I’ve found I get very little done when I’m running outside every hour with ice packs or a new fan or a new coolaroo shade or a hose or what-have-you, fretting over the panting sheep and panting chickens. The Howes lost an alpaca to heatstroke yesterday, so I was even more anxious.
I made a few solid improvements in the sheep cooling department. Figured it to be worthwhile with my under-the-weather wether and another 2 days of crazy heat on the schedule.
I realized I had the 70% Coolaroo up, so I replaced it with the 90% Coolaroo, and added another sail over the barn itself, which I hope will make the barn cooler. The I added another one of those giant commercial fans.
And I had a couple extra frozen bottles, so I just tucked them next to whoever looked especially hot. Jayne does not look overheated here (this was taken after the temperature generously dropped about 10 degrees in 20 minutes); he was just modeling for me. Handsome boy.
Uncle Honeybunch is still off his feed. I found him laying on top of some flakes of hay I’d put in the barn so they wouldn’t have to brave the heat to eat. But aside from sprawling on everyone’s lunch, he hasn’t shown much interest in food today. He did nibble up a few handfuls of grass I brought him, and he does seem to be burping a little better today. But he still looks pretty pathetic.
The chickens amused me very much today. They’ve taken up residence by the back door, which means I can’t leave the back door open, because they WILL come inside, which would be adorable if chickens didn’t poop so enthusiastically and indiscriminately. But that’s not the amusing part. The amusing part is that I set out a corningware pie pan of water for them right by the bush where they like to congregate, so they wouldn’t have to walk all the way out to the coop to get a drink. But instead of (or in addition to) drinking out of it, they took turns sitting in the cool glass. And they totally filled the thing, a funny, panting chicken pie. They looked much like a fat cat stuffing itself into a shoebox. Only with chickens. And a pie pan. That’ll put marzipan in your pie plate, bingo!
When I wasn’t shuttling between barn and building, I was investigating toxicity info on Conyza canadensis (horseweed, which Uncle Honeybunch was gobbling the day he fell ill), which of course ranged form “not poison” to “poisonous to cattle and sheep.” It seems to be considered not a big deal because it’s unpopular with most livestock. Except, apparently, Uncle Honeybunch. He’s a renegade. And the pages that call it poisonous don’t tell you how poisonous. Tummy ache poisonous or Medici poisonous? Even the most detailed information just said that “the concentration varies by phase of growth”–but which phase is most concentrated? One source said it contained alkaloids similar to nightshade. But as concentrated as nightshade? Who knows. It’s very frustrating. And I got a message call back from K State indicating it horseweed could be a big deal for sheep, but the message was garbled and I apparently accidentally erased it before I got the opportunity to go all CSI on it. And when I called back, I couldn’t get another response.
Anyway, for now, everyone’s hanging in there. It’s actually kind of lovely outside, thanks to the nearby thunderstorms. Just two more dog days and we’ll be in the clear for a week.
Here’s an ag site I’m really enjoying: Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs. Go Canada!
Sounds like you have your hands full. I hope everybody makes it through O.K.