I don't suppose anyone likes cleaning animal pens. They poop everywhere and it stinks, plus we have had rain so the bottom of the hay mess is muck, stinky muck at that. I am fortunate I have a skid steer, which is a little CAT machine that can do lots of things and is very strong. I cleaned the pens the first year with a fork, rake and wheelbarrow and it took all summer. Now one pen takes a few hours, up to 4. Today I did the pig pen, but the pigs are very small potbelly pigs, so it was not bad except the spoiled hay was there from feeding the sheep all winter. And the goat pen was the other pen. Whoa, it was bad. Goats a huge hay wasters. Even with the hay net, they pull the hay out, eat what they want and drop the rest, then go for more. The net is supposed to stop waste. I will write more about that tomorrow after cleaning the sheep pen.
There is no door on the skid steer. When I was helping butcher my lambs, I turned the skid steer off with the bucket up because it was holding a sheep. The hydraulics relaxed and the bucket rested on the door, popping the glass off and bending it a little. I could still close it but the glass need to be siliconed in again. My friend came and took the door, but he has not brought it back and that was a week ago. So with no door the wind blew the dust and crap on me. That was after the cow shit on me this morning.
Barclay, the little Riggid Galloway bull, stepped on a stick or something that went between his toes and piecred his foot a little. His foot was swollen and he was unable to walk for a few days. I poured copper solution on it, which helps with the infection and also to keep the flies off the injury, but I could not give a shot to him. He would not stay down. Then Shona , the little Galloway heifer, got pneumonia or whatever the cow equivilent is. She is the little wild thing, having been orphaned at only 3 months old and having had to fend for herself. She is wary of everything and everyone, and I don't blame her. She was getting weak though and needed help immediately, so I asked on the local Facebook page and a very kind and able bodied young man named Peter came and helped. He haltered and held the cows while I gave them the penicillin shots. It is long lasting so it will be good for 4 or 5 days, hopefully long enough to let them both be on the mend. So, after Barclay got his shot, he pooped and got it on me.
So, now, it is late and finally I can go have a bath and get clean. It has been another long day, ending wtih deworming the dogs. I cooked some of the internal organs of the butchered sheep for the dogs and put the wormer medicine in the broth. The dogs ate it all up and slurped up the juice, except Jenna. I may have to squirt the medicine in her mouth instead but she is the easiest of the dogs, so that will not be a problem. She is in the porch with the rest of the treated meat and broth, hoping she will finish it on her own. I cannot leave it out for her in case another dog overdoses himself by scarfing it down.
Time for bed. Another busy day comes tomorrow.
There is no door on the skid steer. When I was helping butcher my lambs, I turned the skid steer off with the bucket up because it was holding a sheep. The hydraulics relaxed and the bucket rested on the door, popping the glass off and bending it a little. I could still close it but the glass need to be siliconed in again. My friend came and took the door, but he has not brought it back and that was a week ago. So with no door the wind blew the dust and crap on me. That was after the cow shit on me this morning.
Barclay, the little Riggid Galloway bull, stepped on a stick or something that went between his toes and piecred his foot a little. His foot was swollen and he was unable to walk for a few days. I poured copper solution on it, which helps with the infection and also to keep the flies off the injury, but I could not give a shot to him. He would not stay down. Then Shona , the little Galloway heifer, got pneumonia or whatever the cow equivilent is. She is the little wild thing, having been orphaned at only 3 months old and having had to fend for herself. She is wary of everything and everyone, and I don't blame her. She was getting weak though and needed help immediately, so I asked on the local Facebook page and a very kind and able bodied young man named Peter came and helped. He haltered and held the cows while I gave them the penicillin shots. It is long lasting so it will be good for 4 or 5 days, hopefully long enough to let them both be on the mend. So, after Barclay got his shot, he pooped and got it on me.
So, now, it is late and finally I can go have a bath and get clean. It has been another long day, ending wtih deworming the dogs. I cooked some of the internal organs of the butchered sheep for the dogs and put the wormer medicine in the broth. The dogs ate it all up and slurped up the juice, except Jenna. I may have to squirt the medicine in her mouth instead but she is the easiest of the dogs, so that will not be a problem. She is in the porch with the rest of the treated meat and broth, hoping she will finish it on her own. I cannot leave it out for her in case another dog overdoses himself by scarfing it down.
Time for bed. Another busy day comes tomorrow.
There is about 30 inches of buildup of hay and poop, but mostly hay.
Jenna is helping.
the skid steer got stuck many times in the quagmire. It was quite gross but I am grateful it is done, at least for this year.
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