SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. (Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and Wyoming.) Much of the region is also more commonly known as The Inland Northwest. We also mention companies of interest to preppers and survivalists that are located in the American Redoubt region. Today, we recognize the 50th anniversary Sunshine Mine disaster. (See the Idaho section.)

Region-Wide

A useful list, over at the Radio Free Redoubt web site: American Redoubt Churches.

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What Is The Liberty State Movement?

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I missed this article, published early in the year: Oregon County explores the next steps in the movement to be part of Idaho.

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Avista requests natural gas price adjustment in Washington and Idaho.

Idaho

50 years since Sunshine Mine disaster. A quote:

“Monday marks 50 years since one of the darkest days in the Silver Valley.

On May 2, 1972 a fire erupted in Shoshone County’s Sunshine Mine. More than 170 miners were deep inside and trapped when the fire erupted.

Crews worked to evacuated the workers but after 80 were lifted to safety, the hoist operator died from smoke inhalation. Ninety one workers were killed from carbon monoxide poisoning.

A week later, two miners who had found a safe zone were rescued from nearly a mile beneath the ground.”

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Idaho water officials issue emergency drought declaration for majority of state.

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‘Power in the wrong hands’: Former Idaho lawmaker found guilty of raping 19-year-old intern.

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Idaho men banned from hunting for unlawful killing of bear.

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Lori Vallow, Chad Daybell appear in court for murder; Vallow pleads not guilty.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt”

Metro Arms, American Classic Commander 1911, by Pat Cascio

I love a good deal when it comes to firearms – so long as the gun performs as it should. I can’t afford to purchase expensive firearms – once in a while, I run into something I can’t pass up, and buy it – but the checking account takes a hit – and my wife has to figure out how to balance things. I’m also a sucker for a good 1911 – full-size, Commander-size, or Officer’s size. I haven’t been into my local FFL since the pandemic started, close to two years ago. I’m at double risk with high blood pressure and diabetes type 2, so I don’t go into any stores. My wife does all the shopping. I’m simply her driver!

I used to be that my local FFL would have a couple of the Philippine-made 1911s in stock. And, they make more 1911s in the Philippines than any place in the world. There are three major manufacturers there, and I’ve owned 1911s from all of them, and I couldn’t see much difference in the workmanship between the various makers. Of course, the best thing is their prices. They are very reasonably priced.

Today I’m reviewing the Metro Arms, American Classic – Commander 1911 and this one is a real winner in my book. They also make an American Classic II – and I don’t know what the difference is between the two models. But we’re looking at the American Classic in this article. Again, keep in mind that, this gun was manufactured in the Philippines.

The American Classic has the shorter Commander-length barrel/slide – of 4.25-inches – and I think this is the perfect length – just seems to balance better in my hand. The gun is made out of carbon steel, and has nice bluing on the slide and frame – and it weighs in right at 37-ounces. The slide has Novak-style three-dot sights on it. In my opinion, these are the best, when it comes to combat sights.Continue reading“Metro Arms, American Classic Commander 1911, by Pat Cascio”

Recipe of the Week: Simple Chicken and Dumplings

The following recipe for Simple Chicken and Dumplings was sent by reader K.W.. She notes: “This isn’t a family recipe, but I suppose my grandchildren will someday call it that.”

Ingredients
  • 4 medium carrots, diced
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 3 Tbsp flour
  • 1 cup flour (+/-)
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 1⁄2 tsp dried thyme
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 1 lb boneless, chicken thighs, skinned
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 1 1⁄2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1⁄2 cup milk
  • 1⁄2 cup frozen peas
Directions
  1. Heat the butter in a pot or large saucepan over medium heat.
  2. Add the carrots and onions and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened.
  3. Add 3 tablespoons flour and the thyme, stirring so that the vegetables are evenly coated.
  4. Slowly add the stock, whisking to prevent lumps from forming. Bring to a gentle simmer.
  5. Season the chicken thighs with salt and black pepper and add to the pot, submerging them in the stock.
  6. Poach the chicken for about 8 minutes, until just cooked through.
  7. Remove chicken and set it aside on a roast carving board or cutting board.
  8. Combine 2⁄3 cup flour with the baking powder, rosemary, 1⁄4 teaspoon salt, and black pepper, to taste.
  9. Add the milk.
  10. Gently stir until the dough just comes together.
  11. Form the dough loosely into 8 dumplings and drop them directly into the soup.
  12. Cover the pot and cook over low heat for 10 minutes, until the dumplings have firmed up.
  13. Shred the set-aside chicken.
  14. Add to the pot, along with the peas, stirring carefully so you don’t break up the dumplings.
  15. Heat through for 1 minute before serving.

