Shearing

 A twin mob coming in, the Boss had to take the wire down, because no way were they going under (if we didn't want them too they would).

 As you can see it is only a single wire, and it is there to reduce Tango's rations - so she doesn't get too fat - but I do not think it is working!

                                     And it is up the hill into the yards beside the shearing shed

                                                          Jake and Don on the job

 The ewes have hit the grass after being through the shed, and thoroughly enjoying it.  It looked as if that was going to be the most they saw all summer, but we have just had a good rain, so growth will be better.  Before going into the shearing shed the sheep have to empty out - which means they have to be off grass for quite a few hours.  This makes it more comfortable for them as they are being shorn as they have empty stomachs, and they do not fight the shearers so much.  Also if they are in the pens of the shearing shed overnight with a full stomach, the wool gets dirty as they poo in the pen.

The hoggets coming out, really pleased with the way they have grown out.  We do not lamb our hoggets as it is too harsh a climate here.  You can see ridges in the wool because they have been shorn with what we call a "cover comb".  This leaves more wool still on the sheep than a conventional comb, so helps protect them a little more in bad weather - and just as well as it snowed 2 days later.

Obnoxious Ted

Ted seems to be recovering with no problem, but we won't really know until he has started working and there is more pressure on him.  At the moment he has absolutely no interest in sheep, all he's really interested in doing when he's out of the kennel is harassing the other dogs (look at Maid's attitudeas she sees him approaching) and me.  As you can see he is still a bit skinny, but has kept growing which is good.

MERRY CHRISTMAS to all who celebrate it, may you have a relaxing time and a peaceful 2013.

Ted's home

with plenty of medication!!  But he's stopped having diarrohea - in fact the last he had was in the back of the Isuzu coming back from the vet: he almost made it home, and he ALMOST managed to get it all on the covers I had in the boot - just not quite!!  And as my leg is well and truly on the mend  the Boss didn't mind that I cleaned it up (guess I do owe him, but not much now).

However he is not looking too bad and is having normal bowel actions now which don't appear to have any blood in them.  He has plenty of energy, and is eating a little more each day ( he wants a lot more but is not allowed as yet).

Ted update

Poor wee pup licked up some urea.  The Boss had blown out the remains of the urea from the topdresser he had used on the hay paddocks at the shed, was only about a cupful and Ted didn't eat all of it, but it was enough to cause some damage.  He is still at the Vets on steroids, antibiotics, but drinking, so they are hoping to be able to keep his gut intact, and cross fingers that there is no long term kidney damage.  Prognosis at midday was reasonable for him, so now we just wait.  Usually the Boss keeps an eye on the dogs over there, but he was picking up glass from a blown out window to prevent any damage to animals around the yards, and wasn't watching the dogs.  None of the others had any thankfully, and it is apparently unusual for dogs to touch it.  (But I think I've mentioned Murphy's Law before!) 

Gravely ill Ted

At this moment (lunchtime Sunday) our poor little Roly Pup is on his way to the vet.  Hopefully he can be saved but things not looking good.  He is frothing at the mouth, straining and passing liquied and horrible white faeces (at least we got a sample for the vet), bloated and generally not at all well.  So whether it is a bowel blockage, rotated stomach or poisoning we don't know yet, of them all we'll hope for the bowel blockage as that is the one he is most likely to be able to get over.

Service Testing the Bulls

One visit from the Vet that "the Boys" enjoy!  The heifer involved doesn't enjoy it quite so much, although if they were in the paddock and cycling they can be serviced many times for the period they are on heat.  And in this test they have a slight muscle relaxant/sedation and are given an anti-inflammatory afterwards to make it easier for them.

The heifer is tied up and each bull mounts her twice.  The vet inspects the penis of the bull, and whether he puts it in the correct place (this is not always a given).  And the penis is observed to make sure no deformities have developed and no injuries have occurred since they were last used.  The bulls mounts the heifer twice to ensure he has sufficient libido to do a good job, and isn't just going to be hanging around a cow in season, keeping the other bulls away, but not actually interested in mounting and mating.

All passed, except for the lame bull left back in the paddock.  Some of the bulls had a scrap(fight) when the 2 young bulls went into the paddock next to them in mid-October.  Hopefully he will come right as he is only middle aged, but since I bought 2 at the sale in the Winter, not just one (prices were right), we have a replacement (how wise I was!!!).  Now they just get to wait until almost the end of December before they go out with the cows.

I'm out of plaster, but still slow.  But it is really good to be able to do a LOT more than I was.

Just ticking along -

The sun has been shining (until today) - the cows have been through the yards and split up (and just in time as the heifers are starting to calve) .  The heifers often start a few days early, as the stud bull breeders are trying to breed bulls with a genetic tendency towards a shorter gestation period. 
The ewes are spread around their paddocks, and so far only 1 single lamb.  So "all in all" right on track.  That is except for me, I'm still sitting with the leg up, although I can get around more and do cook the meat dishes for dinner, and the all important bread.

