mardi 5 novembre 2024
mercredi 30 octobre 2024
vendredi 25 octobre 2024
Progress
mardi 15 octobre 2024
lundi 14 octobre 2024
mercredi 9 octobre 2024
More progress and a sorry time for Bam-bam
samedi 5 octobre 2024
vendredi 27 septembre 2024
mardi 24 septembre 2024
lundi 2 septembre 2024
It's been a long hot humid/wet summer.
We've lost four sheep, three to FCO (Donnie, Hopi and Puffle) and one to Piroplasmosis (Valentine). At least another four sheep have had FCO and are recovering. Bam-bam had a long form of the virus lasting over two weeks and his recovery is slow. The vaccine doesn't offer any of the sheep protection until late September.
All the kingpost trusses for the barn have been built and disassembled. There's a few days of pointing to do before I can start removing the old roof. Two weeks of rain are forecast so it might have to wait.
mercredi 21 août 2024
Two dead
Hopi and Donny have both died of FCO and the delivery of the vaccine has been delayed...desperate miserable times.
dimanche 18 août 2024
FCO
A new form of the FCO virus (also called blue tongue) has been edging closer to the Ariège for a few months now. This new strain of the virus is resistance to the previous vaccine, so our sheep are unprotected. The blood borne virus is spread by flies and mosquitos and so it is almost impossible to protect against. A new vaccine has been developed but was only available in bottles of 150 doses with two doses 2 weeks apart required. Once opened the bottle had to be used in 24 hours. For our 23 sheep the price was astronomic. Last week a new vaccine has been made available requiring a single injection and available in a bottle giving 40 doses. It is on order and should arrive on Tuesday but even after injection it takes 30 days until it offers protection. In 2008 two sheep got the virus shortly after being vaccinated, one died.
This year we already have four extremely sick sheep in quarantine and being regularly injected with anti-inflammatories and antibiotics to prevent secondary infections. Hopi is the sickest and has been struggling for 10 days now, it is still touch and go as to whether she will survive. Chihero, Donny and Millet are also very sick. All we can do is wait and hope.
New chickens have arrived - three hens and three cockerels (we'll pick the best behaved and eat the other two). With the 4 foxes still around (and getting bolder) and the hunting season 4 weeks away, the birds are confined to barracks.
samedi 10 août 2024
vendredi 2 août 2024
Col de la Core to Port de Salau via the Estanous
lundi 22 juillet 2024
Cabanatous circuit
The hay is finally safely in. Nathaniel's bailer broke down so I had to help him with his hay using my bailer and tractor, but he reciprocated, helping us transport our bails into the barn the following day. It was a very hot and humid day and the clegg flies were ferocious. At the weekend a huge thunderstorm rolled and cleared some of the humidity.
Today was fresher and so we ventured into the mountains in what seems like the first time in ages. Sheri has a friend staying (Jenny from canada) so he arranged to do the Cabanatous circuit - Sheri's favourite and and easy one for guests. Al and Breezy, back from their travels joined us.