Month: March 2007

Categories
webcams

When I went to feed the Ewe lamb this morning…

When I went to feed the Ewe lamb this morning, I found it dead, I fed it late last night, Normally when I go to the barn the lamb knows I will be feeding it, and comes over to me, last night I had to pick it up, it was snuggled into the Ewe, and very quiet. It took the feed, but it was not well. It was born on the 3rd of March, our first lamb born on the farm. For over a week I thought that it may not survive. Although I was feeding it, it was not growing and was not a lot bigger than when it was born. I don’t think that it could have got all the colostrum that it needed at birth. As I said when the lambs were born, it is unusual for Portland to have twins and may not have produced the colostrum for two lambs. Without colostrum very few animals of any species will survive.

The Ewe has been lying next to the dead lamb for most of the day, other than when it sees me, it then comes to me and turns back towards the barn, as if it wanting me to go with it. I will leave the lamb with it until the Ewe realises that it will not follow her, if I take the lamb away and put the Ewe in the field with the other sheep, she will only return to the barn looking for her lamb. It always saddens us when one of the animals looses their off spring, for the way they act, you know that what ever feelings animals do have, they must have in some way, a feeling of lose.

At about 6.pm I went to see if the Ewe was still with the lamb, we had left the barn door open so that she was able to leave when ready, she had gone. I went to see if she was with the other sheep, she was. It was sad, she was running from lamb to lamb to see if any of them were hers. Whilst looking I found a last years Ewe lamb caught in the bramble, she was well and truly stuck, and she would never had freed herself.

Walking round the lake today, I saw the first ducklings of the year. A Mallard with twelve swimming in a flotilla. Unfortunately the bull rushes and reeds have very little growth, so there is not a lot of cover for the duckings to hide from their predators. Chances are that none will survive for more than a few days. I cant remember having ducklings on the lake this early, in the year before.

What a day of woe today is. Woody is unwell again. When we fed her this morning she was fine, she ate her feed as normal, all of the nights hay had been eaten, she had been drinking her water, and her droppings were normal. We turned her out as normal, but noticed an hour later that she had been lying down for a long while. On checking her, She was very uncomfortable and bleeding slightly, as if she maybe was starting to foal, far to early, as the foal is not due for another month, and her udder has not sprung. We have given her a pain killer to see if it settles it down, as it did the last time. This is the third time this has happened in the past couple of months, I comes on so fast that it could well be a problem caused by the foal moving into a position that is hurting her. The Veterinary needs to check her a look over to make sure that it is not a more serious problem.

Categories
webcams

There seems never to be a dull day on the…

There seems never to be a dull day on the farm. One of our horses, Branston a colt, has learnt how to open a gate inwards, it allows him to get out of his enclosure and cause havoc, where ever there are other horses. Without us realising, he has been doing it for a few weeks. We have been blaming each other for leaving the gate open. Today we caught him at it. Branston is only two, you would not expect him to be doing that at his age. He would not have learnt it from another horse, he would only have seen us opening the gate inwards.

On the other occasions that Branston had got out, he first goes to Arnie’s paddock, where Lady, Woody and Breeze are also turned out in the day, after a few menacing threats, that makes the mares run riot around the paddock, Branston realises that it would not be wise to have an argument with Arnie, and trots up to Smugglers paddock, further up the farm drive. Smuggler is a four year old colt, about the same size as Branston. They have a argument across the gate, biting each other until I managed to catch up to him, to chase him back to where he belongs. Before I could get into the position to chase him back, he decided to leg it further down the drive, towards the road. I managed to get in front of him, to turn him back, by running round the lake to cut him off.

