sheep rights

The sheep know their rights:  if the grass is covered with snow, the staff should provide other food. They were pretty vocal on this point

they seem pretty smug

Read Full Post »

trees and sheep

We’ve been planting trees again. Not the best of conditions as the ground is so wet, and snow and freezing temperatures forecast, but they were ordered back along, and now they are here – in they go.

We planted am almond, a mirabelle, a Dittisham plum and a bramley to replace the one that Betty (the sheep of  little brain) ate.

Sheep and fruit trees are not a good combination, but with  little individual fences round each one, it works, and the land can be used for both – and it seems some breeds are more tree eaters than others – we had no problem when we only had the Devon Closewools, but now we have the others, we are having tree nibbling issues.

It seems the minute we got the Shetland ewes – natural browsers and bark eaters, Betty decided she must be one of them and took to eating trees too.  I suspect it is to do with her overbite.

Yes I realise it sounds as though it is the Shetlands munching bark and Betty getting the blame – but we have seen her: she even got stuck between two fences several times, and she climbs the fence – throws her front legs over the top, squashes the fence down and eats everything she can reach – then sometimes climbs in too.

And several of the fruit trees got nibbled – which is far from good for them. Disease can get in, and the tree suffers – if bark is taken off in a complete ring, the tree will die.  The problem is she is so big – hip high before she starts climbing… and in the general umming and arring over which sheep to keep – this does not bode well for Betty.

At the moment we are trialling wool – Betty’s and the Shetlands, as that will be part of the decision. And anyway, we have freezer crisis – we need to empty freezers not fill them, so in the meantime we are fencing taller, wider and hoping Betty is held back long enough.

 

Read Full Post »

hedging and browsing sheep

We have started this year’s hedging.  A little early as there are still leaves on the trees, but the hedging  window is so small down here in sunny Devon, and the buds appear on the trees as early as January.  But the leaves are dying back (how to spot Ash die back when there is every tree die back going on?)

So we coppiced some willow, and put them through our leave removal system. Also known as: the sheep.

We are two sheep down this week, well we still have them, but  as mutton in the freezer…, and this leaves us with our old girl Sharona, Betty of little brain, and the three Shetland ewes.  It could get difficult next year as we now have the five sheep we really want to keep – views on this might change as there will be less grass and  they get hungry through the winter – this always brings out the worst behaviour.  If the Shetlands, with their browsing tendencies break out and eat the woodland, or Betty of the little brain continues to climb over the fences to eat the hedges and getting stuck, well opinions might differ. Sharona is a known entity, she is stiff and aged and grumpy. Mostly grumpy.

So, we dragged the trees over in a pile for the sheep to scoff, and cut lots of bramble and piled it high on the bonfire heap and opened the gate and let the sheep, now salivating on the other side of the gate – well Sharona and Betty of the little brain know the sound of sawing means tree food – the Shetlands thought the other two knew something.  In rushed the sheep.  Sharona and Betty OTLB scoffed leaves, and the Shetlands climbed the bonfire heap and ate brambles.  I swear they are goats in disguise.

But saying that, a sheep that browses more than grazes could be a good thing – I watched one munching nettles today, so maybe the hungry winter will prove them to be keepers after all.

Read Full Post »

tree fruit

This year is not looking like a good year for tree fruit for us.  I’m fairly relaxed about it, because it is largely out of my control. ( I say largely, because there is the Betty factor…)

This year, with March being so hot I had to break out the factor 50, and then April and half of May being cold, the orchard trees blossomed too early then got caught by the cold. We have hardly any set fruit.  The apples in the garden have done a little better, flowering later  - perhaps because it is not as sunny?.

And now we have horrible stormy cold winter weather, and any set fruit has probably been blown to Scandinavia.

Then throw in the Betty factor. Well, when we got the Shetland ewes, were were wary of their browsing habits and improved the fencing and the tree guards.  And they have not given us any problems, other than eating the hedges back and swiping the odd leaf poking out through the tree guards.  But Betty..  has broken down fences and got into the hedges, and she has reached over the tree guards and eaten the leader out of two new trees.   And yes, we know it is her.. she was seen.  We are not happy.

I’m thinking it might be because of her ‘parrot mouth’ – ie overbite, which means short grass is hard for her to bite, and she prefers longer things that she can get to the back of the mouth. Yes, she is friendly, and looks nice and has nice wool . but oh.. she does get to look a little more mutton like…

And we might have a bit more freezer space.. what with having no apples, plums, pears or damsons this year….

