Prototype

This is prototype #1 for our new sheep feeders.  Due to the impending total shoulder replacement at Mayo Clinic for the "farmer",  we needed to find a way to eliminate the use of small square bales which I have been feeding to the sheep.  After extensive research, he settled on this design and made up this prototype.   So far it is working very well, but it has only been in place since Sunday.   The rams got their model tonight with heavier gates to accommodate for their horny behavior.  The five of them around the feeder is about the right number, and maybe the girls will have to have two feeders in their pasture.  It is real crowded if all eleven of them crowd around the feeder when they all get hungry at the same time.   I will enjoy not having to feed them every morning and evening.  They still start up their noise when they see me outside.  They will learn.

It's August Now

Jake and his new invention to cut down my mowing time.   He bought an old Dixon for cheap which the dealer stripped down.    Then he added the hitch so that it towed alongside the mower.     Now, when I get brave enough, I can cut twice as wide on the paths around the farm.

Junior in my new weaving bench.    I don't have a picture of the loom, but I finally got my friend to sell me her loom from Sievers.    It folds up and fits upstairs.    Having her come to visit motivated me to get the upstairs rearranged to make room for the loom.

Little Beaver posing last week.  He is a wonderful little guy except for the marking he was doing around the house.     Hopefully, his "surgery" will take care of most of that.

The boys and two of their three cats.     One is alongside Zippy and the other one is climbing the fence.  The ladder helped when Jake put the new window and the window AC in the  upstairs.     Now I can work up there during the summer.     It was impossible up there this summer.    It is so nice to be able to see out of that window.

 

 

 

Since Memorial Day we have had a real set back in our cattle raising operation.    We have lost three cows and four calves because of large calves that couldn't even be pulled.   Two of the cows had to be put down.    It has been heartbreaking.    We thought we were doing so well.    Our vet says that all of the get from this bull will carry the gene for the large calves which means we will not keep the bull or his offspring.     That leaves us with two heifers from cows that we bought bred to another bull  instead of eight heifers to add to our herd.  -------  This has been a hard pill to swallow.    Hobby farm......my foot!!