It’s 4:10am, and I’m at the computer. I woke up about 20 minutes ago and had a short conversation with myself about that lamb. It was short because I was worried, but I had to have it because I really didn’t want to get out of bed. But, I know myself well enough to know that if I had not gotten up and the lamb hadn’t made it, I would have felt terrible. Unfortunately, the lamb did not make it. It has only been about 4 hours since her last feeding. If she were at all healthy, she should have been able to make it that long, since she was also nursing from momma. There must have been something wrong with her from the get go. This happens occasionally, but it’s still sad. The good news is that the little brown lamb was with momma and got right up when everyone started making noise, so I’m confident he’ll make it just fine. Again, all pronouns are generic. I’ll do a gender check in the next few days.

Steve was right. That last ewe was not just fat. She just delivered twins. One brown and one black. Pictures will come soon. I’m keeping an eye on the little black one because it hasn’t stood up yet, and I’m a bit concerned. Of course, this is the crazy wild ewe, so getting her and the babies into the barn isn’t likely, because she’s more scared of me than she is concerned with her babies, so I can’t even use them to lead her to shelter. Thankfully it’s warm enough that I don’t have to force the issue. I’m thinking Baily is going to sleep outside tonight a predator control, since getting them inside isn’t very likely. For now, I’m off to make up a bottle of warm lamb replacer for the the little black lamb to see if I can get it up on its feet.

future fence posts (corners and gates and water crossings)

Well I spent part of yesterday and today getting railroad ties for the new fence.  I found a place in Hermiston that sells them in bundles of 20 for $8/each.  That is a great buy.  So I borrowed a trailer from a friend and went over and got the first load yesterday evening.  I unloaded it as soon as I got home so it wouldn’t stay in the trailer overnight.  I didn’t think to ask how much they weighed.  They were dramatically different, some of them seemed  light (manageable) and others were so heavy I could hardly get them out of the trailer.  I flipped one end off the trailer then stood them up on end and pushed them into a pile.  It made me sweat.  So I did it again today.  It was a lot harder today.  I cannot wait for the weather to get better so I can get back in shape.  While I was picking up the load today the guy told me that 20 ties weighed 2800 pounds or roughly 140#/each.  So I figure in reality they weigh between 100-200#.  I weigh in at a whopping 155#.  It was brutal today, no way I could have done another 20 without really paying the price.

future gates

I got the stuff to make my own gates, I picked up a 16 foot cow panel, I will cut it down to 12 feet and then sandwich 2×4 pressure treated boards all around the outside and then but in a diagonal cross brace.  I will bolt them all together and hang them with a single supporting cable attached around 10 feet out and to the railroad tie.  This will cost around $45 a gate.  Much cheaper than I could buy the gates.
 I did the childs chores and while inside the chicken coop allowed the sheep to get in our front yard.  Since the lead ewe remembered that she had broken the gate on the yard, she ran right for it again.  I had a heck of a time herding the sheep back in to the barn so I could lock them up for the night.
So like all good farmers I put a temporary (yes I do plan on fixing this) fix on the gate.

Starting picture, the holes are access to the nest boxes for the chickens

Well I finished it today, I even got the shelf above the quail run completed.  I want to get this out in the open first thing, it is for the chicken coop.  Spending as little as possible is the name of the game.  I figure it cost me about $25 to build this with all the hardware included.  I used lots of scraps and all the hinges and latches I buy off of the discount table at the local feed store.  I just buy them whenever they show up, figuring I will need them eventually.  Since it is for the chicken coop, things just have to be close.  I don’t do redos in the chicken coop.  I beat with a hammer, I push and add a couple extra screws.  The only concession I made was I screwed everything together.  I did not use a nail gun.  I probably should have used the staple gun on the wire mesh, but it was raining and I would have had to bring out the compressor.  The chickens did not like me disturbing them, they cluck and fuss the whole time I am working in the coop.  You get used to that and it becomes more relaxing than annoying, until the rooster starts crowing inside the coop!  It is very loud, I finally had to shoo him out of the coop so I could think.

I went to grab the quail and place them in their new home.  All was not well.  One of the quail was laying on its side sleeping and the other quail was laying next to it.  So I grabbed for the sleeping quail.  It wasn’t asleep.  It was cold and dead!

completed quail enclosure with storage above it for chicken feeders and extras

Annmarie had picked up and held one yesterday.  I truly do not believe that the dead one was the one she held yesterday.  I really don’t.  So now we only have one lonely quail left.  I still need to add the chicken wire above the enclosure so the chickens don’t start roosting on it.  It is fairly steep, I think I will hold off and see if the chickens start using it to sleep on.  If they don’t then it will save me some extra work.

 

I had to add a door holder, I ended up using two boards that each pivot.  The first one pivots out to hold the door and the little one pivots down to hold the first one in place.  As you can see I had to use some shims for the door handles.  I had the handles in the shed, leftover from some 50s kitchen remodel.  They never threw anything away.  So now all I need to do is clean out the baby chick enclosure.  I am going to place an order for new baby chicks on Monday at the feed store!  It will take them a week to get the chicks in. I have settled on 12 Brahmas and 6 leghorns.  I may not be able to get the leghorns.  If not I am going to shoot for a white egg layer.  May just get more Polish hens, but they are a smaller breed.  All depends on what I can order.

nifty door opener holder

Well, I almost have the new quail run completed.  I managed to get the roof and sides and wire floor installed today.  Tomorrow I will make some front doors and then move the birds over.  I will still need to finish the closed shelf above the quail and then run chicken wire to the ceiling so the chickens don’t start sitting on top of the nest box at night.  I am confident that I can get it done tomorrow.  I will take some pictures after completion. The best part about finishing it is I can get baby chicks!!!!  Way cool.