W2 Sheep Company

07/12/2025

It's been a while. On the sheep front, I am down to about 15 head. Eagles moved in about 4 years ago and the main thing on their menu has been lamb. Wolves have been seen on the ranch so there is that. We have lost four adult livestock guardian dogs in the past two years. So sad when both are federally protected.

In regard to the fiber aspect, I joined so many larger scale fiber flock owners and quit selling fiber to the public for good last year due to difficult customers. II have two years' worth of fiber still unskirted that I need to burn this winter when there is snow on the ground.

We are hunkering down for the dry season, which means for the next couple months we will only be in a motor vehicle out and about if absolutely necessary, so hopefully fires can be avoided. To date every fire in the area can be traced back to recreationalists.

Last month, the NRCS techs brought out people responsible for funding water related projects in the state, and the steelhead restoration project down on the creek has been approved for Stage II, which will happen next year. It will involve raising the height of the beaver analog (manmade) dams on the creek along with widening them with the goal of avoiding washouts. The water and fish folks in the northwest are impressed with the rapid success of the projects. Several have toured this spring.

I am looking forward to finally having a procedure on my back to hopefully alleviate the pain, so I can resume my normal activities.

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05/07/2025

05/07/2025

Thought I would catch you up on the hacienda happenings. The crew is coming to help work the calves Friday and Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. So thankful for the kids, grandkids, and friends who show up, Busy planning the menu and getting ready.

I have two egg incubators going. After careful planning, I have managed to hit almost every holiday and time we need to be away from home for hatch dates. A couple are due to eggs being shipped a couple weeks to a month early. But it will all work out - right? I have mallard ducks and guineas perking right now, Bruce told me no chicks, but he didn't mention ducklings, goslings, and keets. Muscovy ducks and American Buff geese will soon fill the incubators.

Lots of new babies out on the hills. Spring is my favorite time of year when the earth rejuvenates itself. We had a very wet March that resulted in mud issues with the road into the house. It has been dry since though with freezing temps most nights. The grass is hunkered down waiting for night temps to warm up to the 50s range when it should take off. I don't know how many years I had a panicked feeling that it was going to be a short grass season on May 15. Then a few days later those late May rains that make this country come and everything takes off. Let's hope.

Been busy chasing grandsons to rodeos and ropings. So fortunate to be able to follow them.

We wintered some Longhorn and Corriente cows for our daughter and grandson. It has been interesting to observe the instincts of the different breeds pop out. They tend to keep to themselves.

A couple years ago, we partnered with the local NRCS office on a project to improve steelhead habitat on Thirtymile Creek, since we sit near the headwaters. The project was finished this winter. The water folks are extremely happy with the results already and several small groups have toured the project over the past two years. Two summers ago, a group of 75 folks from around the Northwest did a tour. They now understand the remoteness issue for projects in our area as they had to bounce over rustic ranch roads and descend 1000 feet from the top of the canyon down to the creek. The project was a collaboration of government agencies, local water technicians, and neighboring landowners. Hope the sports fisher people enjoy and appreciate the results.

Video is feeding the cattle this winter.

10/03/2024

Having an uptick in our fall activities. We gathered and weaned calves. They usually bawl for exactly three days, and we are past that now. We discovered Tuesday our water system to the corrals needs revamped. Off we headed to Hermiston for some 100 foot hoses to hopefully fix the issue. Bruce is spending all day hauling water 800 gallons at a time and is challenged keeping ahead of the demand. Just to keep things from being too dull, our electricity went out at 3 am this morning. Bruce was just heading out with the cell phone to give the power company a call, when the lineman showed up. Seems like some trees planted in a chunk of the neighbor's CREP finally got big enough to play not too nicely with the powerline overhead. Got it back on about 10, just as I was building the first fire of the season in the woodstove. Bruce is back hauling water, hoping to catch up with the demand.

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08/27/2024

Someone said it is the National Day of the Dog, so what better time to give an update on our newest livestock guardian dog, Ema. She is a seven-month-old Tibetan Mastiff. After spending the summer napping on various beds of flowers around the yard, I was becoming concerned the LGD instincts didn't take with her. A few days ago, I saw her alert to something up the draw. I was very proud of her when she waited until two of the older LGDs got to her before taking off in pursuit with them. The last thing I want is a dog who isn't smart enough to know not to go running out on their own.

