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Appalachian Hills Farm

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Latrobe, PA
Appalachian Hills Farm

A local farm in the Laurel Highlands; Specialize in raising llamas, sheep and alpacas; Creating hand-spun yarns & rovings
(7)

11/22/2024

We had our first snow fall for this fall/ winter season. By the end of the day the ground was covered. It is a wet snow that makes good snowballs.
I am always amused when the lambs see and experience snow for the first time. When it rains they are not happy getting wet especially when the rain splashes on their faces and ears.
As the first flakes drifted down the lambs didn't seem to notice. Once it turned into a snow shower the lambs had a confused look on their faces. They were more confused when the green grass became hidden under the snow. A few of them refused to leave the shelter of the barn. Those few stood near the door looking out at the odd white stuff. Others gingerly walked out as if the snow would harm them. Once they realized nothing would harm them they pranced around. Many of the ewes like to eat the snow. They act as if the snow is a treat. Of course some of the lambs sampled the snow. I had to laugh at a couple of them because they looked surprised when the snow melted before they could chew it.
Oreo, the fun living alpaca, was running and kicking up her heels. She loves any kind of snowfall. Before the day was over she had rolled in the snow at least three times.

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11/21/2024

Today brought some heavy showers. Everyone except Turbo took shelter. He was dripping wet. I walked him to his barn but he didn't stay inside. When he is penned inside he becomes upset. There is the concern that he would hurt himself so the door is always open.
While we were doing the evening chores a storm with heavy rain and high winds came through. The wind blowing through the barn was fierce. It blew a sack down into the hay racks scaring everyone myself included. That white sack looked like a ghost flying around the barn. Just before the storm arrived Lee had placed an empty clean water bucket in Thumper's pen. The wind picked up the bucket and slammed it into a partition of Thumper's pen. Fortunately it missed Thumper. After the storm passed he continued to hide in the corner of his barn.
This rain is quite welcome. Our area is still under a burning ban and water conservation mandates. It will take more rain than this to replenish the springs, wells and reservoirs but this is a good start.

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11/20/2024

This is the hill we led Moe up after the others were rough with him. This is at the fence line. There is another section that extends further downhill. I am very glad he wasn't any further. I wanted to put him on the flat sled to pull him uphill but he was afraid and wanted off. His weight prevented us from carrying him so it was a slow walking journey up hill. After every ten feet he needed to rest. To be honest so did we.
This is the steepest pasture on the farm. It is not safe to drive on with any equipment. We have to walk it with hand operated lime spreaders. A wheel barrow is used to deliver other amendments such as manure. The creek is further downhill creating a valley. Across the creek is an uphill wooded area that is just as steep. This pasture was a cattle pasture when I was growing up. The wooded hill was fenced in so the cows could browse. It was and still is a challenge carrying fencing supplies up and down these hills. As a sled riding enthusiast I often wondered how a ride down this hill would turn out. I have wisely never attempted to find out.
Today Moe was happily grazing alongside the alpacas. I examined him again and he is in good shape.I shared a hug with him and fed him some treats.

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11/19/2024

Moe, a ram, was the target of some of the rowdy rams. Early in the day I saw another ram being a bit rough with Moe. I separated them then put out some hay which redirected the rowdy ram's attention. This evening not only was the original rowdy ram bullying Moe but a gang of five others had joined him in some rough behavior. By the time I got to Moe the rowdy rams had chased him down a hill and were beating on him. When rams are in this kind of mood it can be dangerous for everyone because they will butt anything. I learned from my dad that you always carry something to bop the end of a ram's nose to stop them. I had a short sturdy hammer handle as my ram bopper. As I was leading the exhausted Moe up the hill those rams tried to continue their bad behavior. After receiving a few bops they decided I was no match for them and they walked away. Lee was busy unloading some hay but he came to help as soon as he saw how the rams were behaving. With his help I safely moved Moe out of the pasture.
After we examined him and gave him some water with electrolytes we turned him in with the alpacas. The alpacas immediately ran to greet him. They must have realized he was not feeling great because they formed a circle around him. Each one touched him with their nose. They stayed in that formation until he was rested enough to walk to the hay rack.
Moe is an older ram with a very gentle laid back personality that makes him a good companion for the alpacas. I do not have to worry about him becoming aggressive.
When I checked on him tonight he was sleeping beside Oreo.

