In order to ensure that every ewe has more than a good chance of being 'served' by a tup (ram), it is important to make sure you have the right number of tups to ewe. Every January we have one or two to 'cast', and they are either sold to neighbours or go to market - and every October we need to buy a few more. This year we seem to have bought 7! The last 2 we bought from the MacLeans at Knock Farm.
Yesterday we went to choose them, collect them and put them out (with the ewes). We passed our neighbour who was feeding his cattle.
There were about 10 tups to choose from. They were indoors in the stone steadings, where the shearing is done.
Having selected our two, D and Farmer manhandled them into our wee trailer. They were both very energetic and fit, and one of them had jumped out of the pen in the middle of the selection process - so manhandling them was the only way to make sure they reached the trailer without legging it out of the farmyard!
The light on the way home was wonderful. Knock farms most of the land on the other side of Loch na Keal.
At Ulva Ferry we met this family.
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We drove straight down to the field beyond Haunn. Farmer opened out the trailer gates and they shot out of the trailer so fast I failed to capture the sight of them leaping into the field..
They stood for a minute surveying the field and then got down to business.
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I missed the northern lights last night as we were out for the evening. By the time we got home there was not much happening. Oh well, there will be another time.
