There’s never a dull moment in my life, or a spare minute either it seems. I promised the newspaper I would have this week’s tales in on time but that was a bit of a tale as well. Here I am Sunday morning having not written a word.
On Thursday I was thinking about having three clear days off work, without having to go anywhere, but the main worry I had was the mountain of paperwork for the farm and also for the Rare Breeds Trust following the auction.
Dear Richie arrived home on Thursday afternoon. Waking up on Friday, the day just seemed to disappear as fast as the mountain of washing seems to grow. There was firewood to be chopped, molasses and mineral blocks to put out, kidding goats to check, and the vege garden to water. Well, now you know the story.
Last week after drenching, I kept back the ram I had leased as he had gone lame. Typical – I would much rather my own ram had gone lame than someone else’s. I had checked his hoof and found a little piece of wood in it, so I removed it and he appeared to improve through the week. I had also kept back a couple of other lambs to keep him company – one had a lump on the side of its jaw and appeared to have been dribbling green from his mouth. We checked it and it looked like a grass seed abscess that was now better. I think the green was more brown from having his head in the molasses and it sticking to the little beard under his chin.
I said to dear Richie that I thought we should take the ram back as he was better. There was no point in feeding him in the yards so on Friday afternoon off we went into Stanthorpe, delivering the ram and picking up a few bits and pieces Richie needed. Oh yes, on the way back we stopped to look at some pigs.
I had seen a picture of a couple of pigs on Facebook – Large Blacks and Tamworths, it stated, but there was a picture of a Large Black as well as a beautiful orange pig that looked to be fully Large Black. I knew from my time breeding these beautiful pigs that the female line threw oranges pigs from time to time and I had always sold them. Later I wished I had kept some to see how they turned out. Anyway, I called the number and was surprised they weren’t sold. From the photo, I thought they were just weaners.
When we arrived to look at the pigs I was informed they were “rescue” pigs but what I saw broke my heart. The pigs were fully grown, a couple of Large Blacks and one crossbreed, as skinny as a pig can get without dying. The owner was lovely and I believe she did rescue the pigs so this is no reflection on her but I was saddened to think that a specimen of a breed I helped from extinction had ended up like this.
It was late and there was no room on the trailer for two sows as we had put a heap of shelving in it. I said I would think about the pigs and give the owner a call in the morning and with a heavy heart we drove away. I didn’t want or need any more pigs but one of the Large Blacks was terrific, with the huge ears the breed is known for.
This trait is lacking in a lot of today’s Large Blacks and it seemed a crime not to have such a lovely specimen being used to improve the breed. I said to Richie that we didn’t have time to go back. I was going away the following week so we would have to leave them, however, fate decreed otherwise.
I knew I had to take a visit to the vet with Dora to get her anal glands emptied but it wasn’t urgent. However, that evening Dora started shaking her head and kept me up all night with the shaking. I had a look in the morning with a torch and my best glasses but there was nothing I could see – no sign of ear mite infection or anything like a grass seed. “To the vet she must go,” I told Richie. I didn’t want to be away and leave the problem with Kermit’s Angels, who were coming to look after the farm. I said we may as well put the trailer on. And there you have it – the tale of how I have ended up with another two pigs!
The Marshall -Conroy team.
On Sunday the Marshall Conroy team arrived with a team of dogs and a Marshall Junior to help me muster and drench the sheep. Well, in actual fact, I helped them in a very small way as they did all the work while I chatted with Tammy. I was in awe of how this family and team of hounds worked to bring together the “Cunning Sheep”, the “Running Sheep”, the “Fat Lazy Sheep”, the “I’ll get you dogs alpacas” and the “I’ll have my lamb five minutes before you come and get me sheep.”
The different breeds of sheep have different behaviours when being mustered. Merinos run and generally stick together. The Damaras, Chicky and Bronte, and a few other pets know every spot that is hard for dogs to find them and they all go separate ways. The Southdowns are cunning and the Babydolls just slow. Anyway, team Marshall-Conroy had them all in by smoko, no worries at all.
Over a cup of coffee I discovered that Rick and Tammy have a passion for rare breeds, so to say I was delighted was an understatement. I eyed Tammy’s quite large tummy and asked when the baby was due. I nearly chocked on my biscuit when she calmly replied, “next week”. Tammy had just walked up hill and down dale carrying the newborn lamb while I went back and got another dog to flush out any wily ewe hiding in the scrub.
After last week’s repairs to the yards, Rick and junior Rick made short work of drenching. Junior chased up and Rick drenched, easy as pie it was, well for me anyway. Over lunch we talked about the Lincoln ewes that had taken Rick’s fancy. I took Junior aside and suggested while we were eating he could pop Dora into the dog cage on their ute and quietly put Hush into Dora’s cage. She wasn’t allowed to help with the muster otherwise we would likely be still out there trying to round up sheep.
It came time to leave and there was just enough room to fit two Lincoln ewes into one of the dog cages on Rick and Tammy’s ute. I am very grateful for their help, and excited to have some new friends on the Rare Breeds Team. Together we can make a difference. By the way, I think the Marshall-Conroy team must be the Downs best kept secret but, letting the secret out of the bag, if you need help mustering or carting – cattle, goats or sheep – Team Marshall-Conroy are the people you need to call!
Until July, stay warm,
Love Judy
