November has been an extraordinary month so far - we have been looking back at the diary entries and are amazed at how quickly everything has changed. Less than 2 weeks ago we had had no rain of any significance and the morning rounds were over and done with by 10am.
Now we need at least an extra half hour, if not a full hour each day to get around to everything and all because of the weather. The rain has meant more mucking out all round: not just because the animals who have ‘indoor’ housing (goats and poultry) are IN more but also because the stock living ‘outside’ are using their field shelters more and so they need more cleaning too.
It’s all good fun although with just over eight hours of daylight out of the 24, it's fun fitting everything in cos as well as the mucking out we have feeding, hay topping up, drinkers to fill plus our daily checking.
The sheep (not mentioned for a while) are all doing great: Jack-the-lad has covered all nine ewes/shearlings and seven of them have passed the date in their second 17-day cycle with no second mating by him. In theory, this means they should now be pregnant. The last two are Muckle and Bressay, due on 1st and 4th December but we are very optimistic that they too will not 'return'.
Our lambing is going to be hugely spread out with due dates ranging from 6 March till 10 April but when the time comes, we plan to bring the sheep into the barn in groups according to their due dates so in many ways, that will make it all easier.
The photo is of Bressay and Ness looking suitably chilled in their favourite 'chilling' place at the bottom of the 4-acre field. It was taken just 3 days ago!!