Yesterday on my way home, I stopped to buy a couple more butternut squash (two for $1) at the place I bought the $2.50 pumpkin. There were still a couple big bins of pumpkins left but no sign, so I drove up to the house to see if they were still for sale. The lady made a call and confirmed that they are, but told me I could take the four big bruisers she had at the house so she didn't have to move them.
Now I can't say that I have any faith in pumpkins as an anthelminic, but am all for giving the sheepies a treat, so I loaded them up in my trunk and took them home. Drove up next to the ewes' lot and heaved one ho, hoping it would shatter on impact.
Instead, the top popped off - and the rest of the pumpkin rolled towards the sheep, scattering them in terror!
I went in and opened it up for them, but they were having none of that scary squash. Bronwen may have gotten courageous enough to sniff it before I put the girls in for the night, but I don't think anyone ventured a taste. Sigh. Good thing they were free! Do you think I'll have to bake the others and serve them up with butter and brown sugar to get the girls to eat them? Or perhaps they prefer pie; oh my.You may recall that Katie was slow to grow fleece after shearing and lambing, but she has finally "bloomed" and was in need of a bigger sheep suit. So after bringing the girls in last night, I got my treat - a brief wallow in her gorgeous wool - and then covered it back up again.
(Katie looks like she still hasn't recovered from the predatory pumpkin - ha!) I haven't gotten to spin any of Katie's fleece yet, because the processor misplaced this spring's clip and I haven't gotten her roving back. This glimpse made me want to shear and spin on the spot!That's it for now from . . .
11 comments:
Michelle, that is so funny! Mine will not touch a pumpkin with a ten foot pole - but, if I scrape out all the seeds with the goopy bits and put it in their feed dish, they jostle for every piece! I hadn't thought about baking them a pie. Fat chance!
Just leave the broken pumpkin in their pen. The sheep will explore it and taste it and that pumpkin will disappear. Then you can throw in the next one. I have fed pumpkins to my sheep for years. The sheep who see pumpkin for the first time don't know what to do at first. The veterans dive right in.
Donna
I hope you're right, Donna, but so far the sheep aren't playing along! Guess I need to throw one out for the boys as well; maybe they'll be more adventurous. After all, they've already stripped all the little firs in their lot. :-(
If the sheep decide to let it rot, put it in with the chickens, they love squash!
Becky, apparently I am the only creature at Boulderneigh who loves winter squash. I put a small piece of the pumpkin in the chicken yard this morning and they won't touch it, either! Maybe by this evening?
I just gave mine pumpkin for the first time. They didn't run from it, but they didn't dive right in either. It did disappear throughout the day though and the chickens cleaned up what was left over.
I do think it is an acquired taste! Although my sheep haven't really acquired it yet, either. But then, that's partially my fault, as I don't give them pumpkins every year and am not persistant about it when I do.
What a delightful story. I have a feeling when I heave our pumpkins in with the pigs they too will scatter. Thanks for the heads up. I might just cut them up and put them in.
Katie looks great!
Try the horses... Mine luv 'em!
It does look lovely...Katie is a beauty!
That is a fine looking fleece!
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