Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Farm Sitting Fun

The Crazies and I have been farm-sitting since Friday, and as usual lots of fun things have been happening. First thing is I've been on CVIS detail for a few days (Cow Vagina Inspection Services). That's my new designation for following a cow around looking for signs of iminent calving. She finally had that calf yesterday so I can relax a bit now. Gotta watch em - these girlz are a bit sneaky about calving... they like to hide their calves in the tall grass. Her calf looks good - nice and healthy, and I think it's a heiffer. Why am I not entirely sure? That would be because she lowered her head and started blowing at me, and I decided that knowing the sex of the calf was suddenly FAR less important at that point.

I didn't have a dog with me either. So I was satisfied to see that it was up (albeit a bit wobbly) and nursing heartily. Mamma cow can take it from there I'm sure. She's very attentive, and the calf seems nice and strong.

Yesterday I used Linc to sort off a few of the yearling ewes to work. These sheep have become very heavy to work so I was trying to get an appropriate group together. My idea was a small group of yearlings to lighten things up a bit.

Linc was a driving machine yesterday. They were a good group, and he really likes to get in back there and motor them along. Things were going well until this one ewe took a belly flop into the creek. I helped her out, and didn't think much about it until she managed to throw herself into a thicket of thorns next (split herself off, and then when Linc went to cover she CRAMMED herself into the thorns). I raised an eyebrow, and after many scrapes, cuts, and bruises Linc and I finally got her out. After that she laid down - and I came to the conclusion that she wasn't feeling well (initially I thought she was just being difficult).

I checked her color and she was pale as a sheet. We were finished anyway so I left her there with her friends and went back to put Linc up and get Nick. We had them in the field WAY up in front of the property... probably a half a mile or more back to the barn. I thought to myself, "oh dang... I'm going to have to carry her." The field is too rough for my minivan, and there wasn't any sort of golf cart or four wheeler for me to use.

Fortunately by the time I got back and sent Nick out there she was up, and he gently brought them back around. I hit her with Cydectin and some NutriDrench, and went in search of some iron dextrose and Vit B complex. There was none there that was usable, so today I picked up some Vitamin B complex, and will be heading down to Julie's to borrow some Iron Dextrose (after work today). This morning I pulled this ewe up into the barn with her lambs, and when I get back tonight I'm pulling them out (she's almost dried up - and they need more nutrition and she doesn't need them pulling on her... and it's pretty much time to wean anyway) and giving her a new friend. I'll also probably hit her with some Valbazen too.

So it turns out that she's one of the ewes (unbeknownst to me) that had bottlejaw a few weeks ago. Poor girl.

So I mentioned I picked up some Vitamin B Complex, right? Today, my friends, TODAY is the day I bleated at a retail person. I walked in and some youthically challenged guy pounced on me as soon as I came through the door offering to help me. The conversation went a little bit like this:

Me: "I am looking for Vitamin B Complex"
Old Dude: "For What?"
Me: "Sheep"
Old Dude: "What?? For WHAT??"
Me: "Sheep."
Old Dude: dumbfounded look
Me: "Sheep. Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Sheep!!!"

Insert childish giggle here.

Old Dude: "Oh. What are you using it for?" (this asked in an accusing tone)
Me: "I have a ewe with bottlejaw and she needs it"
Old Dude: dumbfounded look
Old Dude: "What is it?"
Me: "Vitamin B Complex... it's in injectible form"

From there we went to the dumbass of the month section. Er, I mean to the uh... whatever. He wobbled over to the fridge, and I chirped, "It should be kept at room temperature, so it won't be in the fridge". Yeah, OK princess smartypants. He rummaged and looked around some, and finally walked off mumbling something about finding someone to help me. I chirped (yet again) "Thank you!" as I walked over behind him, plucked the vial off the shelf (that was right in front of him) and headed to the register.

Today, my friends, is the day that I bleated at a retail person.

I might need an attitude adjustment.

6 comments:

Kelly said...

HA HA I have on occasion whinnied at a retail person in the context of "you know a horse, neigh, whinny..."

Kathy said...

LOL You go Laura!! I love it, bleated at a retail person. Some of them are pretty dense.

Chasing The Dog said...

sometimes, you just have to bleet...

Laura Carson said...

OMG, Paige, that would be a HYSTERICAL subtitle to something.

Like...

Crooks and Crazies... because sometimes you just have to bleat.

LOL!

Loretta Mueller said...

Oh I wish I was there to see that happen :-)))))

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