This morning I risen at half past five to help Charlie take three ewes to the market in Longtown.
Although the scenery is something to see the drive is boring, it took us forty minutes to reach Longtown, passing through Langholm on the way. After Charlie unloaded the Ewes and handed the movement book, we visited the market cafe for a cooked breakfast.
Seated with Charlie drinking Coffee. Traditional English cooked breakfast.
The breakfast was delicious, and served with a warming smile. The café was empty other than two men seated behind us. We watched other farmers, crofters emptying their trailers of ewes, sheep auctioned today at the market are not going to be killed.
Charlie later stated there were supposed to be at least 1200 ewes here today, we were here early, but I could not see this place filling up to that capacity in just a couple of hours. Fell down the benches as I was descending, felt as though the fall was not going to stop; Charlie helped me to my feet.
Auction hall from floor level, notice the thick concrete walls.
We left the auction room to go see the ewes for the final time, they appeared stressed, apprehensive of even us. I know how that feels, how torturous hyper-vigilance can become.
Three teeswater ewes penned, nervously awaiting to be sold.
Returning to the farmhouse, two cade lambs came from the hill to see me, asking for milk. We're weaning them off the bottle, from twice to once daily, substituting with lamb pellets, which they're happily eating. They are also lightly grazing on fresh grass and silage.
This afternoon the poly tunnel was empty, as we loaded and transported the last ewes and lambs to grass keep. Work now begins mucking out the yard, the manure will have to be taken uphill via the tractor tipper; there is still muck to disperse from last year.
The run is to guide the ewes and lambs into the trailer, this is not a "mousetrap"; just a guide. The sheep are OK in the trailer, and go in freely, we transport them from A to B, with no in-betweens; these last ewes and lambs were well received by the flock at the grass keep, we checked on the others at the additional grass keep, all were counted as present.
Grass keep near Elidon hills.
The three ewes made one-hundred pounds each, a good price as Charlie was expecting less because of previous visits to that market. The trip was an adventure for me, I've never been to an animal market before, I have learned so much about sheep during these last two months.
Although the scenery is something to see the drive is boring, it took us forty minutes to reach Longtown, passing through Langholm on the way. After Charlie unloaded the Ewes and handed the movement book, we visited the market cafe for a cooked breakfast.
Seated with Charlie drinking Coffee. Traditional English cooked breakfast.
The breakfast was delicious, and served with a warming smile. The café was empty other than two men seated behind us. We watched other farmers, crofters emptying their trailers of ewes, sheep auctioned today at the market are not going to be killed.
Charlie later stated there were supposed to be at least 1200 ewes here today, we were here early, but I could not see this place filling up to that capacity in just a couple of hours. Fell down the benches as I was descending, felt as though the fall was not going to stop; Charlie helped me to my feet.
We left the auction room to go see the ewes for the final time, they appeared stressed, apprehensive of even us. I know how that feels, how torturous hyper-vigilance can become.
Returning to the farmhouse, two cade lambs came from the hill to see me, asking for milk. We're weaning them off the bottle, from twice to once daily, substituting with lamb pellets, which they're happily eating. They are also lightly grazing on fresh grass and silage.
This afternoon the poly tunnel was empty, as we loaded and transported the last ewes and lambs to grass keep. Work now begins mucking out the yard, the manure will have to be taken uphill via the tractor tipper; there is still muck to disperse from last year.
The run is to guide the ewes and lambs into the trailer, this is not a "mousetrap"; just a guide. The sheep are OK in the trailer, and go in freely, we transport them from A to B, with no in-betweens; these last ewes and lambs were well received by the flock at the grass keep, we checked on the others at the additional grass keep, all were counted as present.
The three ewes made one-hundred pounds each, a good price as Charlie was expecting less because of previous visits to that market. The trip was an adventure for me, I've never been to an animal market before, I have learned so much about sheep during these last two months.
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