After doing all the morning chores, I went to fetch Dolly for milking. She was lying down again, and didn't want to come, so I lifted her boy calf. His ankles are a little better. He was able to walk a few steps before collapsing with his ankles bent inward. But he obviously couldn't walk to the lower barn. Picked him up again, but a wriggly weight is very hard on my arm, so I got the little pull-trailer I use to take hay bales out to the sheep and horses. Loaded him up, had the lead on mum, and off we went. Opened the gate and exited the chicken yard, crossed in front of the horse trailer, opened the gate to the lower barn, moved in deep enough to fit Dolly inside, closed that gate and started down the side. And then the boy decided he wanted up. Got him back down again, and then he pooped a massive poop. At least that proves he is drinking from mum. Going down the side the trailer tipped, dumping him on the ground. Tried again, got about 5 ft further when it spilled him again. The horses were standing in the doorway watching intently, Dolly was hesitant, she doesn't know the horses. Picked him up again and deposited him in the lower barn. Wearing sandals, so all the poop, mud and slush had oozed in the holes around my feet. Tomorrow going to have to start clearing the horse poop out of the lower barn. The shit spreader is ⅓ full of aged cow manure from last year when I last milked, so I need to take that up to the veggie garden and spread it, re-load with horse manure, repeat.
The water that I'd schlepped last night was cold, but as her udder was so full I chose to wash her down with the cold water with bleach. All 4 of her teats were fairly clean - the boy-calf has obviously been drinking well. She stood really well while I attached the milking machine, but her udder is so low that the top of the milking machine rested on the floor.
Filled the bucket, stopped the machine, poured it out into another bucket and re-attached it for the 2nd lot. Got over 4 gallons ! Of pure, 2nd day colostrum. Brought it into the kitchen, strained it into old plastic jugs and popped them into the freezer. Great to have it for future emergencies, the smaller lots for the sheep. 2 x 1 gallon and 3 x ½ gallon jugs, with milk for the cats in the lower barn, and for both dogs in the garage.
Went back poured the cold water into the 18 gallon bucket for Dolly to drink, added a good dollop of molasses. Schlepped more hot water to the lower barn and did the washing, rinsing and sanitisation of the milking equipment.
Herbie came home and was working on the haybine while I went out to pick strawberries. Not many good ones - think that all the rain was bad of the patch. But then Herbie told me that there was a calf or 2 in the strawberry patch a few days ago too !
This morning half the sheep got out. But they are so feiendly, it was easy to get most of the back. The one yearling boy was a little more difficult, but once I got the gate all the way open, they disattached the whole one side of the gate, he followed me back in. So just 2 Spring lambs still out. Anni was great. She went around and chased them toward me. She lay down when I told her to, she went when I said go. Caught them one at a time and put them back over the fence. Secured the gate. Going to have to fix that too.
Had 4 hours sleep again last night, so going to check on Dolly and boy-calf, close everything up and join my sleeping husband.