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Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? In this weekly recipe column, we place emphasis on recipes that use long term storage foods, recipes for wild game, dutch oven and slow cooker recipes, and any that use home garden produce. If you have any favorite recipes, then please send them via e-mail. Thanks!

Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. Most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we look at the continuing strong demand for RVs and camping trailers. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)

Precious Metals:

Gold/silver ratio: why does silver suck?

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Russia moving closer to a gold standard – official.

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The Old Standard: Why Gold Is Beating Bitcoin In 2022.

Economy & Finance:

A major recession is coming, Deutsche Bank warns.

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Death to the car dealership — the Tesla sales model is poised to take over America. A pericope:

“Massive industries don’t shift on a dime. These changes are likely to filter down over the next five years. But they will be dramatic and likely paralleling the auto business’ overall shift toward electric vehicles.

Begin with the demise of that 900-car lot. Dealers will have little choice to convert from shopping centers to test drive and ordering sites. The real estate of that suburban dealership Auto Row can be put to better use — the economics are simply too compelling.

There will no longer be a need for a 10-acre expanse of parked vehicles. Instead, that giant selection will be replaced by a few versions of each model. Buyers will make appointments for test drives, then order at a kiosk or online from home. You’ll see a repair center, perhaps a showroom and a smaller lot for trade-ins. You’re also likely to see micro dealerships popping up in more convenient locations, much in the same way Enterprise Rent-A-Car has expanded to neighborhood storefronts.”

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C.B. sent us this: Robinhood lays off 9% of its staff.

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California to raise its gas tax, already the highest in the nation.

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Half of parents with children 18-plus still providing financial support: Survey.

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New entrants push global hedge fund industry over $5 trillion threshold.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Lenin is said to have declared that the best way to destroy the Capitalist System was to debauch the currency. By a continuing process of inflation, Governments can confiscate, secretly and unobserved, an important part of the wealth of their citizens. By this method they not only confiscate, but they confiscate arbitrarily; and, while the process impoverishes many, it actually enriches some. The sight of this arbitrary rearrangement of riches strikes not only at security, but at confidence in the equity of the existing distribution of wealth. Those to whom the system brings windfalls, beyond their deserts and even beyond their expectations or desires, become “profiteers,” who are the object of the hatred of the bourgeoisie, whom the inflationism has impoverished, not less than of the proletariat. As the inflation proceeds and the real value of the currency fluctuates wildly from month to month, all permanent relations between debtors and creditors, which form the ultimate foundation of capitalism, become so utterly disordered as to be almost meaningless; and the process of wealth-getting degenerates into a gamble and a lottery.

Lenin was certainly right. There is no subtler, no surer means of overturning the existing basis of Society than to debauch the currency. The process engages all the hidden forces of economic law on the side of destruction, and does it in a manner which not one man in a million is able to diagnose. ” – John Maynard Keynes, The Economic Consequences of the Peace

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — May 1, 2022

May 1st is the birthday of the late Joel Rosenberg, a Canadian-born novelist and gun rights advocate (born 1954, died June 2, 2011). He is not to be confused with Joel C. Rosenberg (born 1967), who is another great novelist and the author of The Last Jihad series.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 100 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three-day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  5. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  6. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  7. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  3. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. A LogOX 3-in-1 Forestry MultiTool (a $189 value) and a WoodOx Sling (a $79.95 value), courtesy of LogOx, both made in USA.
  4. A transferable $100 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $725,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 100 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging

Building a EWB/UHF Yagi – Part 2, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.)

