The Lazy Gather

A need to get some sheep in and treat them for lice. They were running on an enclosed piece of hill ground alongside cattle. The cattle are fed on silage, which is laid out on the ground for them each morning. The sheep can't help themselves when a free bite is on offer and they come forward to share the fodder with the cattle.

A lazy mans approach, but it was hoped all the sheep may have congregated with the cattle, if this was the case it wouldn't be necessary to bounce around the hill ground on the quad to gather everything in.

So it was then that old Glen and I cut some corners and collected this bunch of sheep from where they were sharing a bale of silage with the cows.

Glen soon encouraged the sheep to leave the tasty silage behind and do as they were told, gather up in a bunch and move where they were required to move to.

All was going well until we had this obstacle to pass through. Just a gateway, but the brakes were engaged, sheep did not want to move forward.

Poor old Glen found himself having to do some leg work as sheep tried to break back to whence they had come. Whichever side the dog ran to saw sheep trying to break away on the other side. He had his work cut out for a while.

Eventually one kindly soul decided to head through the gate, it only takes one, the others will soon follow.

Glen still acted as back stop, ensuring no sneaky creature got a chance to turn back.

The sheep were streaming away across the next field whilst the last few were tip toeing through the gateway.

The gateway in question. The reason the sheep were reluctant to go through it. A huge puddle across the width of the gateway which had also been frozen. The bike, on the journey out to get the sheep, had broken through the ice but the sheep were more concerned about getting there feet wet than anything else, they really don't like clarty gateways.

The next gateway was drier and sheep were willing to go through it. Upon reaching the sheep pens the sheep were counted. 212 was the number I arrived at and upon enquiring how many there ought to be I was told 212 - great news! It meant the lazy gather had been succesful, there were no sheep left out on the hill ground, all were accounted for. The ploy had worked and had saved a lot of time in the process.

A couple of hours in the pens and home they headed, far more enthusiastic to go through the clarty gateway this time, in main due to the fact that this direction was taking them home.

I shot forward to open the gate onto the hill, the one which had been closed to ensure the cattle didn't wander away in, whilst Glen quietly followed on, he had no hard work to do, these sheep were heading for home, knew where they were going, didn't need steering or encouraging just needed Glen to gently wander along behind them. He was happy in his work.

Tup time and second time over

The tups in Tarset are now into second time over. As explained last year ewes have an oestrus cycle of 17 days. So a tup is released to the ewes on the first day of tup time and it is hoped that after 17 days those ewes will have all come on 'heat' and been tupped and hopefully held (remained fertilised).

The next 17 days is generally known as second time over. For fear some ewes didn't hold to the tup they get the chance again and usually to a different tup.

It is not unheard of for ewes to come back to the tup on the 18th/19th days, these being the ewes which were on heat when the tups first went out and for some of them it was probably wearing off, or maybe the tup was struggling to settle down to the task in hand. For whatever the reason there is no major concerns when ewes come a tupping right at the offset of second time over, however, should this trend continue for further days it is a great concern, a sign that the tup was not doing his job right, was not fertilising the ewes.

It is for this reason that tups are changed for second time over, ideally fresh tups are used but sometimes tups just find themselves changed around to run with a different batch of ewes. Shepherds keep an eye on any proceedings hoping that they don't find ewes queuing up for their second chance of being fertilised. If the tups are ratching (hunting) around looking for a willing female and finding no joy then that is great news for the shepherd, the ewes are already fertilised and don't require the services of the male sheep anymore. Should the results be different and the tup finds himself with a regular harem then there is no doubt the first tup out with the ewes did not do his job, hugely frustrating as the lambing season will drag on and the tup (which may well be one you thought very highly of) will have to go down the road, to the pie shop so to speak.

There were many this tup time sharing concerns that their ewes would be not be tupped first time over due to the poor weather conditions. There should have been little reason why the sheep didn't get tupped, if your ewes are fit and your tups too then nature will take its course. Sheep have an inbuilt desire to pass their genes on to the next generation and so long as their own survival is not in jeopardy that is what they will do.

