Don't have photos yet as I only saw her tonight for the first time, but Seasaidh had a gorgeous, little brown girl. Think she was actually born yesterday or even the day before, as she was jumping tonight, definitely wasn't born today. Seasaidh didn't come down to the barn for the past 2 mornings for her grain, even though I called and called for her when the other 2 were in the milking stalls. When I took Dollys' ration out to her this evening, I heard an unfamiliar mooing. Went to check, and there she was :). Curious, and looking very Scottish Highlandly. So need to think or another name. Great year for calves here, 4 girls and 2 boys !
Hasn't gone as well with the sheep. Lost Lilly on Wednesday. So difficult with sheep being predatored. When they get ill, they often stay on their feet until it's too late to diagnose and treat. I de-wormed her last week, and again when I brought her into the garage. Gave her a Dolly-like concoction to increase her chances of fighting, but it wasn't enough. She was too little and too weak. She was taking syringefulls from me every ½ hour, and she was pooping pellets, which had dead worms with them. Her parasite load must just have been too heavy for her little body. So we're down to 2 lambs, a boy and Boots, the first girl, 4 ewes and Hershey, the ram. Will make feeding this Winter cheaper, but puts me in a dilemma about where to keep Boots. I was going to separate the 2 girl lambs to prevent them getting preggers this Autumn, but I can't take one by herself. Can't take the boy lamb with her either as he'll impregnate her.
The FrankenChickens are doing well. Think I preferred it when they ran away from me as they now run over the feeders while I'm trying to fill them. Weird looking birds, most seem to have naked bums, all pink and shiny, with huge feet to balance their awkward bodies. The heat lamp bulb exploded, or something, and I haven't replaced it and they are doing fine without it. Horrible job hand picking shards of bulb out of the chicken muck.
Started a carboy of merlot juice today that Angel picked up in Canada :). Washed the 5-gallon carboy and placed it in the laundry so I will walk past it daily. Once fermented, will put the airlock on, until it's ready to bottle. Love this way of making wine - no additives like yeast or sulphur so it doesn't make me cough. It came as 20 litres :). Been a while since I've dealt with litres.
Maddie is doing well, but she's lost her spots :(. Still comes twice a day for her bottle, and she loves grapes and cherries. Something still seems to be trying to eat her in the woods. Today she had blood on her face again, and it looked like holes ! She's nearly 5 months old already. She's very cute still, wanders around the house peering into all the windows to attract my attention. I go outside to be with her until the mozzies start biting, when I high-tail it back in. She goes out to the pastures with me, but is wary of the cows. They are too inquisitive for her.
Only finding around 4 eggs a day, think I need to have another chat with the girls about their continued tenure on the farm !
Milking is going well. Daisy May and Eleanor charge up into the milking stalls as soon as I open the roller gate, and I'm probably tempting fate, but haven't had any poops in the milk parlour in ages. This morning I had to fix the fence around the back chicken yard, as IRS climbed out last night. Hopefully I did a good job and he stays in tonight.
Made beans in the crock pot, and wow, have we been farting ! Need to replace my lidless pressure cookers with one that works.
The nights are getting cooler, and the leaves are starting to change colour on some of the trees. Wish Autumn was a little longer, that Winter was further away.