The weather has been alternately hot and sunny and hot, cloudy and raining! We decided to have the sheep sheared, a little earlier than normal, as Feather and Fern had very thick brown coats! They are now called Shearlings, Black and white and I have beautiful baby soft fleeces to process, Emma and Evie were also sheared, their fleeces are predominately white with some black, So soon I will be washing, carding and spinning.
As the forecast was due to be unsettled, we had the hay made at the beginning of June, we already had a number of bales left from late cutting, at the end of July, last year, as we had 22 bales, from our 4.2 acre hayfield! This year it was 9 bales and made the grass available for the sheep and horses, to graze. Our little flock however, have their own agenda! For one thing, they do not like getting wet, so with the unsettled weather, they decided to spend their days in the paddock, with the ponies, easy access to shelter, plenty of shade, easy food! So only going to graze for an hour or so, then returning to in front of the stables, or the barn. Every morning we have been greeted with joyful baaing and have had to be inventive, with buckets and trough placement, to avoid Beauty eating the sheep corn and likewise sheep eating cool mix! Feather had a lame back foot, for a couple of days, from the hard ground, treated with Blue antibiotic spray and TK yellow gel, I can recommend from Graham Shepherds! The lambs are growing well, Grogu and Glitzy, love fusses, Gloria though, will only sniff my hand, they have all been handled to be wormed, but it is strange she prefers to stay in the background, all of the adults love attention and a nibble of Rich Tea biscuits.