Its always nice to be able to share or swap some sort of skill or equipment to help out and yesterday a friend came to our assistance with his dipping tub... for sheep that is! ...... And we really do appreciate it!
Dipping sheep I'm reliably informed, clears and prevents all sorts of skin complaints which make sheep skin irritated and inflamed and soothes them making them feel lovely.. so its well worth doing if you can for their well being and condition...
First thing I helped Nigel round up Mitsie and her gang and we brought them back, he dropped me off at home as I had to open the shop and left him to it...... I hadn't seen a dipping bath before, my only experience of one being the old "Thelwell" cartoon books... with the expressions on faces drawn with presumably suitable surprise...... so when he came back for me in the afternoon to collect Melody and all the gimmer lambs I was suitably alarmed with them......
We drove them round to the farm buildings and let them out of the trailer into the collecting pen..... Melody stayed close in unfamiliar surroundings, talking to me all the time, but was curious enough to go up to the bath for an inquisitive look.....
oh dear... she was first in...... Nigel carefully reversed her into it... its deep enough to allow a sheep to swim.. and they all can.... then their heads get gently pushed under to cover every inch..... the thing that made me laugh was that they bob back up like ping pong balls, shooting out of the water before swimming along...... there must be so much air retained in their fleece that it make them float...... she was turned round to face in the opposite direction and when she reached the escape ramp at the other end, climbed out to drain...... she carried on talking to me...... I only wish I could have understood the actual words she used... but I have some idea!!
Each lamb had a similar experience... with Jonty growling his way through it.. poor lad..... Tottie wasn't dunked... I couldn't bare it..... and she needed help to get out.. she's still only little.... When they were all done Melody came back and stood next to me and they were ecstatic to get back into the safety of the trailer and be returned home the familiar safety of their field...... I fed them as though nothing had happened...... as though it had all been a bit of a dream..... Tottie fell for it hook line and sinker...and immediately ate some nuts from my hand... Melody wanted some reassurance, as did Lottie and Megan...... but Jonty wasn't having any of it...... it'll take more than some nuts and love to bring him round!!
Dipping sheep I'm reliably informed, clears and prevents all sorts of skin complaints which make sheep skin irritated and inflamed and soothes them making them feel lovely.. so its well worth doing if you can for their well being and condition...
First thing I helped Nigel round up Mitsie and her gang and we brought them back, he dropped me off at home as I had to open the shop and left him to it...... I hadn't seen a dipping bath before, my only experience of one being the old "Thelwell" cartoon books... with the expressions on faces drawn with presumably suitable surprise...... so when he came back for me in the afternoon to collect Melody and all the gimmer lambs I was suitably alarmed with them......
We drove them round to the farm buildings and let them out of the trailer into the collecting pen..... Melody stayed close in unfamiliar surroundings, talking to me all the time, but was curious enough to go up to the bath for an inquisitive look.....
oh dear... she was first in...... Nigel carefully reversed her into it... its deep enough to allow a sheep to swim.. and they all can.... then their heads get gently pushed under to cover every inch..... the thing that made me laugh was that they bob back up like ping pong balls, shooting out of the water before swimming along...... there must be so much air retained in their fleece that it make them float...... she was turned round to face in the opposite direction and when she reached the escape ramp at the other end, climbed out to drain...... she carried on talking to me...... I only wish I could have understood the actual words she used... but I have some idea!!
Each lamb had a similar experience... with Jonty growling his way through it.. poor lad..... Tottie wasn't dunked... I couldn't bare it..... and she needed help to get out.. she's still only little.... When they were all done Melody came back and stood next to me and they were ecstatic to get back into the safety of the trailer and be returned home the familiar safety of their field...... I fed them as though nothing had happened...... as though it had all been a bit of a dream..... Tottie fell for it hook line and sinker...and immediately ate some nuts from my hand... Melody wanted some reassurance, as did Lottie and Megan...... but Jonty wasn't having any of it...... it'll take more than some nuts and love to bring him round!!
RSS Feed
