Whilst there it was time to shear big old bearlike Lillyfield Jack of Spades of Inca, jeepers creepers that boy had grown some fleece in the last 12 months.
As Tim got to work, (no I don't think there was much chance he would have asked me to do it, Sue has said I specialise in scalpings and 'tufts', and she is pretty accurate with that comment), it was great to see the big boy lie there and accept the shearing treatment. He was superb, the ropes were not very tight but he was no trouble. The amount of fleece that came off him was simply staggering.
When he had been fully coiffured I was able to take a couple of snaps, what a magnificent looking animal he is.
Sadly my efforts at photographing him were pretty poor, I will blame the camera of course for being rubbish and for the sun being in the wrong place, you just can't rely on that sun to be where you want it!
Anyhow take my word for it, he looked great.
So to the thief in our midst. Upon my return to the mighty Patou yesterday I was out surveying the herd. I was watching a white cria happily suckling under a brown mum when I suddenly realised that the only white cria that we have has a white mum! On closer inspection I saw the cria that should be suckling at the brown mum was round on the other side, they were both having a drink. The mum, Avon Water Monique was just grazing as if it was the norm.
No I didn't have the camera with me so you will have to take my word for it, not a drop had crossed my lips either, straight up, she looked like a long legged, long necked ewe with twins.
After much amusement we then thought this may be a sign that something was not right with someone. Today we had them all in for a thorough check up. All cria weighed (all doing nicely) all mums checked for milk (all full) so all seems ok.
It was only after we had done the checks that we then saw Minna (the white cria) trying to get under another female, this time Joy (black) was having none of it and spat her away.
Minna is just a milk thief. She has also been seen under her own mum Windsong Valley Milarka and has been feeding well. Conclusion; she is a milk thief simple as that.
She is a Kilawasi baby so that figures. Another lesson learned.
1 comment:
How very funny. I had one like that last year, but he would only steal milk off his older sister so I figured that being from his mum she must smell like her.
Debbie
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