Monday, June 19, 2017

Information On Free Roaming Sheep Huts

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.

The animals that were utilized in fertilizing the uplands were not the same as those used in fertilizing the downs of the valleys. Those farms that had chalky soil or down had the downland rams. These lambs would be kept tightly in hurdles. They could not roam without restrictions.

The shepherd would keep moving the ram once they grazing one grassland. After they had been done grazing, the animals were sure to leave behind a lot of manure. The farmers then plowed the manure in. When they had done this, the soil would be appropriate for farming of the wheat, oats and the barley. Using the organic fertilizers made the land suitable for growth of these crops.

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 evident that these huts were very durable. This can be proven by the numerous excellent examples that are still being used today. They are now used as storerooms. You can find them parked alongside the fields. Most of them are not even in use. They have mostly been consigned to the agricultural museums. They are, therefore, evidence for those times that have passed.




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