5/16/2013

Dosing and Marking Sheep


This is a post about sheep.















The Wee Guy, Big Brother and his younger sister were moving sheep this evening. It was such a beautiful evening, it even took me out of the house. 






They took the sheep to the bottom of the croft into a pen for some dosing and marking.



Did I mention it was a beautiful evening. The temperature is still in single figures (Celsius), but with a very light breeze, and sunshine, it felt wonderful.



I can't say they were too happy at being locked into the pen, but sometimes, needs must.



When I turned the other way, this was what I saw. The machair and the calm Atlantic.



Now, which one first?



The Wee Guy sorted out the doses: 5ml of something and something ml of something else.

I really know my stuff, don't I?



After a while, he decided Auntie Catherine could get the filling-the-doses job and he'd do the lamb-catching for Big Brother.

His technique needs honing, but with a teacher like BB, who could go wrong?

After all, he's taught me all I know.


The lambs get sprayed with a blue dot and an additional dot of either orange or red.



The red dot tells that this lamb's dad is John Wayne.

An orange dot tells us that Bruce is the daddy.



"Am I doing it right, Anne?"

(I do my best to reassure him every so often that he's doing great.)



But then I had to leave them to it. It was after 7pm and the guys at home hadn't been fed.

The Builder doesn't complain about much (anything, in fact), but I did reckon I ought to go and get dinner served. It can be quite a novelty having him home at a reasonable time in the evening, after all.



On my way home, I passed John Wayne and Bruce. 

Their babies were being dosed, and marked specifically to show whose they were. 

Do they look bothered?




11 comments:

  1. Chan eil an cianalas fearasd! Beautiful evening there, lovely view. Cairstiona.xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bha i dìreach àlainn, a Chairstiona.... Chan ann tric a thig mise a-mach às an taigh airson caoraich, ach bha an oidhche cho breagha :)

      Beannachdan thugaibh x

      Delete
  2. Replies
    1. Thank you, Keri. It was lovely to be out and about with no wind. By the time Sarah and her friends come, the machair will be full of lovely little machair flowers :)

      Delete
  3. Not to be repetitios, but I had to add my comment of "beautiful" too! Hey, I had already decided to say that before reading the other comments. :) My heart sighs for Scotland...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And your profile picture makes my heart sigh every. time. ;)

      (Any way I can get in touch with you, btw? It's about Study Guides on Douglas Bond's website ... I can't seem to access them and wondered whether you had any ideas :) )

      Delete
  4. The little lamb with the Wee Guy is a beauty, isn't he!! Let's see...if I remember my lesson from two years ago - spraying between their toes if needed and...that's all I remember. Loved all the views in this post!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow .... you're good! Yes, toe spraying when needed. x

      Delete
  5. And, please say hi to the three featured here from me. Nice to see them.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Love all the beautiful pictures. The Wee Guy is so precious, and doing a lovely job catching lambs. Can't resist those rams; they are quite the He Men aren't they? I am needing to get my dinner finishes as well... and here I am blogging... but so far no one is calling out to me so I can finish this one at least lol.

    Love and Blessings
    Pam

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Anne!

    I sent you an email a few days ago, but am wondering if you received it? Sometimes I think my email gets moody and doesn't send emails through... :)

    Blessings!
    ~Sarah

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts with Thumbnails