dimanche 18 juin 2017

How The Free Roaming Sheep Huts Began

By George Cook


Modern practices of farming are far different from those in the nineteenth century. In those days, labor was found cheaply, and it was also easy to find. People did not use the artificial fertilizers and the sprays. When the farmers wanted to increase the soil production, they would make use of manure. However, there were challenges of using this method. It was not easy to haul a lot of manure from where the farmyard was to the far fields. This problem was overcome when the farmers decided to use sheep to handle this task. This was where the idea of using free roaming sheep huts came from.

Fertilizing of the uplands needed a different breed of rams from those that were used in fertilizing the downlands. The downland sheep were used in the fields that contained chalky soil. These animals could not just wander at will. Therefore, they were assembled in hurdles for easy management.

These animals would be moved to other pastures once they were done grazing a particular field. When they were done, they would leave manure in these farms. The farmers would cultivate the manure in. After they had done this, then the land would be fertile for growing oats or wheat. Otherwise, these crops would not have grown on the soils.

Those who owned farms from that century needed a flock of sheep. Having the hardworking rams was essential. This made the shepherd of the animals the most valuable worker for the farmer. Most of the downland villages were found in the valleys. These fields of the downland were not so close. Therefore a shepherd would need a house where they would place their medicine and tools.

The job was not so easy. It was necessary for the lambs to be moved each day. The work was therefore mostly physical. It was therefore vital for the care taker to have a place to sleep and eat especially when the season of lambing was on. Therefore, the shepherd's hut was built. It is also referred to as the sheep shelter.

There were all the basic rooms in this shelter. There was a kitchen, a sitting room, a store room, and also a bedroom. What was important was making sure the shepherd got accommodation that was durable and also practical. One corner of the house had a stove. This stove was useful as it was used in cooking and providing warmth. The shepherd had a window on each side so that they could see the animals easily.

In addition to this, the hut had a door which was hinged and stable. The door was always located from the prevailing wind. This was vital as it helped the shepherd to hear the flock. There was also strong axles. These axles had cast iron wheels that would assist in the movement from field to field.

It is a fact that these shelters were long lasting. It can be proven from those numerous shelters that still exist today. Most of them are used to store some grains. When you look alongside most fields, you can find them parked there. Some have even be neglected. Most farmers have contracted the shelters to the agricultural museums. They are now just proof of the past times.




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