It is possible that on some of the very worst days when snow was blizzarding the tups may have found it more difficult to perform, or they may well have suffered an injury (which would be spotted by the shepherd and rectified as soon as possible) but on a whole the males and females ought to have been doing what they were meant to be doing and fertilisation ought to have occurred.

Shepherds were finding that they weren't seeing the signs first time over. Usually the sheep are fairly well spread out and the tup will be wandering around trying to find a receptive ewe, the ewes also will be hunting the tups out. The shepherd would gather his sheep up every day and hopefully have the opportunity of seeing a tup work (tup a ewe). However due to the amount of snow lying sheep were held tight within a small area until the snow began to soften and they could spread themselves out further and when the shepherd arrived on the scene these sheep which were already bunched up came forward looking for feed, a totally different scenario to the one which many were used to experiencing.

Due to the fact that the sheep were bunched up all the time the tups didn't (and actually couldn't) go a wandering, they were confined to a small area just waiting for a ewe to come onto heat and ask to be tupped, the chances of the shepherd seeing any 'action' was fairly slim. As already said, upon his arrival the sheep were looking for feed so again he wasn't going to see much action. If ewes are not satisfied with the tup and his services they will follow him around, hassle him and let it be known that they would like something 'better', again this wasn't being seen due to the circumstances at tup time.

Tups have been changed in Tarset and second time over is well underway. It would appear that those concerns held by some could well have been unfounded, there are not many ewes coming back to the tups which is great news. It seems that the ewe flocks in Tarset are indeed going to be in lamb.

 

An idle tup seen above - good news for the shepherds that the ewes no longer require his services.

Tups will run with the ewes until the turn of the year, often pulled off the ewes around about the 5th January. Tups are pulled off the ewes because we all want to know that lambing time is drawing to a close, if they are left running with the ewes there may well be ewes lambing well into June. Six weeks of running with the tups ought to be enough, it's definitely enough at lambing time! Anything which hasn't been tupped in that time probably wasn't fit enough or had an underlying problem and would be better off geld anyhow, unless that is there was a problem with the tup and his fertility in which case tups may be left out longer as the lambing will be starting later anyhow.

The challenge to the ewes now is to get through the winter and remain in lamb. Physical stress may well cause them to reabsorb their lambs or abort (keb). Physical stress is often caused by difficult weather conditions which affect their natural grazing and find them burning their energy reserves. Fortunately sheep went into this winter in good physical fettle and we'll just have to hope they don't find themselves hammered by the elements and put under stress once the foetus begins to grow inside them.

An update on the weather

Friday 10th December saw the weather turn fresh (warmer), there were even concerns of flooding as the roads quite literally ran with water. However many of the roads were still covered with compacted frozen snow which made driving conditions absolutely treacherous.

Farmers contracted out by the council tried to make the most of the fresh spell which was forecast to continue right over the weekend. Diggers and ploughs came into the area to try and remove some of the inches deep compacted frozen snow off the tarmac roads. Many wagons needed to make deliveries, not only to farms but also to households who required heating oils, coals etc, the roads were going to have to blacken more than they were at the moment to enable the deliveries to get in.

There was some headway made and tarmac did rise to the surface in places, however the fresh didn't last as long as it might have done. For all it felt so much milder the cold in the ground must have prevented further snow and ice from shifting. There was a massive difference to be seen on the Friday, every time I looked up more snow had moved and yet on the Saturday it appeared to be just the same and so on for the first few days of the coming week.

Yes, the snow must have been moving slightly but it was no where near as apparent as it was on that Friday. Where ever tractors, feet or traffic had been travelling over the white stuff it was all left as a solid frozen mass. Fields were greening up, hill ground and any rougher pastures found sheep scratching in and 'working' to get a bite as heather and rushes began to poke through, any dips and hollows remained white as did dyke (wall) backs. The oldies would be telling you it was hanging around waiting for more to come........

Shep managed to get out and about without fear of sliding off roads, a trip away East to dose and innoculate hoggs away on winter keep followed by a trip over West to dose and copper in lamb mule ewes, on roads which were a pleasure to drive on. What a difference in the weather though. Close to the seaside on my venture east saw a lot of snow still lying, as much if not more than ourselves. The trip over west saw me enquiring whether or not they had had any snow. But then you just have to travel a few miles down the valley from here and the snow is hard to find.

