Winter Care
by Harry Carr
The shepherd says that the sheep need more feed
A little more bedding would help the manure not to bleed
A lot more hoof trimming would help their walking needs
Animal care is an every day deed
Make sure those new baby lambs get to nurse
You need to strip the ewe's teats and get the milk flowing first
And treating their cords with iodine would lessen the e coli curse
Then give them a lambing jug to keep the bummers free of her
Keep checking those babies make sure their tummies are full
They need to excrete their first poop the black meconium stool
If you pull on their skin it should pop back fast
That means they are not dehydrated and all is cool
Keep all the sheep outside as much as you can
It easier on their lungs and they get some sun
Make sure the ground is well drained they don't like walking in mud
They do need to exercise not just chew their cud
The goats they can scream if you pick them up
As climbers they desire to be on top
They will get their horns caught in panels every time
But they are affectionate and I love them, they are friends of mine
The pigs need fresh bedding every day
They root and dig to find a new way
To go down to Hades some would say
Don't feed them just grain give them some hay
The cows are content with room to roam
Grazing corn stalks seems barren but now it's their home
They are a lot less work, the toughest of our lot
And I just love that their hooves will not rot
The chickens are not laying much as the days are too short
Some of their combs froze, that must of hurt
More straw in their nest boxes would be a good idea
When the ground is frozen its tough to bathe in the dirt
The accountant says to stop buying hay and grain
I am sure he would also like me to make it rain
With the drought the pasture produced about half
The numbers don't add up so we are in pain
The banker says sell your land
What your doing doesn't work, he won't hold your hand
Even though your soil is heavy clay might as well be shifting sand
Though the gold in his vault will not feed a man
