Cows.. Horses... Sheep EIEIO

We are building a little farm. About three years ago, we traded 3 lake view/access building lots for a beautiful 20 acre piece of Spokane County. One day, we'll build a house on it, but in the meantime, we're building the farm. It started with the horses, of course. Then it turned out that we could cut and bale over 130 bales of hay, so we decided to add to our animal collection. Last year we raised 5 pigs and 3 lambs for 4-H. Then Troy bought a steer and a heifer. The steer jumped the fence, the heifer was frightened to death, we placed 430 pounds of hamburger in our fridge and Troy swore he'd never have bovine's again.

That lasted less than 6 months. March 30th, he brought home a 5 day old Black Angus calf and a 2 week old Hereford Heifer. We named them Jaxie (after Rob's friend Jackson) and Isabella (after Cami's best friend from pre-school).

When calves get sick... Let me tell you... 2 inch boluses (pills), trying to shove those down a calf's thoat?? Not fun. Last Saturday. Troy brought home calf number 3. A beautiful Red Angus (possible Seminole cross?) we named Sammy. But we call her Red Bull. She was less than a day old when we got her and she is like a bull in a china shop. She wouldn't eat at first, so I straddled her and fed her between my legs. Now she won't be fed any other way. She bumps my legs and rear, like I'm her mother.

So on to the sheep... We have two ewes, a momma to twins and an auntie. The auntie is very very large and smart. She can open gates and apparantly can open the barn doors. The two of them, and the babies let themselves into the barn last Sunday and ate themselves sick on the grain. So try giving sheep 2 2-inch boluses two times a day... Just saying... You use a long plunger type stick that can hold the bolus and you jam the bolus down the throat more than 2/3's of the way, then press the trigger, then hope they swallow.

And then today, Troy planted 50 lbs of potatoes (Yukons and reds) and a long row of onions... That's my farmer husband... Just saying... I really like him. I always wanted to marry a farmer.