Agriculture

On a cool but sunny late November day, I enjoy observing my flock of sheep dotting the pasture. On the whole, they look sleek, fat and healthy. But the two senior ewes, Nilufer (13 years old) and the unnamed number 45 (12 years old, rear left, behind her chubbier flock-mates, in the picture above) present a somewhat sad contrast. Both have been scrawny for years, so scrawny that for the last couple of years I’ve only had them sheared in the Spring, not both Spring and Fall like the rest of the flock. We decided that with little body fat they would need their full pelt to keep warm; their wool would not grow back fast and thick enough to insulate against winter weather. I had always assumed that the old ewes’ scrawniness was just a function of their age, much as many humans diminish as they get older. Both ewes have hearty appetites; both can keep up with the flock as it moves about; and both lambed successfully last year. These are all indicators of decent health. They are both very people friendly. But se