Because we’ve so much on and can’t make use of all the land here, we’re letting a local farmer graze some sheep on the fields. They keep the grass down and I’ll have plenty of sheep droppings, which are marvellous fertiliser.
I’ve got to say the lambs are incredibly cute. He’s putting the mothers with twins on and today the first 4 mums and 8 lambs arrived with a very tired looking shepherd. Lambing time is, so I gather, pretty stressful. A bit like being on call 24 hours a day for a few weeks as they arrive.
We’ve resisted the urge to bother them, just letting them get on with it. The sheep don’t know us, so I suppose they might see us as a threat. I looked over the wall and noticed how the mother immediately moved to be between me and her babies.
I did manage to sneak a photo though. The wonders of optical zoom making me seem closer than I actually am.
Going back to defensive mothers, it was quite funny seeing the interaction between our cat Lotty and the flock. Lotty wasn’t sure what to make of them to say the least and sat on the wall swishing her tail. Cat’s swish their tails when they don’t know what to do, not because they’re angry.
The sheep watched the cat with great suspicion and moved between their lambs and the cat. Perhaps they thought she was some sort of fox. Anyway, as they moved, Lotty decided it was time to run in the opposite direction at great speed. I wouldn’t be surprised if we find her riding around on their backs in a week, knowing that cat.
Mother with two lambs
The farmer has been fixing up fencing around the perimeter, so they can’t escape but we’ve still not got the field with the vegetable plot fenced and there are some big gaps in the wall. I’ve a gate to go in as well, which will involve digging, concreting and some skill to get everything lined up correctly. Help is at hand though, a local builder is going to do the gate so a good chance it will both open and shut.
As sure as eggs are eggs, if we don’t fence them out properly they’ll be worse than slugs and pigeons combined for eating the veggies!
I’m a twit!
I’ve finally gone and joined twitter and even made a couple of tweets (you see, learning the jargon already) Apparently you can get an app for your mobile phone and post from the phone as well. All I need now is a mobile phone!
So for endless inane drivel of in chunks of 140 characters or less, you can now follow me on twitter.
Hi John,
I’ve got sheep in my fields at the moment, last years lambs that haven’t seen a ram, they’ll go into the flock for breeding next year. I can’t emphasise the importance of checking the fence line enough! Lambs, and indeed mature sheep, are inquisitive little rascals, and if they spot half a gap, they’ll not be afraid to widen it! Make sure sure you keep track of them, I like to count mine every evening as I walk the dog and cat, just to make sure!
Also, your comments about your cat are rather funny, mine does the same, he ventures to within about 20 feet of a sheep and sits down, trying to stare it out! Of course as soon as the sheep moves, he bolts off into the Hawthorn!