Perhaps the greatest initial investment a Soay keeper needs make is decent fencing to keep the little darlings home and safe. Alas, the aesthetics of a run of taught, newly-installed wire fence fastened neatly to precisely aligned, precisely vertical fence posts is of no concern to the rams, especially during rut. They bash away without […]
When you are putting together your Soay flock business plan, remember you do not need to include haircuts and perms in the expense column. For the most part, Soay will shed their fleece without your help. But you do need to pay for someone to trim your animals’ hooves or, better yet, learn how to do […]
Let’s face it, all you shepherds and shepherdesses over the age of 40. If we are not smart about how we handle our animals, we put our backs at risk – never mind lifting hay bales, building fence, and breaking up ice in the water tanks in January. The last thing we need is to […]
Once we are past lambing and the pumps are in the river, ready to start irrigating the pastures, we turn our attention to the Bull Pen. Other than occasional wormings, putting hay in their feeders in the winter, and for the lucky few, fall action, the rams are pretty much on their own year-round. Their Annual […]