Driving along the A7, we watched massive grey clouds hurl rain against our car as we neared Selkirk. By the time we reached Ashkirk, the downpour had faded away.
Sheep may shy away from rain, yet the promise of a rattling food bag will lead them eagerly into the waiting pen.
We managed to gather most of the flock, but two clever ewes slipped away and took shelter beneath a nearby tree.
Charlie gently guides the wandering lamb back to her mother, reuniting the pair after their brief separation.
The pen is redesigned so the tup cannot interfere.
We’re shearing in the rain,
just shearing in the rain.
Lets have a look at the herd, including the tup and stumpy ewe.
Ewes sporting mucky bums move to the front of the line, since they are especially at risk of flystrike.
We worm drench both ewes and lambs.
A cute lamb.
And foot spray for a lame lamb.
Once the lambs were treated and sprayed, we opened the gate and watched the flock spill eagerly into the open field.
We sheared, drenched, and sprayed four ewes, while nearly every lamb received their dose of care as well. Leaving the grasskeep, we felt a satisfying sense of having restored the herd’s well-being.
After our drive back to Woodburn, Charlie greeted our two cade lambs with warm bottles of milk as I stirred a bubbling pot of spaghetti bolognese in the kitchen.