Friday 8th July, the first day that Swaledale farmers are allowed to start haymaking and what a start. The hottest weather of the summer saw every tractor in the dale coupled to a swaither, spinner, baler or trailer. Pressed into use as early as 3-30 AM Friday by late Sunday afternoon many meadows had been cleared of their contents, either square baled or round baled into big enormous bales and wrapped in black plastic that will provide winter feed for the stock for another year. It looks as though this harvest is going to be a good one and as soon as I have chance to trip up my farmer mate and speak to him for more than a minute, only then shall I find out for sure. None of those big roast dinners for him for a while, I spotted him with his Tupperware box in one hand, a sandwich sticking out of his mouth slowly disappearing into his face, and the other hand carefully steering the tractor and baler down a row of sweet smelling hay.

Although we did an eleven mile walk in the sweltering heat of Saturday around Harkerside, Whitaside and through Apedale. A sort of walk of penance to ease our guilt of relaxation and enjoyment whilst all those around us are working such hard long hours, by Sunday we'd got over it and had a lazy day apart from a bit of gardening. However, stretched out on my lounger I was thinking about my diary entry and  this seems to be an appropriate entry, I hope so anyway.

Counting Sheep

When they are not haymaking hill farmers seem to have this attraction for sitting on their quad bikes with a couple of collies riding pillion, sharing the pannier with a bag of sheep nuts. Disappearing into the distance over the Buttertubs to check their sheep on the high fells, these farmers have rights for a certain number of animals to graze on this common land and open moor. These rights are know as " stints" or "gaits".

As well as checking condition, counting sheep is a regular occurrence it helps identify those that have wondered off, strays from other flocks and the general upkeep of records for DEFRA. Hung up on computerised  record handling I wonder how those officials at DEFRA would react if they received this information in a format used by the forefathers of farming in the upper Swaledale ?

Head counts are nothing new and tables were compiled using words in place of numbers up to 20 or 'a score of sheep'. For every score sheep a stone would be picked up and the count would continue.

Yan, Tan, Tether, Mether, Pip, Azer, Sezar, Akker, Conter, Dick, Yanadick, Tonadick, Tetheradick, Metheradick, Bumfit, Yanabum, Tanabum, Tetherabum Metherabum, Jigget.

And that's your twenty in Swardle.

We are not going to be around now for the rest of July so it might be a little early, but I have to mention the Muker Show. This is a really lovely show and if you're planning to attend then I am sure you will have a memorable day that finishes with an outdoor concert by the Muker Silver Band outside the Farmers Arms.

If you know nothing at all about sheep other than what appears in the supermarket or on the menu about now, then here's a bit of and insight to words your certain to hear about the field on show day.

Tup                  Ram.

Wether           Will never be a ram!! 

Ewe                 Female with lambs.

Gimmer          Young ewe that hasn't had its first lamb.

Shearling       Yearling that hasn't been sheared.

Store lamb     Weaned lamb that's not fat enough for market yet.

Hog                 Older lamb normally marketed late winter.

Mule                Cross breed.  

 

Breeds you will see at Dales Country Shows

 

Swaledale. Black face, small but as tough as they come.

Teeswater. A fine large majestic sheep with close curly fleece.

Texel.  Not very bonny, bred for meat production, no "ewe attraction" unless you're a  Texel!

Wensleydale. Large, looks like Dougal, loves fuss and attention from their owners, couldn't pass a mirror without looking.

Masham. More popular in the Southern dales.

Bluefaced Leicester. Noble sun worshiper, when it lays down it's head follows the sun from east to west all day.

Jacob. A sheep for the traditionalist, amazing horns and coloured fleece.

Beltex. Texel's cousins over from Europe.