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11/18/2024

When we are inside the barn we often miss the moment of perfection. Tonight we were lucky. This brilliant sunset cast a glow through the open barn door alerting us. We walked to a higher vantage point to get a better view. All of the words we have in our vocabulary fall short to describe this scene.
I often wonder if the animals notice and are as amazed as we are.

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11/17/2024

My dad grew up on a farm with dairy cows and horses. At some point after my parents married and moved to a rental farm my dad decided to raise sheep.
My first three years were on that rental farm with sheep in the pastures surrounding the fenced in yard. I have a photo of me sitting beside a bottle lamb. It appears I am confused as to why the lamb had the bottle instead of me. When my parents bought this farm the sheep came along.
I do not know why dad chose sheep over cattle although a cow did arrive the second year after we moved here. Eventually that one cow was joined by many as well as some horses, chickens, and swine.
I grew up with sheep but that doesn't mean I have a deep understanding of how they think. I don't think they follow a logical thought process.
Little Miss Latte is a good example. A few feet away from her is a feeder filled with sweet tasting hay. No, I have not tasted it but it smells wonderful therefore logic says it would taste delicious. Also the other lambs and the couple of adult care givers were munching away so it had to taste delicious. Yes, that is farmer logic not young lamb logic. Back to Latte. For some reason that only makes sense to her Latte was nibbling on the bedding and ignoring the sweet hay. Her little mouth was going a mile a minute as she vacuumed the fresh bedding. Bedding hay is lesser quality hay that is old or was rained on. It isn't moldy but it doesn't smell as sweet as the hay we feed to the animals and it's nutritional value is diminished.
Latte has a very fluffy fleece. It is composed of waves instead of crimp. Her almost three inch fleece is downy soft. Under all of that wool is a petite lamb.
I did pick her up and carry her over to the better hay but she quickly walked away to return to eating the bedding.
I don't think I will ever understand sheep logic.

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11/16/2024

There are five rams in this picture. Three are busy eating and two are being rowdy.
The three brown rams are the three J"s; Jingles, Jelly, and Juice. They are from last year's crop of lambs and will be replacement rams as the older ones age out. I do not allow them with ewes until they are over two years old. They currently have the capacity to party with a ewe but they are still growing which is why I like to wait until they have reached their mature size.
The two rowdy rams are Friendly and Lightning who are pushing on the three. This is a safer version of rowdy compared to head butting. Pushing and shoving at this time of the year is quite common in both the ewe and ram flocks.
The three J's ignored the other two who eventually walked away to find some other way of causing mischief.
Doing this time of the year I am very watchful of the ram flock so no one becomes injured. There have been times when we have had to intervene to prevent unnecessary roughness. We have a small safe paddock to place anyone who needs a time out.
Lightning is Spotz's companion. He is currently with the rams because he was head butting Spotz, an alpaca. Once his behavior settles down he will return to his companion job.

Hope you have a great weekend.

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11/15/2024

This photo came up on my reminder of what was happening two years ago today. So far this year we have not seen a flurry. We have had some days and nights that had temperatures conducive for snow but the ongoing drought has been a factor. The days it has rained enough to make puddles the temperature has been too warm for snow.
Today and into the night we had light rain with a chilly temperature.
There was a solid cloud cover but our world was not too dark to see without a flashlight because the almost full moon was brightly shining above the clouds. It was interesting to see everything cloaked in the glow created by the combination of clouds and moonlight. This month's full moon is the last supermoon of the year. The moon's close presence to the earth was a factor in creating this glow. November's full moons are known as the beaver moon because this is allegedly when beavers start to shelter in their lodges for the cold months. In earlier times this was the season to trap beavers because their pelts are at their prime. In more modern times this moon was a signal to mentally prepare for the colder months ahead.
Lee and I were the only two critters on the farm who seemed to admire the surrounding glow. Aside from Turbo who escorted us to and from the gate everyone else was inside munching on the last bits of hay or settling down for the night.

