The Morning After

I can immediately think of two groups that don’t like the cold snap we’re going through: 1) Vermont maple syrup producers – they need cold nights and warm days for the sap to flow; 2) our sheep – they aren’t wearing five inch thick wool coats anymore.

The sheep are more vocal since their shearing. Even Daisy – who we have never heard utter a peep – stood in the barnyard looking at Peg as she walked back to the house, and let out low rumbling “baas”. Eleanor, always vocal, actually ran out into the west field, all by herself, to get closer to us, while we were loading the cart with firewood. Very strange behavior indeed.

We decided to put coats on the boys this morning after feeding. Danny, who should have a date with the butcher in the next few weeks, doesn’t get a coat. Calvin we found was too big for the largest coat we have – 35 inches. So we put Levi and Schuyler into the 35s. Using the jug panels, we made the boys’ side of the barnyard pretty small. I got my arms around first Levi, then Schuyler, and held them tight. Peg put their heads through the neck hole, we then switched ends, and she put one rear leg then another through the leg holes. Schuyler did NOT like his new coat. Click HERE to see a short clip of him running around the barnyard.

Moving on to the girls, we were able to get the three brown lambs – Louise, Hilary, and Jackie – into coats. We have more coats, but they are probably too small for Martha, Dolly and Daisy and too large for Eleanor.

 

While they were standing in the pen waiting for Peg to get a few more coats from the house, I could easily see Hilary and Jackie shivering – most likely from a combination of cold and stress. The coats should provide them a little relief – they are just nylon, but providing a layer of air should give a bit of insulation.

Todd