[clayfoot-sandyman]

It’s good to show appreciation for our blessings.

Did you here about Mongolia this winter? After a prolonged drought last summer, they’ve had the coldest winter on record, and have lost an estimated four and half million sheep, goats, horses and cattle. And whilst I’m preparing my haying equipment, they’re still in it with winter only ending in mid-May over there.

Ed

[clayfoot-sandyman]

A biker was riding on a highway along a California beach when suddenly the sky clouded above his head and, in a booming voice, the Lord said:
“Because you have tried to be faithful to me in all ways, I will grant you one wish.”

The biker pulled over and said: “Build a bridge to Hawaii so I can ride over anytime I want.”

The Lord said, “Your request is materialistic. Think of the enormous challenges for that kind of undertaking. The supports required would reach the bottom of the Pacific! The concrete and steel it would take! It will nearly exhaust several natural resources. I can do it, but it is hard for me to justify your desire for worldly things. Take a little more time and think of something that would honor and glorify me.”

The biker thought about it for a long time. Finally he said,
“Lord, I wish that I could understand my wife. I want to know how she feels inside, what she’s thinking when she gives me the silent treatment, why she cries, what she means when she says nothings wrong, and how I can make a woman truly happy.”

The Lord replied, “You want two lanes or four on that bridge?”

[clayfoot-sandyman]

Hi Marshall,

I believe Shropshire’s are the best sheep for orchards, they supposedly damage the trees less than other breeds.

There’s an American Shropshire society http://www.shropshires.org/index.html

On the British site there’s a whole page on Shropshires and their advantages in pine plantations and Orchards
http://www.shropshire-sheep.co.uk/
Click on the link to ‘Sheep in trees’

Regards, Ed

[clayfoot-sandyman]

Hi John, Just wanted to throw something in regarding your last post…..

I suppose with all of these alternative options testing with dung samples is the only option.. but then we have to ask ourselves if we realy want to use one of our team mates as a benchmark while we conduct our testing.???

I don’t think we’re using our livestock like lab rats or such like by trying to work away from the chemicals, there’s a lot of good info out there and people who have years and years of experience of alternative and more natural approaches to worming (and livestock health generally). Let’s face it, our ancestors have wormed animals for milennia otherwise these wonderful lineages of domesticated animals wouldn’t be with us now and the Ivomectins and such like have only been around for the last 5 minutes relative to man’s journey with the domesticated animal.
But yes dung testing is certainly one indicator of wether things are working, although within organic systems one would be settled with a natural low intestinal population which the animal has resistance to rather than a scoured gut as in a chemically treated animal. The other aspect in the picture is clean grazing ofcourse although other horse owners have told me that’s very difficult with horses due to the amount of ground they require.:)

Ed

[clayfoot-sandyman]

I don’t have horses but cattle and sheep and have used with some success the remedies of Juliette de Bairacli Levy in her book ‘Herbal Handbook for Farm and Stable’ – it’s an absolute classic first written in 1952, and still in print today.
She has 3 pages dedicated to worms in horses. Won’t go into all of it but will relate this bit which I’ve tried in a similar way (as a drench) on my sheep and cattle with success….
“For mild cases of worms in horses and foals, garlic treatment given morning and evening is generally sufficient. Merely add three to four grated roots of garlic [she means wild garlic, if unavailable substitute with 3 – 4 individual cloves] to a mash of bran and molasses, continuing the treatment for several weeks….”
The downside of herbal treatments….generally it ain’t ONE SHOT, you have to build their effectiveness up.
I was recently treating a ewe with mastitis with compresses made from Docks (atlast a use for Docks!). After a week of it I realised why everyone was so happy when the ‘quick-fix drugs’ came in! But equally we compromise the animals resilience and vitality by relying too heavily on the chemicals.

[clayfoot-sandyman]

The ‘Ll’ bit is a difficult sound to write, it’s definately not pronounced ‘Lelins’ as I have heard it said! – can only describe it as far as I understand (not being a Welsh speaker). It’s pronounced somewhere between ‘Hlin’ and ‘Klin’, a combinationation between the two – perhaps ‘Hlin’ is the closest one can get to writing it phonetically.
Ask the breeder when you visit him! Apologies any Welsh speakers if I’m off the mark!
Good luck, Ed

[clayfoot-sandyman]

Hi Caitlyn.

I was new to sheep about 3 years ago and took a little advice from a few people and there was lots of positive praise for Lleyn’s so I went for them and found them to be an excellent beginners sheep.
Lleyn sheep originate from the Lleyn peninsula in Wales and until recently were a relatively unfamiliar breed of sheep in the UK.
Over the past 10 years the Lleyn breed has caught the eye of many farmers, and now Lleyn sheep can be found almost all over Britain & Ireland. Farmers soon find that the Lleyn is an ideal ewe, quiet in nature, prolific, has great maternal instincts, milky, & will not eat you out of house and home. The Lleyn fits in to many situations and its versatility suits both lowland and upland grazing.
They’re not wildly exotic, but are hardy, good mothers and pretty docile and they won’t throw too many surprises at you. They’re wool is fine for spinning and felting on the whole. They’re a robust easy beginners sheep and I’d really recommend them. http://lleynsheep.com/
I also have Shetlands which have very fine wool in many colours and are smaller (although Lleyn’s are not a big sheep, just Shetlands are tiny!) However Shetlands are a much more nervy and reactive and the lambs grow REALLY slowly. But they do fine on poor exposed ground (think Shetland islands!)http://www.shetland-sheep.org.uk/

Good luck, Ed;)

[clayfoot-sandyman]

Hi Vicki, it came from a funny little pamphlet/book called ‘how to rear a happy pig’ by Pickpocket books http://www.pickpocketbooks.co.uk/
and includes advice on keeping oxen, pigs, husbands, parsons, God and the squire happy! All drawn from sources from 14th – 18th century.
Medieval recreation sounds interesting.

[clayfoot-sandyman]

Thanks jac and mother katherine – have been in touch with ixy and hopefully will go and see her soon. Yes Paul Starkey – have tried his website but it’s a bit….higgledy piggledy but will try again.
We’re further South than Stoke-On-Trent, but it’s a similar post-industrial landscape; the only pottery company I can think of is Wedgewood?? Around here the industry was all glassmakers and steelworks.
Jac – do you have contact details for Edward Hart??

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