A lot of LGD owners will brag about their dogs killing various predators. I want my dogs to keep them from coming in close, because if an LGD were to confront a large predator and get killed it would be two years at the least to get another dog ready to assume full duties. I have lost some LGDs, mainly females out showing their pups the ropes, and it leaves a huge hole in the LGD team.

Em is a huge goof ball. She loves to run through mud puddles at full speed, scooping up a drink of water without missing a step.

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08/03/2024

PPP update: Project Pipping Poultry
The chicks have moved out to the chicken house where they will hang out for another month when they are too big for the average flying predator to pack off. Then they will join the free-range flock. It is a time when you panic to hear a hoot in the night, knowing it means there is at least one owl lurking about. The guineas hatched well, but somehow the plugin for the heating plate came unplugged and by the time I discovered it only one guinea remained upright. It has been banned to the utility room, as guineas are known for their shrill, loud alarm. The chick with hip issues remains in the dining room in a tote, but its early morning self-induced physical therapy program may get it moved out with its fellow chicks.

As our calendar turned to August things are really dried up. The only green is in the improved pasture and the barnyard, so the lazier cattle move in for the green(er) grass, flowing water, and shade. Last evening one of the brighter? ones discovered the low spot in the back yard fence and breached the security system (barking dogs) and grazed the yard, only to return this morning - twice. Today will see us fortifying the back fence with electric tape. The only good thing I can say is after I got her ran out this morning, she was reaching over the side fence and enjoying those pesky white Shasta daisies. They like to take over the flower beds over, so I try to keep them thinned down.

A couple weeks ago Bruce installed our rain gauge on top of a tie away from the yard, so it doesn't get overwhelmed by the sprinkler. I had noticed the last couple days, each day it recorded almost one tenth of an inch of rain despite cloudless skies. I think I got the why figured out this morning when I discovered it on the ground. Cattle like to lick things. One must have stood on her tippy toes on the uphill side of the tie and licked it right off its secured position. Then, judging from the teeth marks, Emma, our Tibetan mastiff LGD must have been gnawing on it. She loves to pack things off and her next favorite thing is to lay on a bed of flowers in the yard. A couple months ago Bruce decided to dive off the front porch. By the time I got him upright and in the house, I went back out to retrieve his glasses and they were nowhere to be found. I tracked Em down and in two minutes' time she had packed them off and was with the rest of the (working) LGDs with her latest find. At six months Em is a loafer when it comes to guarding sheep and I hope the instincts kick in soon.

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07/22/2024

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07/18/2024

With all fire updates, thought I would share a Project Incubating Poultry update (PIP). Earlier in July, before we headed to Winnemucca for five days, I noticed one of my Lavendar Orpington chicks was sporting either a broke or displaced hip. He got his own private accommodations as his hatch mates were walking all over him. This morning, I noticed him standing on one leg and his bum leg was at a better angle than it had been. Hopefully it continues to improve.

06/29/2024

The home-hatched chicks are peeping and growing bigger every day. Guineas and Muscovy ducks are warming in the incubators. I think this is the last hatch of the year as temps and young fall birds don't do well, unless I want to knit little sweaters for them. Contemplating next spring's hatchings.

06/22/2024

Saturday morning update from the chicken ranch. It was a long but uneventful night. We are 30% chicked out with 10 boisterous balls of fluff in the brooder. A suggestion has been made to management to place the incubator in the utility room next hatch, where a door can be closed. Someone showed poor judgement thinking the peepers would quiet down when it got dark. I now know how zoo animals feel, as every time I get close, they rush to the edge of the incubator and press their little beaks to the plastic cover, as if they are passing judgement on my ability to serve as their mother figure.

06/21/2024

This chicken outfit is T-1 day from pipping out. Starting to see some signs of pending hatching. Hope I don't end up having to pull any. Hopefully, my maiden chicken birthing experience will be problem free.