Why is Everyone Sick Around Here?!?!?!

The lambs out on the lot

After making 3 doctors visits for Olivia, Verayna and myself in the past two weeks (sinus infections and strep throat) we discovered some worms in Rambo's manure over the weekend and decided it might not be a bad idea to treat all our new lambs.

My nephew Preston with Rambo on Sunday.  This is when we discovered the worms.

Olivia holding the hot pink marker

Now Katahdins are specifically bred to be more parasite resistant, but that doesn't mean that they still can't get worms and therefore need to be wormed every now and then.

All penned up and ready to go!

This was Dustin's first time worming lambs with me, and he was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was.  Especially when you compare it to treating a calf or cow!  He did tell me later that night that next time "Only one of us can be in charge".  Hmm...wonder what he means by that???

Olivia decided to play "photographer" while we were worming.

All the lambs got their hot pink mark on the head after getting treated.  As Dustin said, "the only lamb that probably objects to the hot pink is Rambo."

Olivia petting the sheep after they were done being treated.

Rambo

We brought our 12 Katahdin ewe lambs and 1 Ram, aka "Rambo" home on Monday.

In all of my years growing up on a sheep farm, we never owned our own Ram.  So this is a learning experience for me.  We were advised to halter train him early.  He has a few more weeks to hang with the "ladies" before we will have to isolate him. (Ram's can start reproducing as early as 4 months old!) Here is a photo from tonight, where he got a taste of the halter for the first time.  Olivia loved it, Rambo hated it!  Look at my little girl, she will be ready for the show ring in no time!!!

A man, his daughter and their cows!

What do you get when you cross a little girl and her daddy and and an afternoon on the farm???  MEMORIES!  Olivia, Verayna and I headed out with Dustin to the Horst farm today to check up on the two baby "calvies" and the rest of the crew.  Olivia loved feeding #395 some grass and seeing the calvies that were born at the end of April.  We still have 3 cows to calf, and the next one could possibly arrive at the end of this week!  Watching Dustin share his love of farming and his animals with his girls never gets old!  Is there anything better than being a farmers daughter???

Here Cows! Olivia was repeating everything Dustin said trying to call the steers up to the fence. It was so cute!

Dustin has this steer pretty tame.

Trying to get one of the fat cattle over to the fence.

Here are the cows.  As you can see, the baby calves didn't even bother to get up for us!

Spring Planting 2011

So this past weekend, Dustin finished planting our corn.  He still has some custom work to finish but then it will be on to the beans!  The girls and I took a ride with Dustin Saturday afternoon, they both love to ride with Daddy (and so do I!)

Dustin manning all the controls! It's like a space ship in there!

Olivia and Rayna enjoying their ride with Daddy!

Check out this view!

Clearly-Rayna is concerned that daddy should be making sure his rows are straight!

Ducklings

Well, the hatched ducklings in the kindergarten room moved to their "hotel" today. Hoping that the remaining two hatch overnight. No chicks hatching yet at school or home! I'm hoping they start tomorrow! I can't stand the thought of disappointing those kiddos! I know I can always sneak in sunday night with some from the hatchery, but the kids are thrilled when they actually get to see the little ones work themselves out of the shells. Cross your fingers!

It's time!

After weeks of getting this monster of a planter ready for the field, Dustin finally got to move it into action this afternoon! The girls and I brought Dustin dinner, but we didn't get to see the beast all spread out, maybe next time.

Don't Count Your Chickens...

Well, we had a great Easter weekend.  The girls LOVED all the Easter Egg hunts they got to go on!

Our lives seem to be centered around eggs right now! On Friday, we removed the egg turners from the incubators in the kindergarten class and here at home.  We expect some chicks Wednesday and our first attempt at hatching some ducklings!  I can't wait, I've actually been dreaming about it!

The four eggs with the (p) on them are duck eggs we got from the Knutsens.  I can't wait! I'm hoping we can talk Dustin into keeping a pair around the farm!  Dustin candled them and it looks like we should have a pretty good hatch this year.  We always do a 'back up' at home, just in case something would go wrong at school! I couldn't handle a bunch of sad kindergartners wondering what happened to their eggs!  Wish us luck!