The solution

 Heres the problem . 

And the problem is there is no grass for the sheep to graze - its all under a couple of inches of snow.

And its been like this for a couple of weeks and the forecast is for a couple of weeks more .

 

So we are getting through the hay at a rapid rate. 

 

So Michael to the rescue 

And stocks replenished

Ovine Intensive Care

 There has been a lot of rain - so there is mud everywhere - and then snow over the last week or so.  

And the young rams have clearly been struggling in the adverse conditions. 

A couple of them have got a skin infection on their noses  - possible trauma in trying to  graze through ice and the mud is a less than hygienic environment . 

So they needed an antibiotic jab, and some feeding up , so they have been brought in for a few days 

The unkindest cut of all

The time has come . Little do they suspect, lying in the  field, having been fed stuff to get them to come down

meanwhil the inside of the shed has been prepared
Entrance race and then 2 pens - for before and for after

 

And the rams can all be enticed in with  a bit of food

 And afterwards they are all penned , before being released out

But then there is the real problem.


What do i do with bucket that contains 28 sheeps' testicles ?

The Pied Piper of.........

Or how to move sheep ( part 2)

A clutch of ewes  all with twins need to be moved to fresh grazing.  Sheep, at times, arent that  bright  and they are relatively easy to train to follow  a bucket of feed.

So you start with your sheep all gathered at the top of the field.

 And then you walk them down the field

And then you walk them across the field

And you keep going , and they arrive at their destination

Cuthbert and Cato

It's a bit  muddy everywhere . We've had 150% of the usual  Februaruy rainfall. At least its been dry ( and sunny) for the last 4 days and one of the fields no longer squelches when you walk on it.

So with Cato and Cuthbert running out of grass and not keen on hay  its time to move them.

A barrier in case they want to explore down the road

And then they follow a bucket !

And end up with the  others, including another ram. So they are going to have to sort themselves out over the next day or so .

sheep and fireworks

We all know that pets and fireworks don't get on.  Anyway , sheep and fireworks don't get on either. 

Neighbours has their own bonfire party, and finished with some bright , sparkly fireworks shooting in to the sky. This spooked the sheep that were in the adjacent field, and they all went charging around . One crashed into some sheep hurdles. We spotted him by torchlight,  in the dark,  standing away from the others and not moving much. 

Next morning , it was still separate from the others  and not active. And we could go right up to it - certainly not normal behaviour in sheep. 

And he was standing in one position, and very unsteady on  his feet . 

closer inspection revealed the injuries 

So what to do ?

If its  head injury of some sort, there is no specific treatment.  If its concussion  it should strt to recover in a day or so .

Prop him up, keep him warm, ensure food and water is available .

 and wait and see  if he improves.

The Beeb have been

The scottish version of Countryfile  is Landward . They want to do a piece on  the closure of local abbatoirs  - the only abbatoir in Orkney closed without notice in January  - and the effect this has on local producers .
So they came to Orkney  and wanted something about out Borerays.  Thye were here for about 90 minutes - which will probably tanslate into a 15-10 minute slot , if that.

So, a bit of setting up round the house. I dint know 15yr old Vauxhall Corsas that have done 72,000 miles were filmable !

And filmed leaving the house

The walking down the field

And then nochalantly leaning on the gate, chatting with Dougie Vipond 

 and finally going to feed the sheep

Watch this space for broadcast dates !

Everyone should have one

Of course its not used to go round muddy fields, making a mess. 

Or to go up and down hills just for the fun of it. 

Or to try out the 4 wheel drive in a big puddle of water. 

Its got a serious use . Transporting a load of sheep up the hill.

Of course it has . 

Cutting the grass

the grass has been slow getting going this year - but at the start of May I need to cut the grass.
But why expend the energy ad do it myself when we have resident grass cutters  ?

 OK , they dont eat *just* grass.

 But they do nedd a bit of watching  incase they decide to go exploring or eat some of the other stuff they aren't supposed to