Sunday 12th December saw everyone waiting with bated breath to view the weekly television weather forecast which is screened after our weekly farming programme on a Sunday evening. Concerns grew as a threat of heavy snowfall was predicted for the coming Thursday (yesterday).

The 'fresh' had come as a god send enabling everyone to 'come up for air', restock where necessary and prepare for whatever the weather was likely to throw at us. Not just farmers and shepherds I may add, householders too. Those who required fuel deliveries to heat their houses were finding the wagons were back on the roads, some had to leave bowsers to be filled at properties which had clearer roads, these bowsers being led in by tractor so saving unnecessary accidents for the wagon drivers or none deliveries. Feedstuffs were delivered to farms, some being unloaded at the farm ends, or neighbouring farms due to wagons not able to travel on the icy farm roads. Groceries were sought, just in case! Pantries (larders) are kept full through the winter months so many were not short of food but it always pays to ensure there is plenty in and so an opportunity to restock is not missed.

A great help when no one is sure what the future weather is likely to be.

Shep even met one farmer loading his sheep and taking them home. His main farm is 12 miles away, further in bye,yet he owns a large lump of hill ground in this area too. For all he was able to get fodder to his sheep in the bad weather he said it was taking 3 hours out of his day to travel to them by tractor and so when there was a lull in the weather he decided to gather all 100 of them up and transport them by livestock trailer back down to his home farm where he knew he would be able to access them. Not a foolish move by any means.

For some the forecast of more heavy snow was almost too much, worries and fears came to the fore. Will the fodder last the winter? Where will we find some more fodder? Will the wagon get in with feedstuffs for the farm animals? Will the sheep carry their lambs through? Will there be enough money to pay the extra costs? Will we ever be able to visit friends and family before Christmas? Will the family get up for Christmas?

There is nothing we can do about the weather and in many ways there is no point in worrying, however, if you care then you will undoubtedly worry and for all there is nothing can be done about the weather we must all prepare for it and have plans and back up plans for dealing with it. Minds are racing, thinking weeks and even months ahead towards possible scenarios, trying to conjure up plans of action to help alleviate the situations should they arise. For instance, there is no point in waiting until you have no hay for your sheep before ringing around to see it there is any to be had. The hay sheds were rapidly depleting and many have already being making enquiries and placing orders for more fodder. Should it not be needed then all well and good, a huge expense but at least it was on hand. However, should it be needed then that is even better, your animals did not go hungry, you had the foresight of mind to plan ahead and prepare for the worst.

So why so much concern? Why the unspoken fear, concern and trepidation? THE WINTER ARRIVED TOO EARLY - that's why. Winter will often arrive in January, very often in February and not unheard of in March, but November? Snow is not unheard of in November, neither is frost. However the amount we received is unusual and we are a long way away from springtime, so much can happen in the forthcoming months.

Last winter dragged on, a good old fashioned winter which commenced in December and trailed on beyond the spring. Almost everyone in this area used up all their hay and silage, their feed bills were much higher than usual and not a scrap of feed left on the farms. The past spring and summer were poor ones. The early growing season never arrived and hay and silage crops were poor. Many farmers went into the winter with sufficient to see them through on a 'normal' winter, therefore they already know that they do not have enough fodder to see them through an unusually early winter unless it should now become fresh and the weather warm up. Many are carrying huge concerns upon their shoulders.

You can imagine the relief as the week drew on and the threat of heavy snowfall lessened to a threat of snow showers, many were waiting with bated breath to see what would arrive.

Thursday saw a covering of snow and nothing more, enough to make the ground look more uniform but not enough to cause any concern. The arctic blast saw the snow and slush practically freeze as it fell. Roads are once again lethal due to black ice and white ice!