As I got Branston back to his paddock, I could hear horses behind me, when I turned I could not believe my eyes, there was Smuggler and his paddock mate Sunny, running so quick toward Branston’s paddock, I could not get time to close the gate. I turned Sunny but Smuggler got into Branston’s paddock, a situation you really don’t want. Two unfamiliar colts are very liable to hurt each other. Branston at his age would initially be very submissive, but Smuggler you just don’t know what he would do, if he decided to start attacking Branston, Branston would retaliate, where it would end, you can never know. There was a lunging whip leaning against the wall. Cracking the whip, a lot of running around and shouting, we managed to chase Smuggler out of Branston’s paddock. After blocking the drive to stop Smuggler from running up the drive, towards the road we got him and Sunny back into their paddock. We never make a mistake in tying Smugglers gate. I can only think that Smuggler or Sunny had been playing with the tie, when Branston was at the gate he push it slightly open, allowing Smuggler and Sunny to squeeze through. Fortunately none of the horses got hurt, but it was very close.

Don’t make to much of Lady not being rugged up tonight. Although the excitement of the colts getting out, could bring the foaling on, I left the rug off as it is not that cold and the rug was nearly over her head last night. I don’t like to strap the rugs up around the legs, to keep them on, so near to foaling, if you miss the foaling there is a chance that the foal may get caught up in the straps. We are waking every hour to make sure she is OK, although I reckon we are awake more than asleep, we seem to be more tired when we get up in the morning, than when we go to bed. The sooner she foals the better

Categories
webcams

There were more lambs born over night and today unfortunately…

There were more lambs born over night and today, unfortunately none were able to be viewed on camera. We were concerned that the Foxes had taken a lamb last night. As I was coming back from feeding the Badgers, I heard a fight going on between the Foxes, how many were fighting I don’t know, but it was the worse Fox fight I had ever heard. It was coming from the area very close to where the Ewes and Lambs were. I could only imagine that the Foxes had taken a lamb and were fighting over it. This morning I could only see one lamb with Minty and of course thought that one of her twins had been taken. Checking the Ewes and lambs this evening, we found Minty with both her twins lambs, and could not see any others missing. What ever the Foxes were fighting over so fiercely, I cannot imagine.

Four pairs of Buzzards have been flying above the farm today, it happens every year. They must be marking out their territory for the coming breeding season. It varies from year to year how many pairs fly above the farm. A few years back their were fourteen pairs. Some years they return for four or five days, flying and gliding in the thermals for hours at a time. Only one pair stay in the area of the farm, the way they hunt the valley, they must nest in the woods, but I have never found out where. It is good to see the Buzzards around the Farm, and they let you they are, with there call.

Although the Buzzard is about two thirds of the size, and has different colouring of that of a Golden Eagle, for those who have only seen the Eagle in a book, they could be excused for thinking that a Buzzard may have been an Eagle. I remember some years back that our local newspaper reported a Golden Eagle sighting, within a mile or so from the Farm. I cant believe that it was not a Buzzard, and surprised that our local newspaper would not have questioned the sighting.

We managed to knock a pole into the lake today, we can now find a branch to push into it, hopefully to make a landing site for the Kingfishers, to fish from. I had to get into the boat to help my lad keep it still as he was unable to stop it from moving, to be able to knock the pole in. I had it on camera, thinking he would be doing it on his own. Fortunately I was out of the sight of the camera when we had finished, for when we got to the bank, my lad got out first, and decided he was going to act daft, I have a better word, but you would not want to see it. I was sitting in the back of the boat, when he got out the boat it was well down in the water, he pushed the boat away from the bank so hard that the back started to go down, how I did not finish up in the water, I don’t know. You would not want to know what I called him

Categories
webcams

It seems that the diary is all about sheep this…

It seems that the diary is all about sheep this week. One of the Texel Ewes, Minty decided that she was going to lamb in a great place to watch the lambing on camera. Whilst in labour, one of last years Ram lambs tried to mount her. I went to try to catch the Ram, so that it would stop bothering the Ewe, unfortunately when I went up the field to try to catch it, it got away. Actually it was not quite like that, I managed to grab it by the horn, I straddled across the Ram and got it laying down to get in a better position, so that I would be able to lift it on to the quad trailer. I was down on my knees still straddled over the Ram, thinking that it was calm, it suddenly got up and made a dash for it, as it did so, it lifted me up, so that my feet came off of the ground, taking me for a good few meters ride, until I fell off and finished flat on my back. It didn’t give me another chance to catch it.