TED (our Roly Poly Pup)

arrived here about 6 weeks ago, and no longer roly poly, but growing into his skin

                                                               First walk with the BIG dogs and it's all a little scary

                                                                Especially when they get this close and personal

                                               But a week later I'm pretending to be a seal - so I can ambush  Cruise

                                                               And here I go (of course Cruise couldn't see me!!)

                                         4 weeks later and it's real rough and tumble, and Cruise is on the bottom

              I have to be more polite around Maid as she get's grumpy if I attack her, but look how big I'm getting

                                                 Woohoo I can see something really interesting, so let's see what it is

            Well they look different don't they, not that I really know what they are, but a chase would be fun

              But perhaps not, as I haven't learnt how to get over or under that gate as yet (just as well really - CC&B)

However next week, once the ewes have been set stocked for lambing (split into mobs and spread around the paddocks they will lamb in) and the cows have been through the yards (at least I miss out on slopping through the mud this year - though really think it would be preferable to sitting on my butt for another 5 weeks) to get their vaccinations and minerals, and then split up for calving.  The Boss will have the time to start Ted's education, and hopefully he will turn into a good Huntaway, as poor Jake is getting a bit sore in the shoulders with too much yard work now, and Maid is getting too old at almost 12 years to really push the ewes around, and don't they know it! 

The ewes have been over the conveyor, and had their minerals and vaccinations - so roll on a good lambing.  We are going to need all the lambs we can get this year, as predictions are Sheep and Beef Farmers' incomes are going to drop about 17%  this coming season (and of course our expenses won't, they will continue to go up).

Why don't sheep catch fire easily

Because WOOL is -

 NATURALLY FIRE RESISTANT -

HARD to IGNITE and SLOW to Burn

It won't melt with heat and stick to your skin

Housebound

There are not going to be many photos for the next few weeks, cos' guess what I did - Broke My Leg!

I'd just popped up to open the gate to let the Singles onto their break before I took "Ted" (the Roly pup) and Maid for a run.   When I tripped, slipped in the mud and fell rolling my leg on the way down.  Didn't think the crack sounded that good - swore a little (well a lot really), lay on the ground for a bit, but realising the Boss wouldn't look my way as he headed out to finish the feeding out (and I hadn't taken the radio), I had to crawl back to the bike.  It was not far away thankfully, and Maid stopped the ewes from trampling me into the mud futher.  Managed to get back to the dog kennels as the Boss went to leave, so the rest of the day was in the car and hospital waiting room and xrays.

About 6 weeks in plaster - VERY FRUSTRATING to say the least!

A Visit and our Crutching done

 On my way to do the grocery shopping I dropped in on friends who were shearing.  The "Boss" on that place has informed me in the past that I need to show "the good sheep" on this blog.  So here are the Halfbreds (and I beg to differ about which are the best).  Although have to agree that the mid-micron wool of the Halfbred is better than that of the Perendale.  The wool is used for quite different purposes - mid-micron is used more in clothing and blankets, and fantastic for knitting yarn; whereas the perendale wool is coarser, so more for rugs and carpets, although the finer and coarser ends of both breeds can overlap in uses.

 Here are the Halfbred ewes, note their ears are set quite differently to the Perendale.  They don't move anywhere as fast either!  But to be fair are much better in the yards - they don't jump like ours!!

The "girls" are looking good as they come out of the shed after being shorn.  They will start lambing about middle to end of September.  This is "pre-lamb shearing", and hopefully means they will lamb in shelter, and they won't get cast like our ewes do with their full-fleece.  This farm has more shelter and doesn't get the snow we get, which is why they shear earlier.  They can also grow more specialist feed to really feed the ewes after shearing if it does get cold.  They are shorn (as ours are even in December) with a cover-comb, which leaves more wool on than a conventional shearing comb, and this helps keep them warmer.  And as well as keeping them warmer I think it helps prevent sunburn when they are shorn in Summer as ours are.

Belly crutched ewe

See what I mean about the way the ears are different - Those perendale ears are much perkier (don't miss a thing)!!

Half-bred wool - each fibre is smaller in diameter than the cross bred, and a lot more little crinkles (crimp) in each staple

Perendale (crossbred) wool

Sometimes I hate owning animals -

because it means you have to make some horrible decisions.

RIP Minstrel (the grey beside Rory)

He has just been a "paddock mate" for the last 11 years, as he had a tumor in his eye, and it had got to the stage where there was a large growth around the eye, and he was finding it difficult balance wise on the hill.  The last thing we wanted was for him to fall and break a leg, or drown in a creek.  So when the Vet came on other business yesterday he was "put down".  The worst thing is his "mate" Tango is missing him, and calling for him.  She will get over it though (hopefully soon).

Gluten Free Devil's Food Cake

 DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE

1 3/4 cup Gluten Free Flour
1 1/4 teaspoons Bicarbonate of Soda (Baking Soda)
1/2 cup Cocoa
1 1/2 cups Sugar
100gm  Butter
1 cup Milk (whole fat best)
1 tsp Vanilla Essence
3 Eggs

Sift first 3 ingedients into a large mixing bowl.  Stir in sugar, then add softened butter, milk and vanilla.
Blend thoroughly (about 1 minute).  Beat 2 minutes on medium speed in mixer.
Add eggs and beat further 2 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl frequently.
Pour into 2 greased and floured (baking paper lined easiest) 20cm round tins.
Bake in moderate oven (170C-180C) for approximately 20mins. 
Cool and ice.

