Originally from: frances fish
                        
Hi Jane,
All that you say is true. We do not run things on what would be regarded as a commercial scale, and, as I said we would not be keeping rare breeds in that case ! They say, you know, that it is the rare breeds that keep the rare breeds. We have learned such a lot in the last years when we have been keeping stock, we started from an abysmal ignorance and now, we know a lot more( I would never, ever say we are expert as we are still learning ). We gathered knowlege from all and everwhere, some proved good and valid and other was utter rubbish (like sheep not drinking a lot !!) Ha, ha. they hadn't seen our Lincoln Longwools empty a bucket in two or three large slurps (what a lovely word that is ). We have found what works for us and what doesn't. I could wish that I did know more, I wish that the vets knew more as well. Sorry Jane but I do feel that I keep getting let down and wish that I could regard them as the "expert " who diagnoses and treats and all that can be done has been. I feel that the syllabus in the vet schools needs adjusting drastically, I think they are still looking at that one, Jane ? I hate losing an animal when I think ,if I only knew, it could have been saved. As regards different behaviour in sheep "off the hill " and those who have been "well-handled ", well its obvious isn't it ? A blind man on a galloping horse, on a dark night should be able to see that there would be a difference. Its not in the sheep, its in our handling of them, in what they expect, whether they trust you, whether they know you. It is not possible to handle and get to know hundreds at a time and, in many ways, this can be an advantage. Not to know that poor little "Dolly " or whoever, lost her lambs and is upset and grieving . This does not mean that the hill sheep are neglected, just kept for a different purpose and in a different way, Jane is absolutely correct. You can have repect without mollycoddling ( another lovely word ) Hey, Coleen, what is the origin of that one , love to know ? Frances