My first spring with 70 sheep finally arrived. Spring comes late here,We may have snow showers in May.
Along with the spring came the lambs -many lambs- bonny bouncing babies.
I have raised sheep for thirty years now. I thought I knew a lot about sheep. Now I learnt how little I knew.
These sheep were new to me, new to the area and many were new to each other. There were breeds I had never worked with before. There are breeds I will never work with again.
Along with the spring came the lambs -many lambs- bonny bouncing babies.
I have raised sheep for thirty years now. I thought I knew a lot about sheep. Now I learnt how little I knew.
These sheep were new to me, new to the area and many were new to each other. There were breeds I had never worked with before. There are breeds I will never work with again.
I had all the grassland I needed. Everyone in the village was keen on my sheep grazing their land. I also had plenty of temporary fencing I had brought with me when I moved from Denmark.
But there were obstacles. The pastures in Söderhögen had not been grazed for 50 years. When grassland is not looked after it gets thinner and thinner. It is not fertilized by grazing animals . Imagine a plant in yourt home. If you want it to bush and be vigourous you are ruthless, nipping out the centre to encourage more side shoots. Sheep do not realise they are doing this. They are marvellous green keepers though their only thought is to fill their stomachs. They roam the pasture, nipping off the grass, not tugging it up as cows do. They fertilize evenly, having smaller droppings, whilst paddling the land with their sharp, concise hooves.
But there were obstacles. The pastures in Söderhögen had not been grazed for 50 years. When grassland is not looked after it gets thinner and thinner. It is not fertilized by grazing animals . Imagine a plant in yourt home. If you want it to bush and be vigourous you are ruthless, nipping out the centre to encourage more side shoots. Sheep do not realise they are doing this. They are marvellous green keepers though their only thought is to fill their stomachs. They roam the pasture, nipping off the grass, not tugging it up as cows do. They fertilize evenly, having smaller droppings, whilst paddling the land with their sharp, concise hooves.
Well, the obstacle. The obstacle was that my fragile temporary fencing was no obstacle for this flock of professional houdinis
Oh, they knew that the garss was greener on the other side, that those willow twigs (outside their enclosure) were the perfect hors d'oeuvre.
Worst of all, and I shudder when I recall, my sweet neighbours
flowers were an exotic dessert to these marauding mowers
I took down and put up new fences twice, three times a week. The flock thought it was a game of agility. I was in dispair, realising that if I could not gain control I would have to give up the sheep. That first summer was not completely successful. I did however idedntify the worst renegades. There was one old ewe who would just look at me then jump over the fence. Sometimes she would then jump back just to show who was the boss! Others were more docile, just played follow my leader.
And the lambs? Well they were everywhere
Oh, they knew that the garss was greener on the other side, that those willow twigs (outside their enclosure) were the perfect hors d'oeuvre.
Worst of all, and I shudder when I recall, my sweet neighbours
flowers were an exotic dessert to these marauding mowers
I took down and put up new fences twice, three times a week. The flock thought it was a game of agility. I was in dispair, realising that if I could not gain control I would have to give up the sheep. That first summer was not completely successful. I did however idedntify the worst renegades. There was one old ewe who would just look at me then jump over the fence. Sometimes she would then jump back just to show who was the boss! Others were more docile, just played follow my leader.
And the lambs? Well they were everywhere
