Shepherding 101

I was back in Latvia for a quick, last visit before heading home early November. Jehanne and family have recently acquired a flock of twenty-six sheep. The sheep are kept on pasture land adjoining the house and retained by an electric fence. To my inexperienced eyes, it appeared that the sheep have plenty room but —the grass is always greener on the other side.

These beasties ignore the electrical current and frequently breakout. As a highway is close by, these episodes are dangerous and need countering. Jehanne, the children and the dogs usually deal with this. I joined the roundup team for my week there, shooed sheep and helped repair the lines. Here is a photo of Gabriela in action and Brunis, the ram, leaping the fence.

Being so close the the sheep, I was able to make several observations:

They look quite different and are easily distinguishable by features and personality. There are leaders and followers. There is one that is always last. When herded some choose to go under the wires, some in between and others jump, like Brunis. There are two non-conformist in the flock that must be outside the wires.

Sheep start their day early and take rest breaks back at the shed and return to it before sunset. They are neither particularly smelly or noisy. Their presence adds to the pastoral atmosphere of Jehanne's home.