The Importance of Shutting Gates!

Ok - prepare for a soap box rant! We worked long hours over the weekend - lambs don't stop arriving just because it is the weekend. It's ok - it's not for long. However, we could do without ramblers being so completely inconsiderate - SHUT GATES - THEY HAVE A PURPOSE! On two separate checks of his at least five daily checks in the fields, Andrew found two different gates left open. We have turned our lambs and ewes out into adjoining fields. They have a footpath going through them - there is a stile to get over the fence. Next to the stile there are two gates. One is tied up with very strong baler twine as it has not yet been hung properly and so it is like a piece of fencing - this is not a right of way - the stile is. The gate beside works normally, as does the one at right angles to that, which leads to the same place as if you went over the stile. Not complicated and relatively easy to see, for most people. We don't mind people using the gates - BUT SHUT THEM! One of these ramblers untied the tied gate and left it open - ewes and lambs got muddled and lost - this can lead to lambs starving if they can't find their mothers. The other rambler left the gate that works open - letting all the ewes and lambs through on to a fresh field which we were keeping as clean grazing for when lambing has finished. This is part of rotation and is an important management tool in organic farming. Why do people not see the importance of gates? I can almost understand it if there is not stock in there, but this I can't. It is downright rude - these people should not be allowed to walk through the countryside. These lambs are our paycheck. If we went into these office dwellers offices and mucked up all their filing cabinets and moved their desks around, creating extra work for them and cancelled their pay for a few weeks - they wouldn't like it! But apparently it is ok for us? Unbelievable. Time for a cup of tea. Rant over.