Author Topic: Wet sheep (Read 2320 times)

suziequeue · « **on:** June 18, 2011, 07:21:11 am »

Despite droughts in other parts of the country here it has rained EVERY SINGLE DAY since mid May

We can't get anything done - no hay making, no mowing, no new polytunnel erection........ the list goes on.

Anyway - my biggest concern is the sheep. They are out on the hillside with little in the way of shelter except for the hedge. I understood that if sheep got too wet from constant rain then they would die. They were sheared ten days ago (in the shed..... because it was raining) and they look so bald and defenceless.

Am I worrying unnecessarily??

jaykay · « **Reply #1 on:** June 18, 2011, 08:29:01 am »

Probably

We're in the same situation, permanent rain and we've sheared.

Sheep only die from being wet through hypothermia. So as long as they're 'fit' enough to keep themselves warm, they'll be ok. I have to say I am still feeding ours a bit of cake to help with this - and the voracious lambs!

Your hedges, like our walls, will break the wind, which also helps them keep warm.

suziequeue · « **Reply #2 on:** June 18, 2011, 05:43:00 pm »

Yes JK - sounds like the same situation. Very reassuring.

We too are still giving them a bit of cake. Our number one ewe was looking a bit thin after her fleece came off but she's filing out well now.

Thanks for the reassurance

jaykay · « **Reply #3 on:** June 18, 2011, 05:48:51 pm »

Now I can confess that the first night I felt so sorry for them - it poured down- that I opened up the hay barn and let them in the cleared bit

They're out again now, now the rain is just torrential rather than biblical

suziequeue · « **Reply #4 on:** June 18, 2011, 06:49:37 pm »

Hopefully we'll be rebuilding our workshop later this year and there'll be lots of wriggly tin left over so we are planning to make a few lean-tos along the hedge.

At the moment the hedge is quite bushy and hangs over but we are getting it relaid over the next couple of years so there will be less overhang in future.

jaykay · « **Reply #5 on:** June 18, 2011, 06:56:14 pm »

We also have, in all the non-barn fields, shelters made from pallets and tin. They use them a lot, especially the lambs

suziequeue · « **Reply #6 on:** June 18, 2011, 09:23:23 pm »

Oooh pallets - yes - good idea.

My OH is always grumbling at me because I pick up pallets wherever I see them so we are accumulating a fair few now.

He will like the idea of putting them to some use (although he did give away a load to one of his pals the other day - so that was brownie points for him

)