Ram's Head

Yesterday I found out exactly how it feels to be punched in the nose...and just how hard a ram's head is.

Our BFL ram is a gentle and friendly soul.    He's the first to run up to the gate for scritchies (his favorite spot is along the neck where fleece meets hair.)   Sweet Piper is also a gentleman when it comes to feeding time, so the fault was really mine.  Stupid Shepherd.

I was dumping their breeding season corn/chow ration into the feeding pans from the mixing bucket as usual, except that Trista, one of the ewes, just had to get her foot in there and flipped it.   So I leaned over to flip it back up.  Which of course startled Piper, who swung his head up and clocked me square in the nose.   It didn't hurt much, I certainly didn't see stars, and my glasses didn't even get a scratch, but the next thing I know, blood is spewing (lovely word spewing, and very appropriate) from my nose and mouth.   Yuk!

So there I was, trying to breath without swallowing blood, sheep are wrapping around my legs waiting for the grain, and the dogs are barking for their dinner.   Thankfully the hubby heard my garbled screams and rushed over to see what all the commotion was about.

It took two ice paks and almost half an hour for the bleeding to stop.   Then it was time to choke out the blood clots.  Way gross!

Did I mention that Piper is also something of a character?

Today it was time to take the Halloween pumpkins out to the pasture for seeding.   Allowing them to break down over the winter gets the seedling vines started at just the right time.  Usually the sheep ignore the pumpkins.


So out I go, 5 foot 5 inch me, with a swollen nose (so the eyeglasses don't sit quite right), wobbling along with two ten pound pumpkins.   Naturally my sheep entourage had to tag along and the two LGD were being typically helpful - translation - underfoot.   First I placed the smaller white Lumina pumpkin on the ground.   Sheep ignored it, dogs...well did what LGD do.  They marked it.   While the white pumpkin inspection was going on, I moved a bit further away to place the big orange pumpkin where its seedlings would have plenty of room to grow.   And here comes Piper.

You can't fool this ram.   He knew the pumpkin was FOOD.   He pawed at it, he licked it, he tried to bite it.  I wish I had a digital recorder to take a picture of his determined assault.   When those attempts all failed he started butting it...right across the pasture and out under the fence.

So I trudge up to turn off the electricity and go fetch the pumpkin.   I did this three times before giving in and breaking the pumpkin for Piper to enjoy a feast.   Thankfully he didn't overdo it and the ewes thought it was gross.

A yes, just another wonderful weekend shepherding!