Chunky Monkey gang

Everything is very quiet on the farm. Been feeding the cattle daily since the beginning of December. It worked out well selling the lambs and swapping that chore for cattle feeding.
My lame ewe is still lame. Poor girl. 3 months is a record. However we seem to have turned a corner the last couple of weeks. I saw her putting it to the floor a few times but thought it was wishful thinking, especially when i then she was retracting it with the pain minutes later. But gradually she is using it more and more. She's not amenable to me catching her, so I can only judge as she walks to the food trough each day. The whole injury with the 2 slow to heal abcesses, to constant lameness for months, im convinced she has either broken something or pulled something. Its a very unusual injury for a sheep. Ive also noted throughout some hair was sticking out in a direct vertical line. There was nothing on the skin surface when I had her inside but ive noted it doesnt sit flush like her other legs.
Hopefully if shes in lamb, maybe 4 weeks now, by the time the lambs grow inside she will be healed. The added weight in a few months as she gets closer to lambing could be a factor if its not healed. Im feeling more confident the last couple of weeks she still has a future.
 
Where has January gone.
Everything is realitively quiet.
Been halter training last years two lambs. The one was already quiet and wanted a fuss, the other I couldn't get near. If i did she head butt everytime i put my hand near her. So started over Christmas with halter training. Six weeks on, I have two lambs that follow me round, now eating out my hand everyday.
 
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2½ weeks till lambing. I'm so not ready. Haven't done the mucking out yet. Thats this weekends job. Mentally though I don't want to do it anymore. Really need to find myself.
Nobody is bagging up yet. A couple might be dropping udders but I cant decide. I feel udders seem late dropping this year. My dates are correct. Maybe it's the weather. There suddenly not eating much hay, but grass is coming through although they spend alot of time laying about so stomachs probably haven't got much room.

Got a friend to come and repair one of my pens I'm going to need. The shed wall had rotted through so had a big hole in the side. Was going to keep a sheep in.

A friend of mine has 40 to lamb. He's had them scanned and 13 of the 40 are triplets. Rather him than me. So after all the drought last year you'd almost expect fertile rates to be down. Think it was down to the autumn grass flush we got.
 
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Nearly ready. Got the sheds all mucked out at the weekend. There wasnt much in the pens. Most of it was strawey stuff. Still killed my back.
Just need to pressure wash the main shed. Hoping to do that tomorrow after work as I'm on a half day. Hopefully will have enough time for the shed to dry before the first sheep need to come in next week.
 
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I'm exhausted and haven't even started lambing and doing late night checks. Mind last night was a late finish. Got home from work at 4 and then went pressure washing. Didn't finish that till 8pm.Then still had to walk the dog and cook dinner. Mind it was microwave leftovers from the night before. Was going to do it the day before but a last minute call to go horse riding, well couldnt turn it down could i. Anyway I can now relax this weekend with one week to go.

Last years two lambs have started moulting. If only horses, dog and cat moult was that easy. My lounge is covered frequently in cat tufts. I have to hoover regularly.

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Quin having a little nap. He loves to snuggle in a chair.
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Haven't even started lambing and it's a complete disaster. Yesterday morning went to feed, to find one ewe with small prolapse. Walked across field to feed troughs, fed them. I went to fluff up the hay in the rack. When I looked again at ewe prolapse had pulled back in. They were laid down when I got to them so it's can happen when there full of lambs that the back end pushes out and once they stand it goes back in.
Went over to check at 5pm last night. Prolapse ewe ok everything was in. Foot trimmed another who I spotted was lame at the weekend. Split hoof.
Left the field and went straight up the hill to walk the dog.
Looked down from the top of the hill about 4 ewes had gone off back down the field grazing. Nought unusual about that.
Till this morning when I go out to feed. I spot one ewe laid down on her own. Exactly where I saw them last night from the top of the hill. I could see no movement. So I fed the others. One look round. Ewe has massive prolapse hanging out and straining constantly. No way that was going in on its own.
Walk down field to check the other. Dead. Wtf. Half her rear end hanging out. No lambs. Whether the crows had done it I don't know. Annoyed as she was one of my favourites.
So I then had to go hitch the sheep trailer up and went and caught the prolapsed one. Drove back to the yard off loaded her. Then went and picked up the dead one.
I rang a friend and asked if he still had prolapse harness as he had a couple prolapse last year. Fortunately he had a brand new one in his cupboard. So I drove across town picked that up. Unfortunately he wasn't able to help as he had drs appt and was going to see his sister who is end of life with cancer. So I rang another friend who helps me with foot trimming. It just happened he was free but didn't have a car today. So I picked him up on the way back.
Scrubbed up, gloved up. With gentle pushes I managed to get the prolapse back in with my friend restraining her for me. She has a wee and i start to fit the harness (never used one before) but as im trying to fit i can see immediately she's pushing everything back out. So I shove my hand straight in to hold it till she stops contracting. Then I push it all back in. We get the harness fitted. Stand back and watch for a bit. I'm just not sure how tight it needs to be. My friend said tight. But I didn't want to strangle her as part goes round the neck.
Took my friend back home. I went for a shower, called in again on my way past, on way to work. She's laid down and everything still in place, so harness doing it's job. My friend walks his dogs in the afternoon, so he's going to call in and check her again to make sure it's still all in place. Ring me if its out and I will have to leave work.
So a full on morning.
I've yet to ring the knackerman. I think I need to see if this ewe keeps her prolapse in today. Don't really want a vet visit. There's not much they can do other than push it back in and hope. If prolapse comes out too far she'll be a gonna anyway. So knackman might be collecting two ewes. She's still got two weeks to go till lambing so keeping everything crossed the harness does its job.
 
