Weeds are 6’ tall, we need GPS to find some of the animals at the moment!
All the veg is coming along slowly but surely. Fingers crossed!
We have started shearing but now it is raining, that will be put on hold.
We still haven’t finished calving but lambing was good, if not a little tiring!!
Fingers crossed we can cut some fields for hay and silage VERY soon as we are running out of space!
It is always a game of ifs and buts that is what makes it interesting.
Desperately trying to get some new fencing up this year to help keep the lambs in.
They are now getting their heads wedged in the new bits of fence.
They still insist on running full tilt into it as if it wasn’t there.
A good lesson for me in learned behaviour I think? I knew that psychology would come up trumps one day.
Maybe next years lambs will be sedate and quite happy to wander around within the field,
unaware that there is a World beyond the great stock fence? We could get into Sociology as well here methinks?
We had a Shetland ewe the other day jump up onto a bridge parapet, 10’ drop below! Drum roll please.
We have seen all the Police dramas, so we knew not to approach her and scare her into jumping!
She just ignored us, skipped along the slippery ledge and lolloped off onto the other side.
Maybe they are breeding with squirrels? (Joke, just in case somebody from Trading standards is reading this!)
It was a that moment that the eternal question surfaced, "Why do I keep Shetland sheep?"
They get out, they jump fences, gates, bridges and rivers. They are cunning, trouble, intelligent, resourceful and at times a bloody nuisance!
Well, I have answered my own question. Because of all that. I admire their individual characters and resource and their fierce mothering ability.
To see the sheepdog being persued at full speed by a proud little Shetland Mum protecting her brood is a sight for sore eyes!!
Only a Shetland sheep would have the blind ambition to chase something that could turn round and seriously injure it!
Have a good Summer and see you at Market.
Grant
