Good Morning!!!!!!

[Easy]

Today is February 6th.  Today is Rebell SS's birthday. 

[delcecchi]

Del, so far this is what I have.  retired federal employee with health coverage til I can't pay for it.  but the pension should cover that.  then being a vet and using the VA system that also gives me full coverage and prescriptions for $8 a month if needed.  knock on wood I only use blood pressure and anti-inflammatory pills for my shoulder.  if you have any thoughts I'll read them to help me learn more.  So the way I see I'll take parts A & B and skip D.  I have 2 months yet to think about this, thanks!!

Mike

I don't know anything about the VA.  As I said I am a veteran, did my time after getting drafted as a programmer at fort ord in early 70's.   I have only done the civilian health insurance thing, so I don't know about the part D and VA stuff.   I do have some familiarity with medicare and supplements/advantage plans, if you have any questions about them.   Big thing is to make sure that, if you choose a medicare advantage plan, that your provider is in their network.   

[mike89]

Del, so far this is what I have.  retired federal employee with health coverage til I can't pay for it.  but the pension should cover that.  then being a vet and using the VA system that also gives me full coverage and prescriptions for $8 a month if needed.  knock on wood I only use blood pressure and anti-inflammatory pills for my shoulder.  if you have any thoughts I'll read them to help me learn more.  So the way I see I'll take parts A & B and skip D.  I have 2 months yet to think about this, thanks!!

Mike

I don't know anything about the VA.  As I said I am a veteran, did my time after getting drafted as a programmer at fort ord in early 70's.   I have only done the civilian health insurance thing, so I don't know about the part D and VA stuff.   I do have some familiarity with medicare and supplements/advantage plans, if you have any questions about them.   Big thing is to make sure that, if you choose a medicare advantage plan, that your provider is in their network.   

 

sounds like what I've learned for the most part.  it's hard to get a good answer on these questions one has.  But I think I'm getting a better Idea.  thanks very much!!!!

[LPS]

Morning.  Back to work for me.  Had yesterday off you know.  Felt great, I didn't do much except to do some house cleaning, napped, watched some fishing/hunting shows, napped again, did some reading.  The cold is tapering off so am feeling good.  Great day!  SO where the heck is the Reb man????  Probably tied up in bed.   The neighbor ladies found out about each other and they are making him suffer....   BUT he loves it.  I hope someone goes in and unties him.....   Del are you back in town yet???  Seriously I hope all is ok with him.  Go a few inches of the white stuff yeasterday and maybe a couple more coming today.  Will clean that up tonight after work.  Then nothing more forecasted for awhile.  Well have a good one all...

[Jerkbiat]

Morning all. Like LPS said got some snow yesterday and snowing now. Supposed to snow most of the day. I think we were on the edge of 4-6" range for today. But I think from yesterday and overnight we are about at the 6" range now. Enough that I will need to clean out the driveway tonight. This snow should make the snowmobile trails really nice for those that can get out riding. Looks like warmer temps coming the end of the week.  Not much else happening. Have a good day!

[Boar]

morning all. yeah.. blah blah dee blahdeedee blah blah.. have a great day!

[Gunner55]

14 & a light dusting on the ground. I moved a couple inches yesterday am, sounds like another 3-5" on the way. Sounds like  -30 WC's tonight, cold Wednesday too. Not much else new here either. Have a good 1

[The General]

No snow here and the grass is showing in my yard.  Nothing much new going on today.  Have a good one fellas.

[mike89]

16 here and no snow yet.  they are saying less than an inch and get colder tonight.  roller coaster time for weather.  where are you Reb??

[glenn57]

morning..........snowing pretty good here right now. almost all white already. feel much better today!!!!!

[Dotch]

As Cannon used to say, I can feel the Hawk swooping down out of the northwest today. Temp is falling so need to do the lamb check again shortly. One more ewe came in last night. A tiny lamb and an old ewe with a cough so that's one to keep an eye on. Be nice if the rest would hold off until the brief cold snap leaves but that would be asking a lot. Oh well, if one more lambs we're over 2/3 done with warmer weather forecast.

[The General]

Hey Dotch I asked the neighbor down the road if he was lambing yet but he said not for another month or so.  Did your ram get in with the ladies a little soon or is this normal lambing time?

[delcecchi]

On the subject of sheep, see today's program
http://www.extension.umn.edu/rsdp/statewide/local-foods-college/

[Rebel SS]

 

[Easy]

morning all. yeah.. blah blah dee blahdeedee blah blah.. have a great day!

Oh snap, something peed in your cereal.  I hope it gets better.

hahahahahahaahhahahaha

[Rebel SS]

He's just pining away for Robert, the talking 'pout.  Notice how at times his narratives were spot on? That's when Robert did the typing. Took a bit longer though, because his pectoral fin was pretty small.   

[Bobberineyes]

Afternoon gents, another day at the office wrapped up. I'm kinda glad the snow stayed north of us but we got the freezing drizzle.  Bout 5 this morning at work I put a cheap utility mat on my windshield, boy I'm glad I did that.  Punched out peeled it off scraped a little on the side windows and I was otta there. Think we're doing chili brats tonight, might even wrap em in bacon like rh does..can't wait.    Later.

[Dotch]

Hey Dotch I asked the neighbor down the road if he was lambing yet but he said not for another month or so.  Did your ram get in with the ladies a little soon or is this normal lambing time?

