Fall Farm Chores – I

Yesterday was all farm work all the time and while I worked hard, Todd did the heavy lifting, literally, and took the hits. And when I wanted to quit, we didn’t.

After bidding house guests good bye, we fell into our easy routine of bringing all the ewes, lambs and wethers up from the field and crowding them in with wood panels, holding them tight at the top of the chute that leads to the barnyard.  One of the New Nine was limping yesterday and we wanted to check on that. We also wanted to put larger jackets on some, first time jackets on others, trim hooves – a task done a few times a year – and check on the worm load.  At the top of the chute, on the other side of the gate, we set up a small 8 x 8 pen, like a small sheep’s MASH unit that included the examining table (which actually is a sling Todd tips the sheep into that allows me easy access to all four hooves), clippers, clipboard, deworming meds, disinfecting solutions, and a thermometer.

The day was loaded with fall colors, bright sun, and we weren’t in any rush.  With each sheep, Todd would squeeze through the gate into the chute where all 24 sheep were huddled, and push, knee, grab, and generally cajole a sheep to the doorway of the MASH unit. Once inside, Todd works to get the sheep in just the right position to shove and tip the animal back into the sling. In no time my hands are covered in sheep dung from trimming hooves, we’ve done a few lambs, and a few of our more friendly sheep, but the real work begins as Todd has to muscle harder, drag more, and shove the bigger sheep up to the door way. It’s hard work and I’m starting to get nervous because Todd needs to wade further in to the pack to grab and shove sheep and tipping the big sheep into the hammock is more hard work.

I’ve lost track of time, but I know we’re nearing the end because all that’s left are about five of the New Nine. For Todd the struggle intensifies. The top of the chute is now slick mud and the resistance is real. Todd gets one of the 18 month old wethers into our pen, but the animal is strong, has four legs to Todd’s two, and doesn’t want to have anything to do with the sling. Todd literally wrestles him to the ground and pins himself on top so that I can attend to each hoof.  It’s tense and we’re tired.

Todd goes into the chute for the second wether. Several times Todd wrangles him hard, but he can’t match the strength of this 200 pound youngster and each time they get close to the gate, the animal twists and turns. On the third try, Todd has tightened his grip and suddenly the animal turns from the gate, presses through the pack of sheep, charges into and through the wood panels, straining the bungee cords, dragging Todd the entire way. With the wood panels now twisted, bungee cords ready to snap, the rest of the sheep race to escape the confines. I’m worried Todd may have broken a bone. Instead he stands up, clutching his hand.  He had tried slipping his finger in the side of the animal’s mouth (others have told us this technique can work to help you move the sheep where you want it to go). The wether has bitten Todd’s finger hard enough to cut skin and draw blood – confirming in my mind we must stop.  Todd heads into the house to clean the wound, I straighten out the wood panels and watch the sheep settle down in the long chute waiting to be released.

Todd returns with his finger bandaged and says we can’t quit. I so want to quit. But we don’t. Somehow we have to get our hands on this male beast with ear tag 7538.  We decide to slowly let the sheep out of the chute until only few remain and we can corner him.  I ease the 8 foot wide gate open and let a few lambs slip through, but like a gossip chain, they all get the message that freedom from what has now been about two hours of captivity is at hand and they start to charge the gate.  Many get out, but we manage to hold back the wether.  We pin him in and I walk up the long chute for the clippers. Todd calls out his tag number. We’ve got the wrong wether. 7540 has already had his manicure. And so we start all over, from scratch.

We press all the sheep back into the chute, squeezed up at the top, pinned in by two wooden panels held in place with bungee cord and a rebar.  Todd says he is going to climb into the mosh pit, pin 7538 down on the ground, and I’m to let the rest out.  He wades in, flipping ear tags in search of Ralph. Once on him, he turns his head back toward the hind quarters and wrestles him to the ground and I undo a bungee cord, swing open a wood panel and the flock rushes to escape.  Todd is spread eagle on top of Ralph as I scrape away sheep shit, and trim the hooves in record time. Todd rises off his back, Ralph twists onto his feet and dashes off. We’re done. We’re done on every level. Todd follows after the flock to open the gate to the east fields and I make my way up to the top of the chute and begin to disassemble the MASH unit and collect the gear and meds.

They say that it is important not to stress sheep as it can compromise the fiber. Well yesterday, sheep and farmers felt the stress.

Peggy

p.s. The ewes and lambs have been eating in a large portion at the top of the east field for the last week, sometimes right outside the apartment door.  Here are a few shots of them taken late yesterday afternoon, along with a few shots of the glorious fall colors.