The Sheep
All about our flock of herdwick ewes.
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Our flock of Herdwick sheep are slightly unusual in that you would usually find them high up in the fells of the Lake District!
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They are a hardy, independent breed which prefers minimal intervention from humans.
Traditionally, the tups (the boys) go to the ewes (the girls) on Bonfire Night ready for the lambs to start arriving on April Fools Day!
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This year due the horrendous weather, we lambed the whole flock inside to keep them safe. However, they normally lamb outside, as nature intended.
The lambs are born jet black which helps them to hide from predators. And just like people, as they get older, they go greyer. The hogs (sheep under a year old) stay a brown colour until they are first sheared, after which their coat will come back their distinctive grey colour!
Their wool is incredibly coarse, perfectly adapted for living in harsh environments and is sent off after shearing to be used in carpet making and insulation.
The sheep also have an important job in keeping our arable crops healthy. We move them onto wheat crops in the late winter to graze them. This removes dead and diseased leaves, and encourages to plants to become bushier.
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This is something that was done for many years before the introduction of pesticides and was known as the "Golden Hoof".
