Weighing The Sheep & Grazing Cover Crops

Last week Lorna weighed the lambs and gave them a health check at the same time. We periodically get the sheep in to check them over and see how they are doing. We gather them up with our sheep dogs Amos and Bess! 

Once we have them in a pen they run onto a set of scales that reads their ear microchip and weighs them at the same time. The machine is very clever as it calculates how much that particular sheep has grown and if they've grown less than the others the machine separates them into a separate pen so we can check them over. If they're not growing then they're not thriving! This could mean they are lame or have an illness so we take a look and give them any medical care needed. 
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These lambs are on a chicory/clover/lucerne mix planted into some soil we usually grow crops on (like wheat). Over time the soil can start to lack nutrients, by giving it a break and allowing sheep to graze a 'cover crop' we put some organic matter back in the soil. This helps to lock up carbon in the ground, which benefits the environment and allows us to grow better and more productive arable crops in the future. Meat is not all doom and gloom when it comes to the environment and land usage - this method allows us to make more productive use of the land we have. As with everything in life - it is all about balance! ​