Protection

The sheep have blue lines down their backs, and a spot on their heads, Charlie said rain will wash the thick blue liquid into their fleeces and protect the flock from fly strike. We baited ewes and their lambs with ewe pellets, into a broader pen, before separating them into a smaller pen. We close the flock in tighter, for short periods of time to prevent the sheep from jumping over the pen hurdles.

We were left with six tups lambs and three ewe lambs, we let the mother ewes go, after we had sprayed them. Once loaded into the trailer, they seemed calm but wondrous as to where they were being transported to. The violet on them is supposed to be applied onto their hooves, but Charlie sometimes uses it to mark them.

We may have old farm equipment, but we make the best of what we have, and our sheep are cared for, we look after their welfare.

At our second grass keep, near Bowden, we rounded up six tups and transported them to the farmhouse paddock for holding; until we transport them to auction on Tuesday. There has been an excess of tup lambs this year, leaving a mere several ewe lambs we want to keep.

Took ages to get them to leave the trailer, I presumed they jump out, but Charlie had to coax them out from in-between the wooden slats.

The boys hang out together, the new six tups seem alright with the paddock; when they left the paddock for grass keep they were only wee lambs. I am amazed at how quickly the dock leaves have returned, I plan to fence off areas of the paddock, and spray weed killer.

Half of our kitchen garden was eaten by rabbits and birds. We sealed the perimeter with posts and wire but was to busy to continue the work. Overtaken by weeds the French dwarf beans, swede, carrots and onions have been completely eaten; although we expect a good crop of potatoes this year.

Charlie was upset we missed cream teas at Roberton this month, replying I stated, if they had talked to us a bit more, instead of us being invisible, we would have remembered, with the "social" event being more significant. Passing by, covered in sheep poo we noticed an electric bike event advertised; wondering if its the same people I met last September in Golspie.

Unbelievable the maggot infested sheep we witnessed today at the beginning of the Roberton to Ashkirk road; turned my stomach. This is what happens when you don't check your sheep, dag and spray them, maggots eat them alive from the anus, appalling to see this so near to Roberton.