We realised fairly quickly that the curly birch wood would not provide adequate grazing through until late autumn. So we have hatched a plan to extend their enclosure. We have the space, we have fence posts, but what we don't have is that nice piece of machinery that makes holes in the ground for the fence posts. We met R.'s brother up at the Shell Station (our "local" - coffee, doughnuts and hot-dogs... and petrol) and he just happened to mention that R had harvested his oats and made the traditional oat sheaves which Finns buy (for extraordinary amounts of money) for feeding wild birds through the winter. So... we knew he had the bit for driving stakes into the ground attached to the tractor. He came over on Monday and helped P to stake out almost two thirds of the front field. We still need to attach the fencing and a gate or two but within a week or so they will have lots more space to graze in. They will love it.
When R joined us for coffee afterwards he told us that the local lynx had taken away two of their cats. (The photo is a Lynx lynx - Ilves in Finnish). They are protected but due to increasing numbers some hunting licences are granted. They eat small mammals: roe deer, rabbits, mice and voles and pet cats and also birds such as partridge and pheasant. They are very big and could easily kill a sheep. Which is a worry. And the worry will increase as the autumn approaches.
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