It’s a good thing that Matt and I completed of tidy-up chores yesterday, because today suddenly became Winter. A little snow had fallen previously, but a serious amount of snow glazed the roads today. The weather report suggested that cold temperatures will stick around, preventing us from moving the electronet. Time to call it a year!
The ewes had been grazing in several groups, each with a different ram of their own breed. We’ll keep track of pedigrees when the lambs come based on these groupings. It is important to keep the rams well-apart. Even the gentlest ram will fight another if ewes are at stake! Everyone has been in pasture in this format for six weeks now.
Even though the Halloween Storm that hit our region of Vermont last week damaged our barn, the ewes needed to come in, nevertheless. I started by dividing up the outdoor loafing area so that we could open the gate to one area without letting loose the ewes already in the barn. This would also be our chance to pull the rams out before they start making trouble.
We had a simple enough time pulling the two Border Leicester rams out. Bain, the larger Bluefaced Leicester, gave us a little sass. The rams are settled in their own area now, scuffling a bit but generally ready to settle in for a long winter.
I picked up all of the fencing from where the ewes were eating grass just yesterday. As the sheep year transitions, I am grateful for all of the nourishing grass that fed my sheep and delighted their hearts as fresh pasture awaited them.
I picked up all of the fencing from where the ewes were eating grass just yesterday. As the sheep year transitions, I am grateful for all of the nourishing grass that fed my sheep and delighted their hearts as fresh pasture awaited them.
