Daily Archives: April 9, 2017

2017
04/09

Category:
farming
Life

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Shepherding and weeding

 

Not only is shepherding hard work, but is certainly brings a meaning to some of Christ’s teachings.   Sheep are pushing, shoving animals while goats will wait nicely in line.  Sheep are smart, just that they want what they want yesterday and you just might be in the way.   When I let the 12 girls out in the morning, I have to hang onto the doorway as they crowd on both sides, nothing orderly about them – each wants to be first out.  Goats learn their order and will file in the order they have learned.  A sheep will push past all of them to be the first to get the grain.   Sheep also tend to stick together so where the leader goes, they all go, even though it might not be a good place to go.

And, yes, the ram, there is meaning there as well.  He will not tolerate anything getting between him and his family.  They are his and he will not tolerate what he perceives as competition (doesn’t matter whether it actually is or not – it is what he perceives).  He is also there to protect them with all his energy. (If you way 250#, that is a lot of energy)   Ours has knocked the door off the small hay barn, because he wanted in.  Apparently, he thought that he should make sure they had food.

On the good side, the lambs are obedient and stay by mom, generally not getting far enough away to get into trouble.  When mom calls, they are instantly at her side – or if small enough – under her.   And if dad is in the same pen, he also watches over the little lambs.     And that is just the beginning of what one can learn from sheep.

We spent a part of the morning moving sheep into different pastures.   Since we don’t have a herding dog, we have to try to outsmart them, which takes time.   Usually, it just takes some grain, but today, with all the lush grass, grain was not a very good enticement.   By the time we had them all where we wanted them, we were tired and ready for lunch.After lunch, it was time to attack weeds in the hoop house – another example Christ used.   Do you know what this plant is?

Here is a close up of the same plant.   I think I could make a fortune off this plant if it had value, it doesn’t “get it” when I keep pulling it all up.

Since I forgot to take a photo of the aisle before starting, I’ll show you what the middle aisle looks like so you can get an idea of what this aisle looked like.

Of course I have to keep weeding to keep it this way.   I have a lot of plastic feed sacks that I will put down in this aisle and see if that helps.

And when I tired of this, I sat down at my neglected spinning wheel for a bit of spinning.