This week, two big events in the life of any farm. The sheep were shorn on Tuesday, and today, Wednesday, we stopped feeding hay and let the animals out to pasture, to eat grass, the natural food of donkeys and sheep. Spring has been good to our grass, there has been plenty of rain and plenty of sun (and plenty of ticks.)

The animals were thrilled to get on grass, they have been looking longingly at the grass for a week or so  now. With Chloe gone, we can do minimal rotational grazing, we should have enough grass for ten sheep and two donkeys to get us easily through November, unless there’s a drought or a long heat wave.

Life gets easier, too, no hauling hay back and forth, the animals are most at ease when they can graze naturally. The dogs love it too, lots of room to run and work.