Here's the plan for today-half-day. I'm taking them into the lucerne for a graze, then back to the Racecourse Grazing Area at noon or thereabouts. I'll post photos on Instagram (whitegumwool) as I go, and then post a final track at the end of the day.
Nan
p.s. I'll notify on twitter when I'm posting.
END OF DAY NOTES: While the circuit went really well, technology failed me partway through, when my iPad screen locked up and wouldn't let me do anything. I only have instagram on my iPad, not my phone (too old), so I had to wait until I got back home and figured out how to force restart the iPad to get it to unfreeze! I was really happy with the circuit, though--minimal interventions by me and the dogs, and a nice steady graze. It was chilly and windy, which meant I didn't sit for long with my cup of tea at the edge of the thistly gully, but also meant that the sheep didn't stall on the downhill run out of the lucerne, as they normally do when it's getting toward mid-day rest on a warm day.
P1: Pickup. The top of this hill is a favourite gathering spot--high ground and a lot of chicory, hence the overgrazed look.
P2: Into the lucerne. Heads down and grazing immediately.
P3: Horatio leading leading through the next gate into the big lucerne paddock. I think he will probably become the next flock leader...
P4: Free graze to the southern boundary fence of this paddock. Stragglers keep returning for a drink at the troughs near me, even though they had access just ½ hour ago in the pickup paddock! Kinda like kids.
P5: Last of the stragglers.
P6: Turning back north. They've been happily grazing into the southerly breeze, but it's time to start heading back.
P7: The lucerne has a moderate case of bugs, most likely aphids and/or red-legged mites--the wages of a monoculture crop!--and exacerbated by the extended dry of March and April. My approach is to get the sheep to eat it before the bugs do!
P8: Having pretty much had their fill of lucerne by now, these enterprising sheep are actually eating thistle rosettes in the gully.
P9: Leaving the lucerne.