During the lambing I moved the camera into a different position as the Ewe was having a little trouble lambing, the lamb was coming out in the wrong position and I needed to push it back and turn it in the correct position for delivery, it turned out to be very easy and I could have left the camera on the Ewe, but if it had gone wrong, which it can, it would not have been pleasant to watch. The Ewe had twin lambs, they are feeding and doing very well. We will have to watch out for the Fox, searching for the after birth as they did yesterday afternoon.

I went and looked around the Ewes that had not lambed yet, by the way their udders are springing, a few more will lamb over the next day or so, if poss I will show them on camera again, of course it depends if they are in view of the camera.

All the lambs that were born yesterday are doing well. The Portland had lost her lamb this morning, she was running around bleating in panic, we thought that a Fox may have got it last night. She eventually found it and has not left it all day.

Categories
webcams

There are new details about the Ghosts on the Ghost…

There are new details about the Ghosts, on the Ghost Cam page.

We finally got the straw into the lake today, as some of you may have seen, but what a performance. The netting bags had been left in the water by the bank since last week when we were doing it, being soaked through, they should have sunk, with the weight of the wet straw and the attached concrete block. No such luck, we pulled the bags to the middle of the lake and they still floated. My lad was clowning about, not knowing he was on camera, he had not bothered to turn the boat over, to get rid of the water in the bottom. To stop his feet getting wet he decided to paddle the boat, standing on the seat. How he managed not to have fallen in the lake, I just don’t know, the boat was rocking from side to side and looking very unsafe, at one time he reckoned he was going for a swim. Eventually I told him that he was on camera, he wasn’t best pleased.

We had to pull the bags back to the bank, attach another block and try again. With so much weight, my lad was unable to paddle the boat and pull the sack and weight at the same time, all that was happening, was that he was pulling himself back to the bank, from where he had started from. Because of the weight he could not hold the sacks, weight and paddle at the same time, we thought about putting the whole lot in the boat, and tipping it out, when we got to the spot where we wanted it, chances were that as he tipped it over, he would have gone in with it, if the boat had not sank with the weight in the first place. In the end we attached a long length of baler twine to the bags and weight, and paddled the boat across the lake and pulled the twine to drag the bags and weight across the bottom of the lake, to the spot we wanted it. It was a performance, but no real hardship, as it made a change to be working on the lake.

It was a good day to do it, the sun was shining and it was very warm. You may have seen the Geese fly in as we were working, a few fish were at the top of the water, and there were plenty of waterfowl about.

I should think that the Geese who did land today, will be those who will nest on the lake. The Goose was on the island inspecting it, with the Gander watching, as he swam about. I don’t hold out a lot of hope of them raising a family. I tried one year to chase them off of the lake, but they just kept coming back. I don’t suppose it will do any good, but I will put a small wooden slope from the water to the island bank, they may then take the goslings back on the island of a night, that will stop the fox at least.

Categories
webcams

Three of the Ewes lambed today two sets of twins…

Three of the Ewes lambed today, two sets of twins, one set by another Crossbreed, another set by the Dolly the Texel Ewe, another Portland also had a single lamb. I put the camera on them this afternoon, you may have seen two Fox sniffing around Dolly’s pair, and Dolly chasing them off. I should think that the Fox were a pair with cubs, we see them most years in that area with their cubs, hopefully we will catch them on camera in a few weeks time. It is unusual for the Fox to take healthy lambs, that are on their feet. The Fox may take a weak lamb and sometimes a lamb that is being born.

I think this would be the first lambs that the Texel Ewes have had. They were orphaned lambs and hand reared by a child. They are quite old and it is nice that they have had lambs. Most we have named, Dolly, Minty, Cranberry etc. They are very friendly and will feed from your hands.

We walked down the valley before we put the Ewe and lamb in the barn tonight. When we went back to put them away, we found them waiting by the barn door, Ky who had run on in front, was sitting by the side of the lamb. I reckon Ky thinks the lamb as a playmate, or maybe dinner. The Ewe looks forward to coming in of a night, and is making sure she is not forgotten.

