Just when you think it cannot get any colder

 

We have a routine down now when it comes to the animals in winter.  Because of Mika’s bad hoof, we have to keep her feet dry.  To do this she is spending most of her time in the old milking lean to off of the end of the barn.  So in the morning we go out and water her, feed both horses and scoop poop out of her area.  We both go to work and in the evening we water the horse again, feed both horses and clean out both horses hooves with a hoof pick.  We then use the dogs to push the sheep out of the barn and feed them two bales of grain hay and one bale of alfalfa.  Since we are feeding the two groups of cows a large bale each about every 10 days I push a new large bale in their area for them to eat.  I get eggs every night also.  This takes anywhere from 30-60 minutes every night and about 15 minutes in the morning.  

 

Tonight when Annmarie went out to feed she found a pair of brand new twin baby sheep in the back of the barn!  I knew a few ewes looked mighty fat but I figured we had a little more time.  These are first time mom’s and their cycle is way off of the others.  I am going to have to get all dressed up and go out into the single digit cold to check on the baby sheep.  One was laying down flat in the straw when we left.  We did watch it sit up completely and look around when it was startled so we did not remove it immediately.  Hopefully, it will be just fine and looking around when I go out and check on them.  

I checked on the babies last night before bed and they stood up and walked a few steps to get away from me.  Annmarie said I needed to stick my finger in their mouth to make sure it was moist and warm, but I figured if they had enough energy to get away from me then they had been eating just fine.  

 

Annmarie called me at work today to get me to come home while the sun was still up to feed the animals.  I had one thing to finish, three things later I got out of work at 1610.  On the way home she bargained with me that she would feed the animals if I cooked dinner and did the dishes.  Usually, the cook, does not have to do the dishes at our house.  We were having salmon patties and it is one of the few dishes that I do well and Annmarie has to work at.  I suspected she did not want to make the patties and just tossed in the dishes as an added bonus!  She fed, I did dinner and the dishes.  It was COLD outside.  The newborn sheep are doing just fine.  We are leaving them in the barn for a few days before they get to go outside.