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[<eureka AT hctc.net>]

Hi Bill, we fashioned a creep feeder in minutes in the 
corner of our sheep pen using a couple of free wood 
pallets spaced appropriately and nailed to 2X4s angled 
between fence posts. The setup has worked perfectly.

We rescued a blind, black, emaciated sheep from the side 
of the road back in November and thought nothing of her 
sudden weight gain once in our care. Then, right before 
Christmas, she delivered a surprise lamb! At five months 
he is almost as big as his mom.

--Sage
Way out in Texas


On Tue, 22 May 2007 11:54:58 -0700
 Bill Jones <billj AT harborside.com> wrote:
> Well, as usual I got my little flock of 4 unaffordable 
> miniature "lambs" 
> that can barely take care of the pasture there is now, 
> when all goes 
> well.  They weren't as advertised, since one gave 
> birth!!!!  Actually I 
> should be thrilled, in a way, since she had no problems 
> at all, unlike 
> the giant fat ewes I've heard of; it's great to think 
> that some day when 
> I do have a perpetual flock, that they'll be able to 
> take care of 
> themselves so well on their own.  And there'll be a 
> fifth snout grazing.
>
> Anyway, these sheep are always so skittish and so 
> intensely flocking 
> that it's impossible to feed just the dam, especially 
> with the complete 
> lack of facilities here, so I ended up with 3 fat pigs, 
> one skinny ewe, 
> and waist-high grass.  So I've wondered a lot about how 
> to get feed just 
> to the ewe.  The other day I soaked some fava beans, and 
> it's working.  
> They're so large that it only takes a few to quiet her 
> hunger, they 
> rattle in the bowl like grain (unlike tortilla pieces), 
> and I can grow 
> them in large quantities over the winter.  She's 
> aggressively ravenous, 
> so it's easy to toss them just to her.  I've thought 
> about trying thick 
> slices of cooked potato or parsnip (or walnut halves as 
> a special 
> treat).  I've wondered whether parsnips contain the same 
> hunger-suppressing compounds as fennel seed, since I 
> always feel so 
> satisfied after having a bowl of parsnips and cream for 
> breakfast, or 
> any meal involving parsnips.  Fortunately they also grow 
> like crazy over 
> the winter here.
>
> Advice would also be appreciated on how to fashion a 
> lamb creep quickly 
> and economically from things like fence posts, or 
> whatever; it's still 
> impossible to feed just the new lamb.  I saw the dam 
> kick it away 
> yesterday, so at this rate I don't have to worry about 
> its growing too 
> big to fit through the bars!
>
> Bill
> S. Oregon coast
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