The Third Day: Shearing on Abbotsford Grasskeep
Leonie is fiercely committed to helping Charlie see the job through to the end.
Shepherding
24 posts
Shepherding is one of the world's oldest vocations, rooted in the rhythms of the hills, seasonal stock management, and the deep landscape history of the Borders. Far beyond a mechanical routine, it is an attentive stewardship involving the care, movement, and protection of flocks across open terrain—capturing the daily realities, seasonal challenges, and enduring human connection to pastoral life.
The Passing Storm: A Day of Drenching and Shearing
Leonie joins Charlie in shearing sheep beneath the steady rain at Abbotsford, their teamwork undeterred by the weather.
Hauling Hurdles: Setting Up the Abbotsford Shear
Leonie and Charlie haul hurdles across the field and skillfully shear two ewes on their lush Abottsford grass keep.
Marks of Care: Tagging and Clipping on the Farm
Léonie helps Charlie tag and clip his sheep.
From Pasture to Pen: Managing the Sheep and Grasskeep
Charlie and Léonie look after the sheep before moving two ewes and their lambs to a temporary pasture.
In the Thick of It: The Demands of Lambing
Léonie steps into the poly tunnel and discovers a newborn lamb. Now, she needs to find the lamb’s mother.
When the Worst Happens: Losing a Lamb to CNN
Cerebrocortical Necrosis (CCN), or polioencephalomalacia, is a severe and often fatal neurological disease in sheep and lambs caused by thiamine deficiency. It leads to brain cell death, resulting in blindness, head pressing, incoordination, and seizures.
In the Open: Shearing Sheep at Woodburn
Charlie sheers sheep at Woodburn Farmhouse.
The Work of the Land: Shepherding at Woodburn
Charlie and I manage lambing, worming, and foot clipping for the sheep at Woodburn Farmhouse.
In the Lambing Shed: Spring Realities on the Farm
Charlie and I are lambing at Woodburn Farmhouse.
When the Growth Halts: Collecting Hay as Woodburn Grass Stops
Leonie and Charlie fetch hay and silage because the grass has stopped growing.
Market Bound: Transporting Lambs to the Longtown Auction
Leonie and Charlie gather the sheep and put tags on them before sending them to Longtown.
Showing of 24 posts