Power Couple

Yesterday I was blessed with a visit from my sheep friends across the border, Darryl and Kim, with their fantastic kids, Jared and Lindsay.  Kim and I did the Plowshares Craftsfair together last weekend and she told me the whole family would be back to help me cull some of the annoying roosters - weather permitting.  My rooster population has been out of control for some time now.  Darryl grew up on a chicken farm and is well acquainted with the bully-birds who terrorize the hens and steal the barn cat food.  With snow about to hit any time, I tried not to get too excited.  The weather held and my friends appeared, tool bags and Multatelli Coffee in hand.  Darryl got to work in the barn and the first thing he did was pull an old broken hay rack out of the dirt.  He used an amazing tool called a Sawz-All to cut it up and build a new hay feeder.  I was mesmerized with his industry and craftiness in making this simple device I have been wanting for years.  Throwing hay bales on the floor of the barn is like throwing money away, with the sheep stepping on and peeing on the costly food.   Darryl did not stop there.  Without saying a word he went around the barn, covering broken windows and holes with sheets of plastic, pieces of plywood, or inserting old windows.   Whenever he saw the opportunity he grabbed a rooster and gave it a swift and humane neck twist.   At the end of the day twenty roosters lay dead in the feed sacks I had saved.   Darryl and Kim helped me round up my 13 ducks which had been laying their eggs all over the farm, mostly in places where I had no access.  It took a bit of doing but at the end of the day all 13 were residing in a neat pen next to the chicken room where I can feed them properly and collect the valuable eggs.  There were four this morning!  Duck eggs are highly prized, with large golden yolks and thick whites.  Between repair chores and rooster slaying, Kim and I mucked out the milk room walk way and hand-sheared Monkey and Sidewinder.  Now I have even more lovely mohair to play with when the winter storms blow in.  With Lilly about to give birth any second, and one mom with twins in a small jug, I asked my friends to help me make a kindergarten where moms and lambs could be safe and separate from the rest of the flock.  Good thing we got that done, as early this morning Lilly had a pair of great big ram lambs!!  Talk about perfect timing...