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11/14/2024

This morning everything was covered in a thick frost. This was the first heavy frost this fall. Prior to this morning we had a few light frosty mornings.
Almost every animal spent the night outside so they all had a coating of frost on their fleeces. Turbo was frost free since he slept inside his barn. He usually sleeps outside when the weather is clear. I think the colder temperature was not comfortable for his old body.
The frost around Spotz's paddock quickly melted as the sun rose in the sky. The shady areas remained a bit frost covered for a few more hours. Spotz didn't seem to mind having a frost covered paddock although he did go inside to take a morning nap. By mid morning the temperature rose enough to melt the frost from his back. The rest of the farm family were frost free much earlier since they stood outside under the warm sun rays.

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11/13/2024

Friendly, a ram, gave us an unexpected new look. When he ambled inside for some hay I noticed he was missing a half of his right horn. During this time of the year the rams become a bit rowdy. They do a lot of pushing each other and some head butting. They also head butt objects such as fence posts and the side of the barn. One ram has completely smashed the end of a downspout.
I am not sure what activity Friendly had participated in but it obviously was a rough one. When I left the barn earlier he was fine so in a matter of a few hours he transformed his appearance.
Other than the broken horn Friendly is fine.

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11/12/2024

This is a rare picture of Scruffy, a wether, being quiet. Everyday he starts to baa when he comes to his paddock and barn. When he is in the pasture he does not baa. It seems as if he is either scolding me or trying to ask for more hay. It is not uncommon for him to stand beside a full hay rack and baa. He started doing this when he was about a year old. I thought his baaing was possibly a type of seizure but after an exam the veterinarian determined it was a behavioral issue. My presence at the barn appears to be the trigger for his crying. When he is in the pasture and sees me he does not baa. Scruffy was not a bottle lamb. He was not a grain room crew member but was an occasional grain room attendee.
Farming comes with many challenges having a sheep with a quirky behavior issue perfectly fits in.

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11/11/2024

Today was exciting. We had rain. We have puddles because we had lots of rain.
The sheep took shelter in the barn but all the rest spent the day basking in the drizzle.
I wore rubber boots for the first time since April. I happily splashed in the puddles. In some places the ground made squishy noises.
Even though the growing season is over the pastures will look greener tomorrow as the parched grass soaks up the moisture.
The rain dancing upon the barn roof was a wonderful sound.

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11/10/2024

Every evening a group of sheep line up near the door for treats. It is a combination of regulars and some who stop by occasionally. As I hand out the treats I greet them by name.
Tonight this one came bounding up to the door. I don't have a clue as to who it was. We have many black fleeced sheep. I can tell them apart if I can see their faces. When I tried to remove the hay this one backed up out of reach. I held out a treat hoping it would come close enough so I could remove the hay but this clever one stretched its mouth forward and pulled the treat out of my fingers. It never did come close enough for me to grab that hay. I wanted to remove it so I could return it to the rack. I didn't want the hay to fall on the ground because the scrambling treat eaters would have trampled the hay. Sheep don't lift their feet very high when they walk so that hay would have become spread around and no one will eat trampled hay when the racks are full. I was also afraid another sheep would try to eat the hay off of this one and accidentally bite an ear. I don't know what happened to the hay because after grabbing the treat this sheep ambled outside. Hopefully the hay slid off and this one ate it.

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11/09/2024

It has been slightly over a year since Amethyst became part of our family. We were a bit worried about her settling in with the dogs and other cats as well as if she would accept being an inside cat. Our fears were unfounded because she fit in perfectly like a piece of a puzzle. Everyone immediately fell in love with her. Amethyst was around eight months old when she became part of the family. She was healthy but thin even though we had been feeding her cat food while she was in the barn. During this year she has put on weight and grown in height. Within a few days of moving in she chose the cat tree (first picture) as her favorite place for her afternoon nap. The second picture was tonight as she watched me knitting. Unlike Onyx who likes to steal the yarn, Amethyst just enjoys watching.
Amethyst does not have a diva attitude which could have happened since aside from me she is the only other female in the house. She actually acts grateful for now having a safe place to live and a family who loves and pampers her.