We are in for a spell of hard weather, forecast for the coming week at least. Hard frosty weather. Hopefully everyone will be able to go about their business with care. Water pipes will probably be freezing again in cattle sheds and outbuildings - a time consuming pastime which can seem never ending trying to get the water to run for stock to drink. There is rough ground showing so hopefully sheep on hill ground wont need as much hay as they were receiving when the snow was so deep, however, they will still need a bite. The costs and use of fodder hasn't come to an end yet but in some respects life is looking up a little.

In like a lion – out like a lamb.

That’s what the saying is for the month of March. If it comes in like a lion it will go out like a lamb. This year it worked in reverse. March most definitely came in like a lamb. Snowfall at the end of February ceased and March saw still, frosty days.

The frosty days continued through into the middle of the month and probably beyond. Good weather to work in and dry underfoot, it made life quite pleasant. There was a drawback however, seems like everything comes at a price. No Grass.

The cold weather was again preventing any grass from growing. Tarset was barren, fields were brown and bare. Not just Tarset but further beyond as well. A farmer headed over west on Mothering Sunday to find there was no greenness over their either. We weren’t the only ones suffering at the hands of the long winter.

Eventually life looked up slightly. It would be over enthusiastic to say the grass grew but the ground did freshen up. A few wet days basically washed the ground and gave the grass that green hue it is meant to have. Exciting times, optimism was growing that the nearing lambing season may well be saved by grass finally growing.

Unfortunately the weather worsened. March had come in like a lamb and believe you me it went out like a lion – teeth barred the lot, she was mean as she took us into April.

Cold winds from the North and East swept the countryside and brought with it the weather so accustomed from that art – cold weather, wintry weather.

The 31st March was lamb killing weather. Those due to lamb at the beginning of April were having lambs arriving and the weather was trying very hard to take them away again. Driving rain, sleet and snow with a perishing cold wind was what we had to endure. Shep wasn’t happy, cold and wet, barely able to lift my face to the weather but my problems were nothing compared to the stock who were desperately trying to seek shelter from the driving, persistent cold.

The 1st April dawned white in Tarset, this was no April Fool, this was for real. The shepherd out bye would be worst affected in the area, his rough hill ground appeared to be lily white, a sure sign of depth of snow. A surreal morning, one could have been forgiven for thinking you were in the depths of the winter months, except – the skylarks and curlews were calling, our spring ground nesting birds were going about their business most probably wondering why on earth they had bothered to come back and visit.

I headed off lambing that night in the knowledge that 6 inches of snow had fallen where I was going, the electricity had been off for 36hours, trees had been brought down with the weight of wet, heavy snow. Needless to say a shovel and bag of salt travelled with me over the border and into Scotland.

Here we are, nearing the end of the first week of April and life is cold. Grass is none existent. Sheep are hungry. Lambs are being born onto wet, cold ground. These aren’t the hardy hill lambs which are being born at the moment but the softer, barer skinned in-bye type lambs; lambs less capable of coping with inclement weather, weather which is hitting both in-bye and out-bye places.

Ewes are feeding their lambs but as the lambs grow they want more milk, there’s no grass for the ewes, no natural way of boosting their fitness and milk production. Supplementary feeding is being shoved into these sheep but still lambs are beginning to lose their ‘bloom’, the signs are there that milk supplies are not lifting as they ought. Ewes are still grateful to receive hay as well as the hard feed, although many are now getting painfully short on the hay and silage front, the long winter having taken its toll on the reserves which were harvested last summer.

There ought to be grass, sheep ought to be going off the idea of eating hay preferring the sweetness of the new growth which ought to be showing in their fields, that’s how it all works. This year it isn’t working at all. All it is doing is causing a great deal of hard work and heartbreak.

Tales are already filtering back of great losses of lambs in the stormy weather from a few days back. Anything which did not have a full tummy would succumb but seemingly even those lambs carrying a bit age also dropped. Heart breaking.

Tarset is lucky in one respect that the early lambings are only just beginning, maybe the weather will pick up next week? The ground is so cold and wet now that a dry warm spell is desperately needed. A warm spell would suffice if necessary although the idea of dry too would be gratefully received.

