On Our Own

So! We were irrevocably committed, and for better or worse, we were now sheep farmers. The first few days were trying learning the roads, learning the idiosyncrasies of windmills, pumps and more specifically the animals. There is a saying that when two sheep stand together, they are discussing the newest way to commit suicide!! For an animal that endures the very harsh climate in the Karoo, they are remarkably susceptible to disease.

Round worms, tapeworm, wireworm, hook worm, nasalworm, pulpy kidney, bluetongue, pasteurella..............., and the ecto-parasites, bot flies, mosquitoes, ticks. They die from urea poisoning, eating green lucerne, getting stuck in the mud and lying down badly (sleg gele). Not easy at any time of the year.

We had a remarkable amount of support from the neighbours and cousins and managed to muddle through without too many incidents. We had a lightening strike on the main irrigation boreholes, and had to replace about 3 submersibe pumps, as well as motor control switches etc. The upside was that we had remarkable rains the first season - second highest recorded rainfall in 100 years.

Brother R had to go back to Zim after 3 weeks, as his visa had expired, and he needed to finalize arrangements for emigrating. We left to return to Johannesburg on the Friday, and he left for Zim the following day.

Shear Madness

Shearing usually happens once per year. We have settled on a shearing time of 1st week in October as it is usually a certainty that the last of the winter cold snaps will have passed. This year, we retained a number of ewe lambs to increase the size of the flock, and, since they were not shorn in October, we decided it was now time. We usually use BKB as our shearing service, but since they are becoming very expensive, and their service is starting to slip, we employed a gang of independent shearers.

Shearing has to be the best local example of union monopoly tactics. You have to transport them to the farm, provide accommodation, provide all their food, tea coffee tobacco etc, sweep up after them, then pay them and transport them back home. Still they are quick and this gang doesn't inflict too many serious injuries on the sheep.

Wool is classified by length and fineness, among other parameters so the classing is the most important aspect of the entire shearing. Most of the sheep were lambs being shorn for the first time. A large percentage was AA length, so hopefully we will get a good price when we sell in November.