The Sequence of Lambing

Our day started out with it's normal routine. I was cleaning up the kitchen and Daisey was out at the barn feeding animals. The phone rang and Daisey's voice resounded,"Mom, Camden is in Labor." This was a ewe that was from our foundation flock and that we had retired several years ago.
The men in our household have an aversion to closing gates and have failed farmer 101miserably. However, our ram is delighted with the lack of their ability. He has been found in the field long after, he has been removed. Because Camden was older, we decided it was a good idea to keep vigilant eye on her throughout the day.

It was a rainy and cold Pennsylvania day. We gathered a couple of insulated cups filled with hot tea, a deck of cards, and one of our favorite board games Sequence. We are accustomed to living on a wing and a prayer, so we put our farmer ingenuity to work. Daisey remembered where to find and old wood table that Dustin had fashioned during his first year of carpentry. I located a couple of folding chairs tucked in among the bales of straw. We set up our little make shift game table next to the ewes that had already delivered.

This also gave us perfect visibility to Camden as she labored. I marked the time that she first started laboring. An hour went by without her dilating or progressing. Camden even got up on two occasions and came over and stood in front of us baaing. She seemed to be asking for our help. My heart of hearts knew something was very wrong.

We decided to call our neighbor who is a Physicians Assistant and he came to our aid. Once again, Camden got up and stood right in front of him. She began frantically bleating when he entered the barn. She was with out a doubt asking for help. Daisey held her as he began an internal examination. The lamb was situated perfectly for delivery but the water bag and the placenta had intertwined and was wrapped around the lamb. This was preventing the lamb from being able to be delivered without assistance. As Bill reached his hand further, he was able to tear the sack and deliver the lamb. When she first arrived, she lay lifeless. We used an old farmers method of sticking a piece of straw up her nose. This caused her to blow some of the trapped mucus that was not allowing her to breath. I then picked her up by the back legs and gradually swung her outward and lightly against my leg to help expel anything that was causing her from breathing properly.
Through out the day, I was reminded that this was Good Friday. A day that we reflect the time that our Lord hung on the cross. Our thoughts throughout the day prepared in anticipation and remembrance of His resurrection to be celebrated on Easter morning. What a miraculous experience when you see what was lifeless, come to life.
C.A. Bresin

For further information on lambing:
http://www.sheep101.info/201/lambingprocess.html

Lambs and Cupcakes

Four lambs were born yesterday. First came two ewe lambs out of Dancheska. I named them Danish and Dabnie. They are cross lambs but you would never know it. They are marked just as Jacob lambs should be and have perfect Type A birth fleece. Fleece is my main purpose, so at least one will stay at Rise 'N' Shine Farm.
Right after Daisey left for youth group, I heard all of the sheep baaing and carrying on in the field. In order to get my attention, they just would not let up. It was the call of new birth. When I arrived in the barn, there they stood two more miracles from above. A solid black ewe lamb and a four horn Jacob ram lamb. I was on my own to iodine their umbilical cords, dry them off, put their little Woolover's on, bring mama her molasses water and get them all into the jug area. All was going relatively smooth, until I realized that the jug that was ready was the one with the huge ditch in it. The glories of an old milking barn. The jug adjacent was filled with straw so I began to remove bale by bale until it was emptied. I stooped down to grab the last bale and placed my knee directly on a old rotten duck egg. Oh my, what a smell that quickly permeated the entire barn. I had wished, I could run away from myself. Upon further inspection, I found an entire nest of duck eggs that had been neatly tucked under the hay from last season. This was a job bigger than me. Both stalls needed to be totally gutted, re-strawed and lambs and mom re-situated into what should have been prepared long before now.
When David arrived home, he graciously worked in one-forth the time that my lack of muscle would have provided. After cleaning the one stall he put straw in the ditch and covered it with a board. Next, he placed straw over the top to make a nice floor until we can quick-crete it when the weather cooperates. Awe....

