I don't like lambing season

We had another bit half a mm of rain this morn. I have to say that it's starting to feel a bit more winterey lately though. It just seems to be cooling down a bit.

I did another round of sheep feeding again today, which was a little more involved as I had to refill the truck, and that involved an auger shift over to another field bin at Bob's. But that wasn't too bad. I tow the auger behind the truck (I'm talking about the Ford tipper here) so it's a pretty easy pick up and go job.

I loaded at Bob's. The bins lined up there have our seed for planting this year... except the one I'm getting the sheep feed out of... that one has sheep feed in it. From there I brought the truck back home to my place, hooked on the elevator (I left the auger at Bob's) and tipped her up... just a little bit too far!

Oooops!

Ok off we go sheep feeding, just the 4 ewe mobs now. They are lambing and I've had problems with a few ewes going down in just about every mob I recon. That's the bit I don't like about lambing season, when the ewes go down lambing and don't have the strength, or whatever it takes, to deliver the lambs and get up again. The other day I had to pull 2 lambs (you've seen the video footage of one). Well I'm sad to say that neither the lamb nor ewe survived that one. I had 2 more down today and I highly doubt whether either of them will survive. And to top it off we have about 20 gazzillion crows hanging around the ewes at 5 roads (an intersection - with 5 roads funnily enough - the paddock is at the intersection). They love to help out the ewes with their lambs. I think they are attracted to the after birth, but then move onto the lambs, and unless the mother is good, will peck the lambs eyes out, thus killing them. Wonderful creatures aren't they. I have taken my gun out on feeding expeditions a few times, but my success rate with crows is not real good. Firstly I only get a chance to take 1 shot, after that they all take off somewhere else (til I leave the paddock). So even if that shot's successful it's not much of a control when there's 20 gazzillion in the paddock. Secondly, I'm not that gooder shot anyway so I'd be lucky to hit even 1.

Just another point of interest I noted. The new load of grain I'm feeding out is last seasons (08/09) grain, the previous lots have been from 07/08, and this lot runs out the feeder a lot quicker. There's more screenings in there (smaller grains) due to the poor season. Maybe that's the reason.

Also did a bit more work on my air seeder switch box this afternoon. That included a trip to the electronics shop to get him to make a 555 timer for me. My attempt at it failed, so he's gonna do it for me. The timer just means that the alarm in the system actually flashes and beeps rather than just a constant light on and beep.

Other than that the switch box is now complete and tested on the air seeder and is working as it should.. I'm a happy man. I had to rig up the clutch in sensor switch and clutch out sensor switch back on the air seeder at the clutch arm. As the arm moves it hits the switch which cancels the alarm and tells the box to stop driving the clutch.

That's actually the clutch out sensors (guards and chains removed for ease of access)

The finished the product. The switch box with green power light, switch, red clutch out light and green clutch in light.