Red Sky at Night, Shepherd's Delight

Sunset over Hill Top

 

Haymaking with Clive the 35!

At last we have been promised some fine summer weather so it is all hands on deck to get the grass cut and made into hay.  Chris attached the Krugger to Clive the 35 who does just as good a job in the hay fields as our modern tractors.



Hay making in the field opposite Pry House

  

Clipping



The sheep are gathered off the fell or brought out of the fields and driven down the road to the farm to be clipped



Chris and Ray shearing the ewes.  The clipping machines are attached to the tractors and run off the tractor battery.

The fleece is kept in one piece during clipping.  Chris, Ray and Andrew have around 1500 sheep to clip.  Each fleece has to be folded and then packed in special wool bags.  In September they are collected by the Wool Board.  Swaledale wool is coarse and has little commercial value but it is essential for the welfare of the sheep that they are sheared every year.