I bottle fed the lamb late last night, somehow without me realising, as I left the barn, the lamb managed to squeeze itself out of the barn door. The Ewe let me know by bleating, I quickly looked around the barn, not seeing the lamb I went out to look for her, there was the lamb running to the paddock, were they are put in the daytime, without a care in the world, not caring if its mother was with it or not. It would not survive out on it own, the Fox would soon get her, still being weak.

Ladies udder is very large, with a little waxing of the nipples, I wouldn’t swear to it, but it looks like she will foal anytime. The Broadband connection went down just after 1.am, when it goes down, even for just a second, it turns the webcam sending signal off, I have to turn it back on manually. If I had known, no doubt I could have reset it immediately. It sometimes happens for a few night in a row. When I check Lady I will make sure the webcams are working, hopefully then they wont be off for long. I may even change Ladies camera over onto the Denbury Farm, camera one. Check it out if the foaling camera is not on.

Categories
webcams

There is a new posting on the Ghost cam page…

There is a new posting on the Ghost cam page.

Today you may have seen three of the Portland sheep on camera two fighting. Two of them are Ram lambs that were born last year, they are being a bit brave with the flock Ram, trying to take over, but he is a bit to cute and strong, even with two of them trying it on. They are bit to young at the moment. The older ram is getting a bit old now, he is what is known as broken mouthed, meaning that he is loosing a few teeth, as time goes on he will not be able to eat as well as he should, he will then start to loose a little condition, that is when the younger Rams will have their chance.

A new lamb was born last night, to one of the cross breed sheep. It was a bit of a surprise, as it was brown and the Ewe is white, the father, is the white Portland Ram, so the colour is a throw back from the Ewes cross breeding.

The farm next to ours have their Ewes and lambs out in the fields, it is good size flock that would need a lot of work throughout the year. It looks like most of the Ewes have twin lambs. As the lambs get older they tend to to get into little groups, playing and chasing around the field, good to watch.

A couple of days ago an entry from the US, on the forum said that that one of the Badger was still limping. As I am writing this entry I am changing between camera one and two, there are ten Badgers feeding, six on camera one and four on two, but I have not seen the one who is limping, they all seem fine.

When we went on our walk down the valley today, with Tass and Ky, we went further than the cameras view, disturbing the three deer that have been feeding on the valley camera of a nighttime. Looking at their hoof prints, there is a lot of activity. Because of the distance we would need to run the electricity wire, it would be very difficult to get a camera set up, but it would be an interesting site, I will look into it tomorrow.

Categories
webcams

With the Clocks going forward tonight…

With the Clocks going forward tonight, the Badgers will be fed at about 8.pm tomorrow

The Blackthorn trees started to flower today, for me a sure sign that spring is on its way. The trees delicate white flowers bring the hedgerows alive, after the long winter. Although the flowers last for a very short period, they are a delight, on dropping they leave for a short time, a white carpet on the ground.

The tree has had many uses over time, the flowers and autumn berries were said to have medicinal uses, the flowers as well as other uses, was said to make a pick you up tonic, the autumn berries were used for tummy upsets, with lots of preparation a syrup could be made for jams etc.

The wood was used for walking sticks, pegs and rake teeth. Because of its medicinal uses the tree was also associated with Black Magic. The main use on farms now is that it helps make, with other trees and shrubs, stock proof hedging to stop you animals from straying.

I am still having to bottle feed the remaining twin lamb. Although the Ewe has milk, she is reluctant to get up when the lamb needs it. The lamb tries to get to the udder when the Ewe is laying down, pushing as hard as it can to get in between the Ewes hind leg and belly. The Ewe just wont help her, although this evening when they came in, the lamb seemed to have a full belly, so it may have got more milk today.

The lamb knows when I am going to feed it. when it sees me it runs towards me bleating. Quite obviously it wants the feed, but it does not take the bottle very well, it tries to suck it from the side, it doesnt seem to get a lot that way. I struggle with it to make it take it properly, when it does it gets a full feed.

