What happened to July – it flew so quickly that the deadline for the Parish Paper flew past me as well, so July and August are being reported together!
With the hay all done and dusted the main job for July was to wean the lambs off the ewes. By this time of the year the poor ewes are being lifted off their back feet as the lambs are so big, yet still suckling. It is always a very busy and noisy task. So with some 200 sheep in the barn, the job begins. We separate the ewes out first and then spilt out the ewe lambs from the ram lambs.
It is a very busy time for my dogs as well. They love it, firstly bringing all the sheep in from the fields and then working hard to drive them through the sheep race. Once everything has been sorted into the right groups, the next task is to put the ewes in a field as far away from the lambs as possible. It is a stressful time for all – me included. The dogs find it easy to drive the ewes into the field opposite the farm. We use this field as the hay had been taken from it and so there was very little grass left. You might be thinking that my poor ewes wouldn’t have much to eat, but the reason we do it is so that their milk supply dries up quickly, which in turn is beneficial for the sheep.
Driving the lambs to their respective field is trickier for the dogs. By this time the ewes are baa’ing very loudly as they realise their lambs are no longer with them. The lambs are bleating constantly and going every way other than where we want them to go. The dogs work tirelessly, trying to keep them grouped together and moving slowly in the right direction. Eventually the task is complete. Unfortunately it is a bit of a noisy night or two for our neighbours, but they all understand that it is inevitable once a year.
August is a relatively quiet month for us, as we have no arable crops to deal with. The stock all graze contently this month but as September looms, it will be time for the first crop of lambs to be sent off – an interesting time.
Janet East