This is where it what has me puzzled. I've been raising sheep 50 years. I took 9 years off when I was in college and in ND. I've had Cheviots for 30 of those years. Normally Cheviots are later breeders regardless of when the ram is turned in. In years past, we've turned the ram in with the ewes in mid-August to early September resulting in very few lambs before mid-February. Normally we shear about Lincoln's Birthday - Valentine's Day. Occasionally we have one or two lambs on the ground when we shear but that's been the exception and not the rule. We have ewes at two different pastures in the summer through fall so we have two main stud rams. These were new rams for us, both a total outcross which we desperately needed.

We were delivering yearling ewes to a guy to show for us on August 13th so while we had the trailer hooked up, we grabbed the rams and dumped them off in the pastures. They were beating on each other, smashing the hell out of gates and panels, jumping out, eating a lot of feed and otherwise just being a PITA. Since it rained every couple days our pastures were in great shape and hanging with the ewes would give them something to do, giving me time to fix all the stuff they'd wrecked. When a few lambs started to show up in early January we shrugged it off. An anomaly, an outlier, we thought. Then the lambs just kept coming. Normally as I said, we're surprised to see any on the ground by now. To be over 2/3 done for us on February 7th is absolutely unheard of. We've talked to others who normally lamb before we do and for whatever reason, theirs are coming later than normal. WTH???

I looked back at the weather data. While it wasn't brutally hot in the time prior to being exposed, it was warmer than normal which tends to make the rams less virile, sometimes to the point of rendering them sterile for several weeks. It also has the potential to delay the cycling of the ewes until later. The pastures were phenomenal, granted but so were everyone else's. I need to check on the treatment of the rams prior to our taking possession of them. Were they kept in where it was cool? One had been shorn down some for show but the other had not. We did run fans on them when it was warm but no more than any other year. And the ewes weren't getting any special treatment. They were just out bopping around the pastures. No fans just shade trees and a place to get in out of the rain.They were fat coming off the pasture and if anything, that's usually a negative too when it comes to early lambing. People noticed how fat they were and asked us how much grain they were getting. When I said none they looked at me like I was nuts.

I'm not upset about it just completely baffled as to what factors led up to such an early lamb crop. For showing this is not a bad thing as it helps us fill the age categories nicely. In order to get January lambs in the past we've had to use hormone treatments on the ewes to accomplish this. I'd love to know what happened so we could duplicate it if we wanted.       

[Rebel SS]

Maybe a consultation with Dr. Del? 

[Dotch]

On the subject of sheep, see today's program
http://www.extension.umn.edu/rsdp/statewide/local-foods-college/

I got to meet Travis and heard him speak at the Shepherd's Holiday back in December. Enjoyed his common sense approach to sheep production and appreciated his enthusiasm. Mrs. Cheviot knows him well. He's judged at some of the venues where she's organized and clerked. Sometimes the U has hired some real dipsticks but in this case, looks like they along with NDSU picked a good one. I told Bev Durgan that at the CPM Shortcourse. 

[leechlake]

Dotch,  I should hop off of the bench and answer your questions.  Unfortunately I've retired from ranching/farming.  Short run but I just loved it.  Crops failed, bank shut me down, but I got a Dekalb hat now. 

What was the rambalabma to ewe lamb score this year?

[glenn57]

  shouldn't sex education go into the saloon>???????????????? tut_tut-3315.gif sleazy-422.gif

[Rebel SS]

shouldn't sex education go into the saloon>???????????????? tut_tut-3315.gif sleazy-422.gif

Besides other assorted tales of overactive imaginations?   

[delcecchi]

Maybe a consultation with Dr. Del? 

Keep those rams off Black''s beach.

[Dotch]

Dotch,  I should hop off of the bench and answer your questions.  Unfortunately I've retired from ranching/farming.  Short run but I just loved it.  Crops failed, bank shut me down, but I got a Dekalb hat now. 

What was the rambalabma to ewe lamb score this year?

Gee, hadn't really paid much attention until you mentioned it. After tallying the Buckwheats lead 12 - 10.

[LPS]

He's just pining away for Robert, the talking 'pout.  Notice how at times his narratives were spot on? That's when Robert did the typing. Took a bit longer though, because his pectoral fin was pretty small.   

I noticed that too Rebs.  At times his spelling was spot on.  I too wondered about that.   I wondered if he was having his wife type for him while he was driving or something.....   Interesting on the sheep production Dotch.  On Pelletheads I see a recipe using a pound of ground beef and a pound of ground lamb.  Then they of course grilled it with spices and made gyros out of it.  Sounds great.  I will see if I can find it  in the General Discussion there and post it here.  That white sauce is paramount but they didn't say what was in that.... 

Well thank goodness we only have a couple more cold days and then a little warm up.  I am glad of that.  The wife has my cold now so hopefully it runs its course before we head to Nevada...     burp-402.gif

[Jerkbiat]

Morning gents. -19 to star the morning here. I here ya LPS, couple more days and some warmth Will feel nice. As the great Boar would say, yada, yada blah blah blah. Not much new happening here. Have a good one.

[Boar]

Oh I concur.. I dont say yada yada, robert says, gluba gluba.. but I dont say yada yada.   Morning guys..

[Boar]

glenn,.you musta lost a bkttol of meds, you must finish all.medication.

[Boar]

its a beer cooler.