Little Bo Peep found some sheep and other livestock stories

Just in case anyone thought my tales about Micky were a bit fablesque (hope you like my word, lol), here is photographic proof. This was taken the same night he had been looking at me from the kitchen table! He has eaten through one whole box of 'death to mice' and is on to his second box. I may have to check out the Fair Trade Act or the Aussi equivalent because I do believe the box suggests one feed will result in death. What do the mean, a snack meal, the equivalent of a three course meal or is it more of a banquet size meal, in which case, two boxes is probably my limit. The upside of Micky still being alive as of the day before yesterday, is that there is no smell of dying vermin in my house - yet!


Micky

On Tuesday one of our ex staff rang up and asked the WM if she would like to go for a drive to feed out sheep. As I was visiting at the time, I was included in the invite. We both grabbed our cameras and off we went. We were picked up in the farm ute, the thing on the back (apart from the round haybale and the WM, lol) is a seed carrying whats'it. We went about 8k down the road and turned left onto two paddocks that would have encompassed most of Karioatahi (the district where I come from). The acreage was covered in wheat stubble and after going through two of the biggest Taranaki type gates I've ever seen, we reached the sheep. (Taranaki gates - for the townies - are wire and batten gates rather than wooden or pipe gates).



Thought I would show you one of our familiar sights - usually seen on the side of the roads. This is an ex-kangaroo - possibly shot in a clean up much like the rabbiter coming across the farm in NZ. Apparently they usually take the carcasses for the dogs but this one was obviously missed. Fortunately, I did not have to open the gate,there or back, as I believe the smell was still clinging to what was left - which wasn't much, lol.



We finally reached the sheep - 1500 sheep that have 18,000 acres to be raised on. This was my first experience with Aussi sheep - as we moved into the 'paddock' seed was realeased onto the ground in a longish line. The ewes all moved to the line and began eating and the lambs all moved into groups slightly apart from the ewes while they were eating! Apparently that is sheep etiquette out here, lol. We had one round haybale that was also left in the paddock for the herd and some had started in on that before we left. I think this breed is Suffolk/merino cross - do not hold me to that though. I had some staff fall about laughing when I commented later I did not think they were as good looking as our (NZ) sheep, lol.


Last but not least, is a photo of what the dust storm looked like though one photo cannot convey the enormity of dust storm that sweeped through here. The workmate had to change every bed in her house and vaccum all her floors that evening. At my place, the pocket handkercheif kitchen floor had enough dirt on it to measure a 6" square, about 1/2" deep when I swept it up later that week. I took have wiped sills and surfaces. The kitchen bench and all that was on it (toaster etc) had a film of dust that had to be wiped off- one way to get the place spring cleaned, lol. I am told that there was roughly 49mls of rain last week and there has been more. The plouging and seeding is going on around the clock, with huge tractors etc lit up like alien space craft - I saw one going down the road just before midnight last week as I walked to my house from the workmate's place.


PS: RIP Mickey - I came back here on Thursday last week to find one very ex Mickey lying deceased on the floor between a book and a CD that were on the floor. He was tossed over the fence via an old shovel I found outside. I have not seen any of his friends or family since so am hoping that is an end to the mouse problem in this house.