Hill sheep are weakening as their burden is getting heavier, some are being lost to drains (open ditches) which are full of flood water from the wet and snow; the heavily pregnant ewes are struggling to navigate these obstacles. Twin lamb disease is still a problem and not one easily resolved. Life at the moment for the sheep is shite – no polite way of putting it I’m afraid. That’s life. Not always rosy and often a challenge.

A Sunday off

The first day off in the past eleven - exciting stuff!! A lie in was the order of the day. Now a tap, tap, taptap, tapping noise was aggravating Shep from 7am onwards, of an origin that my brain could not work out. Eventually I succumbed and got my lazy backside out of bed. The better half informs me it is Jackdaws nesting on the side of the house, in amongst the tangle of electric and phone lines which come in to the premises. Seemingly it's been annoying him lately too. As I have been up and away from home before this 'late' hour of the morning I have been totally unaware of the tapping problem. I doubt the gun will be coming out of it's secure home in the gun cabinet.

I suppose I did manage to have a lie in of sorts and rose totally mentally alert having lain in bed for quite a while concentrating on the tapping noise and trying to work out what on earth it could be. Whether the dogs appreciated a lie in I don't rightly know, they came out of the kennel with a bounce, well, one of them did - the youngster (Moss), the older dog (Glen) is still off the stot, I can't quite work out what the problem is other than concluding it is age and cold weather. There is nothing specific you can point your finger at but I shall continue with the vets medication and see how he goes.

A leisurely bowl of porridge, one or two 'phone calls, some dishes to wash, washing to hang out then off to inoculate a handful of ewes for an elderly 'farmer' in the area. The same elderly person who was involved in an STA (sheep trampling accident) prior to Christmas. The ewes are in good fettle and seemed to enjoy trying to break my legs whilst treating them - they truly are a strange band, many brought up as pets and most with an attitude all of their own.

The job took quite a while due to my automatic syringe drawing air which resulted in having to use a single shot syringe. Also, half way through, the sheep which had already been treated, escaped. Oh Yes! They took off like the devil himself was behind them, straight onto the road and along past the village hall. I am indebted to the car driver (of origin unknown) who had the presence of mind to stop their car, turn on their hazards and also flag down the car behind them.

I will not set my dogs past sheep on the road unless I deem it safe and this car gave me the confidence to do this, might seem strange to anyone reading this but my dogs are worth more to me than the sheep are, if there is going to be an accident involving traffic I would sooner the sheep were the ones involved and not the dogs.

It was a grand morning and as I was having a day off therefore the delays were of no great hardship.

Except a rush did ensue as time flew (as it does when you're having fun) and before I knew it I had to rush away and gather some bags of silage and hay from a local farmer to enter into the fodder show which was being judged at the pub at 1pm.

The local Vicar alongside the Chairman of the Parish Council were the judges on the day. Seemingly the vicar walked in to pay some debts - I thought she was paying off her tab from behind the bar but seemingly not (still prefer that explanation though) - fresh from the local Church service, the poor old vicar was pounced upon and given the job, being a horsey person she actually had a sound knowledge of fodder anyhow and between the two of them a good job was done.

The fodder show was well supported with 13 local farmers entering produce which was either a bag of hay (or small bale) or a bag of silage/haylage, obviously this then meant Shep found herself in the pub in the afternoon, had a grand crack (conversation) with all and sundry and was about set to become part of the fittings when it was brought to my attention that it was Blood Donors day. Ah! Fortunately I had been drinking Coke and so took myself down to the local small town, to the school and got to have an afternoon lie down.

I seemed to have verbal diarrhoea whilst at Blood Donors (I blame the Coke!), I'm sure they were pleased to see the back of me!! Anyhow, my naturally inquisitive mind took to enquiring as to the what haves of the blood carry on. They say the average person has 8 pints of blood in them (I always thought it was 7 - learnt something there!), if you are below 7 stone 12 you can't donate (no fear on that one!), we don't give a pint - only three quarters, however the anti co agulant in the bag makes it up to a pint. The blood being collected goes into a bag which is rocked in a cradle to prevent it from clotting. Our blood that we've lost will soon be replaced however it will be diluted. The reason we have to wait 17 weeks before donating again is that the blood has to have time to regain it's quality, thicken up again I guess.

