Weather has been hot and dry. Didn't get to cut hay for 2 months, but have the upcoming week that is forecast to be hot with minimal chance for rain, so I started cutting hay on Thursday, and finished the field late yesterday. Had slippage on the haybine. Figured out what was happening, there is a broken and twisted bar underneath, which digs into the ground, causing an impaction of soil under the 2 middle teeth so it doesn't cut there, and builds up hay on the blade. I then have to reverse, stop the tractor, take the claw hammer to pry the dirt out after removing armsful of hay blocking the blade. Had to stop for this about 8 times, but thankfully got the whole field cut. Was praying the whole time of the last bit :). Saw twin fawns at the edge of the hay field as I was finishing. Last night I crosed off everything that was on my to-do list !!
Dolly is not well. She didn't come to the barn last night for her ration, so I added pro-biotics, apple cider vinegar, molassas, garlic and a drench to encourage her to eat to the rehydrated beet shreds, whole corn, sunflower seeds, ground soya oil cake and ground corn, transferred it to a wide-mouth bucket, and went out to the pasture to find her. The torch was wimpy, so went back to the house for the spotlight one. Saw her lying down and took the bucket out to her, but she only ate a few mouthfuls :(. Had a more difficult time keeping the other cows away fron her feed bucket. This morning, she was back in the lower barn enclosure, so I took the bucket out to her there, after chasing Daisy May out and closing the gate so Dolly could eat. Again only a few mouthfuls. Then she walked down to the door, so I opened it and poured the feed into the feeder so she could eat. Taxes was bawling for her, so I shoo'd him down the channel, but could still here him calling for her. She was probably in the barn, and he couldnt see her. I worry because I haven't seen her chew the cud. Possibly going to have to reach into Daisy Mays' mouth, pulling a handful of cud from her, and then put it in Dollys' mouth. That's going to be fun. And stinky.
Also saw that Hershey was hobbling this morning. Have to figure out how I'm going to wrestle a 200lb ram to the ground so I can check his foot. Hopefully it's just a hoof that needs clipping, and not some worse issue.
I'm starting to get the house under better control. It's mainly clean and tidy :) although all 3 bathrooms need a go over again. I have 2 buckets of pickles busy turning into delicious, crunchy Claussen knock-off pickles with a kick. So family who want to be put on the list for a jar, let me know. Still need to do the beetroot and just put the bushel of tomatoes in the freezer for processing when it's cooler. I also try not use the oven when it's this hot.
I wasn't well for a few days earlier this week but seem to be much better. Was running a temperature and actually haf a headache ! Very unusual for me. Nanette and I are teaming up to do a health / exercise / weight loss / lifestyle change. It's hard to do in isolation, so together we should encourage each other and reap the healthy benefits. But not today, as I had left-over Chicken Ranch pizza. Just 2 slices and think it was better today, cold, than it was fresh from the oven.
Tomorrow, I'm going to help Zane and his girlfriend harvest honey from their hives, then have a new potential herd-share owner, Cheryl, coming to see the farm and hopefully sign-up.
Nearly 3 weeks later, and still don't have the cheque for the bull and 4 ewe lambs I sent to auction :(. There was seemingly some snarfu, and the cheques were being re-issued. Maybe Monday.