"Year of the Working Sheepdog"

[nancy]

We just watched the DVD. Fantastic!

 

Question:

 

In this, only this one shepherd has his sheep out on those moors and all. But, when we go to Yorkshire, lots of farmers have their sheep loose all over the North Yorkshire Dales. Sheep strolled across the road from Hawes to Keld and Thwaite, up past Buttertubs to Tan Hill, and down to Reeth.

 

So how does a given farmer ever find his own sheep?

 

My only idea is that they each take their dogs up, collect whatever sheep they can find, and get them all into some pen. When all the sheep are collected, the farmers go around and get theirs from each and every pen.

[Sue R]

In Scotland at least, and maybe elsewhere on unfenced land, sheep tend to live in "hirsels" (sp?). Generations are born, live, give birth, and such on the same hill or area of land. When the land is sold, the sheep often go with it. That's "home" to them. There isn't much mingling and when the hill is gathered, if anyone doesn't belong, I expect the neighbor is called to fetch his/her errant sheep home.

 

I could be wrong but that's the way I understand how it happens on the large open areas that are not fenced.

[Jumpin Boots]

I will never forget when I was 16 and my family and I went to Scotland to learn more about our heritage. There are many things from that trip I won't forget. There is nothing like getting stuck in a 3 lane round-about in London, in a small bus b/c there were 7 of us and the steering wheel on the wong side and 4 back seat drivers trying to 'help.' I think the longest we were stuck in a round-about was 3 rotations ,wow,what a trip. But I will also never forget driving along this one lane road on the side of a hill that had turn-offs every so often just incase you ran into another car and pulling off to watch a shepard and his two dogs on a very steep hillside bringing the sheep down to the farm. That was the point that I knew smeday I wanted to be associated with a working dog.

[JohnLloydJones]

So how does a given farmer ever find his own sheep?

 

Where I grew up, in Wales, Sheep were marked with a dab of colour before they were released to summer pasture. The farmers collaborated when they were brought down for the winter and sorted the sheep according to the colour. There 's a Welsh folk song "Counting the Goats" where verses go according to colour, that suggests this method has been around for quite some time.

[juliepoudrier]

I saw sheep marked with color as JLJ describes when I was in Wales. The sheep were grazing on public lands and my unofficial tour guide explained to me the color system. Sue is also right about the hirsels.

 

J.

[nancy]

So we were right. Each shepherd collect the seep he or she can find. And they get sorted out later.

 

I knew about the color blocks on the tups. But that's to say when a ewe was mated so they know when she's due. And, in this movie, the shepherd marks them for each thing he does, to know who's still waiting for worming or whatever.

 

Looks to me - and does when I'm there - that there are so many different colors on each sheep that they could join the parade at Mardi Gras.

[alligande]

In North Yorkshire it is a combination of the above. The Yorkshire moors are not "common" land, farms have grazing rights to sections of the moors, you can not just go and put sheep up on the hills. Those rights can be transferred. The problem is the sheep do have to be born on the land ( my understanding is that it is what stops them wandering) so when the sheep are sold off as they were on the farm my uncle bought it is extremely hard to re-introduce them and for most farmers in todays farming economy not worth the effort. When my uncle did add sheep to the business they were grazed in a fenced paddock on a different property. The sheep are color coded but there is not that much mixing, In Yorkshire the sheep stay up on the moors year round. They make great hazards when driving home from a country pub at night as they love the warm roads and sleep on them.

[juliepoudrier]

So we were right. Each shepherd collect the seep he or she can find. And they get sorted out later.

I think you were mostly right. I doubt that someone gathers sheep, takes his and then leaves the rest penned for someone else to come sort through. Probably they gather their sheep and then send the ones not belonging to them back out to rejoin their proper groups and be gathered by another farmer when that farmer is ready to get his sheep....

 

J.