It was 26 below this morning on the thermometer by the kitchen window, 36 below at a neighbor's. I suspect the temperature in the barn, which is down the hill from the house, was somewhere in between. Good grief. I was born in Arizona, and the concept that it is MUCH warmer in the freezer compartment of my refrigerator than it is outside just doesn't compute. It seems so very, very wrong. Lassie couldn't handle it at all. I took her out this morning, hoping she could urinate or defecate in seconds, but she stood outside for a few seconds and than ran inside and pooped on the dining room floor. She looked up at me while she did so as if she was concerned about what she was doing.... Am I being problematically anthropomorphic for thinking she felt unease about going in the house? (She has Read More
Archives for January 2009
Willie versus Redford, Round 3
What a difference a day makes. Here's what happened late last week between Will and Redford: Yep, that's Willie running away. He ran back about five feet, then turned and walked back toward Redford, with me encouraging him. For reasons I don't understand, this time Redford turned and walked away. And here's what I really don't understand. After that, every time, Will has won every interaction. Will walks forward with confidence, and Redford turns tail (now you know where that phrase came from!). I simply don't know exactly what transpired between the two of them, but Will's posture is now one of confidence as he approaches Redford. Only once, a few days later, did Redford turn to face Wilie and challenge him, and Will stood his ground, opened his mouth and snapped at the ram's face. Read More
The Redstart Rollercoaster; Lambs in Winter
Has it just been two days since Snicker's lambs were born? Or two weeks? Here's the good news: the lambs, at the moment anyway, are doing well. Here's the bad news: since I last wrote, Snickers tried her best to kill the ewe lamb, both lambs got diarrhea, both lambs began bawling non-stop as lambs only do when they are not getting enough food, it sounded like the white lamb had pneumonia, my car threatened to break down so we had to drive it into Madison in a snowstorm at rush hour, and then go back in to get it at rush hour later that day. I should start at the beginning. Having lambs at all in the depth of a Wisconsin winter can only be described as an agricultural whoopsie of major proportions. Our lambs are supposed to come in early April, when it's warmer and the grass will be lush Read More
Lambs just born
More tomorrow, gotta run see how the lambs are doing. This photo was taken a few hours ago, when the black lamb in the back was about 10 seconds old... Both lambs were doing well when I left the farm about an hour ago, they were up in minutes and had nursed within 15 minutes of birth. Stay tuned! Read More
Willie versus Redford, Round Two; “Power” in Herding Dogs
This morning I tried to get a good photo of Redford confronting Will, but failed miserably. That's great news... I couldn't get the photo because every time Will walked within twenty feet of Redford, the ram turned and walked away. I did take a few photos, but my battery died so I can't upload them for you. I'll send some before the end of the week, of Will and sheep, and hopefully, of Snickers new lambs, if she ever, finally, gives birth. (We are calling her Explodo-Ewe at the moment.) Truffle's little white lamb is filling out like a champ. He's got all the milk to himself and is growing like crazy. He has started what I call "popcorn" play, which is pretty much like it sounds. First there is a lamb standing still, then there's a lamb leaping straight up into the air. Except in Read More