diary of a comedy sheep farm

[spin cycle]

it's not often i'm 'bested' in a battle of wits ( it's my only talent really) but today i was

the day started quietly...no lambs first thing....i wash the lamb feeder up...then decide to get mums order from 'arkwright' before feeding round to give our barn guests peace a little longer.....so there i am checking the order after i've read farming bit in edp..i don't buy it....in comes 'peacock'...as he enters i say to 'arkwright' and 'granville'....' blimey i had a chap help me yesterday and he let all the ewes out'.....'peacock' replies 'everyone knows what your fences are like'...continues...'hey ...why do you have lambing pens all over the place?...why don't you have them in rows like they have on telly?..y'know like a proper farmer'...thats it i'm beat

back at farm mum and i feed despite docs orders to rest foot...'i can't sit around all day' mum says ....she's got a point

mrs spin arrives and gets 'bottlin'....'K' turns up and we worm ewes in pens then dismantle them merging them into mothering up areas...y'see method in my madness....before lunch i take a bucket load of beet down the field for 'spunc'

lunch + nap...i wonder if napping can be considered a hobby.......now i've been following a flexicoil press on ebay locally...i contact seller....he's cagey on vat and it's not at his but on farm...i offer £600+vat....he asks for £850 'cash'.....think i'll walk away

back at farm two ewes licking two lambs...i'm sure one owns both and the other is thieving but she's adamant it's hers...i pen them up..the thief produces twins so i give the other back and thankfully she takes it...the thief produces a third

sitting here in our 'snug' we have 3 lambs.....one rejected poorly lamb....a triplet 'for company'and a large single with watery mouth....despite this i'm in a good mood...we're just on target lambing % wise....30 odd ewes and 30 odd tegs to go ..bit rested...plenty space/hurdles...but perhaps it's more that mum's on mend

curry from melton spice on way...best curry in north norfolk

 

[spin cycle]

overslept today...didn't get to shed til 7am....3 exlana x shearlings...1 with a single....two others with 4 lambs between them but only 1 mothered up....sodding things...sitting in the sunshine with the colostrum bottle wasn't the worst job though

feeding + bottles done...littering round..always look nice after....then bit of fencing..next bunch will go out tommoz...they need to go out now

just before lunch...still swearing about exlana cross shearlings...i find an exlana teg with twins...bless

mrs spin took 'cinders' to hockey tournament at dereham today so spent more cash at mole valley

reheat curry (chicken tikka..onion bhaji..pot sagalou) +nap

back to farm 3:30...hoping for a 'thief' as i've the 'three amigos' penned up in lambing shed....no such luck

bit of work on adopter so machine can do additional 'littley' pen ..'K' + mrs spin doing rounds......last check round...find couple of poorly lambs....so three in hospital + 3 amigos..a yard away from me...all of us listening to smooth radio....which is ok except for the ads for 'tena mens incontinence pants'

more reheat curry for tea (lamb bhuna sandwich)

 

[yellowbelly]

reheat curry (chicken tikka..onion bhaji..pot sagalou)

more reheat curry for tea (lamb bhuna sandwich)

Steady on there, Spin
Too much more of that reheated curry and there'll be no need for 'tena mens' - you're going to need some Pampers

 

[spin cycle]

Steady on there, Spin
Too much more of that reheated curry and there'll be no need for 'tena mens' - you're going to need some Pampers

....at least i won't need the senakot max strength being advertised on radio now

 

[yellowbelly]

....at least i won't need the senakot max strength being advertised on radio now

 

[Spuddler]

....at least i won't need the senakot max strength being advertised on radio now

When they play Johny Cash 'Ring of fire' you know your in trouble

 

[spin cycle]

we have an expression in our family...'doo.wha..at?'...basically its when you're in a zombiefied daze...wandering around doing whats needed but not sure what/why/how...i've been in it all day

so up first thing...exlana x shearlings twins + single...mothering up well....havn't i always said what great mothers they are.....sort them out....feed round.....more feed arrives

take mum to holt docs at 9pm...she's not been taking her AB pills....doc gives her something different....whilst waiting at surgery i 'ppl watch'..but no really interesting 'specimens'

back home...'K' s beavering away...also two wilts had twins...i've no time to help though i need to be down the other docs to pick up mums antidepressants...she's short and 'flakey'....i get some pills but rest arn't due til thursday....fortunately i find 3 pills in a pack she thought was empty...that cheers her up

next it's vet to pick up meds and via fakenham for a haircut....nice laugh in 'gatsbys' ..it's always been a barbers shop....i can remember as a lad going in there and you not being able to see one side to another for ciggie smoke.....it's lunchtime so grab a pizza slice and belgian bun at greggs...the bakery i used to use has gone a bit 'holt' IMO

now mrs spin normally makes yoghurts on mondays at her dads....but 'cinders' is ill and she can't leave her....after i get back all is quiet so i go home to babysit so she can go yoghurting.....'cinders' is better later so i can go back and get on...the feed merchants sent the wrong mineral licks

macaroni cheese for tea...i suffered no ill effects from my reheat curry fest....now to wrestle with some racing pigeon timing clocks...getting them ready for racing

 

[primmiemoo]

Do the racing pigeons have special morning alarms on race days, then?

