Cody pony… sleeping in the sheep barn.  He’s a silly  boy.  He’s taken to napping in the big barn.  Guess he just likes the feeling of being inside somewhere when he naps.  Of course, the chickens are not happy because when he wakes up, he eats all the hay out of their nest boxes!  haha….  we had to made a few new nesting places in the feed room because we have that set up so the hoofstock can’t get in there, just the chickens can.

Maggie’s simple and awesome idea.   She moved this water trough under the roof of the big barn.  A lot of water comes off it in a storm.  Now it can fill up and that will be awesome.  She wants to add some gutter to the front of the barn as well, and have it funnel into this trough and another at the other end.  We made a little step stool for the hens with that cement block.  It’s funny to watch them hop up there and get a drink.

That nice solid pallet in the back by the hose is going to be for our rain barrel off the ram shack.  And also a nice watering station for filling up buckets and such with the hose.  I’m hoping that the pallet will keep it from becoming a muddy mess there.

Just trying to design and plan things that will help to keep the farm tidy and nice looking.  It’s still a farm and all, but hey, a little tidy goes a long way!

The more I read and learn, the more I understand that Gideon needs to be managed a little carefully.  He’s still a big doll baby, most of the time.  It’s just that if he feels the need to have something his way, he proceeds with those plans with gusto.  He’s a strong and powerful intact male animal.   He may only be about 30 inches tall, but he’s a tough dude.  Thankfully, he’s totally into treats/sweet feed/and petting, so as long as you are doing something with that, he’s your sweetheart.  So we’ve just worked out a nice routine where he gets pasture time with the girls but then he also has time out time in his own lovely ram shack and paddock… formally known as the sheep shack.  As long as he has a belly of grass, he gladly goes in there for an afternoon of napping and cud chewing.

And he doesn’t mind being there at night.   It’s so funny, he has a bunch of chicken friends that all come and nap in the afternoon sunshine with him.  They make little nests in the straw and he likes to nuzzle them and watch them.  I believe he thinks they are his pals.  Sometimes I put Fergus and Angus, my whethers, in there with him for a little male bonding time.  So far, so good.  I feel better knowing that we have a plan for him that keeps everyone nice and safe.   It’s been a wonderful week, I will admit, without the added stress and worry over naughty farm animals!

I have to tell you, I am so freaked out by my nekked sheep!   They just seem like different animals!  This is Momma Noel!!!!   She looks soooo different to me without all her wool!  She was big and intimidating, now she looks like a goat with a weird haircut.  Next week we are going to catch them and practice handling the sheep, Maggie and I, and we will trim them up a bit and make them look a little smoother and such.  We need to check their hooves and worm them as well, so we figured it was time for us to get a little hands on with the flock.  Still, it is so weird to see them so different looking!  We’ve never seen them sheared before!   Angus looks soooo funny, his head is way too big for his body!  Poor sheepies!

However, they LOVE being lighter and less wooly.   You should see them in the early evening, jumping and running, sproinging like little lambs.  I wish I could catch it on video tape, it’s hard because it’s so sudden and random, but I will.  They rub on things and LOVE a good hand scratching all over.  I imagine it’s very nice feeling to be free of all that heavy wool.

Just a few photos and thoughts of what is up around here!