resorted into those that were going to the buyer on the trucks next morning, and the ones staying were in different yards it was 10pm.   Then for The Boss it was out the door early next morning to load the trucks. 

We then drafted off all the ewe lambs, sorted them up into those being kept for breeding, and those we'll fatten or sell as stores to someone else, and by the end of the day the ewe lambs were into the shearing shed for shearing the following day.

Cryptorchid lambs - have their testicles remaining, but pushed up into the belly slightly by the purse being removed by a rubber ring  at tailing time.  This makes them infertile, doesn't cause any pain after the initial few minutes as the blood flow to the purse is stopped, and provides overseas markets with the lean meat they desire.  A Wether lamb - has purse and testicles removed - tends to be more fatty.

Store Lambs - are not heavy or correctly conditioned enough to be killed at the Meat Works so they are onsold to Fattening farms to grow out.  Our growing season is too short to allow us to do that with any large numbers.

Oh - the escapee did make it onto the truck!