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!