Lauren, at the Vet’s Clinic, handed me the package.
Merry Christmas, Grinch!, she said. Who told you I was the Grinch? I said. She just laughed. Poo, I said as I left. She laughed some more.
Mama (policeman sheep) is suddenly limping badly and has a cough. So first I will worm her. Sheep crop the grass very low to the ground so they collect parasites. This is where Organically Grown differs from Certified Organic. If the garlic and vinegar are not working, I will use chemicals. I have no intention of losing this sheep or letting her suffer. I do grow the animals organically. But my breeding girls sometimes need a little more help. So I will treat them if they are sick. And if she has a foot problem she needs all the help she can get.
And the limp? Mama did the exact same thing at this stage in her pregnancy last season. Same hoof too. It is not hot and smells fine. Smell is a very important tool in farming especially when the animals are in the barn. I was like “Hold her still John, I have to smell her foot!” -he does not even bat an eyelid now.
I cleaned her hooves and trimmed them again. I will treat the gap between the two claws of the hoof with a topical application of an antibiotic, (a jab will not reach a hoof, not enough blood going into that area)to combat any infection and I recommend bed rest. Mia is in the hospital wing with her or she will pine. Sheep do not like to be alone.
Hairy McLairy has gone in with Daisy. They shuffle along well together. Both being big fat brutes! I will take you to visit Mama tomorrow, she will be allowed visitors by then.
This is The Kitchens Garden sustainable Christmas Tree. It is a holly. But you knew that. It is not pretty, has thorns (Grinch-like) and the berries. Kind of self-decorating. (Another Grinch feature) To get berries you need a male and a female Holly. Or one that has been grafted and has both. For the record this is a girl tree! Who knew.. Well, I guess now we both know. We will plant it out in the garden in the spring. Then get a boy Holly to go with it for next years Sustainable Christmas Tree!
John is in charge of the Christmas decorations. He will hang them tomorrow. And I should warn you right now, that all his decorations are Star Trek models. I do not interfere. It is best not to, I have learnt. One year I lazily added stars. Well you should have seen the commotion. I thought it was In Keeping! Stars – Star Trek! But no, Our John is in charge of decorations. Not The Grinch. This is the rule. A strict rule.
Bet you thought I was Not Going to have a Tree didn’t you!! (laughter!).
c
The Kitchen's Garden 
78 responses to “The Sustainable Christmas Tree: Who Let the Grinch OUT!”
You are the “Grinch”… Made me smile your Sustainable Christmas tree… You are amazing as always, with your lovely writing… I am sorry for your lovely sheep, I hope get well soon. But you are very careful about them. And I wonder now your Christmas Tree decorations… Happy New Year for you all in this lovely farm, and Merry Christmas, Thank you, with my love, nia
You have a lovely week too Nia, you are such a good person.. c
Well there’s something you don’t expect to read first thing in the morning….hoof sniffing! LOL Star Trek theme, huh? Works for me! DH says we need one tree for Pooh and another for any other ornaments. The Pooh will be featured soon. 🙂 t
Oh good, I love pooh, poor bear of little brain! c
We still don’t have our decorations out, but I have found the north wall in our living room again. Sorry your sheep is feeling low, but I think sniffing hooves (hoofs?) is not for me, so I think sheep are out for the Farmlet. As for decorating holly trees, well that sounds lovely! I happen to love holly, and I think I might like to try it. However, I would need a crane here… all our holly trees are over 30 feet tall! (two males, one lovely female)
~ Lynda
P.S. Word to the wise… Never walk barefoot under the holly tree. (As with all good lessons I learned this one the hard way.) 😉
OW! I felt that! I bet you can smell if a cow has a bad belly though! Those bovine burps are pretty telling! I love that your hollies have got that tall, hopefully ours will too! c
I hope Mama feels better soon! 🙂
So do I she is not so good this morning.. c
Max is prone to ear infections and I can detect it by smell long before any physical symptoms show. It’s the difference between my treating him at home with a few drops or a $90.00 trip to the vet. And you’re no Grinch! You haven’t the complexion for it — or you one heckuva make-up artist!
