Scrapper can look cute too.. sometimes.
Snow looks cute, sometimes, not when Man Meets Snow though. Then snow loses its lovely smooth forms and is knocked into shape, just not a shape I like. 
Yesterday was very cold, after the weather had got over its problems at dawn it rose to just above 0F. So we stayed in and bottled the beer. 52 bottles. I can taste them in a week.
Not that anyone in the barn was neglected you understand.
I had fully intended to take a shot of Meadow, so you could see how high and proudly she is carrying what can only be twins. And Minty looked a little hefty yesterday too. But Mama was in the mood for the limelight. Her breath caught in shafts of sunlight.
It was very cold. Last night was even colder.
Good morning. Yesterday the lady who comes to help me now and then and who Knows About Breeding Pigs came out to have a look at Sheila. She will help me with the injections and AI. She just loved Sheila and thinks she is a very fine looking pig. Tall and shiny. Sheila was on her best behaviour and did not try to chew on her pockets looking for treats. This good woman is as determined as I am to see her bred. And she brings considerable experience with her. First Sheila needs to finish her antibiotics. Then go on my probiotics for a few days then we will proceed.
6.30 am. Dawn. Minus 12F (-24C). I hope you have a lovely day.
Your friend on the farmy
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
53 responses to “The Kat.”
I have one comment about your knocked out snow shapes, they let you get down the lane more easily! It’s been peeing it down here, been back for 4 days and could do with a dry one!
Poor old England.. c
and NW France. Last night the rain was horizontal, running before the gale, and our poor little apple tree was at a perilous angle. Just now the sun is shining so hard that I couldn’t see your pictures on the laptop, but we’re due even more wind and rain tonight.
Good luck Sheila, and I hope all the lambs arrive safely.
Vx
I hope she holds onto those lambs until we climb out of this deep freeze, she was a very naughty girl jumping the fence to get in with her father at the wrong time of year. I hate that horizontal rain, what a winter you are having.. c
Your piles are lovely and white compared to the charcoal grey piles I’m leaving here in New York City. But it is a balmy 27 degrees. It did look like a promising day of blue skies…hope your beer is a good batch.
In the snow world: There is nothing quite as awful as dirty city snow.. morning wendy.. c
That first photo of KAT and cat is pure genius. Well done, C.
This little barrow belongs to my neighbour but seems to have decided to winter over in my barn, One day i must remember to ask her what the KAT stands for!c
I’m glad Sheila’s accoucheuse is going to be female; so much more empathetic and encouraging than Mr Vet’s fat girl comments. Your snow is beautiful, if brutal…
Brutal this morning, yes indeed, my throat is still hurting from yesterdays freezer burn.. c
Oooh, I love learning a new word!
Oh gosh it’s cold at your farm! We are tropical here by comparison (3°C) although we have icy rain today, which is ruining my lovely pristine snow 😦
I adore the expression on Scrapper’s face – it displays such cattitude and reminds me of something I saw earlier today with a cat displaying a look to kill. Cats have the best “killer” looks.
I hope between you and your friend that Sheila gets to be a mum and smile down on her piglets. She is a really lovely pig and it would be a shame not to pass on those genes. Fingers crossed that all goes well for her.
We will hopefully get a warmer spell soon too for the procedure, it is just too cold at the moment.. c
Good morning Cecilia. What shots do you give your sheep? The people who owned the mothers of our sheep gave their sheep injections so they wouldn’t get bloat. Do you find this necessary? I would rather only give my animals what they really need and what is good for them. Also what do you use to worm your animals. I love your approach to how you raise your animals. Thanks, any help appreciated.
Linda in ND 🙂
Hi Linda i don’t give my sheep or lambs any shots. There is one for an over eating disorder that I was encouraged to give the mother 6 weeks before the birth of the lambs, but my animals are on grass, not grain, so I have stopped doing that as well. For the lambs that i am raising for the freezer I do not worm them, they have cider vinegar in their water and molasses and garlic on their mineral whenever I think of it and are carefully rotated through their little fields. For Mama and the older ones I worm twice a year with whatever generic wormer I have or if they are coughing. With sheep it is more important to rotate their grazing spaces. This is why I hate it when they have a winter like this – in the barn like today Hope that helps. c
We always gave our newborn lambs a shot of BoSe which is selenium and vitamin E. Our soils are selenium depleted here in the west and white muscle disease in lambs is common.
