The Slowcook at Spydog Farm The Slowcook at Spydog Farm

Back in the Saddle Again?

December 27th, 2013 · No Comments · Posted in farming, Weather

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With all of the recent snowfall melted I thought this was a fine time to take the sheep back to the upper pasture and finish what they started in the fall. They’re much happier grazing than eating hay. Our friend Mary, visiting from California, captured this image of me leading the sheep up the hill with a bucket of grain.

This means more work for me. I have to climb the hill each day to look in on the animals and break up the ice in their water trough. I have to haul water in buckets a good distance from the nearest hydrant.

The grass, though almost entirely brown now, is perfectly edible. But the sheep periodically need to be moved to a fresh paddock and setting up the portable electric fencing is no easy task when the ground is frozen.

But wouldn’t you know it? The day after this photo was taken a “dusting” of snow in the forecast turned into four inches. It’s beautiful snow–light and powdery–but the sheep have to dig through it to find the grass. Their free lunch has turned into a chore. I’m thinking we might just spend part of the morning marching them back to the permanent paddock and wait to see what the weather does next.

Never a dull moment around here.

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