All this was followed by a cup of tea and fortunately there were still some bourbon creams left to dunk in the tea ( I love bourbon creams!), a bit more crack with one or two other donors, sheep crack I'm afraid, a farmers wife and myself discussing the impending lambing season, the bareness of the fields and all manner of important farming subjects! Returning home, managing not to stop at the pub, the dinner was put in the oven next to the fire to have it ready in time to watch Countryfile on the telly and see how the Tarset farmers faired with their five minutes of fame. They came over really well - strange seeing folks you know on the telly.

Goodbye to January

Here we are, the end of January and things are looking up, or so we would hope, it always pays to remain optimistic, you'd get depressed otherwise.

You could be forgiven for thinking the snow has eventually gone, unfortunately it is still managing to linger on the highest ground in Tarset and further a field. Cheviot can be seen from many areas of Northumberland and it still appears to be totally white, thankfully I don't live on Cheviot.

The snow where Shep lives has all but gone, if you open your eyes there is still an odd little bit here and there, it gives you a sense of security until you raise your eyes to the higher ground where gullies, slacks and dyke backs are still hanging on to the white stuff.

The above photo was taken late this afternoon, the 31st January, and as you can see for yourselves that white stuff is still around and as we are having frosty nights and clear cold days it will not be moving in a hurry.

The winter so far has been a costly one. Fodder is getting low, some ran out of hay, others are more fortunate. Those with plenty of in-bye ground which is suitable for making hay went into the winter with a decent stash but even some of those think they may well be short by the winters end. Some dependant on buying the stuff in were to the point of running out when the fresh arrived and enabled wagons access to fetch more fodder in.

Hill sheep are hardy characters, during an open (mild) winter they may never see a bite of hay and only begin to receive supplementary feeding such as sheep cake or feed blocks when they are getting closer to lambing. However, in weather such as we've just experienced they need hay and feed. A month of harsh weather has left big holes in full hay sheds and supplies of feeding stuffs depleted.

Deliveries have been going on all over the valley. Bulk wagons of sheep cake arriving on farms and blowing their contents either into buildings or feed towers. Tons of feed blocks and pallet fulls of sheep cake in bags being unloaded at other farms. Hay and silage being delivered to those who need it. The agricultural feed merchants have been kept busy.

As have fuel merchants, with heating oil, diesel, coal all being replenished - just in case.

I've said earlier that sheep went into the winter in good physical fettle - mother natures way mebbes as they've needed that fettle. Well farmers had a good trade in the back end for their lambs, is that mother natures way too?

Trade for lambs has been dire for far too many years, it was good to see the frowns on farmers faces abate slightly as they saw their stock sell successfully, realising prices which would help them remain in farming, hopefully allowing them to draw a better wage as many will be living on the minimum wage if not less, especially the tenant farmers.

This 'spare' cash, if there actually was any, is now being spent. Winter came early and at a cost. Some sheep have died, fortunately not too many but again at a cost - the loss of a productive sheep with the added insult of paying to dispose of the carcase. A double whammy.

One farm which doesn't have ground suitable for making hay or silage and so buys it all in at the end of summer (sufficient to see them through the winter), has had to buy as much in again and truly hope this will see them through the winter. Two other farmers I have heard of lately are putting a cost of £10,000 on this past month. Both farms with large hill flocks which wouldn't normally see a cost of this degree so early in the winter.

Not only has it been a difficult time but also a costly time.

February is often the month when winter can arrive, I wonder what it will have in store for us? Fortunately, everyone has had time to replenish their stocks of everything and anything, both in the farmyard and the house, they are ready for whatever nature sends their way.

Shep remains optimistic,even though the weather forecasters are still threatening snow. The snowdrops are sticking their heads out, soon to give us a floral display to warm the heart and have us believe spring is around the corner. Flocks of Fieldfares are cheering up the out bye ground, again giving a feeling that spring may well arrive. An early spring, although still a way off yet, could be mother natures answer, easing the fodder situation as grass grows early in the season. Let's hope so.