Rugged Construction

Given the materials at hand. and the other design goals, it was easier for me to produce a yagi antenna for UHF frequencies than a comparable moxon antenna. The build had to be durable, and not likely damaged by abuse or neglect in a chaotic environment. And it can be easily repaired in the field. Not ‘mil-spec’, but close enough. And consider that UHF is easier to contain in a valley that has a pine forest, so it is therefore less of a COMSEC problem when low power is used. And to keep costs contained, and production possible in an austere environment, using common scrap materials that are the lowest in cost, ease of manufacture, helps makes the build a sturdier yagi that performs predictably at UHF frequencies than a UHF moxon built with the same or similar materials. And the EWB yagi significantly exceeds the wide-band attributes of the moxon.

Adequately Compact for Portable Work

While 1/3 larger in size, in comparison to a moxon, it still acceptably compact and rugged enough to be used as a portable, or at a base station antenna. And it duplicates the wider RF footprint that makes it easier to use as a part of a community communication effort. A narrow RF footprint can be too narrow and difficult to point, whereas the larger RF footprint can include several stations, and yet be pointed away from a station.

If I were using GMRS for a security operation, I would prefer to use a 5-element (or more) yagi that not only has a narrower footprint. But more importantly, because it has a higher front-to-back (F/B) ratio that sends more of the RF forward, and less to the rear. Yet a 3 element yagi has a suitable RF footprint for my AO, and is the superior choice over an onmi-directional antenna for such purpose. And as I mentioned before, it can be used horizontally polarized to reduce (attenuate) the signal that goes out the back to nearly match the moxon F/B ratio, should the moxon be vertically polarized.

The EWB yagi is an attempt to engineer a good all-around tool, and engineering anything is a series of compromises that hopefully results in a balance of attributes that produces a tool that meets a design goal. It has got to be practical. I’m not an RF engineer, but I do like making stuff work.Continue reading“Building a EWB/UHF Yagi – Part 2, by Tunnel Rabbit”

April in Precious Metals, by Steven Cochran

Welcome to SurvivalBlog’s Precious Metals Month in Review, where we take a look at “the month that was” in precious metals. Each month, we cover gold’s performance, and the factors that affected gold prices.

What Did Gold Do in April?

Gold started April coming off its best quarter since the second quarter of 2020. In contrast, Wall St had a terrible start to the year, posting its worst quarter since the April 2020 COVID market crash.

The 2-year / 10-year bond curve briefly inverting several times the first week of April kept gold bouncing between $1,925 and $1,945 an ounce. Gold prices churned in a narrow $10 range between $1,975 and $1,985 for the next week, then shot upwards on Monday the 18th to more than $2,000 an ounce.

This triggered a huge wave of selling the very next day, with gold plummeting $90 settle below $1,900 the next Monday. The month ended as a battle between the bulls and the emboldened bears below the $1,900 mark.

Gold ended the month with short covering and safe-haven demand helping prices gain against spiking bond yields and the dollar, which was at 20-year highs for the last week of April.Continue reading“April in Precious Metals, by Steven Cochran”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“And he arose from thence, and cometh into the coasts of Judaea by the farther side of Jordan: and the people resort unto him again; and, as he was wont, he taught them again.

And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.

And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?

And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.

And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.

But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.

For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;

And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.

What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter.

And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.

And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.

And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.

But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.

And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?

And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.

Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.

And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.

Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.

And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.

And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!

And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!” – Mark 10:1-24 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — April 30, 2022

April 30, 1777 was the birthday of Carl Friedrich Gauss, who is widely considered the world’s greatest mathematician.