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11/08/2024

Except for one mulberry tree all of the leaves have fallen. All of the areas in the woods are now visible. Usually I can see the creek from my vantage spot inside the barn but the drought has reduced it to a tiny trickle. That tiny trickle is filled with leaves. In a normal year the steady flow of water carries the leaves away. We have seen an increase of deer who have left the higher elevations in search of water and food.
Our whole area is under a burning ban. The officials have also cautioned against the use of any unnecessary equipment or power tools outside that could cause a spark.
We have closed all of the pastures for animal grazing since the grass is unable to grow in such dry conditions. In a normal year we close the pastures in January so they have a chance to rest through the winter. Today our fence line walk was only around the paddocks where the sheep are staying. They can be notorious for creating a way to escape and being in a smaller area can create boredom. A few of the ewes were standing with their faces pressed against the gate as they gazed longingly at a pasture. I don't think they realize why they are not allowed to wander over the acres.
I have placed some small open containers of water around the barn so the mice and birds can get a drink. They can use the water troughs but the mice sometimes end up drowning. Any trough with a dead mouse has to be dumped and scrubbed out. Yesterday I had to dump a nearly full trough due to three mice. At least the water went into the soil so it wasn't completely wasteful.

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11/07/2024

Today we put Comet in with the five lambs. Earlier I found him on his side with his head down hill and his feet up hill. This is called being cast in shepherd terms. Being in this position can be life threatening for any animal because gas builds up in their stomach causing them to suffocate from the pressure on their lungs.
I don't think Comet was down for any length of time since he didn't show signs of bloating. He also was able to walk once I turned him and helped him stand. His legs were a bit wobbly at first but he quickly recovered.
Through the years we have had others cast. Often those walk like they are drunk once we help them up. Occasionally we have had ones who were unable to stand which meant we had to carry them into the barn. If they were any distance from the barn we put them in a little red wagon to move them inside.
I think Comet was the victim of some rowdy ram behavior. As he was walking toward the barn one ram continuously tried to push him.
Comet, a wether, is an older former grain room member. He originally was housed with the ewes but he did everything in his power to get in with the rams. After untangling him from the fence on more than one occasion we decided to honor his choice of living arrangements. Since then we have added a few other wethers to the ram flock.
Comet will stay with the five lambs for a few days. He was happily sharing their grain and hay when we left the barn.
Every time I tried to take a straight on picture he turned his head. I guess he thought a side view better highlighted his handsome features.

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11/06/2024

We still have the orphan lambs in a special pen instead of out with the flock. They are still a bit small. Of the five Blinda is the tallest with Christian coming in second. He is the heaviest of the five. Espresso is third in height and weight. Latte is very petite. She is only twelve inches in height. The photo bombing Twinkle is an inch taller with heavier bone structure.
Latte was born in the direct sun on one of the hottest days this summer. She was close to death when we found her. We worked for hours reviving her.
Due to the close bond I made with her she thinks of me as her mom. Everyday as soon as she hears me in the upstairs of the barn she cries. She follows me as I walk around in her pen. Before I leave for the night I give her a body rub starting at her tail and working up toward her head. If she thinks I am leaving before that pampering she will loudly cry.

A normal Shetland lamb at this age would be as tall as my knee which is where my left hand is located. Most of the lambs born to the larger breeds of sheep would be taller at birth than Latte.

Latte's wavy fleece is very soft and fluffy.

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11/05/2024

The animals are used to having the hay racks filled at a scheduled time. The early darkness has caused some confusion. Just like humans the animals equate darkness with bedtime and not the time to eat. To help the animals transition to a new feeding schedule we gradually start feeding earlier. Through the years we have seen how doing a slow transition benefits the animals daily pattern. We only need to do this transition phase during the fall when the days become shorter. After a few weeks evening feeding time will happen before it becomes dark. During the colder months I like to time the last of the day feeding a couple of hours before dark so they go into the cold night with full stomachs to help them generate a warm body temperature.
Sheep seem to be more adaptable than the llamas and alpacas to the early darkness. As darkness falls the llamas and alpacas settle down for the night whereas sheep will continue to eat for awhile after dark. Eventually they too will find a place to sleep.
Spotz was planning on bedding down for the night when I turned on the bright lights so I could see. He gave me a very sleepy eyed look as I arrived with his hay. He ate about half of his hay before he called it a night.