 

Read Full Post »

mutton butchery

With terrible timing, this week we have, as well as catching up on all the digging, and sowing and starting the planting out, been butchering a mutton.  Well, that was Wednesday – and no we would not have planned it had we known it would turn hot – but I distinctly remember the news stating the cold weather would continue until June – and it was definitely cold last week!

Still, fortunately our house is cave like and perma cold, and even a big sheep carcass is a relatively fast job to butcher – we kept everything we were not working on in the freezers chilling down as we went.

And one 43 kilo mutton wether makes:

10 roasting joints – that is 4 legs, 2 chumps, 2 loins and 2 racks.

2 shanks and 2 shins

6.5 kilos of lean cubed mutton shoulder

4 kilos of minced mutton – which was made into over 100 small burgers

the liver, kidneys and heart (the lights I gave to a friend for his dog)

and a big vat of stock and meat which will one day become scotch broth/stew

We did the mincing and burger making the next day, having let the trimmed meat chill down to almost frozen, and worked in the cooler evening, yes once again making burgers at midnight!

I’m glad we live in a detached house, as the drone of the faithful old 1960s kenwood chef mincer, a good old workhorse plodding its way through the mountain of mutton might have annoyed the neighbours.

I am, as always, sad to see one of the sheep go, but it was always going to be so, and I do firmly believe in what we are doing, particularly when it comes to grass fed animals.  I also believe in nose to tail eating, but do make the allowance for not blocking my arteries with the fat, so excess lard is removed.  We have previously made soap from mutton fat, but pig lard soap is much much better. And both better than palm oil!

So it’s been long days of digging and sheep rounding up and trailer backing and  butchery and seed sowing and planting and more digging and late evenings of mincing and burger making.  We are trying, to get that balance right and throw in some fun too – like our breakfast BBQs

This morning though, as it rained, we slept in.. a lovely long lie in. Accompanied by the sound of summer rain. The day brightened, the digging was finally finished, plants going in, the sun came out and we cooked over charcoal again for tea, before more planting.

Nine pm, and I have finished watering and it might be time to rediscover what the living room looks like.. as it has been a while.

Read Full Post »

flock settling

The new shetland ewes are settling in nicely.  I had worried about there being bullying, what with having a mix of big and little sheep, but after a few days the Shetlands stopped chasing the big ones ! They seem to have settled into three distinct groups within the flock; the Devon closewools, the Shetlands and Betty, the black and white ewe of little brain.(and that’s saying something for a sheep).

The Shetland ewes are more flighty – not helped by all the changes they have been facing recently – new people, new land, new flock – after shearing they were very springy –  all the sheep are bouncy after being sheared, not surprising, carrying that heavy weight of wool around, more so when it was soaked in the rain must have been a drag, but the Shetlands can really leap.I think they might be part gazelle… but they are food orientated, easily tempted by a bucket, they are getting comfortable with us,  and we do still love them.  Besides.. look at that cute face!

And we have the wool to fondle now, and it is super super soft.

During the torrential rain of the last few weeks (in the May heat this now seems funny), they were not in the field shelter with the other southern softies, but out in the middle of the field practically saying ‘call this rain?’. And they seem keen to eat thistles, brambles etc – could be a good thing.

We have had to do some re-fencing, as we keep finding a ewe in the hedge between our fields, not only eating the wildflowers and trampling on everything, but baaing loudly and complaining she is stuck – only to be found back again after we put her back in the field, and patch the fence, – but it is Betty causing us the grief!

Read Full Post »

Devon county show

We’ve been at the show today.

We particularly wanted to go to take a really close look at the sheep – shows are an ideal way of finding out what you really like in a breed.  We looked long and hard at the blue faced Leicesters - as we are tempted to add one or two to our flock, we admired the other breeds, and we chatted happily with owners of Shetlands – the phrase ‘oh he looks nice!’ seems to start many a conversation with fellow shepherds. And we watched some of the judging.

Himself was very taken with the steam engines, and hence we have a picture of that instead of any sheep!

We collected addresses (sheep owners, not traction engines), gathered ideas,   talked looms at the guild of spinners and weavers stand (himself will insist on calling them the guild of assassins…), dreamt a lot over wind turbines and reclaimed furniture,  and came away foot sore and full of plans.

Read Full Post »

sheep sheared, before and after

Read Full Post »