The past few days much has been happening on the sheep front here at Struan Farm. Farmer John arrived to commence weaning, when the lambs are separated from the ewes. At the same time the stock agent arrives to pick those lambs ready to go off, while the rest of the lambs (except for my ewe pet lambs) head off to Farmer John's property down the road.
As you might imagine there were wails on both sides. The ewes settle down much faster than the lambs, somewhat relieved not to be pestered and bunted for milk.
My former pets still on the farm, Rosie, Ruby, Pip, Pepper and Cookie, all came up to me for pats and reassurances. (Okay, Pepper not so much.) But Rosie, Ruby and Pip wanted comforting especially. Sheep don't like change, they are creatures of habit.
To some extent they were comforting me as well, since pet ram lamb Whiskey went off to Farmer John's place with all of the ram lambs that weren't taken away. Rosie advised everyone to get with the programme, and led them down the paddock, through the gates, and into the next paddocks. She's amazing. Of course I took her and Ruby some apples that evening.
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