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Latrobe, PA
15650

Telephone

(724) 423-8107

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Videos

I say Turbo is a horse but in the equine world he is a pony. Any equine under fourteen three hands is considered a pony. Turbo is thirteen three. Ponies are well known for their attitude. I often call Turbo " grumpy pony" because of his attitude. He is never mean. He just has his grumpy moments. He is also very impatient, especially when it is time to eat. Usually he stomps his feet and pushes on the door. Recently he has started doing this while he waits. He air paws with one leg then he changes to the other. If I don't have his food ready in a timely manner he then stomps. When Lee takes his bucket of food to the stone he tries to motivate Lee to walk faster. His method of motivation involves walking fast past Lee then returning to circle around him. The whole time he is walking he is making snorting noises which is his way of saying he is irritated. He sure is an amusing pony Hope you have a wonderful weekend. Thanks for stopping by.

During the month of July the lightning bugs reach a peak of activity. As the month moves along the lightning bug mass slowly starts to diminish. They are most active on warm nights. Sadly our days have been extremely hot with nights that are abnormal in temperature. We also are in a dry spell. The heat and dryness has had an impact on the lightning bugs' activity. I caught this group as I was walking out the driveway. Earlier I was visiting the rams and a few of them had lightning bugs briefly land on them. I know they collect moisture from the tree leaves. I wonder if they were finding some dew created moisture on the wool? Their landing was too brief to capture in a photo. As I was walking a couple of bats were swooping overhead. They do not eat lightning bugs but they love to feast on mosquitoes. All farms have mosquito issues due to water troughs. We mix cider vinegar with the water in the troughs. The change in PH is less enjoyable for the mosquito larva and is not harmful for the livestock. Thanks for stopping by.

Disclaimer: I do not spoil our animals. Never have I ever spoiled them. Christian's mom, Dior, still watches over him but she is not very affectionate. I usually see Christian curled up with Girlfriend and her lambs. Christian is still getting small meals from the bottle so to him I am his surrogate mom. He starts yelling the minute I arrive in the barn. He winds his body around my legs similar to a cat. I have to be very watchful as I feed the moms and lambs in the nursery because of his maneuvers. A few weeks ago I tripped over him. When I was checking his body to make sure he was unharmed he was delighted with the movement of my hands on his sides. The next day I scratched his back as I passed by him. When I saw how much he enjoyed that I started giving him a full body massage. This has now become an everyday thing for him. Once he has finished his last bottle snack I give him a massage. If I wash the bottle before his massage he taps me on the leg to alert me that he is waiting. Remember I do not spoil my animals.They just have me well trained. Hope you have a great weekend. Thanks for stopping by.

The lightning bugs have a limited time of a couple of months before they disappear until the next summer. They are one of my favorite insects so I spend as much time as possible watching and enjoying their light show. We didn't have any new lambs today. Yesterday Magenta had a set of twin ram lambs. This brings our current total to forty. The earlier lambs are ready to leave the nursery and join the flock in the pasture. We have delayed this move due to the extreme heat. A lamb is at greater risk of suffering heat stroke than an adult. Latte and Espresso are still house lambs. They will start visiting the nursery while we do our chores but will return to the house with us. Neither one has an adult to watch over them. Latte was abandoned as a new born and Espresso's mom was a reluctant care giver. While Espresso and his two siblings were in their pen she acknowledged his existence but once they moved to the nursery she ignored him. Their return to full time barn living will depend on when they start eating grain and hay. We currently have four other bottle lambs. They are ones whose mothers aren't producing enough milk for them to thrive without supplemental feedings. Thanks for stopping by.

Today was a rough weather day. In our valley and surrounding areas there was rain, lots of rain. Rain that measured close to three inches. High winds accompanied the rain. Creeks were swollen and some roads were flooded. Trees were down. Powered was out for many homes and businesses. In the higher elevations the precipitation was snow and ice with high winds. We are in the higher elevation area however we did not have the terrible high wind. The hills around us protected us this time. The creek at the bottom of the hill added an underscore of sound to the wind flowing through the trees. Most of the animals wisely stayed inside all day. Turbo ventured out to eat off of his stone. We tried to feed him in the special sled like tray we bought for him but he is very stubborn and wouldn't touch the grain. After an hour of him standing at the barn door while we did other chores we ended up dumping the tray onto the stone. He started eating a soon as the first bits fell onto the stone. He cracks me up with his refusal to eat his grain from any place other than his stone. As the day flowed toward evening the sky cleared in the west. Some areas near us saw a double rainbow. The clouds were moving from the south to the west. The sun sets behind the upper area of the pasture. The day started rough but ended beautifully. Thanks for stopping by.

