Re: Foxes, ladies and weapons

"fenwoman" <fenwoman@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:ca2dne2HoOJmqR7ZRVnyig@xxxxxxxxxxxx

If you bring them into small paddocks you can very quickly get serious
poaching problems
Not if you use someting like a straw yard on well drained land.

As most of the sheep in the UK are on the west and on higher ground your
chances of running several hundred let alone a couple of thousand on a straw
yard is nil
Even 20 in a straw yard at lambing time [mid spring] on the West coast would
do nothing but create a revolting wet soggy disgusting mess in a couple of
days
I certainly would not lamb in that. We have occassionally lambed indoors
with success but they are MUCH better and happier outdoors.
A good field is much better - its clean and if well chosen has natural
shelter in many different directions to help protect against the weather

I can remember reading something about sheep farming a couple of years ago
where some research was done. Apparently more farmers will bring sheep
under
cover to lamb and it results in more live births and less lambing
problems/dead ewes/predator attacks. Stands to reason in my book.

In any place where the population want affordable lamb the system is to do
as little as possible.
The result in a few generations is easy lambing ewes with no interference.
The more you interfere the worse the genetics get. There are "breeds" -
genetic aberations for double muscling etc - which are demanding more and
more intervention to get successful lambs. These may well be the ones you
hear of coming indoors. These are very small scale and that will end with
the upcoming agricultural changes.

In many parts of the world like, for example, New Zealand one man lambs over
5,000 sheep -- its one of their easiest times of the year -- they practise a
no interference policy.
The stock have improved considerably and they stay out on the hill.

This country is heading that way with the lack of support for agriculture.
However the transition period is not one that will be pretty. :~( Importing
good breeding stock from New Zealand is non-viable. Not having sheep on the
hills will grossly affect the ecology to its detriment.



--

regards
Jill Bowis

Pure bred utility chickens and ducks
Housing; Equipment, Books, Videos, Gifts
Herbaceous; Herb and Alpine nursery
Working Holidays in Scotland
http://www.kintaline.co.uk



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