I learned something fascinating

[Soubriquet]

A field nearby has lots of cauliflowers on them ready to be harvested

The other day, we spotted lots of sheep on the field

Thought that the caulis were ruined due to the weather, or the sheep had escaped.

However, we managed to speak to the farmer and no!

The sheep eat the greens around the cauliflower, but leave the actual flower alone.

What was once a green field, now actually has lots of white where the exposed cauliflower are.

I was amazed really

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Townshend,_2nd_Viscount_Townshend
This was the fellow who started the trend for sheep eating turnips. It's good for soil fertility.

@derxa

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Townshend,_2nd_Viscount_Townshend This was the fellow who started the trend for sheep eating turnips. It's good for soil fertility.

Turnip Townsend and the Four Field Crop Rotation System.

That takes me wayyyyy back to GCSE History.

@MitziK haha 'O' Level for me!

This is the best thread. I'm fully invested.

My Aunty Joyce reckoned sheep only had 2 aims in life. One was to graze next door and the other was to die! It’s hard work keeping sheep. 🤣

@Soubriquet

I’m impressed as well that the sheep aren’t getting into trouble.

There’s no fencing up around the field so if they wanted to, they could easily wander into the road. But no, they are more than happy eating their cauliflowers..

I am surprised they haven’t gone across the road to say hello to the llamas that are in the next field though.

Seriously...there are 4 llamas in a field

I’m pretty sure there will be electric fence on this field to keep the sheep in. As it’s only one thin strand fairly low down you may have missed seeing it.

@Eckhart

I read a news article once where sheep were getting into the gardens in a village, despite cattle grids. Locals set up cameras to see how they were getting in during the night. They had 2 methods: 1) roll 2) One sheep lies down on the cattle grid, and everybody else runs over the top of it.

They are NOT stupid. NEVER trust a sheep.

Hahaha! That really made me laugh 🐑

@Crikeyblimey

My Aunty Joyce reckoned sheep only had 2 aims in life. One was to graze next door and the other was to die! It’s hard work keeping sheep. 🤣

DP grew up on Dartmoor. Dying is their Prime Directive, accessing food in a place that makes them most likely to die is the second.

We're having cauliflower cheese tomorrow for tea.

Thank you in advance, Bleaty Overlords, for de-leafing my cauli.

Is Warren Bleaty the fella who starred in Shampewe?

Sheep horse!!!

Shorse

Sheepig!
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangalica

this thread has made me wonder why cows have splodgy poo, and sheep have solid. Both eat grass.

I don't know for sure about the poo question, but here's my guess...
The cows eat the long luscious grass which probably has a higher water content than the shorter grass that the sheep eat.
Fun fact - sheep snip the grass with their teeth and cows pull it out by wrapping their tongues around it.

Ponies (equines under 14.3hands high) are generally devious, clever and sly little buggers. Smaller they are, the worse they are (there's a reason Shetland Ponies are nicknamed shitlands!)

Horses can be used as guide animals instead of dogs - but I'm now thinking this might not be a good idea.

@Eckhart

I read a news article once where sheep were getting into the gardens in a village, despite cattle grids. Locals set up cameras to see how they were getting in during the night. They had 2 methods: 1) roll 2) One sheep lies down on the cattle grid, and everybody else runs over the top of it.

They are NOT stupid. NEVER trust a sheep.

This reminds me of Shaun the Sheep

Cows also have 4 stomachs... that might mean something

And ponies HAVE been used as guide horses for those with dog allergies and apparently have been very effective.

[quote willowmelangell]@MitziK haha 'O' Level for me![/quote]
Me too, I could tell you more then you want to know about enclosures and Jethro Tull.

Guide horse :

I'm going to need a sheep horse for my garden asap. But I can assist with why the student had to sit a sheep up because I also did that lesson at university it's called turning a sheep and theirs a specific method and everything.
For some reason sheep seem to chill when you get them in this position and are happy for you to inspect them. Can also attest to the fact a group of not very strong 18 year old girls trying to turn sheep is comical to watch

@sashh

Ponies (equines under 14.3hands high) are generally devious, clever and sly little buggers. Smaller they are, the worse they are (there's a reason Shetland Ponies are nicknamed shitlands!)

Horses can be used as guide animals instead of dogs - but I'm now thinking this might not be a good idea.

Ha yes as the OP says they have been used, and quite effectively (though I don't know if you can house train a pony, imagine thatin the middle aisle of M&S ) I think miniature horses (think they're called Fallabella's) are used rather than Shetlands or other ponies, they're smaller and I think their temperaments are more trainable and biddable than the ponies traditionally used to teach kids to ride etc (really, if you're contemplating it, ask yourself if you dislike your child that much) And no, I have no idea why these ones are miniature horses and the others ponies. The horse world is a very bizarre place!

Im also a little in love with Digby ❤️

Oh goodness, guide sheep! I mean how great, sat on a cold station, sheep leans against you to keep you warm, you'd never be short of a cauliflower either!

So caulis have been licked by sheep? They probably don’t eat them because they think they are baby sheep (thing about it) 🐑

Could you imagine trying to toilet train a sheep!!!

There would be pellets of poo everywhere

Dogs would ecstatic that there was little sweets for them when they went for a walk

Dogs would ecstatic that there was little sweets for them when they went for a walk