PinkRose Farms

https://zoom.us//regi/tJYtc-6hpjkvGdavzbjawBGdLGTponBKobCU

Have I mentioned that we have 2021 tote bags for sale? We also have t-shirts (short and long-sleeved), sweatshirts, posters, note cards, and enamel pins. This ...year there are two ways to get your gear: 1. In store - go to the Sheepman Supply showroom in Frederick, Maryland and select from the items on display. 2. Online order at https://www.sheepman.com//maryland-sheep-wool-festival-on/ Quantities are limited. We took our best guess on how many to order based on what was sold during last year's virtual festival. On the plus side, this means you don't have to wait for your order this year, unlike last year when everything was done on a pre-order basis. On the minus side, once they're gone, they're gone, so don't wait too long! We get a lot of comments about the shipping costs. Unfortunately, that is just the reality of being a small independent business, like Sheepman Supply. They manage our online sales for us free of charge as their way of supporting the festival. Freight charges are calculated by their shipping software based on the size and weight of the items, regardless of whether you are buying a set of sheep ear tags or a festival t-shirt. Be sure you scroll down through all of the shipping options. You may find less expensive ones towards the bottom. #mdsw2021 #virtualonlinewoolfestival

The Virtual Sheep & Goat Skillathon, to be held in conjunction with the Virtual Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival (on May 1-2) will include five sections: Equipme...nt ID/Use, Breeds, Feeds/Forages, Meat/Marketing, and Fiber. Each section may have multiple parts. The skillathon is open to all. There will be awards for youth competitors between the ages of 8 and 18: Junior, 8-10; Intermediate, 11-13; and Senior, 14-18. Registration deadline is April 20. Register at https://go.umd.edu/2021Skillathon

Learn to improve your growing skills, from your living room in January! Warren County Soil and Water Conservation District is offering a virtual workshop Jan. 1...4 that will focus on "cover crops." Check the attached flier for details, and register by contacting Nick Rowell at [email protected]. Check https://www.warrenswcd.org/ for more helpful agricultural and life improvement programs.

Another way to learn about worms! Members of the American Consortium for Small Ruminant Parasite Control (ACSRPC) have been busy doing podcasts this year. For a... list of podcasts pertaining to internal parasite control, check out the podcast page on the consortium's WormX web site: https://www.wormx.info/podcasts See more

Maaa-ry Christmas from Lilah #merrychristmas #happyholidays #heytheredelilah #loveewe #adirondacks #farmadk

