This morning my head is quite full of bread - sourdough, that is. I've just finished doing some work on my eBook and at the back of my mind is the thought of keeping an eye on the two loaves rising on the bench.
After a very long day yesterday that was all go from the start it's a slower, two-cups-of-tea type of morning here.
Amongst the busyness of yesterday, we weaned Rocket. He is now twelve weeks old, and whilst that may sound young, he is one very large boy, and being a ram if he wasn't an orphan I would have weaned him off his mother this week anyway. You see, young Dorper rams are ready to work from as young as three months old, so Rocket really isn't a baby any more.
All going well, Rocket will be leaving home soon. We've found a lovely home for him, where he is going to be very loved and well looked after. Since we left him as a ram, I always knew that he would be leaving home around this age and I'm quite ok with the idea. Maybe I wouldn't be, but recently I've already said goodbye to so much of our livestock that Rocket leaving is really hardly anything compared to some of the others. I've sold almost all of the sheep now, with just two wethers left (who won't ever be leaving, as they are destined for the dinner table and we use a mobile butcher) and three young ewes to be sold.
You're probably wondering why I've sold the sheep, and to be truthful there is a mixture of reasons, but the main one is simply the drought. The drought virtually began when we moved to this property, and each year the rainfall has been getting significantly less. It was so bad this year that we only enjoyed one month of not having to feed the livestock, before returning to putting out hay and supplementing with high protein feeds.
It's a lot of work, and also very draining on your emotions, to see the livestock not thriving as they should and be constantly pouring more and more feed out. It's very expensive too, and a month or so ago we realised that we just couldn't sustain it any longer. The cattle will be leaving next week, and hopefully Rocket too.
If you're looking at the green grass above, and wondering why I mention the word drought, it is simple. We have only a few acres under irrigation, and when the weather is dry it is very hard to keep the water levels up and also have the time to allow the feed to grow properly. In short, it can't grow as fast as we need it. Artificial water just doesn't give the fast growth or body of feed that rain does, and with increasing electricity prices it is very costly to pump the water too. And at the end of the day we can't feed our livestock on only a couple of acres of grass.
It's going to feel so strange to get up in the morning and see the paddocks empty of cattle. To not have to lock the sheep up at night and let them out every morning. I don't quite know what it will feel like yet, but I know it will be a mixture of great sadness and also relief. I know that we are doing the right thing, indeed the only thing that we could do, and in some ways that does make it easier.
In the meantime, I'm dreaming of relocating to greener pastures (literally) and one day again being able to build up a herd of cattle, and also breed up a flock of Dorpers. Until that comes though, it will just be our milker Missy and her friend Clara, along with the chickens.
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Closing this door must be very, very hard on the whole family. Hearing about your new adventures will be something I look forward to :)
ReplyDeleteThank-you Kellie xx
DeleteOh dear. :( I had no idea that the dry weather was hurting you so badly. I would send you some of our rain if only I could (plenty of green across the ditch if you are up for a big change someday!). As hard as it must be, I'm glad to hear that you feel at peace with what's best (and happy to hear that Rocket is heading for a good home).
ReplyDeleteThank-you so much Laura. As much as it would be lovely to be able to share rain, imagine the state of the planet if humans could control the weather?! x
DeleteIt's so sad you have to farewell your stock, but sounds like its the best thing for their welfare. I'm with Laura, LOTS of green grass over here in NZ and would gladly send some rain your way if we could. I hope Rocket's new family know what a handful he will be! Pet ram lamb's can be quite dangerous, those cute little boys grow up into big, strong, stroppy men! I have one and he's always out to get us, he thinks its a game but when he connects boy does it make my eyes water (and leave some big bruises)! He would easily break my arm or leg if I didn't keep an eye on him. So ungrateful after I bottle fed him every 3 hours from birth and let him sleep under my home office desk by the heater. haha
ReplyDeleteThank-you Jo.
DeleteI think with rams, bulls and all male animals it depends on their temperament, their genetics and a little on the environment they were raised in as to whether they become an issue. Because Rocket was only in the house with us for 2 weeks before going back out to live with the sheep, he behaves the same as the others. He's never shown any bad behaviour, neither did his parents. His father I could get right up in the paddock if he was hogging food and he wouldn't try to stand me up at all.
I would gladly send some UK rain to you, too! You have decided to do the right thing. The chickens will still keep you happy and a bit busy and maybe you will find a lot of other things that you could do with your less busy mornings and evenings. Life and nature throw all kids of challenges our way and we have to deal with them, that's just how it is. Good luck with everything!
ReplyDeleteThank-you :-) There will be plenty of busyness, and when we purchase livestock again we have the past years experience under our belts to guide us too :-)
DeleteI hope you get that much needed rain soon Sarah. I think I may have mentioned it on my blog a few months ago but in January we sold several thousand sheep because it had become so dry. It literally rained the very next day, such is the nature of farming. My grandfather, an old school sheep man from way back always said "Sell and repent, but always sell". We all know that looking after our livestock is the number one priority. On a brighter note, happy baking and making xx
ReplyDeleteThank-you so much Jane. I remember that post on your blog, and I remember wondering if that would be us soon (not that I have a thousand sheep to sell, though). xx
DeleteI hadn't realised it was so dry up there too. Its tough having no grass and having to feed animals. I always feel better when they are gone, knowing that we didn't really have enough for them (trying not to think about the fact I just sent them to the abattoir usually!). I hope you will be able to get more animals soon (either rain or greener pastures).
ReplyDeleteThank-you so much Liz. If we were just a few kms south we probably wouldn't be that dry, but the rain has to run out somewhere :-) x
DeleteIt doesn't matter where in the world you have a few acres, the weather is make or break for us all; we have a lot of disease in our wheat crops this year because it't been so wet. It's always a tough decision to sell livestock but worse still to watch them as they lose condition and fail to thrive.
ReplyDeleteYes, the weather plays havoc everywhere. I'm sorry to hear about your wheat! x
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