Evening feeding time is just as much fun as watching the animals waking up in the morning. Hubby has been on feeding duty recently as I have been recuperating from winter and trying to get my head around being alive. So I've been sitting here watching him feed the animals.
Have you ever seen a sheep frolic? They jump in the air and bounce aroung like there is no tomorrow and they usually do this when they are happy. The ram is the best at it but some of the younger ewes do it too. The sheep are most happy when they are about to get their daily quota of grain. They jump and frolic around Hubby like he is a God. Even Honeydew runs to meet him at the gate. the ram and Greig my wither (castrated male) start boinking their heads together.....not because they are mad or upset but just because that is what they do. It's fun I guess. The alpacas line up and parole the fence line and watch from the closest corner as the animals receive their portion of grain. Hubby likes to feed them all alittle by hand so they are used to him and his smell. Honeydew, the llama is most skittish when he tries to feed her by hand. Honeydew has had a halter on her face all year and we have been trying to coax her to let us take t off her but for some reason she just will not let us touch her face.
Once Hubby has laid in the feed on the ground it is fun to watch them jostling for position to get to the feed. Oscar the ram is notorious for jumping under the feed and getting it all over his back as we are laying it out for him. This is something we try to avoid since the hay gets in the wool and makes a right proper mess. Not good when you want to sell the fibre down the line after shearing time. Izzy, one of last year's ewes is also notorious for that too. Jelly, who is an older ewe likes to eat and I mean eat. She gets a nasty look in her eye if you are carrying grain in a bucket and she can't get her head in the bucket right away. Tubby the retarded sheep just puts his head down and eats... like it is a job.... the rest take care of him and push him around when he is in the way or when he needs to go lie under the lean-to.
After the frenzy of feeding is over they all proceed to lay in their food and just chew their cuds while occasionally reaching down for another mouthful to just munch on. Greig and the ram will spend a great deal of time trying to lick up and left over grain that has gotten buried in the snow. The alpacas will go and get a good long drink from the watering bucket.
It's really neat to watch them frolic together and then just get along together. They have cool relationships. Just like people they get along some days better than other and the scrap and fight though rarely..... mostly the male alpacas....
It's neat to watch..... it's better than T.V.
It's getting dark out there now and they will be bedding down soon. I guess I should get ready to go to knit night.... I'm finishing wristlets and that oh so yummy wool for socks that I bought is waiting patiently.
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