Thinking aloud

....or at least, putting thoughts in writing. I need to do some animal shuffling and am trying to work out the best way for it to work in the shortest space of time.

List:

1. Buy in 4 weaners
2. Buy replacement yearling ewe
3. Move Fred to the yard.
4. Shear sheep

Written down it sounds quite simple but that is before taking into account movement restrictions and other peoples and/or animal availability.

If I can get the weaners this weekend I will be on a 7 day standstill before I can move any other animal onto the land (20 days if it is more pigs).

The following weekend I can buy the replacement ewe.Fred can then be moved to the yard. As home is within 5 miles of the yard it comes under the same holding number so I can move without a licence as long as I enter the movement into my book.

I can then get the sheep sheared.

The reason for the above order....
1.We are unable to get the ewe this weekend.
2.The grass area we have fenced off for the pigs is growing fast, if we don't get them this weekend we will have to put Annie and her lamb onto it...no problem there really.
3.We need the second ewe, ideally before we get Annie sheared, rather than getting the shearer in twice for one sheep at a time. Also before the weather warms up and the flies start to get about.
4.Fred needs to be moved as he needs company of his own kind and we think he would be accepted better in the other ewe is there first, rather than him trying to latch onto Annie and her lamb.
5.The hens have gone from 5 - 6 eggs a day to 2 and I think Fred's antics have much to do with it. If not we then need to make a decision on which of the older hens to cull.

If we can't buy the weaners this weekend, we will have to wait until next weekend to hopefully get the ewe and then wait a week before getting the weaners.

On Monday evening I re homed two of my geese and so am now down to 2 in the orchard and 3 in the paddock, ideally I am hoping to end up with just the Orchard pair.