The German Rolling Pin

Living in Pennsylvania offers the splendor of a variety of old world demonstrations. We entered a hand stoned home when we were embraced by the sweet smell of homemade biscuits. As we neared the kitchen area the walk in stone fire place was graced with black rod iron cooking pots. The warmth of the fire filled the room and the sweet smell of biscuits cooking permeated the entire lower level of the home. A women stood at a large wooden table dressed in period clothing. She was mixing up another fresh batch of stone ground biscuits and rolling them out with the most unique rolling pin, I had ever laid my eyes on. I questioned her about the rolling pin and she stated that it was a German rolling pin that was made by a man in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She was kind enough to give me the information where I might locate him. I set out on a quest to find this rare rolling pin but was disheartened that the man that had fashioned her rolling pin no longer was living. I was sent to another source that had duplicated the previous mans work but the price was astronomical in comparison to it’s simplicity. I had set aside the idea of ever owning one of these unique pieces but kept the vision rolling around in my head for weeks.
It was Christmas time and one of our favorite past items is to frequent antique shops in the area. Often times it’s not to purchase anything but just to reminisce about items that we had while growing up or embrace new knowledge of the use of items we encountered. We would walk around sometime for hours taking in all the splendor of yesteryear. I paused in one area with my hand draped across an old dresser. I began a conversation with my husband when I glanced down and there inside the dresser drawer was the rolling pin that I had so desperately wanted. I gasped, picked it up and held it tight to my chest. I paused afraid to turn over the price tag. After all it was in an antique shop and could very well be twice the price that I had already determined as astronomical. I bravely removed it from my chest and drew in a deep breath before I revealed the price. It just could not be, it was fraction of the price and in perfect condition. As I inspected it further it was engraved with the name of the man that had passed on and date as proof of authenticity. I knew at this very moment that this was a gift from above.

Cheryl’s Whole Wheat Bread

Preheat oven to 250 degrees and turn your oven off .

Place 2 ½ Tablespoons of yeast in a bowl with 1 Tablespoon of natural sugar and ½ cup of warm water. Let rise.

Place in your Bosch Mixer
5 cups of hot water
2/3 cups olive oil (place oil first so honey does not stick to your measuring cup)
2/3 cups honey
2 Tablespoons of salt
Pulse above ingredients to mix 4 to 5 times

Add yeast mixture when water has cooled to a warm temperature so that you don’t kill your yeast. Pulse to blend 3 times
Begin to Add wheat a cup full at a time
It usually takes about 12 or more cups of freshly ground whole wheat depending on the humidity..
I just add wheat until the dough does not stick onto the side of the bowl.
Set timer for 10 minutes and let the Bosh mix on setting 1

When removing your bread from the bowl, grease counter well with olive oil. (It’s a puddle of oil). Place oil on your hands to pull the dough from the bowl and remove from the dough hook.
Take the mound of dough and fold in the air by grabbing each corner and placing it in the center of your dough. You will do all four corners the same way.
Now, divide dough into four batches and fold air into each batch the same as above.
Grease bread loaf pans and place in warm oven to rise until double in size.
Do not preheat oven but shut door and set oven at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.
When removing from oven let sit in pans for a couple of minutes to rest and take a butter knife around the edges to remove onto a cooling rack.
You can rub butter over the tops of bread to make a shiny top on each loaf.
Store in air tight bags.

When making sweet rolls, roll one bread loaf size dough out sprinkle with brown sugar, nuts, and cinnamon. Roll it long ways and slide dental floss underneath the loaf and pull upward to cut desired size pieces. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 15-17 minutes.
You can glaze them with a powdered sugar and cream cheese frosting or eat just as is.
Store in air tight container. C.A. Bresin www.risenshinefarm.com

Cassie Rose

Our Border Collie Cassie came to us as an unwanted pet that was herding a vast amount of cattle without command or guidance. Border Collies have a natural instinct to herd but without the proper training can become a thorn in anyone’s side. The simple problem is they are intelligent, high energy dogs, that get bored quickly. If you can't find a way for them to stay busy, they will. There idea of staying busy may not be advantages or beneficial to anyone but themselves. When Cassie first came to our farm, she would jump our front gate and make her way into our front field before we ever missed her. She would herd the baby calves from one corner to another until they would drop from exhaustion. Her other favorite past time was to lay low in the grass along side the road and run along side the cars. She would hit their door as if she were playing tag. There was many a frightened passer by that thought they had hit her instead of her hitting them. It wasn’t long before we caught onto her antics and put a stop to them. No, we didn’t tie her, hit her, or find other degrading means to stop her behavior. We simply put her over abundance of energy to good use. First we tried training her to bring in the sheep when we were there to supervise. She was brilliant! She would watch my hand commands and bring them all the way in. Our problem surfaced when she felt it was necessary to bite them on the heels when she got too close. I spoke with a trainer for herding dogs and she suggested muzzling her during the time we were working the sheep. Cassie spent a good bit of her time buried beneath the grass trying to work that muzzle off her face with her paws. Rather than give up on her abilities, we found a book that showed all the uses for Border Collies. We asked Dustin if he could make us some jumps and a ring as a obstacle coarse and set her to the new task. It didn’t take long before she was clearing the jumps and making her way flying through the hoop. She was a natural! This was not only fun for her but we really enjoyed watching her gracefully glide through the air.
Cassie always had an aversion for ground hogs. One day, I was standing in the field with her and I saw her bury her head in a hole. The next thing I knew, she had lifted that ground hog from it’s hole, snapped it’s neck, threw it in the air, and then tossed it at my legs. I let out a scream, took flight and landed to see the proud gaze and wagging tail of our little black and white Border Collie. It was plain and simply, a job well done.
So often I hear or see of people who misunderstand the abilities and the way a dog thinks and reacts. More times than not, it’s the problem owner not the problem dog. A dog will always give you back the love and respect you give them.
To one of the best little ground hoggers bar none. You are a part of so many cherished memories here at the farm. You will always be loved and your presence forever missed. April 14, 1999 - December 12, 2011
C.A. Bresin (Welcome to My World)

