A sure sign of spring. The lambs are up by the mailbox on the wrong side of the the fence. Or what is left of the fence.
We use semi-permanent electric fencing around our pastures. There are wooden base posts and fencing rods that are strung with 4 lines of woven electric wire. It only takes one sheep to touch the fence and zap. The rest of the flock to learns to stay away from it. However, the electricity in the fence becomes grounded in snow, so in the early winter the fence is turned off. After snow melt we go around the edges and fix fence then turn it back on.
New lambs don’t know about the fence’s bite and they often chew on it in the winter. The fence is breached by young explorers. Tot, the twins, Jason and Joe. These five make up the lamb group. Molly May is two weeks old and wants to play too. Only the new lamb at a day old stays with his mother.
The ewes look on as I go up the drive way to the mailbox to shoo the lambs back into the pasture area. The fence is in terrible shape with many lines down and some still buried under ice. The explorers just run back down to the barn. I know that later today they will be back up in the driveway and the road. I am lucky to have neighbors who understand that this is an annual event.
We have been talking about making the front side of the fence all wooden. This weekend I think we will begin the process of converting it.
At the last select board meeting I was appointed as a town Fence Viewer. I was one last year as well. At the appointment I was asked ” Have you viewed any fences in the last year?” A joke really because Fence Viewer for the town is like Weigher of Coal. An appointed position that has historical ties to a time when these town roles were essential to the smooth running of a rural farm community.
My reply, yes, I look at fences often, but just my own.