I look great for one hundred and six don’t I!.. c
I have three beautiful holly bushes. They are beautiful and normally I would bring cuttings in the house to add to my Christmas decorations. But no…mine are all tightly wrapped in green plastic fencing for the winter. The one year that I forgot to do this they were eaten down to the ground. Deer love holly more than I do.
Very good to know about the deer karen, we have deer too, I shall plant them closer to the house! I guess the bushes recovered?
Yes Celi, Keeping them covered all winter has helped. They have slowly come back but will never have a beautiful shape. All summer and fall the deer munch on the apple trees. I have three hundred of them but only three holly bushes.
Oh no, and they choose the holly.. how miserable.. ! c
Celi, your photos of the holly are beautiful – I love holly and I love the way you write. I almost feel like I’m right there with you. Thanks for sharing!
i Lois, Hope you are having one of the good days.. Love that you dropped in, I shall pop over to your place and see what you are up to.. c
And I thought Holly was something you bought in a bunch at the flower shop, who knew:) I’m eternally joyous that you are having a Christmas tree after all… even a prickly one with Star Trek ornaments:)
ps give Mama a hug for me, poor dear..
I shall pass your best wishes on to Mama, Poor thing, John is out in her pen hanging a new bucket thing for her, so she has company for a while..she is just lying there chewing her cud watching him.. she likes people.. c
beautiful holly shots! Hope mama is well soon!
Thank you Mimo, the best thing about this tree is having it in the house, growing! c
Oh, poor Mama! Hope she’s all better soon…although throwing quads would wear out any woman!
We have several hollies on the property, one right by the front door. There’s no real fragrance when they bloom, but the bees love them! They cover the bush, and the whole thing seems to vibrate…
(I thought I left you a comment earlier – WP seems to have eaten it for breakfast or something….)
Really? Bees love them! Well that IS a bonus, when you get your bees they will be so grateful having those flowers in your garden! c
I have visions of Mama and bed rest firmly in my mind now!! Maybe with a thermometer sticking out of her mouth, clean sheets, maybe a medical chart at the bottom of the bed and then there is the ward decorated with Star Trek characters…… 🙂
And Mia as her ditzy short skirted Nurse!! Son good Claire. c
I hope Mama recuperates quickly. some thoughts, the scent gland between the toes of sheep can get infected. The treatment, apply very minor pressure and the pus will release out, bathe her foot, apply some antibiotic . Once the pressure was released and the scent “gland/canal” is cleaned out, she should be fine. ( False foot-rot is the term applied to that diseased condition in which the lining membrane of the canal at the top of the hoof-which secretes lubricant to prevent friction between the toes-becomes infected so that pus forms and burrows.The opening of the gland will be found in the hoof-head, just above the juncture of the toes, and is surrounded by stiff, upstanding hairs. It sometimes happens that dirt works into the canal and causes irritation; then pus germs invade the affected part and the pus proceeds to undermine the horny wall and destroy the tissues.) Although , you did mention it was not hot… Does she have a temp? Front ot hind leg limp, if it is her hind leg and she did this with her last gestation…think sciatic pressure perhaps…Oh, the worries. Do post on her progress, the next week will be very hectic for me..I will check in.
I love Holly.
Being a Christmas baby and all.
Merry Christmas C.
It is her front left hoof, and yes i cleaned between the toes, can see nothing, no pus or anything, but am applying the antibiotic topically to the area, she went into a new paddock the other day and was caught leaping up and over a concrete pad and straight down into the concrete yards. As an aside Daisy cleared the way for her by finally pushing out the top post in the fence, (old fences!). So I thought it might be a stone wedged in there..
I think your initial impression is probably the right one though as this has happened before, I am following the same protocol as last time and we will see how she is tomorrow. She is locked up in the clean dry hospital pen for now.
Busy time I know and thank you so much for the advice… wish I had you down the road!! No-one does sheep round here not even my vet!
c
She is in good hands….that means the most.
I am feeling very grinch-y this year as well. I love the idea of a holly couple but I do not have enough room in my small town yard for that. I hope your girl gets better soon. I did not know sheep did not like to be alone. My dog is the same way, he prefers to be with us as much as possible.
The variety i bought does not get too big, of course now I WANT the big one!! Yeah, sheep are flock animals they panic when the others disappear. c