I used jam in between the layers, then chocolate butter icing.

OR you could do as suggested by Emma who sent me the non GF recipe -

FLUFFY WHITE FROSTING
1 cup Sugar
1/3 cup Water
1/4 tsp Cream of Tartar
Pinch salt
2 Egg whites
1 tsp Vanilla Essence

Combine first 4 ingredients in a saucepan.
Bring to Boil, stirring until sugar dissolves.
Very slowly add sugar syrup to egg whites in mixing bowl as it is beating. 
Beat constantly with electric mixer until stiff peaks form (about 7 minutes).
Beat in vanilla. 
This will completely cover the cake - my way easier (and I'm all for easy) and less sickly I think!

You do not want to be one of these people -

WHO DROPS THEIR RUBBISH ON A SKIFIELD

because it ends up in all kinds of unexpected places.

This had been chewed by cows after it had blown from a neighbouring skifield, and the head of the river coming off the mountain is full of rubbish.  SO DON'T DO IT PLEASE!!!!

Farmers are not perfect always with their rubbish, but the majority of us do try to keep things clean and green.

NZ Bellbird (Anthornis Melanura) thinks it's Spring

All puffed up and trying to attract a mate - bigger must be better in the Bellbird world

( or it's Maori names - Korimako, Makomako) and I sure hope it's right as the weatherman doesn't seem to think so.  Another 30mm of rain in the last 2 days.  What is worrying is that we have had so much over our average rainfall that the tap is sure to just turn off and not give us anymore for the year.

The Cows come down

and a much easier job than it was in the rain, fog and snow of last year.  We had 2 whole days of sunshine last week - one for scanning, and the next for mustering the Spur.  The cows come off the steep hill at this time as they tend to slip and get stuck when they are in the advanced stages of pregnancy.  The first year we came here we left them too long on the hill, and several were bogged, or slipped and jammed legs in the creeks (and died).  So we've learnt!!

But first we had to get the bike over the river

This is the usual "ford", but we'll drown the bike today, and I think I'll just walk across anyway - that way the worst will be wet feet

Made it successfully (with Don's help of course)

and with a bit of rock stacking made it to this point

not quite on the track though

now we're right

but still debris to shift - I'm still walking, so we don't get bogged!

Now to business - this little mob has been living in a very sunny little basin

and joined up with my bigger mob to drift quietly around the gully then up onto the main track.  You just have to let them set their own pace so nothing gets stuck or slips.  And so long as Maid gives the occasional bark they do keep moving

Then bringing more cows down the face to join up with the others

The "lucky last" or perhaps that should be "ignorant last" coming down

Job finished, just the river to ford again

But as you can see - a truly wonderful day.

Although not so for everyone!  Looking East to Kaikoura, where it has been a grotty day with coastal fog.

And I finished the day with dry feet, so all good.  There must still be some cows further out, which is quite usual, but given a few days they often turn up as they hear the tractor feeding the others - saves the Boss a steep climb if they do.

Pregnancy Scanning the Ewes

 The first of the ewes back out on the grass after going past the scanner.  Only 3 1/2 hours until they were all finished and about 4 hours later they are all out on grass again, so not too traumatic for the girls.  Why do we scan?  We identify - the dry ewes (non pregnant) to sell so we don't waste grass feeding them;  Ewes with single lambs (1) that don't need quite so much to eat - if you grow their lambs too big they can have problems at birth; and the twin bearing ewes that we give as much feed as we can too, so they grow their lambs as much as possible to increase the lambs' chances of survival at birth.  They twinners also get the priority with shelter too, for the reason that they are smaller and Mum doesn't always clean up the first lamb before she has the second so they are exposed for longer, although the ewes don't always choose to lamb in that shelter!!

 The scanner - Daniel Wheeler - of Daniel Wheeler Ltd in action.  Daniel can scan for far more than we get him to do.  We don't worry about identifying the triplets as we do not get many sets.  But the lambs can also be aged in utero so you could put ewes in mobs to lamb at approximately the same time.

The ewes come up the race until they are stopped in the crate beside the operator,  he's lucky nowadays as we have the covered yards.  It used to be a little black tent, and not pleasant  in bad weather!

               Then the non-invasive procedure takes place, at least this ewe isn't daggy, but there is a reason for the glove.  Who fancies this job day after day??

 This handpiece is the scanner, and it just rubbed under the belly on the skin, so does not hurt the sheep at all.  Just like us humans having our Ultra sounds.

                                 The singles taking off through the gate and heading for the new paddock of grass

 You just have to stand at the gate to ensure not too many try to get through at once, as they will pile up on top of each other if you are not careful - no dog required on this mob, much to Cruise's disgust - he's had no work for months.

Out on the break, and a happy Cruise as he did have to do a bit.  And we were SO LUCKY WE HAD A FINE SUNSHINEY  DAY!!