Today is also the birthday of sci-fi novelist Larry Niven (born April 30, 1938). Along with Jerry Pournelle, he co-authored the survivalist classic Lucifer’s Hammer. April 30th is also the birthday of Ed Yourdon, who was born in 1944.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 100 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three-day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  5. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  6. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  7. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  3. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. A LogOX 3-in-1 Forestry MultiTool (a $189 value) and a WoodOx Sling (a $79.95 value), courtesy of LogOx, both made in USA.
  4. A transferable $100 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $725,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 100 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging

Building a EWB/UHF Yagi – Part 1, by Tunnel Rabbit

Introduction

The focus in my recent SurvivalBlog articles has been to promote communication methods, means, and technical solutions, that are easy to implement at the community level. The grassroots is where this counts most, and where it is needed most, as we will likely be on our own, and forced to be as self-sufficient as possible. In a worst-case catastrophe that we might anticipate, there will be no disaster relief agencies to assist us. Without communications of some sort, we’ve got nothing. Communications, even if limited, enable those who can to provide assistance, a local barter economy, and can be the backbone of a community’s security. One can provide better security measures for their family and closest friends, but why not have another layer that accesses some or all of the community?

In a nonpermissive and chaotic environment such as presently seen in Ukraine, we too would desperately need communications. The “Exceptionally Wide Band/Ultra High Frequency (EWB/UHF) Yagi” is my own concoction (variation of an invention). The acronym may overstate, but it sounds good, and it is mostly accurate. It is the widest-banded 3-element UHF yagi that I am aware of.

If readers can afford to step into a truly super-wide banded directional antenna, then check into a VHF or UHF Log Periodic Directional Antenna (LPDA). Here is an example of a VHF LPDA that covers 138 to 174Mhz, and claims a gain of 8Dbd. 8Dbd? No, that is not a misprint on my part. I suspect they might meant to have used Dbi, instead of Dbd. If you are asking about the price of these antennas, then you might not want know. And here is a link to a VHF/UHF line of LPDAs that advertises a price. Mine is an exceptionally wide banded yagi that costs about only a few dollars in low-cost and/or salvaged parts, and it is plenty good enough.

In the Snippets column on April 13, 2022, ‘Mike in Alaska’ provided us with a link to an outstanding overview of a situation that we might face in the future that would not be entirely unlike what is occurring in the Ukraine today: Survival Radio & Emergency Communications Ukraine. It is an excellent overview of the role that radio communications can play on several levels. Thanks Mike, it is good stuff. It spurred me on to write this article.Continue reading“Building a EWB/UHF Yagi – Part 1, by Tunnel Rabbit”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug out bag fine-tuning, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year.  We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in your e-mailed letters. We post many of those –or excerpts thereof — in this column, in the Odds ‘n Sods Column, and in the Snippets column. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

I’m now fully into woodcutting mode. We burn 3 to 4 cords of wood each winter, so replenishing that is always a late spring/early summer task for us. I usually concentrate on the green wood first, and then dead-standing and dead-fallen trees. That way, the greenest wood ends up in the back end of the main woodshed and hence has the longest time to season, before it is burned. The green wood all comes non-marketable trees: Broken-crowns, cripples, leaners, and any that look diseased in any way. We only had two large fir trees blow down this past winter. The rest of what I’ll be cutting will mainly be small deadfallen tamaracks (western larch). It seems that nearly half of my woodcutting time is spent hauling limbs to slash piles, to burn months later. Oh well, it is all good exercise.

We have made some progress in building up our endurance, with alternating steep hikes and fairly level hikes, into the adjoining National Forest.  Lily will have more about that.

To get ready for lambing season, I replaced the heavy netting on our homemade sheep “chair” or “cradle”.  It looks like a traditional ladder, six feet tall, with a couple of rungs missing in the middle. In that 40″ gap is very loosely stretched a rectangle of heavy-duty fish netting. This, by the way, is the same netting that I use as the base layer for my ghillie capes and ponchos. Ewes can be flipped onto their backs into the cradle, and they naturally go semi-limp. Then we slide the top of the cradle handles up to lean on the wall of the barn at about a 35-degree angle, to begin crutching. The ewes only rarely struggle, when they are put in that position. We use that cradle for sheep shearing, crutching, and hoof trimming. This time, we just needed the cradle for a light crutching and hoof trims. Flystrike is not much of a risk in our region, but we don’t want to risk having a young lamb suckling on a dangling lock of wool, rather than a teat!  Cructhing takes just a few minutes, even with handshears. The hoof trimming is even faster.

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”