Daydreaming while waiting impatiently!

[NH Homesteader]

I can't even imagine . I have health anxiety, that's like my worst nightmare. I'm glad she has support, I hope their kids are ok

 

[wyoDreamer]

I have friends with a son with similar issues. I knew him through his high-school years and college. He went to college for a couple of years but didn't graduate. Just not for him. He has a good job and an apartment of his own now, though. He still spends his free time playing games on the computer, eats takeout or frozen meals, and doesn't have many friends. And visits his parents every weekend to have mom do his laundry - she likes to make sure his work clothes are clean. He is happy with his life. His parents are satisfied that he is self-sufficient enough for his needs.

My nephew has so much potential it makes me want to cry. But his Dad won't be tough on him and make his son face reality. BIL has non-diagnosed dyslexia, so he had a hard time in school. He associates what he went through with what his son is going through. He works construction and lived with his parents until he and sis married. he had lots of friends to do stuff with and never had to fend for himself.

 

[tortoise]

DH drew blood from ewe lambs to see who is pregnant. One of our oldest ewes is bagged up. I guess she got lucky when our ram escaped in fall. Probably early lambs then. :/ She's not always a good mom, so we'll see. She is the one I nearly sold at auction last fall.

I have been increasingly drawn to zero waste lifestyle. I'm also interested in homemade hygiene and cleaning products with fewer ingredients and known ingredients. I see no reason to tolerate products that make my skin itch, burn, and swell. Not big swelling like angioedema, but enough that I have to take rings off. It will be a slow progress for me - I don't se a point in throwing out what I already have. Will use it up and that gives me time to test out recipes for homemade cleaners to take their places.

I contacted local soapmaker about making dishwashing *bar* soap for me. Interestingly, she has just made 2 test batches and asked if I would test them. heck yeah! She is so awesome, I love her soap.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

A quick and easy dish washer soap: 1/4 C Lemishine, 1 C baking soda. A few drops of liquid dawn. I mix the dry ingredients in a jar, then when it's time to wash dishes, I put about a tbsp of powder and a few drops of liquid dawn in the soap dispenser.

Home laundry detergent: https://www.hunker.com/12004010/homemade-laundry-soap-with-fels-naptha

 

[NH Homesteader]

How many ewes do you expect to lamb? When is your lambing season?

I was told by a soapmaker it wasn't possible to make dish soap because it'll leave residue behind. I would love if she was wrong, so please update with results!

 

[tortoise]

How many ewes do you expect to lamb? When is your lambing season?

I was told by a soapmaker it wasn't possible to make dish soap because it'll leave residue behind. I would love if she was wrong, so please update with results!

We're supposed to lamb in April. We have 3 proven ewes and... 6? ewe lambs / yearlings. OMG. they're a PITA their first lambing. We'll probably put our 3 pro ewes in a smallish pen - the pen we usually use to mix ewes/lambs as we let them out of lambing pens. That leaves use with 5 lambing pens. One larger one could be split to give us 6. It's not best practice, but my best results have been to put ewe lambs in lambing pens at least a week before lambing. 2 - 3 weeks sometimes because the ewe lambs don't always cycle at the same time as mature lambs. Longer or shorter depending on body condition and how many lambs, etc. When we put ewe lambs in the lambing pens they're skittish and wild, and by the time we put them back with the flock they're tame. Feeding grain twice a day sure makes a big change in their attitude!

 

[NH Homesteader]

That is a lot of first timers! Do you shear before lambing? And yes, grain goes a long way doesn't it? Mine wouldn't come near me until they discovered I was keeper of the grain, lol! I almost wish I was having lambs this year. I'll have to live vicariously through you!

 

[tortoise]

When is your lambing season?

Uhm, today?! Ram jumped a fence 3x in October. One of our old ewes (5 years old) had quads today! She has never mothered more than 2. When she had triplets she rejected one. She's not my favorite ewe! But so far she is taking care of all of them. She was fending for herself all day - probably had them overnight. Moved her into a lambing pen with a heat lamp this evening. 2 boys, 2 girls.

That is a lot of first timers! Do you shear before lambing? And yes, grain goes a long way doesn't it? Mine wouldn't come near me until they discovered I was keeper of the grain, lol! I almost wish I was having lambs this year. I'll have to live vicariously through you!

I haven't sheared before lambing (yet). It's best practice, but it's so cold I feel bad for them. This year I was planning to shear before lambing, but our shearer is recovering from shoulder surgery, and it's too cold for me to do it. My fingers don't function in the cold.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Oh gosh! Well I hope she continues to do well! That's a lot of babies.

The woman who got me into sheep (I'm bringing my ladies there for shearing ) usually likes to shear before lambing but the shearing man is coming late this year . She's probably bummed. She has some old man who travels up and down the coast who uses hand shears, I can't wait to see him in action! I guess he's really good. He's also really cheap.

 

[Mini Horses]

Good AND cheap -- can't beat that!! Old guy has probably sheared more sheep than you've ever seen. I'd sure watch as it would be a true professional experience.

QUADS???? Wow, that' kinda unusual for sheep, yes? Good luck with that. Bet they are cute!! Which leads me to -- pics??

I do hope she continues to care for all of them!! That's a lot to feed.