BARNYARD AND FIELD - SPRING BABIES

Nothing says spring like new life

March, 2010

 

FRIESIAN CROSS MILK SHEEP AT LAUGHING STOCK FARM

 

A couple of miles down the road, good friend Lisa is raising dairy sheep.  This breed is easily identified by their distinctive "rat tail."  Her dairy cow makes too much milk so she decided to try sheep rather than goats because their milk is separates on its own like cows milk but is concentrated and because she really likes sheep.  As Lisa puts it, sheep make evaporated milk.  Lisa isn't milking them on a regular basis yet, but when she does, her sheep will supply her with  milk, butter, yogurt and maybe cheese.

 

BUSY DOGS

   

Lisa's English Shepherds are a new addition.  Izzie and Zeke are brother and sister from two different litters.  Their job is to protect the livestock at night but occasionally they pester them a little during the day.  Camille laughed to see one little lamb decide he was 'outta here' and scramble through the fence. All that running around takes its toll and sometimes the pups put their heads together and take a little nap in the shade.

 

INCUBATORS - PIGGIES AND POULTS

 

Lisa's American Guinea sow is pregnant and her turkey hens are sitting on eggs.  Pretty soon there will be pigglets and poults.

 

THREE WEEKS LATER

 

The piglets are born and cuddle for warmth in the arms of Lisa's daughter and her friend.  

 

Sadly, these tiny black piglets were the last two of a litter of seven to survive a cold snap.  Despite the heat lamp in their mother's stall, the freezing temperatures drove them to burrow beneath their mama where they smothered.  These little piggies followed suit, leaving none.

 

SMALL ENOUGH TO FIT IN YOUR HAND

 

Camille's hand is not much larger than this tiny piglet with its big head and cute little feet.  Raz held this tiny rabbit in his hand and took a photo with his cell phone.  During a work party at The Plant, we uncovered a nest of tiny bunnies.  One of the volunteers had brought her young son and when they saw the bunnies she was astounded.  Earlier that morning, when she told him where they were going, he had asked, "Will there be bunnies?"  Of course, she laughed and said she didn't think so but then, come to find out - there were bunnies!  

 

ALPACA LIPS

Check out the photos we took of Nancy's menagerie on our visit to her farm with Jason and Haruka when we went in search of Manure to use in their fields.

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