During the summer Fiona had a health scare. We put her in a pen and she recovered without any issues but she had lost some weight. I extended her time away from the flock so she could gain weight. Girlfriend, S'more, and Delphine were her companions. While she was in extended care she decided we were not allowed near her. She would run to the far corner of her pen any time we were around. She became the queen of giving us the stink eye. I was a bit upset because Fiona had been a show sheep and was very tame. Prior to her health issue she loved getting ear scratches and eating treats. Once she rejoined the flock she continued to keep her distance. Tonight she walked up to me for a treat. I think she was really enjoying that treat. Fingers crossed that she has forgiven me for keeping her in a pen. Hope you have a terrific weekend. Thanks for stopping by.

Taking a mouthful of hay then walking around while chewing has become the norm in the flock of ewes and wethers. This only happens at this particular hay rack. When we place the hay in the other racks they stand with their faces buried in the hay and eat. The few times we place the hay outside on the ground they also bury their faces and never walk away. It is amusing to watch them walk around happily munching. Sometimes another sheep will try to grab some of the hay out of the other one's mouth. This is Doc one of the former grain room crew and a lap lamb. He almost had a friend try to join him but he quickly turned away. His deflection allowed him to finish his mouthful. Doc was born this light shade of brown. Thanks for stopping by.

When a lamb is rejected by it's mother they often find a substitute guardian. I became Garby's. I hesitated taking him from the flock when he was a newborn but the days were chilly and the nights cold so having him in the kitchen with the other lamb Darby and our new puppy Harper was the best situation for him. Everyday I would return him to the nursery with the hope his mom would decide to at least watch over him and teach him the ways of a sheep. That didn't happen. I was relieved when he formed a bond with Darby. This bond would help him as he transitioned into the pasture because he would not be alone. When Darby suddenly passed away this week Garby lost his support friend. Even with Darby around Garby was also closely bonded to me because I was the one who fed him his bottle. He was never far from my side when I was in his area of the barn. The day after Darby passed Garby was like a burr stuck to my leg. This is a video Lee took of Garby following me as I was walking the pastures. I have the new version of sheep dog. Thanks for stopping by.

Happy 4th of July from everyone at Appalachian Hills Farm. We hope you had a fun and safe day. Every year our neighbor puts on a spectacular fireworks display. I watched the show while walking with Turbo around the pasture. He gets a bit nervous so we walk. Every now and then he stops to watch. This year was the first year I wasn't walking with both horses. It was a bit emotional not having Cass at our side as we walked. Of the two horses he was the most nervous during the fireworks show. Once the show was over Turbo calmly walked away from me to beg a treat from Lee. Thanks for stopping by.

As evening descended a lone American Toad started a concert. I was in the barn when I heard him tuning up. His high pitched song carried over the baas of the lambs. He was sitting in the middle of a large puddle when I went outside to find him. As soon as he saw me he swam and hopped closer. I hope he didn't think I looked like another toad. The males use their song as a way to attract a female. The toad forces air from it's lungs over it's vocal chords which is why the skin on it's throat is puffed out. I played this recording for him. He took it as a challenge and sang even louder. He was trying to tell this unseen intruder that this was his territory. When I was growing up there was a large toad that hung out near our back porch. I named it Jane. It might have been a male but to me it was Jane. I wonder if this male is a descendent of that long ago Jane. Thanks for stopping by.

Ever since Garby learned to eat from a bottle he has become very demanding. As soon as he sees me enter his pen he runs to me and paws my legs. If I turn my back he paws the back of my legs. Lee has to hold him while I clean the pen. For a little lamb he packs a hefty punch with his pointy toes. Thanks for stopping by.

Lambs wag their tails when they eat. There are different theories about why they do this. The most quoted one is that this is a way for the lamb and mother to communicate while the lamb nurses. Another theory is they wag their tails when they are happy. Shetland sheep are known for being tail waggers even into adulthood. Anytime we pat or scratch our sheep they wag their tails. Darby has one of the fastest tail wags I have ever seen. He does wag his tail when we pat him but that wag is less enthusiastic. I tried to count how many wags per minute but the wags were too fast to keep an accurate count. Thanks for stopping by.