427 and the Chickens
Posted 6/2/2008 11:26am by Eugene Wyatt.
Part 4
Here's little 427, a fortnight after his birth, in Dominique's chicken coop which doubles as a lamb ICU. Note the lamb bar in the left rear. When 427 is strong enough Dominique will bring him back to the farm and release him into the lamb flock, and the chickens can go back to laying where they will.
Behind 427 you see another lamb, a ewe lamb who is to be traded (for breeding) to David, my physician, who has a small flock of his own in Sullivan County. The trade involves outpatient healthcare for me and my own, and has included house calls for farm interns. It's nice to know care is there—thanks David—lambs or not. But our trade cannot be completed until 427 is ready to come back to the farm (until then 427 needs a lamb for company) as merinos should never be alone. Compared to other breeds, the merino's flocking instinct is quite strong; they must be with other sheep or they get crazy.
Last week Aldine came down from Delhi to buy three yearling ewes for breeding stock. I'd sold Aldine some sheep about 15 years ago; it was good to see her again. She liked the girls I picked for her. We loaded them into her minivan and off they went 'baaing' away.
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