Oh and yes I should add that this is only what I do. Not necessarily the right way to do it. It does depend on your conditions, etc, And like emily has pointed out we all do things different ways and my lambs are not on the property long. c
White muscle disease shows up at birth, Celi. Once you see it, you will never forget it.
Never seen it thank goodness..
Fascinating!
That first picture reminds me so much of Canada’s winter days. I am not missing that at all and will take rain interspersed with sun anytime. Especially as the rain here is not cold like it is at home! Sheila will be in great hands between you and the midwife! yay!
I remember the English rain as being very wet but like you say, not cold.. you picked a good winter to be elsewhere.. c
Yes, very helpful. We have had a very cold winter too, so our sheep and goats have been in more than out. Our snow is so deep they can walk out over the five foot fence around their pasture. Marzipan should have a lamb or two around St. Patrick’s Day. She is just beautiful and sweet. What do you do for your chickens as far as worming goes?
I get a gallon bottle of apple cider vinegar and add two cloves of garlic and a chili pepper, every time I fill their water I slosh a little in. Oh and I should add that everyone has DE added to their feed three times a week. Diatomaceous Earth.
Chickens too? How much? I’ve been giving mine the acv/garlic/chilli cocktail since you last mentioned it…..it took a while for them to take to it but are ok now.
Morning Nanette, I add about 1/4 a cup to their feed most every day or at least three times a week, but like the vinegar, introduce it in increments until they are used to it..c
What a sweet name for a lamb!
You have quite a talent for capturing the cold in those shots. It sort of creeps out of the computer screen & I can feel it on my face.
Now as for the beer – how will you sing that song “99 bottles of beer on the wall”? It used to be a standard for long rides that I’m sure drove parents up the wall.
Such a comforting tune! c
I think you’ll either have to make more beer or just start the countdown with 52 bottles of beer on the wall – damn! now that tune’s stuck in my head.
Oh no, it has been in my head now too!! sing the national anthem.. no no, not that one. um.. there must be a way!!
Thank you, you have been very helpful. Sorry so many questions, but here’s a couple more. What does the DE do and do you have to be careful bring animals out in the spring onto green grass after they have had hay all winter. That seems to be so very far away but I’m trying to be prepared. Thanks again Cecilia and I LOVE your blog.
yes you are right about the spring forage, (though I worry more for cows than i do sheep) i usually electric fence hard, or just let them out for a few hours in the afternoon after a belly full of hay. Mostly I need to protect the growth from being grazed too hard too early. The fields have to feed them for a whole summer after all. c
Great to see Mama. 🙂
I love Mama, she is much recovered too.. c
I shall throw my hat in the ring and believe as well that Shelia will be bred. I am sorry for your cold. Every morning I bemoan our weather- a balmy 28′ this morning not getting over 34′ this whole week but then I read your blog and I am given perspective. It is quite a chore to keep my greenhouse warm for seedlings and herbs to germinate and grow in time for our planting season, but not nearly so hard as all that snow and wind!
It is funny how now all you and i really want is a day above freezing!!.. c
Scrapper is very very cute. Has he met Marmalade? I was thinking yesterday how lovely it is for Boo to have a playmate every day with Marmalade. As elegant and wonderful as TonTon is, he isnt playful. And Boo needs some fun. After all he’s not quite a year even.
And yes, it is good to see Mama up close and personal.
Poor old Ton is bullied by Boo, so he does not tend to play with him, strange that such a tough pup can be pushed around by a kitten! Scrapper seldom comes up from the barn so they will have to wait for the summer to meet. c
There is nothing like Cattitude, is there? Total look of distain on Kat.
Is it my imagination, or does the cold do something to the light? It looks clearer than ever. Crystal clear.
It is the snow I think, like having every wall in the studio painted bright white.. c