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No she better not lamb early or those lambs won't survive. Shes due 1st April. Just been across to check everyone in field.
Now just sitting watching her in the shed. She seems to be limping now. Probably pulled something whilst we were trying to restrain her. She's also grinding her teeth so probably still uncomfortable from straining. She's passing water so prolapse is in. If she wasn't passing I'd be concerned although not poo'ed much. Eating some hay.

Got a picture of the harness.
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Doesnt want to show me her butt, for a good photo. Cant say i blame her after having my hand shoved up it.

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Prolapse out this morning.

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Nothing yet. I have a feeling the ewe due today might not lamb today. I've got a 2nd date for her in 2½ weeks. One due tomorrow but not bagged yet. I will get her in tomorrow.

Got up early at 6.30 this morning. Stuffed chicken, got that in oven for an hour on cheap electric time. Bought corgettes last week to make a courgette cake. Still not done, so mixed that up shoved in oven for its hour. Flew out whilst it's cooking to walk dog, go feed and move everyone. Back just in time to take it out. Had enough courgettes, nuts and sultanas to mix up make a 2nd one. Will cut them when cold and wrap to go in the freezer.
Used juice from roast chicken, made soup, and finally, cooked myself a veg omelette for breakfast. Proper cooking and washing up work out this morning and all done before 11.30.
I've been a bit lazy this week, not eating proper dinners. Ive got my batch cooked stuff in the freezer but i really couldnt even be bother to get it out to cook. The chicken will keep me going, I will freeze some of it and I want to make some more soup from the bones stock. So I can have that during the week.
 
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chunky monkey said:
Nothing yet. I have a feeling the ewe due today might not lamb today. I've got a 2nd date for her in 2½ weeks. One due tomorrow but not bagged yet. I will get her in tomorrow.

Got up early at 6.30 this morning. Stuffed chicken, got that in oven for an hour on cheap electric time. Bought corgettes last week to make a courgette cake. Still not done, so mixed that up shoved in oven for its hour. Flew out whilst it's cooking to walk dog, go feed and move everyone. Back just in time to take it out. Had enough courgettes, nuts and sultanas to mix up make a 2nd one. Will cut them when cold and wrap to go in the freezer.
Used juice from roast chicken, made soup, and finally, cooked myself a veg omelette for breakfast. Proper cooking and washing up work out this morning and all done before 11.30.
I've been a bit lazy this week, not eating proper dinners. Ive got my batch cooked stuff in the freezer but i really couldnt even be bother to get it out to cook. The chicken will keep me going, I will freeze some of it and I want to make some more soup from the bones stock. So I can have that during the week.
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Sometimes its easier (and just the ticket) to eat girl dinner instead of something proper. Mr T batch cooks but now and again can't be mithered and we pick our own dinners. Mine is usually cheeses, bread rolls and salad - something picky. Love the sound of a courgette cake. I love courgette.
 
Lambing has started. Nothing at 7pm last night. But ewe who I got in yesterday morning who was standing away from the rest of the flock, didn't want her tea. Set the alarm for 11.30pm, awoke at 11 so popped down to check. Two little lambs, quite small considering mums size, but healthy up and feeding. Mum had even cleansed. Eaten her tea and eaten loads of hay out the rack.

I've advertised hay for sale this morning. Phone is now going ping, ping, ping. Put on without a price as im sure what to ask for it. But ive got a fair bit left give I didnt start feeding the cows proper till December and I've noticed they are now leaving some.
 
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Lamb number 3 popped out early yesterday morning i think it was. My days seem muddled currently. Can't remember what happened what day this week. Probably because I've gone to bed then got up at 11.30. Back to bed at midnight. Doesnt take long to switch onto auto pilot.
Had to go and buy a new strip light for the lambing shed yesterday. Of all the time for the light to pack up. I've got 3 others in there but it made it difficult to see.
 
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Ok thanks, she's been going out round the back of the shed each night for a couple of hours but she's eaten all the grass in there. So ive risked turning her out in the main field for a couple of hours instead. Her friends are usually up for tea so shes sticking with them rather than going of down the steep field.
She's due Weds, but she's quite bagged up. Im quite relaxed about her currently but i shall be on high alert from Monday onwards.
 
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