Today

Today was a perfect day. A cool morning rain gave way to a sunny cool afternoon that the sheep loved. This is Sunshine's lamb, when the weather is this cool you can see them growing. It is hard for an animal to grow and put on weight when the summers get so hot. And a ewe cannot make milk when she is panting all day trying to catch her breath. Then the parasites take hold and they loose what weight they have put on. It is a full time job raising lambs and kids in the hot, humid south. An experienced eye must look over each animal everyday and just see if anything is off. If there is something odd, time to act. Keep on schedule of worming, vaccinating and feeding, check a limping foot, why are those flies buzzing around that one. Like pieces of a puzzle, there are clues to the problem if you know how to see them.

The welcoming committee

They are always happy to see me. Probably because they know I am the one with the feed bucket, but I don't feed this herd in the warmer months. They don't need grain, just heats them up, and they have grass, what sheep are made to eat. Most of them like to be petted or scratched, but all of them come to see me. When I come around the curve in the road they somehow know it's my truck and run to the gate. I have a new truck and at first I could sneak up on them, it took about a week and they recognized the sound of it. There is a lot of traffic on that road, but they know the sound of their shepherd's truck.

Bring um home Kay

Got this band of goats moved to the pond pasture and the horses back to the sheep bottom pasture. There are lots of trees and weeds that the horses don't eat and the goats relish. Kay is as happy as the goats are about moving to fresh pasture. She spotted a chipmunk in a brush pile and swallowed it. While the dogs were away all the wildlife has been multiplying, Kay will get them back in order. Kay and Wolf are a brother and sister team that guard this group, they have been working for me about 11 years, they have been excellent guards and love their goats.  Sad to say they are getting old and Wolf is not able to put weight on his back leg. I was going to leave him in the bottoms with another group of goats but he managed to make the move with his band. Both of these dogs would give their life for these goats. I have been fortunate to have some really good guard dogs over the years allowing me to sleep at night knowing the flock is safe.