Why don't all sheep eat hay?

"When the hay/ straw or whatever it is gets put out for the sheep why don't some of them eat it?" is a question I was asked recently. Kinda threw me for a moment or two I have to say but I would utter some sort of knowledgeable reply no doubt.

Sheep will be being fed on silage or hay. Straw can and does get used for feeding but generally is used for bedding, it would be fairly safe to say that whatever type of bale is being fed to sheep in Tarset it will be either silage or hay.

The big round bales may be silage or hay, the small oblong bales which are easily carried by man will be hay.

So why don't all the sheep eat the hay or silage?

When I sit back and contemplate the query there are actually a number of answers some of which depend on how the stuff was presented for them.

All fodder is supplementary feeding, a substitute for the real thing. Given to the stock when their own choice of food is in short supply or of poor nutritional value.

At the moment, with snow cover, bales are being put out for the sheep to help them keep their bellies full. On the rough hill ground it is still possible for the sheep to scratch through the snow and find green shoots lying below it, to many this might be sweeter to the palate than what the shepherd is offering.

If the bales are put into feeders - that being round metal feeders for the round bales and metal hay hecks with lids for the small bales - there is a limit to how many bodies can get around these feeders at one go so it may appear that some aren't eating the fodder, whereas it is most probable they've either had their fill and left or can't shoulder their way in to have a guzzle.

The large round bales can be rolled out on the ground, either mechanically or physically, there by allowing all the sheep to gain access to the food. There will be a long line of hay with sheep standing, walking on it and eating it.

Small bales are easily scattered out on the ground and generally done so in a large circle with a decent space between each slice of the bale. The idea being that the sheep will stand around each slice of hay eating it and excreting away from the fodder, if they wish to move on to a different slice they can do so without walking over the fodder on the ground, they have to travel across open ground to reach the next slice, hopefully that way there will be less waste.

Many explanations as to why it would appear some sheep aren't eating the fodder on offer, just like humans some are greedy and will gorge themselves, others are shy and get knocked out, there are those who have found something sweeter and are quite content with their lot and there is always the minority who just wont - I wouldn't thank you for 'foreign' food, sheep can be equally as choosy.

Grass comes free, or does it?

The grey cells are working overtime, mental exhaustion will soon kick in..... I was thinking (which is always dangerous!). To many whom are not in the know it may be easy to conclude that farms have grass, which grows in fields, which is a natural process and therefore must be a cost free commodity - seems logical to me when I think of it along those lines.

If only life were so simple. Still on the hay and silage vein I'll concentrate on that for now. It would be far too complicated for me at the moment to discuss grassland in general.

If you have a lawn then undoubtedly you'll find you have to cut the grass, whether with and electric or petrol lawnmower the fuel is a cost. Breakages? Has that lawnmower ever coughed, hiccuped then died? Do you repair or upgrade? Second hand or new? More cost - similar problems facing the farmer and his hay machinery, slightly different costs considering a tractor suitable for all the jobs required on a hill farm will probably set you back forty grand (the cheaper end of tractors due to them being smaller models), a big round baler can be acquired at half the price of the tractor. One farmer told me recently the baler would have to kick out 16,000 bales before it paid for itself (I'll take his word for that, mathematics is not a strong point of mine unless I'm counting sheep).

Back to your lawn. Maybe you don't have a lawnmower, preferring to hire a gardener and his gear to do the job. Farmers have the same options. A neighbour has had contractors in to bale and wrap his silage at a cost of £4.50 a bale. The wrap is bought by the farmer, at present it is £50+ per roll( it pays to shop around), with a roll averaging 27 bales, therefore working out at approx £2 per bale.

The silage bale has so far cost £6.50 to bale and wrap. The grass was cut by the farmer. His service bill for the tractor prior to hay time was over a thousand pounds, he needed fresh blades for the mower, diesel, grease, oil. The grass was turned and rowed up, tines were needed for the hay bob and yet more diesel, grease and oil. Then the bales needed lead from the field, where they were baled, to the pad where they are wrapped and stacked, a contractor charges by the hour for this as distances led vary, the farmer actually led his own but hired in another tractor and a man to operate it. The cost of that silage bale is rising.........

