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Yesterday’s snowfall at nearby Crater Lake, together with the rapidly shortening days, reminds us that the grass is about to stop growing, breeding season is upon us, and it is time to prepare for feeding hay and the beginning of the rainy season — all closely related events. Preparations for breeding are pretty routine by […]
For Soay sheep and their shepherds, summer is an easy, laid-back season. All the sheep are feasting on grass, so there is no hay to tote. Moving the animals from one area to another to keep them rotating through the pastures is a welcome task, since we get to be with our Soay flock and […]
Yesterday the twins born under less-than-ideal circumstances celebrated their 2-week birthday, and they not only are surviving, they are thriving and growing like little ovine weeds. Tolcarne is, as usual, a superb mother and at least for now is cranking out milk sufficient to meet her lambs’ needs without losing her good conditioning. May I […]
During an otherwise calm start to lambing, we were hit with a stark reminder that no matter how self-reliant our Soay sheep may be, we still must be prepared to intervene when, rarely, the need arises. This story takes a while to relate. Please bear with me. Setting the stage: virtually every description of Soay […]
Not quite, but we know it won’t be long, because our Soay rams are calming down and everyone’s horns — ewes and rams alike — have started growing again. We put our breeding groups together later this year so we are just now thinking about returning the rams to the Bull Pen. I must say it’s […]
Far be it from me to presume to know, actually, but I do know their shepherds see all sorts of lines and angles and curves in everyday objects that can delight the eye and provide an additional layer of pleasure to what sometimes feels like pretty humdrum stuff — feeding, watering, filling the mineral feeders. […]