It has been really, really hot again today, we may have peaked 30 degrees but we were certainly in the late twenties again. Whilst at times we had racing lambs, galloping cria and leaping kids, MOST of the time the animals were quietly grazing or panting in the shade. The calves could be spotted in the long grass where as well as being quite hidden, they probably also stayed quite cool too. It is incredible how the temperature can differ on our land (or any land) simply by virtue of a slight change such as grass length or density, or the compactness or rockiness of the soil. The steepness of the land can also make a difference as the direction and speed of the wind is affected by sloping land. We see evidence of this more when it is windy when it might appear the animals are lying in a really windy place but actually they are taking advantage of a slight dip in the ground, which the wind is going straight over.
Generally animals find the best places to be when it is hot but as we said on 17th, we need to do what we can to help them. And so it was that a lot of our time today was spent filling up water troughs and drinkers (including the pig wallow) and then going back a short time later to check they had not been emptied!!
We are set hot for a couple more days before temperatures begin to go down again. Good news we think: too much heat is not so great for us humans either!!!