 

[spin cycle]

Do the racing pigeons have special morning alarms on race days, then?

i shall not be drawn into sarcastic dialogue viz pigeon clocks...'gerry' has just delivered choccy cake so i'm eating that and remaining aloof

 

[spin cycle]

day off from diary today....nothing good/bad /indifferent happened....feeling a bit flat TBH..possibly got 'cinders' bug

 

[yellowbelly]

day off from diary today....nothing good/bad /indifferent happened....feeling a bit flat TBH..possibly got 'cinders' bug

A wee jag of Betamox LA and a squirt of Spectam should sort you out.................


...............this young lady should be able 'to get you going'

 

[Gator]

A wee jag of Betamox LA and a squirt of Spectam should sort you out.................


...............this young lady should be able 'to get you going'
View attachment 781412

Send her here when your done

 

[Hesstondriver]

When they play Johny Cash 'Ring of fire' you know your in trouble

"Ring Sting"

(I don't know what he'd do about it but worth a try)

 

[yellowbelly]

"Ring Sting"

(I don't know what he'd do about it but worth a try)

He might just send 'A Message in a Bottle'

 

[Netherfield]

He might just send 'A Message in a Bottle'

On the other hand he might send 'Fields of Gold'

 

[spin cycle]

got to farm early this morning...i can't remember what lambed...sorted it out then went cultivating ahead of ploughing....i get back to yard to refuel just after 9am....tank empty....just then mum and 'K' arrive in yard with dead ewe....add to that 2 casualties from the 'hospital' and a fat lamb contriving to beak it's leg and the day's off to a shocker

rest of morning is spent on jobs i've been putting off...ordering diesal ......doing the bills

kip this afternoon...i'm feeling rather glum and some of it i think is tiredness and stress left over from mum's 'clot scare' last friday

back later for more lambing and somehow i get plastered in ectoplasm....mind you it doesn't help when you absentmindedly wipe your hands on your jumper

later i'm feeling better...get a batch ewes/lambs in to worm/checkover tommoz....more lambings...i'm shorta bloomin hurdles again

get home and 'her highness' sends us a little story from the school she's teaching at in cambodia.....a little boy always hangs around after school...she asks him why....turns out he lives with his granny and she has dementia...he doesn't want to go home...isn't that the saddest.....she makes him up a 'goody' bag and takes him home

makes me feel ashamed for feeling sorry for myself earlier

 

[yellowbelly]

..isn't that the saddest.....she makes him up a 'goody' bag and takes him home

makes me feel ashamed for feeling sorry for myself earlier

Yeah, this lambing malarky sometimes feels like you're sinking in quicksand but in the greater scheme of things we don't know how lucky we are

 

[spin cycle]

'DON'T GO IN THERE...YOU'LL WAKE THE BABIES'...she doesn't shout but the tone is disciplinarian....mrs spin is telling me not to sit on the sofa and type to you lot cos it's next to our 'hospital' section...5 lambs.....two ready to return to the farm tommoz....bad news is our bin is full of wet newspaper and it was only emptied this morning....we also have piles of newspapers from neighbours after mrs spin put out an appeal at church

today was a 'beast'...i was so tired when i came in i had my tea and went to bed....mrs spin woke me up at 9:30pm to go check....wilt had cracking set of twins....we also had a set of twins born outside today...nothing unusual about that you say?.....well it is if you've turned the ewe out thinking she's lambed

gave mrs spin day off sheep duties...apart from 'hospital'.....i did have 'K' for the morning and 'dude'...littered....jagged some orfy lambs.....wormed some ewes...'K' departs...'dude' goes fencing

i loose an hour and a half getting mums pills and shopping....lunch...only quick though

i remake the orphan pen..it's to small and they've orf to.....much nicer fresh quarters are prepared and tubby bucket added

dude returns....we move some ewes+lambs then with returning 'K' we retrieve the outside lambed ewe...hogg tied in back of mule with 'dude' holding her down,'K' with lambs and me driving...i could've left her out but lambs are tiddly + i didn't like the look of a teat...it's ok though

 

[Cab-over Pete]

Is the end in sight @spin cycle ?

 

[spin cycle]

Is the end in sight @spin cycle ?

sorry am i boring you....i'm an 'artiste' y'know...highly strung