by Tria Stebbing
A busy week in the field as we finally got hold of the shearer to come and sort the flock out.
It was touch and go as the sheep needed to be dry, and the weather appears to have settled into a pattern of dry one minute and sharp showers the next.
Which, of course, meant rounding them up. The ewes were away on a far hilltop and the rams a few fields away, not too far but far enough to have to plan how to go about it.
As expected, the girls came as soon as I shook the bucket and faithfully followed me to the paddock the shearer was set up in. They all conformed and got into the fenced- off paddock, except for my Disney Princess who took it upon herself to charge around trying to outwit us. It did not last long, I produced a packet of ginger nut biscuits and it was game over, she behaved.
We were surprised by their condition under all that wool, not too bad, which as most had triplets was good – they were not as skinny as last year. The weather and amount of grass available has played a big part in their condition.
I returned them to their field with a treat before the rams arrived to avoid any unwanted adoration. Him outdoors set off up the hill to lead the rams down and I expected him to be back looking for several of us to help as they are incredibly stubborn.
Just as we finished the last ewe, I turned around to see a beautiful line of rams walking through the gate like butter wouldn’t melt, one after the other just like children lining up for assembly.
One by one they walked into the enclosure, then just at the last minute the visiting ram Glastonbury, decided he was not keen. I should say he really is a gentle giant, but if riled can knock us off our feet with no effort at all.
While we were all distracted trying to corner him, Jackie Rose, our shearling, magically appeared having jumped the fence and had taken herself into the paddock to visit the other rams. I would like to think it was to see her twin brother Jed – but who knows! It took a lot of faffing before we cornered Glasto and he was finally guided into the pen.
I have nothing but sheer admiration for the shearer and his professional handling of the flock, he makes it look so easy, and the sheep really relax into him while he is trimming them.
The rams all done and Jackie back in her field it was time to take a minute to watch them settle back down. Unbelievably, they do not recognise each other for a few days once shorn and will fight in that time to re-establish the hierarchy. At this point they have lost their look, their smell and their position, so we were keen to leave the rams to it and not get in their way.
The fleece is worthless, which I always find odd – it is only useful for gardeners as it has many nutrients and can be used for ground cover to deter slugs. It is my aim though one year to have it washed and spun, as it has such lovely shades of brown. If any spinners out there are up for the challenge, we would love to hear from you.