Wild Goose Chases and Feeding the Sheep

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This Winter seems to be dragging on much longer than usual and it is still only February.

We don’t mind it cold and crisp but it seems to have been raining for weeks and the wind has made it impossible to get out as much as we would like to. It can be windy everywhere but, on the farm, it usually means it is gale force all the time.

This last week, we have been window watching and thrown coats on at the least lull in extreme elements just to get some fresh air.

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We went on a winter walk.

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It was actually a wild goose chase. Well, sheep chase if you will.

The weather has made many of the fields waterlogged which is fatal for sheep’s feet. They get something called foot rot which is as horrible as it sounds.

Think sore, limping feet and a terrible, terrible smell.

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We have bathed sheep, squirted their feet with things, made them walk through washes but, ultimately, it is the soggy ground drying up that will cure them.

As Winter nears its end, the amount of nutrients in the grass also becomes poor so we are constantly moving the sheep around-especially the pregnant ewes who will need the nutrients in order to lamb well.

Our pet sheep, Minty lives with the rams and they usually reside in the field adjacent to the garden so we get to see him every day. Unforunately that field has some of the best grass so some of the ewes with the worst feet were moved there and the boys were moved to another place over a busy road.

Hubster assured me they were near the road so off we went, cream crackers safely stored under the pram to tempt them.

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Once we got over the road, and walked for around half an hour-reaching the end of our land, there was no Minty to be seen.

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I shouted him, Boo shouted him but there was a strong breeze and I think the wind carried our voices in the opposite direction.

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Hubster laughed when we got back crestfallen with a full pram of cream crackers. Definitely a wild goose sheep chase.

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Then, later in the week, Hubster and the farm workers have devised a clever sheep feeding devise so, Baby G and I (Boo was at school) went on an adventure in Daddy’s car to see the pregnant ewes get fed with the new contraption.

Around here, food can often be referred to as baggins and quite amusingly, baggins had been written in permanent marker on the back of the feeder.

The sheep, usually shy of people and vehicles, soon cottoned on to what was happening and, due to the nature of the flow of the food, I got this amazing photo of a line of sheep.

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The most lovely thing about our little trip out was Baby G’s reaction to the sheep. He seems to have inherited my love of all animals (unlike his sister)and the look of joy on his face was well worth the 15 minutes it took to wrap him up.

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No two days are the same here and I will always love that about farming.

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I am just yearning for Spring and sunny days.

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Country Kids from Coombe Mill Family Farm Holidays Cornwall

ANIMALTALES

8 Comments

  1. Poor sheep! Love the look on your little boy’s face when he saw the sheep. Priceless 🙂 I know what you mean about winter-being-too-long, let’s hope spring will come soon 🙂 #animaltales

  2. Emma, I have every sympathy with this post, we hare having terrible trouble with water logged fields and sheep this year, we have been nursing a poorly one this week who I feel sure is going to feature on Country Kids very soon! You are so right, no two days in farming are the same, but that’s what keeps it interesting. I love that photo of Baby G hanging out the car to see the sheep feeding. We feed ours in a line like this too, it stops a lot of squabbling over their fair share! Popping by from animal Tales, thanks for the Country Kids badge, I’ll remind you to link on Friday!

  3. We used to keep sheep through the winter and I hated having to deal with foot rot is we got it. Great photo of sheep all in a line and here’s sending you some dry weather wishes. If there are any left over cold you return them to France please! #AnimalTales

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