Bye, Bye, Black Sheep

And then there were 3!

What’s with it with sheep then eh? Last week, we came back from lunch & paused while the gate was opened for the car to drive in… The same thought went through all of our minds it turns out:

“Why is there no fence between us & that sheep?”

Seems I inadvertently left a gate open (first time ever). One of the sheep was brave enough to come on out for a reccie. Just a few cabbage tree leaves nibbled. When we got home she knew she was where she shouldn’t be & scarpered back through the gate. Even before we released the hound.

Then this week… it was a day trip only, and the same thought did not go through everyone’s heads… only mine:

“Fuck… dead sheep.”

And sadly, the little black sheep known as Jazz (far right) was lying on her side, very near where, less than a year ago we found Plain. And it looked like whatever killed Plain, also killed Jazz. Which I don’t know, could be pretty much anything, except anything that’s mentioned in my Small Farming Bible in the chapter on things that kill sheep.. But last weekend she was fine & sprightly. The neighbours had seen nothing amiss, and they look out for them. Seems she was fine on Friday even.

I guess they are no spring lambs these days. I also suppose that like humans, sheep can just keel over dead sometimes…. No marks on her, a bit of foam around her mouth.

Anyway, I have no intention of agonising over what killed her or Plain. I dug a really big hole & buried her – and once again, the surviving sheep gathered round the spot she’s buried, whether it is the smell of her, or whether they’re just nosey about the new patch of freshly dug earth, I dunno.

We’ll keep a close eye on the others, but I’m pretty sure they haven’t caught anything, can’t imagine she was poisoned by anything, and they have plenty of shelter from the weather (not to mention thick woolly coats).

And we’ll see if we can get one or two more sheep to help with the Summer growth…