Ewes and lambs return

The ewes and lambs have spent the last couple of months, as they do each year, at a neighbouring farmer's field. They get some fresh grazing and my own fields have a chance to rest. It hasn't worked out quite so well this year as the weather has been so dry. The sheep got through their bonus grazing quicker than usual and my own fields have only put on a modest amount of re-growth. We are getting quite desperate now for some decent rainfall but the forecast for the next few days tells us we have a heatwave on the way. The arable farmers around here have had their irrigation sprays on the go more or less constantly.

I go and check on the sheep twice each day; its only about half a mile away. The field is unfenced and I rely on three strands of electric wire fencing to contain the sheep. This generally works well but for the last few days I have found one or two of the lambs on the wrong side of the fence. It has been easy to get them back in but today there are four sheep out and they were straying further afield. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. 

Time to bring them home. This was the task this evening when the temperature and cooled. Two trips with the trailer and once lambs and their mothers had re-connected they soon settled back in. 

I had to move our two rams, Abraham and heir apparent Barnabas, who had stayed home, to another field so that they were two steps removed to avoid any temptation to jump a fence and join the ewes. 

Sheep back home, carrying on where they left off.