12:15 AM, 30 April 2010
cool & damp

The sheep have been getting out at least twice a day and usually more than that every day for the past three days running, resulting in a single farmer alone having to go to ridiculous lengths to get them rounded up. Efforts to patch the way by which they are getting out have not been successful; tomorrow we may be addressing it more determinedly, as there should be two farmers at least part of the day during daylight hours. The lambs attempted to make up for it in the morning by being cute. You be the judge.

The barn cats have discovered the porch! And the indoor cats are not entirely sure how they feel about it. One of the ganders has been attempted to - entirely unnecessarily - keep the cats and anyone else away from the cage in which the goslings are kept during the day so that they get some sun. This bodes well for their future acceptance into the flock of geese, although we'll still have to see. They're now the size of small chickens.


A side effect of the sheep's frequent escapes, aside from sore feet on the farmer's part, is that one of the ewes, Fanta, got into the poultry feed and developed a bad case of bloat. She was found on her side unable to get up; a quick call to the vet for an emergency appointment turned up the definite diagnosis, and to be on the safe side, fecal material was taken away to be tested for worms or other parasites. She's since been getting probiotic gel along with propylene glycol drenching, as she's pregnant, and some nutritional gel for good measure, all of which was recommended by the vet. She's able now to stand on her own and get around and has taken part in subsequent escapes, but is still fairly weak. This has not stopped her from trying to get at more poultry feed; she's now corralled next to the house where she has protection from the elements, food and water, and no access to the poultry feed.

At one point Fanta did make her way into the workshop, where Nibs got very cross and was approaching her, keeping some distance, tail bristling like a bottlebrush. She was shooed out by the farmer and she has been very grumpy, including about taking her medicine.

We rigged a larger shelter for that flock; while doing so the other night, we were privileged to see a modestly sized but very attractive and active bat flitting around, going after insects. Hurray for bats! And here's hoping for no rabies outbreaks.