January Happenings

https://www.etsy.com/shop/oldschoolhandwovens?ref=si_shop
The big news for January is that we have re-opened our Etsy Shop known as oldschoolhandwovens.

Listings will be added slowly but steadily as I interject the shop tasks with the rest of the goings on here. Please be patient with me. Any questions about goods or services, please ask, don't be shy!

On another note, the sheep have come through the bitter weather well, to my relief.

Our newest shelter, the larger hoop house with the brown cover is proving to exceed my expectations.

Unlike previous hoop house shelters, this one, designed by my DH, utilizes aluminum piping bent and welded for extra strength against the snow loads and high winds. Its tall enough for me to walk around in which is a huge plus as walking hunched over in a half crouch really isn't fun or conducive to taking care of bedding etc.

 The size of the structure makes it easier for me to work in, accommodates more sheep, and will allow for the cleaning it out in the spring to be much more readily accomplished. All this and I can still reach up from the inside to slap the roof and knock the snow off without aid of a tool to assist. All good. Kudos to DH for doing a great job!

Having considered how much I like this new building I've concluded the only element missing is a way to close both ends.
 For the most part the sheep should have the choice of entering or leaving, but there are times when closing them in securely is necessary and as yet, we haven't devised a method to do so, though I have a plan to create swinging gates.
These will most likely be constructed from cattle panels cut in two sections. When added to the end of the structure, they will swing inward to open and keep them out of the way until such time as it is appropriate to close them. Then they will swing outward, coming together in the middle where they will be secured. Easy!

Next year I'll have another just like it and then for all intents, I will be set on critter housing.

One thing about farm life that is certain - the more skills you have and the more things you can do yourself, the better off you will be. Everything from vet skills to growing and preserving food are vital. Thank God we followed our interests early in our lives, as quirky as they seemed to friends and family, because its those skills we now rely on.  It is funny how in hindsight we were preparing for this lifestyle even without truly realizing it.

Now if we could only bale our own hay!

Regards,
Kathryn

November 3, 2013

Cold and wet here today. Filled all my water receptacles last night so I wouldn't need the hose until the sun can warm it up later in the day.

The critters all seem to be content for the moment.

In an effort to consolidate groups and minimize space requirements I introduced the remaining ram lambs to the two remaining teen aged rams. This went very smoothly and everyone seems quite happy with the arrangement, so I am happy.

Reintroducing adult rams is NOT one of the necessary actions I enjoy, but I do it because I enjoy it far better than watching them back waaaayyyyyyy up and hit each other full force with an unforgettable crack as they connect. I cannot stand to watch it and even less to hear it, so when the time comes to introduce them again, we squeeze them into a tight, tight space for 24 hours or so, from which they emerge a bit more civil towards each other.

Except for the one time this summer when I had a band of rams roaming about free grazing the property. I took a risk and introduced two other rams to them and there was very little interest or posturing to my relief. Absolutely no head butting at all.
But this is breeding time and the boys know it so they are more inclined to show their dominance than they were in mid summer heat with nothing much going on.
For the time being, I'll have two ram groups.

I'm pleased to say that Dallas seems to have taken a liking to little Asa, though Cwen is still out on the subject, but that is okay.
Asa admires Dallas too but seems to be figuring out logistics.  I'm rooting for the little guy but Dallas is going to have to help him I think. Time will tell.

Yesterday was spent procuring materials to fortify the shelters. In a previous post I discussed hoop houses and completely forgot to mention we also use chain link dog kennels as kind of free - standing stalls.
These are enclosed with tarps to make them wind, snow and more or less water, proof. With a nice deep pile of straw frequently added to, everybody seems cozy enough for the winter, even though we don't use a conventional barn.

On another note, we still have some fine breeding stock available for sale.

Two teen aged rams - white - 18 months old

5 ram lambs - all colored - 5 months old

8 ewe lambs - 6 white, two colored - 5 months old.

They will be available until November 10, 2013.

After that we will begin taking deposits on 2014 lambs.


Regards,
Kathryn

Sheltering a Flock

Our first year with sheep was a good learning experience.


The sheep arrived on Halloween, we had or rather, my spouse had, spent time at Tractor Supply getting step in posts, polywire electric rope, fence battery and making the necessary calculations to provide the enclosure that would contain the sheep throughout the winter.

I contrived to devise a shelter which ( no laughing, and no...I am NOT blonde ) the sheep promptly ate within a week.

It was a hay bale construction and I thought since the hay used wasn't really of good quality, the sheep would turn their noses up at it in favor of the better quality hay offered. In my ignorance I didn't realize the sheep would eat everything, no selective bones in their bodies.

So, with impending snow, freezing temps and sheep who needed a shelter I took into account all the raw materials at hand and my lack of knowledge/skill with tools, and proceeded to create one experiment after another none of which stood longer than two days.

I even spent an entire day making blocks from wet snow, stacking them into a square ice house and while pleased with the effort and could see the possibilities, watched it slowly slide downhill because I failed to take into consideration the slight, almost imperceptable slant to the ground. Okay, scratch off ...ice house shelter.

What we settled on, and have used ever since are versions of "hoop houses". These consist very simply of cattle panels 16 ft in length, 4 ft in width, and EMT tubing covered with tarps. Done right, they provide waterproof and wind resistant shelters all winter long, though I do tend to fortify the base with hay bales. The floor is heavily bedded to create a manure pack which we remove with a skid steer in the spring.

They are inexpensive, easy to construct, offer shade protection in the summer time, and allow for relocating without much effort or time spent.

I'd much rather have a big old dairy barn to be sure. I'm a fan of having the right tools for any job, but since we didn't decide on a homestead with such a barn, and have no plans for building one, that's probably not going to happen.

Below is an early version of hoop house. The cattle panel is covered by a blue tarp. The white in the middle is a PVC pipe which is used to hold the roof up under the snow load. We no longer use wood shavings as bedding, but prefer straw or hay.