The Border Collie originated in the border country between Scotland and England where the shepherds' breeding selection was based on biddable stock sense and the ability to work long days on rugged terrain. As a result of this selective breeding, the Border Collie developed the unique working style of gathering and fetching the stock with wide sweeping outruns. The stock is then controlled with an intense gaze known as "eye", coupled with a stalking style of movement. This selective breeding over hundreds of years developed the Border Collie's intensity, energy and trainability which are features so important that they are equal to physical size and appearance. The Border Collie has extraordinary instinct and an uncanny ability to reason. One of its greatest assets is the ability to work out of sight of its master without commands. Breeding based on this working ability has made this breed the world's premier sheep herding dog, a job the Border Collie is still used for worldwide.
http://www.akc.org/breeds/border_collie/

Georgia

It wasn't long after our goose Lucy made the news that people began to call for one reason or another. One morning a farmer responded to the article in the newspaper saying, he didn't have our goose but he had a goose or two that we could have. There was really not another goose that could fill Lucy's place but we set off on a days adventure. His farm was neatly tucked back in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania. We meandered down a dirt road and past a pond where we met an older man dressed in well worn overalls. He greeted us and took us to the barn were he had ducks, geese, and a male turkey that met us up close and personal, as he shook his feathers and did his turkey dance. We decided on a couple of White Ebden Geese and the farmer said, he would even throw in a little bantam hen and tree duck eggs. Down the road we traveled to take our barnyard friends to their new home. It was nice to once again hear the sound of geese honking and clamoring as they waddled in front of our barn.
We named the little red bantie hen Georgia and placed her in a laying box and carefully put the duck eggs under her. It was really quite comical because she was so small that she barley covered the large eggs. She sat diligently until one day the hatching began. What a sight to behold as this little hen hatched out three perfect yellow ducklings.
We were in the process of a move to a new farm that had a larger barn and a small pond. Gathering all of our animals for the move was quite a challenge. The horses were loaded in a stock trailer. The dogs and cats were crated and the chickens and geese were placed in separate containers. Special care was given to Georgia and her waddling feathered ducklings. Adjacent to the barn rested a little pond that I knew would be perfect for the ducks. We began to unload our variety of barnyard critters when the ducklings quickly made there way to the little pond. With out any hesitation Georgia followed them into the pond before she realized that she could not swim. As her confusion rose, the flapping and struggling to try to stay afloat overcame her very existence. We quickly went to rescue our puzzled little bantie. This was without a doubt the last time that she would try to swim. In the upcoming days Georgia would peck around the pond as her hatchlings enjoyed their daily swim. Once her ducklings were done swimming, you could see them faithfully waddling single file behind Georgia throughout the day.
C. A. Bresin

Bantam Chickens
A bantam is a small variety of chicken, deriving it’s the name from the city of Bantam. Bantam was once a major seaport, in Indonesia. European sailors found the small native breeds of chicken in Southeast Asia to be useful, and any such small poultry came to be known as a bantam. Bantams are usually one-fifth to one-forth the size of an average chicken.
Bantams are suitable for smaller backyards as they do not need as much space as other breeds. Bantam hens are also used as laying hens, although Bantam eggs are only about one-half to one-third the size of a regular hen egg.
Many bantam hens are renowned for hatching and brooding purpose. They are very protective mothers and will attack anything that gets near their young.
excerpts taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bantam_(poultry)