diary of a comedy sheep farm

[Bob the beef]

We have all the same arguments here!

And here.
Mrs Bob in a particularly foul mood with our 2 highnesses tonight after having spent the whole day pony clubbing.
Dog and me hiding

 

[carbonfibre farmer]

Get in @spin cycle !

2.1.

 

[yellowbelly]

Dog and me hiding

Phew, 3 women under the same roof with you, all those hormones It must be like sitting on a timebomb

 

[primmiemoo]

Poor ponies!

 

[primmiemoo]

Phew, 3 women under the same roof with you, all those hormones It must be like sitting on a timebomb

 

[yellowbelly]

Poor ponies!

Never thought of it like that before.

 

[spin cycle]

Get in @spin cycle !

2.1.

job done.....watched on sky....they said pukki was our third choice target striker wise in the summer...i just wonder who the other 2 were....it's massive for us cos we've no mega rich owner and it means we're ok financially for a few years

Phew, 3 women under the same roof with you, all those hormones It must be like sitting on a timebomb

constantly erupting volcano more like

@primmiemoo ...i didn't go to 'safari supper'....bunked off to watch city on sky

 

[Bob the beef]

Phew, 3 women under the same roof with you, all those hormones It must be like sitting on a timebomb

Understatement of the year
Sometimes the dog is the only friendly face in the house

 

[le bon paysan]

Understatement of the year
Sometimes the dog is the only friendly face in the house

Are you me?

 

[primmiemoo]

Never thought of it like that before.

Plaiting manes and tails = no problem.

Painting and applying glitter = questionable, imv.

Clubbing =

 

[spin cycle]

so sunday was fun....raining first thing but mustn't complain.....wilt ewe expired in ditch...teg laid on her lamb...and did the bills.....at least i hadn't got a hangover from celebrating city's promotion...i'd drunk a whole bottle of schloer and not felt a thing...perhaps i can still take my drink

this morning phone rings..'it's 7 o clock' mum chastises....'i know i'm coming' i reply...what i havn't told you is we think mum's got broken bones in her foot from her fall while back....it's the hospital for us 9am

all is reasonably quiet...feed housed sheep then off...we're a good hour away and traffic on way is bad (for norfolk anyway)....roadworks at lenwade....two lads in reflectives tuck into pasties while the machines...like the traffic...are stationary....there's more construction work at the hospital....watching them wants to rip my fingernails out....for every man/machine moving there are two idle

driving up mum and i discuss the future...i feel like i'm 'clinging on' hoping things are going to turn round....perhaps they will....there's a stewardship roadshow at norfolk showground may 13th...'you must go' mum says...i've been sick of farming for years.....sheep will be my last chapter ....but when..i'm sick of stewardship to TBH....mum is desperate to carry on

Into the hospital....we flow dept to dept....i need the loo.....'blimey can i take that mirror home?'....i'm not photogenic AT ALL....but in this mirror...i'm slim (ish).. tanned....bit o stubble...my hair is a bit 'tintin' but on the whole not bad......my major drawback is i've lost two capped teeth...banned by my dentist for missing to many appointments.....TBH last couple of years have been so difficult i've not bothered to look after myself...i actually now bond with other dentally challenged folk....i wonder if i could 'spin it' as some kinda protest against our 'consumerist, vain society'.....anyhow feeling a little better about myself i take a look around..'OK...i'm thinner than most , better built than the thin ones who look weedy and my tan is good....one thing i am short on is 'ink'....tattoos everywhere'

two hours later the news is good...yes there were breaks but they're healing....mum's broken so many bones she and the consultant recognize each other

driving out we reach the roundabout to join a47 ....there's an ambulance,white van and two police cars...looks like ppl hugging each other....getting closer there are two ppl clinging to a third who looks ready to jump off the flyover.....clad in a grey tracksuit/hoody...on the edge ..arms out holding the rails ....poor fecker

back home....we've been away 5 hrs we have some minor 'snotage'....cagney is out with her lambs...somehow...a teg simply jumps in/out at will......it's easily fixed..in the trailer and next village to our securest field

home ...sod it

 

[Cab-over Pete]

Glum day here spin.

Took our two piggles to the abbatoir. Rubbish.



Got home and two faces were missing over the gate. I hate days like today.

 

[spin cycle]

Glum day here spin.

Took our two piggles to the abbatoir. Rubbish.



Got home and two faces were missing over the gate. I hate days like today.

....and we do it because....'like' is to cheer you up

 

[Cab-over Pete]

You’re a good’un.

My lad was proper sad this morning loading them up.

I hope the crackling is good!

 

[spin cycle]

everyday i have a little target of what i want to achieve....today it was take our bag of dead sheep to knacker yard (fakenham) and get a new pressure washer ...little hobby one will do...last one lasted 7 yrs....then wash out my ibs ready for watering....problem is i don't feel 100% and fuzzy headed

anyhow off i go....thru fakenham....see 'mrs fallen stock' and 'boy fallen stock' in van heading away just at last roundabout....then i find a gate closed+ locked...WTF...normally we can just drop off....'OK james...not a disaster...go get pressure washer then try again... perhaps they'll be back'......get into store...select power washer...till....WRONG FECKING CREDIT CARD,,,instead of the farm one i've got my personal one...and guess what...because it's new it's not valid until 1st may

