Weaning!

Well, first things first, we bring the mobs in! Mustering now takes place early in the morning or in the evening cool. We do this for two reasons; it's kinder to the sheep in the cool, and it's quicker as they're not slow and thirsty in the heat.

The lambs are drafted off mum, given a booster needle for their vaccinations, drenched to give them the best worm free start possible, and sprayed with Clik. Clik is a pink chemical that is harmless to animals and humans but deters flies thus ensuring they don't get fly struck for a certain period of time. What next?

They get pushed into a paddock (this is a very slow process as they're not bike and pressure savvy yet), this year it's a pasture paddock that we locked up for the winter season. It has oceans of ryegrass and clover (as you can see above) and we've cut tracks through the paddock for them which doubles as our summer hay quota. From here on out we have to monitor the weaners very closely as they do silly things like walking in the mud in the dam or not walking to the dam at all. Funnily enough I watched one voluntarily swim across the dam this week. Very strange occurrence!

Before we wean we go out with the sheep feeder and give the ewes and lambs a quick 'training feed'. This helps in summer time when we have to supplement the pasture that is or isn't left. The lambs learn to pick up the grain and get the idea that sometimes it's ok to chase the ute, not run away from it!

Our other feed option for the weaners is to put them into a small paddock we grow kikuyu (lawn) in. This stays green in our low lying wet country through the bulk of summer and is great for giving the weaners a boost!

Why Cross Breed?

When I say cross breed I'm referring to the lambs we produce that are born of a Merino mother and a Dorsett father. Cross breed can also refer to many other mixes of breeds. The Merino is primarily bred for wool while the Dorsett is primarily bred for meat. By crossing the Dorsett rams over our wool cull ewes (the ewes we don't want to breed from due to bad wool traits) we gain a flock of cross bred lambs. These lambs are quicker maturing than our Merinos and provide us with a summer income as we sell them to provide you with lamb roasts, chops, ribs, you name it! The summer income is reasonably cost free as the lambs only require a vaccination and their 'lamb mark' (see previous posts). They don't need to be fed, as spring is our maximum feed on hand time and they don't need to be shorn if we get them away early enough, so no costs there! There aren't many management costs as they stay on mum for as long as possible. All we have to do is monitor them to ensure they don't get fly blown, keep them in a paddock full of feed and draft off the fattest sheep as they reach the right weight. It's relatively easy money for our farming enterprise as long as they stay in the right paddock. Meat breeds can be rather impressive at working out how to get through fences! 

Boarding their truck, very pleasantly on a Monday morning I might add!

Lovely round little lambs :)

And, the way you see them on the roads.

Cleansing Drops

Some days the world, and all it holds, is just a little to hard to face. On these days, I write. 

Let it rain,

Upon your face,

As you storm through the air. 

Let the wind,

Slow your pace,

As it whips through your hair.

Let the pain,

Pent up inside,

Spill from the depths of your despair. 

Let it wash,

Your tears away,

As you turn to arms not there.

Let the clouds,

Boom and roll,

As the sound helps you bare...

Bare your soul,

To this world,

With each gasp of electric air. 

Let the drops,

Reach inside,

With the cool respite of care.

Let the worlds,

Very own tears,

Touch your soul and calm your fears.

And eventually the beauty brings you back to your senses.