The USDA cometh

Today a veterinary technician arrived to inspect our flock of sheep for the scrapie eradication program. Mercifully our flock got a clean bill of health, at least as far as scrapie is concerned, and we got some inside advice on the way the system works, its limitations, and how to stay in compliance. We took the opportunity to do some more rooing of the sheep while she did her inspection, and we have what must be a good two wheelbarrow loads of wool.

She exploded one myth for us: that scrapie has never been diagnosed in a Soay sheep. To her knowledge a rare form of spontaneous scrapie manifestation was found in one Soay sheep. To know that this is possible is good. To know that it is rare is better.

She also gave us some very appreciated advice concerning the market for sheep in the area: apparently there are some butchers who specialise in sheep and goats for the moslem and general middle eastern culture markets, but also for the hispanic. Apparently a lot of buyers come here and buy up anything they can and ship it to Mexico, which means that there's a supply dearth. This might well mean that we can get fairly decent prices for our surplus sheep. She promised to send us some contact information so that we can test the waters.

Double Nickel, our oldest sheep (but also quite possibly our favourite ewe, since she is an excellent mother and has a pleasant personality, and bears gorgeous lambs to boot) has a sore left forefoot, so our regular vet came out for a look. Nothing terrible was found - no footrot or anything like that - so we're just observing for the time being. There's a bit of a crack in the hoof, so the vet said that it looked as if she might have twisted her foot somehow.

We've been having trouble getting quotes from fencing contractors, so we are casting our net a little wider, but we still definitely intend to set up proper fencing for pastures, all the better to keep our sheep safe and controlled. A decent hayshed and a proper manger will save on hay expenses as well.

The scythe was certainly a good investment. It's quieter than a weedeater, but just as effective, and requires less maintenance and fuel. It's ideal for taking the tops off thistles, which the sheep are reluctant to eat. Wilted thistle parts, a day or so later, the sheep gladly eat, so we don't end up with much spiky debris lying around. This also means that bits of grass and forbs which grow under the shelter of thistle spikes are available for the sheep to eat, so it keeps the grazing more even.

The predators have been leaving our ducks alone, which is gratifying. Whether this is because periodic guarding by a farmer is making them nervous, because we have taken to leaving the porch lights on at night, or because we placed some fencing in a loose, incomplete circle around the duck pond is unclear, but we hope to keep a lid on losses.