Glossary

Often in blog posts I will use terms that not everyone will understand, so I've listed here some of the common words that I'm asked about.

Clipping = shearing. Usually happens for us in late May or early June, weather permitting. Done more for welfare than profit as the ewes can overheat on hotter days and potentially die from heatstroke.



Hogget = a female sheep between the ages of one and two years.



Nuts = sheep meal, or sheep pellets. This is a supplementary feed that is given to the ewes before and after lambing, when grass is scarce, and to lambs so they gain weight. The pellets come in various sizes.



Outfarm = an old Scots term used to refer to land that was in a separate location from the land connected to the main farmyard. We have three of these, each with three or more extra fields. They have little to nothing in terms of handling facilities and so sheep have to be brought home for vaccinations and other such management needs. An advantage of the outfarms is that they are all on lower elevations and closer to the coast, where the air is milder and the winds aren't as fierce.



Snacker = a special trailer towed after a quad that drops nuts onto the ground at regular intervals as you drive along. Used in the spring after the ewes have lambed and grass is scarce again.



Tip = Local word for a ram, an entire male sheep over the age of one year. Called a "tup" in parts of Mainland UK.



Are they any other words I use that you'd like to have explained? Please leave a comment below, thank you.

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