SO...it's 10:30 i'm parked right out of the way in b&q car park with a load of 'ripening' sheep that so far have travelled around fakenham a couple times...my headache intensifies....back thru fakenham again...gate still locked but someone else is waiting....i approach..'he'll be about half an hour' the chap says...we wait....every now and again a jogger or dog walker comes past....'oh feck are they going to pass out or gag' i cringe....eventually 'mr fallen stock' arrives and we get on....apparently new defra chap is giving 'mrfs' grief....'he reckons none of the other ministry men are doing there job properly...he's a right pain in the arse' 'mrsf' recounts 'still it is what it is'

back home...trailer off...grab some banking....right credit card....back to fakenham...pressure washer...home...lunch ...paracetemol....fall asleep til 4pm

outside...i'm determined...i'm gonna get those ibcs washed....quick look round first..suffolk x drops a 'rat in a bag'...fortunately i'm there to save it.....pen her up...then on with ibcs....finally finished...'rat' up and sucking...headache gone...home

 

[ThatsSomeSheep]

everyday i have a little target of what i want to achieve....today it was take our bag of dead sheep to knacker yard (fakenham) and get a new pressure washer ...little hobby one will do...last one lasted 7 yrs....then wash out my ibs ready for watering....problem is i don't feel 100% and fuzzy headed

anyhow off i go....thru fakenham....see 'mrs fallen stock' and 'boy fallen stock' in van heading away just at last roundabout....then i find a gate closed+ locked...WTF...normally we can just drop off....'OK james...not a disaster...go get pressure washer then try again... perhaps they'll be back'......get into store...select power washer...till....WRONG FECKING CREDIT CARD,,,instead of the farm one i've got my personal one...and guess what...because it's new it's not valid until 1st may

SO...it's 10:30 i'm parked right out of the way in b&q car park with a load of 'ripening' sheep that so far have travelled around fakenham a couple times...my headache intensifies....back thru fakenham again...gate still locked but someone else is waiting....i approach..'he'll be about half an hour' the chap says...we wait....every now and again a jogger or dog walker comes past....'oh feck are they going to pass out or gag' i cringe....eventually 'mr fallen stock' arrives and we get on....apparently new defra chap is giving 'mrfs' grief....'he reckons none of the other ministry men are doing there job properly...he's a right pain in the arse' 'mrsf' recounts 'still it is what it is'

back home...trailer off...grab some banking....right credit card....back to fakenham...pressure washer...home...lunch ...paracetemol....fall asleep til 4pm

outside...i'm determined...i'm gonna get those ibcs washed....quick look round first..suffolk x drops a 'rat in a bag'...fortunately i'm there to save it.....pen her up...then on with ibcs....finally finished...'rat' up and sucking...headache gone...home

Hope headache improves.

Quick question (if I may) - how long do you run the tups with your yowes?

TSS

 

[spin cycle]

Hope headache improves.

Quick question (if I may) - how long do you run the tups with your yowes?

TSS

well thats quite a technical question....in theory the tups are in 6-8 wks....in practice...with the 'help' of rougue tup lambs most of last year

this is a 'comedy sheep farm' though ...i'm kinda getting used to it now...all lambs get a spray letter code for month of birth

edit...i'm beginning to wonder if i'll be selling first fat lambs before i've actually finished lambing

 

[ThatsSomeSheep]

Thanks @spin cycle - certainly makes for a great thread.

TSS

 

[primmiemoo]

~~~ spray letter code for month of birth ~~~

Brilliant idea, and we've all had to do something like that at some point

Hope the headache has gorn away. "Ripe" sheep have been known to do the trick!

 

[spin cycle]

'K's middle daughter got married this week so she's been off...it's given me a good chance to look round...wean some more orphans....lost one today.....i'm off the pace with their hep....usually when doing main batches i have some left over and use it up on orphans....but not had many spare doses....best thing is get a 25 dose especially.....trip to mole country stores

my little karcher washer is really good....i wash the ifor out..i carry it around 1 handed....3m hose perhaps a little short....i could buy an extension.....wouldn't that be handy if everything that was short could lengthened as easily....
second thoughts it would only be a nuisance dragging it around....things can be to long perhaps

i'm hailed...mum to glaven for bath....i'm made to wait....lady brings me out a donut though

back home i'm forklifting the ibc's about to various fields though not a lot of water is being drunk.....then i look thru the few remaining ram lambs........one is recovering from leg break.....3 are splitters....3 are ok.....there is an eighth but i don't know where it is.....that bodes well.......the abbatoir want the 6 though

ewe lamb needs a hand.....lunch

now lets get our heads around my tupping fiasco.....i obviously had a rogue ram lamb in with the ewes aug/sept....TBH he threw some nice lambs.....he was obviously found/removed when main tups went in....tups moved round...confession my exlana x and nz suffolk tups are still in with older in lamb ewes......MEANWHILE....i had a beltex in with my 30 selected replacement ewe lambs...this was thru december though....now i thought all the ram lambs had been taken out to fatten separately.....but obviously one was still at large ...him being responsible for my fattening ewe lambs becoming preggies.....this second rogue is throwing rather big dopey lambs.....whilst the beltex is throwing small but vigorous.......the latest lamber is in the former category....the mums a bit...well...cr ap.....all the lamb does is bleat....even while i'm bottling him...in the end i spend a few minutes distracting her while pointing him in the right direction....he's so fecking dim though

check sheep in next village....blue spray couple of ewes feet...but otherwise good.....last thing put fert spreader on......couple bits of grass need N and hopefully some rain in next few days