I am not convinced that the lamb will survive, there is a good chance that it did not get all the colostrum that it should have, when born. It had an infection to its upper eye lid, it was not very pleasant getting it sorted out. It looks a lot better now and should heal.

Categories
webcams

The Veterinary came today to check out the broodmares I…

The Veterinary came today to check out the broodmares. I had changed the camera over so that it could be seen, unfortunately the sun was shining into the stable and the picture whited out.

Very often mares get badly torn vulva’s and around that area, on their first foaling. Many studs have their mares vulva’s cut to stop any serious tearing, and stitched after the foaling, the restitching of the vulva makes it necessary to have the vulva’s re cut just before any future foaling. I always try not to have them restitched, after foaling we check the vulva area, if it is not torn and clean we let it heal naturally, it saves the mares any stress when they have their new foal at foot.

At last years foaling neither Lady or Woody needed restitching, but I have them checked out before this years foaling to make sure that the vulva did not need re cutting. Lady was fine and she was not re cut. Woody had closed up and had to have a small incision, after having a local anesthetic. Woody has no problem with the Veterinary, and takes any treatment by them without flinching. Lady is completely different, on any new Veterinarians first visit, even without any indication it is a Veterinary, she knows. I normally let Lady and Woody walk themselves into the stable, Lady will never let Woody leave her, and follows her without fail, not today, she saw the Veterinary and legged it in the opposite direction to Woody and the Veterinary, she didn’t need a lot of chasing, but for sure she knew. Now we just have the foaling to look forward to, and having to wake ourselves all through the night, until Lady and Woody foal.

We managed to put a new Squirrel feeder in place today, near where the Badgers feed on camera two, I saw a squirrel there yesterday. with a bit of luck it will find it soon. I may need to put a bird feeder close to it, for they seem to find the bird feeders first, although I should imagine that the Squirrels have been feeding on any left over Badger food from the night before.

Categories
webcams

Over the past two weeks there has been two Squirrels…

Over the past two weeks there has been two Squirrels feeding on the birds sunflower hearts. At the end of last summer the Squirrels disappeared and stopped using the Squirrel feeders. They had used the feeders for nearly two years up to then. We did not even see them about, maybe they had got a disease and died, we could not imagine what had happened to them. Although we had a very dry summer the hazel nuts were very large, maybe they had plenty of feed stored, and did not need to feed on the peanuts in the feeders.

At about the time they disappeared I had obtained various items to make a squirrel obstacle course, I had been planning it for a few months but never got it up and running. If they stay for a few weeks now, I will start it up. I have seen one Squirrel near the Badger sett at camera two location, that looks to be an ideal site.

I don’t know why I encourage Squirrels, they are very destructive to trees, especially saplings and the younger trees, they eat the bark, this kills the trees. They also raid bird nest for their eggs, all in all they are a menace, but a lot of people do get enjoyment watching them at the feeder, lifting the lid of the feeder to get the nuts out. They also remind me of rats, they are one animal that I hate, I cant even bear to look at them, if I see one I run as fast as I can in the opposite direction.

When our Springer Spaniel, Jade was younger she was a very good ratter and would dispose of them within a few seconds. On one occasion someone had left an animal feed bin open all night, I went to feed the animals and there was a rat in the bin, I screeched, nearly had a heart attack and ran. As normal Jade had heard me and knew instantly it was a rat, she jumped into the bin, by this time the rat had buried itself in the corn. Jade was nosing about in the corn trying to find the rat, who in turn bit her on the nose, did Jade yelp, she was having none of that, she got the rat and where normally she would dispose of it instantly she played with it in revenge for the bite. She is to old and slow to catch them now. Fortunately now we don’t see many rats. Just as well, for Tass is not a very good ratter.

It looks like Lady will have the Foal any time in the next week. The Veterinary is coming tomorrow to check her and Woody out, I will let you know tomorrow what his thought are.