AUSSIE TAILS

 

If you come across a sheep that is 'cast' lying on its back looking like it is sunbathing (it's not) then simply roll it back onto its side and wait until it gathers enough strength to get up and move away.  They will die if you do nothing and leave them as they are incapable of rolling back to right themselves, especially if they are pointing uphill.  

Cast sheep are also easy pickings for crows who will take out their eyes, and eagles and other predators such as wild pigs, dingo, foxes etc.  this leaves their lamb (if they have one) also extremely vulnerable

AUSSIE TAILS … Maureen Clifford ©   The #ScribblyBarkPoet

 

 

 

 

‘twas just a glimpse caught by his eye early one morning driving by

as through the fence he checked the stock noting they needed new lick blocks.

He saw the lamb, but not the ewe and saw the eagle hovering too

and thought he’d best go take a look – He hit the brakes and detour took.

 

The ewe had had an accident, got herself tangled in the fence

and now the old girl she was cast – her woollen locks the fence held fast.

He cut her free and pulled her up and trickled water from a cup

into her gasping mouth and said ‘You’re bloody lucky you’re not dead.

 

Now be a dear and bugger off there’s corn and hay down in the trough

and don’t be doing things so rash – each time sheep die it costs me cash.’

The lamb that stood so quietly by its mother now pressed to her thigh

and bent its downy head to feed punching Mums belly in its greed.

 

The farmer smiled a life he’d saved – well two in fact, for eagles craved

the flesh of lambs, small bones to crunch they were indeed a favoured lunch

at lambing time.  They came in droves, and they were cunning, canny coves.

You rarely saw them through the year but come lambing time, they’d appear.