We're getting close to lambing for a lot of people, so I thought I'd share some stuff for the new people. This may or may not be of use to you, but this should... cover many of your concerns for a small flock lambing for the first time. ----- 1. Keep powdered milk replacer, colostrum, and at least two or three nipples on hand before the ewes even start. Pritchard style teats are the easiest in most cases, they screw right onto a soda bottle, but I would highly recommend investing in a bottle with ounce or mL measurements on the side so you know exactly how much the lamb is eating till you learn what a full, happy lamb looks like. Colostrum can be real or powdered, it won't matter much when the lamb arrives at 1:13 Sunday AM. Keep powdered milk and colostrum in glass jars in the freezer if you can, freeze real colostrum flat in sandwich baggies or breast milk baggies for fast, easy thawing. Make sure your colostrum powder is replacer and not supplement. 2. You will need a stomach tube and a basic understanding of how to use it. Premier sells them super cheap. I give them out by the handful to all my new shepherd friends. It will definitely freak you out at first, but this is one of the top 3 best lifesaving devices for a lamb, if not #1. If you can, visit or have an experienced shepherd come teach you how to use it. If not, youtube is a magical place. 3. Staring at your sheep's vulva will not tell you when she will lamb unless there is a lamb coming out. Behavior is a far better indicator, in conjunction with udder development, discharge, loosening ligaments, and swelling. These things are all also dependant on the individual ewe, and first timers, especially yearlings, may not exhibit a single sign till a lamb falls out at the feed trough. Vulvas change throughout the pregnancy and on a ewe to ewe basis, just like in humans. Some ewes are loose as a goose 2 months ahead of time, some never visibly swell till after the lamb is born. There is no need to post a picture of it to facebook. 4. Learn what a normal lamb birth should look like. Again, youtube is a magical place. Look at the diagrams online and learn normal presentation, then learn bad presentation. If your ewe is actively pushing hard for more than 20 minutes, maybe half an hour, and you don't see progress, lube up and go in. Lambs are hard and bony, hooves are soft, placenta is meaty and lumpy, everything is slimy. Do NOT puncture tissues or membranes you can't see or don't know what they are, be gentle and slow, clip and scrub your nails beforehand. A lamb can make it out with one leg back, but not without at least one leg and a head coming correctly. Breech lambs should be pulled as soon and as quickly as they are identified, look for those upward facing toes or if you feel feet and a tail. 5. Keep some sort of in-date antibiotics, a disinfectant, lube, rope halters, propylene glycol, b complex, selenium (if you're in a selenium deficient area), and a lamb booster on hand. These will save your ewe and lamb's lives. Ewes that need serious intervention, like an entire arm fishing around for a lamb, should be administered a shot of antibiotics as soon as everything calms down. Minor pulls don't usually require it. Disinfect your hands and tools before assisting in a birth if you have time, chlorhexidine works well. Lube is good for all things birthing, use a lot. Use a rope halter to tie up your ewe before you try to stick a hand up her because, surprise, she's not gonna like it. Propylene glycol should be given frequently and in high quantity to ewes with ketosis prior to lambing and is frequently out of stock mid-season. B complex is an appetite booster and quick energy, is virtually impossible to overdose, and treats polio as well as a myriad of other things. Lamb boosters are excellent for lambs that are chilled, had a hard birth, haven't nursed successfully, or are otherwise weak or not thriving. I personally prefer Premier's oral baby lamb strength, but many people use other stuff like Survive!, Nutridrench, Rooster Booster, whatever. They can also be given to ewes in distress as an appetite stimulant or energy boost. 6. You will need a prolapse harness or spoon at least once. When you need one, you NEED one. Always have at least 2 or 3 spoons on hand, harnesses are more expensive but very effective and much less invasive. Premier carries them all. Both may need to be used in some cases. Do not expect your vet or neighbor to have one. 7. Leave your ewe alone. Let her do her thing. Interrupting her every time she stands up and lays down again is stressful and annoying. Interfere if your gut says something is wrong, but otherwise, leave her be. Cleaning off the lamb is critical to the bonding process, let her do it. The lamb will steam and shiver if it's cold out. It will cry and fall and flop around like a dying fish. All of this is normal. DO clear the airways as soon as the head is out if your ewe will tolerate it. 8. Don't expect a fresh newborn to nurse right away. They need to at least get their legs mostly under them before the instinct will really kick in, though some lambs come out pretty much ready to roll. If it's truly cold out, like below freezing, it doesn't hurt to help guide the lamb to the teat (or tube a few ounces of colostrum cuz you gotta run to work). They will strongly resist all attempts to force their heads or bodies forward, so you have to lure them. They cannot "smell" milk, they instinctively react to bare skin and warmth and will nudge and look for a teat, usually with their mouths partially open. Use this to your advantage. 9. A full, happy lamb is warm, will usually do a big stretch when they first get up, be vigorous and spunky, have a warm tongue, and be mostly quiet. A cold lamb will stand or lay still, be sunken in around the belly, cry incessantly, stand hunched up, have a cold tongue, and may visibly shiver. The first thing I do when I check after a lamb is born is stick my finger under their tongue. They don't like it. It should be warm, almost hot. If it's lukewarm or cold, the lamb needs to be warmed up. Don't wait for your lamb to be freezing, especially if it hasn't had any colostrum yet. Do NOT attempt to feed a cold lamb. They cannot digest milk if they are cold. Warm them up, feel under that tongue, give a pump or two of lamb booster, fill them up with warm milk, and give them back to their mother. They usually perk right up once they reach the right temperature, very convenient. 10. Your ewes will probably get scrappy in the weeks leading up to lambing. Hormones are wonky, everyone is wide and uncomfortable, you'd be mad too. Human moms understand. Leave them be. They'll work it out, just give them space to get away from each other. 11. Your live-in ram doesn't belong in the lambing shed. If your vet or neighbor needs to come help, he needs to be locked securely away BEFORE they arrive. This goes for young LGDs too. 12. Meconium is almost black, super sticky, and is the first poop they ever have. If you see a water sack with meconium floating in it before you see the lamb, get ready to rock and roll with the lube. Lambs poop in the birth canal if they're stressed and it's a pretty good indicator that the lamb needs help. Break the sack, get the lamb. Similarly, a yellow lamb usually means they pooped on the way out and are meconium stained. This normally happens with larger lambs that hung out for just a second too long in the birth canal and isn't necessarily an indicator of anything "wrong". 13. Speaking of poop, healthy lamb poop for the first few days is neon yellow and super duper sticky and nasty. This is normal. Don't expect your ewes to clean it, though some will. Don't let lamb butts crust up, soak or wipe them with warm water to keep the plumbing from clogging. It will definitely get all over your hands and clothes. You might gag a little bit. 14. Provide the cleanest area you can for lambing and you will prevent a LOT of diseases. At the very least, grab an armful of hay off the round bale and lay it down in whatever corner your ewe picked to lamb in. Spread some fresh straw, whatever you gotta do. This will also keep your lambs toasty warm. Prevention is key. 15. If you have to question whether or not to keep that nasty spooky ewe, ship her. She's not worth it. You will remember this when you're chasing her down at 2 AM on a work night because she up and left her lamb to start a stampede through the fencing AGAIN. Just for giggles, her lamb will be the exact same way when she grows up. 16. Have a gun or bolt gun and know how to use it. You hope and pray that you never need it, but if you do, it's the last resort to prevent permanant pain and suffering. Never keep a suffering animal alive for your own emotions, always choose the best path for them, even in death. 17. There are exceptions to EVERYTHING. Be prepared, read some books, visit other sheep people. Some of your lambs won't make it, usually the ones you invest the most in and despite your best efforts. Be grateful for the ones that do. ----- This list isn't everything you need to know, but it's a good start. Feel free to share if you want to. Good luck, and happy lambing!

Rozlyn is our smallest chicken and the other chickens kinda bully her and don't let her get much food. We found her outside freezing and looking very sad so we brought her in to warm up. Now we have a house chicken, I guess. #rozlyn #housechicken #winter #adirondacks #farmadk