Weaning lambs & a distraction

I've decided to wean the lambs today.  We are ahead of schedule from past years.  The youngest, a set of twins are a bit young, so I will pull them out of the weaning pen so they can nurse from their mom and we'll just have to watch and see how they do. But all the others are old enough to sustain themselves.

It's a bit noisy today, but most are doing well.  All of them are eating a lamb grain ration and hay.

We will have ewes, yearlings and lambs available to purchase soon.  Once all the lambs are weaned and have transitioned over to their grain/hay ration and the ewes have dried up from making milk they will be ready to go to new homes.

If interested, shoot me an email so we can help you find what you're looking for.

Some of these little porkers are doing quite well.  Above, one of the Shetland/Border Cheviot lambs getting her fill of hay.

So I sent the "girls" out to the pasture to enjoy some adult time...no babies!

On another note,

The very day that we lost our best friend Red this extremely thin old stray dog showed up.  As I was in the barn feeding the sheep that morning I had called our vet to make arrangements to take Red in to have him put down.  As I walked from the barn to the house this "old guy" was standing off to the side of the house.  He was so thin, I put some food out for him and left him alone.

We had so much to deal with yet in getting Red into the vet office that I figured if he ate he would be here later.  I just hate it when people dump off animals!

These photo's were taken late afternoon of the same day, he did come back and we fed him again.  I don't think that he would have survived much longer.  He didn't react or respond to anything.  He simple ate the food and started to wander off.  His sense of smell works and I got his attention with a piece of cheese (which was Red's favorite treat!).  We put a collar (not Red's) and leash on him.

He has been a good distraction for us, someone to care for.

These photos were taken 4/10/21.

We've taken him to the vet, he has a very bad ear infection and looks like it has never had any care or treatment.  He cannot hear a thing.  He was someone's pet at some point in time.  He knows to sit, down and to give a paw hand shake.

He has been given a Depo-Medrol injection (steroid), Cephalexin pill (antibiotic), Mozotic ear drops, given daily for 14 days, then an ear flush to follow after the ear drops.

The ear canals are pretty much swollen shut, it's been five days and I haven't seen much improvement yet.  He still can't hear a thing.

These photos taken 4/22/21. Twelve days later...

I hope to give him a bath today, although I believe he is house broken, I haven't brought him into the house yet, I am letting him stay in the garage if it's cold overnight and we have a doghouse outside for him.  Until the ear treatment has finished anyway due to him shaking his head and ear gunk that may be flung out ....yuck!

He has such a great personality and friendly.  I'm calling him Buddy, my husband calls him Buddy L.

Apparently Buddy L was a toy back in the 50's - 60's that my husband was reminiscent of his childhood (a bit before my time or at least I don't remember it!).