So, it costs money to produce a silage bale but the grass was free - wasn't it?

There is the saying 'there's nowt free in life', personally I tend to disagree, however, when it comes to grass there is a lot of truth in that saying.

Your lawn? Ever had trouble with it? moss growing killing the grass off, or maybe it just got a hammering, trampled by kids or dogs, and you found yourself down the garden centre buying bits and bobs to improve it. Similar problems face the farmer but on a far larger scale, we are talking many acres not square yards.

Hay/silage fields are the best ground on the farm. Hay/silage is what gets your livestock through the winter months, a very important crop, the quality of which reflects on the quality and health of your stock.

Being the best grazing the fields are used throughout the year. Lambs will be spaened (weaned) onto them shortly to take advantage of the new growth, ewes may be tupped in them and are often fetched into them to be lambed or they may be used for keeping ewes and twins on as the quality of grazing is better. Eventually, after lambing time they are shut down and allowed to grow into a crop. Simple really.

Except, like your lawn, the hay fields do get a hammering, they have fed many mouths and hopefully kept everything on a rising plane, they can get tired and need assistance.

Manure, both natural and man made is often required to give the field a lift, get it to produce plenty of crop through the growing season (which is a short one up here in Tarset). Obviously the livestock grazing the ground has been manuring as they go along which is a great help but more is required if that huge stash of winter fodder is to be available.

Natural manure generally comes from the cattle sheds, a by product. Cattle that are housed throughout the winter don't half produce one hell of a pile of shit (call it dung if you feel more comfortable with that). Well, that really simplifies the job, cows do what they're good at, eat the silage and dutifully pass it out the other end then it can go back on the fields, help produce more silage and so it goes......

Cattle in sheds need to be bedded up, you wouldn't like to lie in your own excrement for months would you? Neither do they, and so the farmer puts down bales of straw which soaks up all that skitter and piddle and leaves the cattle to lie comfortably whilst chewing their cuds and dreaming of spring time and fields to frolic around in.

Straw is the stalks which corn grows on, wheat, barley, oats...... which is harvested in the back end on lower running farms, the stalks, like hay and silage gets baled up and sold on to the livestock farmer for bedding.

So, we have the straw, a by product from the corn harvest. The corn men would often burn the straw/stubble on the fields which put nutrients back into the ground, there are rules and regulations now (fancy that!)and so straw is now often chopped by the combine harvester then ploughed back into the ground.

But livestock farmers need it....... Umm, ever heard of supply and demand?

The arable men face costs just like the silage men, the weather causes problems too. No one really wants bad straw, mouldy, damp stuff doesn't do the job as well (imagine damp cotton wool against dry - the absorption rate definitely varies).

Good straw becomes a highly sought after commodity and in recent years the cost of buying in straw has rocketed, last spring it was dearer to buy in than the equivalent in hay or silage, this year it is prophesised it will be worth more per ton than the crop it was carrying.

That good old farmyard manure isn't free after all, in fact it is down rightly expensive.

Man made manure is obviously going to come at a cost. Fertiliser, as it is generally known as, comes in a variety of forms. Unlike spreading muck, with fertiliser you can buy the compound which your ground requires. More potash, less nitrogen, etc. You have a number of choices to suit your particular needs. Last year saw the cost of fertiliser double, this year it had not halved (things rarely come back down in price)but risen again (albeit slightly). I have been told it probably costs £45 and acre for fertiliser (although costs will vary depending on types and quantity spread) and that you would hope to get an average of 10 bales to the acre (again size of bale comes into it)

As I said earlier mathematics are not a strong point of mine (how on earth I passed my O'level I'll never know), but even with my very limited mathematical abilities I can definitely say that grass does not come free. That bale of silage comes at a cost.

Oh! I nearly forgot (told you mental exhaustion would kick in) - rules and regulations now in force mean that the farmer has to pay to dispose of the plastic wrap, net wrap and strings which are left over after his silage has been used - yet more expense! A box of matches was a lot cheaper.